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Hala Gorani Tonight
Major Change to U.S. Strategy in Syria; Tunisia's Transition to Democracy Big Winner in This Year's Nobel Peace Prize; Controversy Over New Steve Jobs Movie. Aired 3-4p ET.
Aired October 09, 2015 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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HALA GORANI, HOST: Tonight, a major change to the U.S. Strategy inside Syria.
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GORANI: American forces suspend the training of Syrian rebels as Russia's offensive inside the country rolls on.
Also, how Tunisia's transition to democracy is the big winner in this year's Nobel Peace Prize. It was quite a surprise.
Plus, we are live in Jerusalem with the latest on a day of violence and escalating tension in the Middle East.
Also this hour, controversy breaks out over the new Steve Jobs movie. Why family members and former colleagues of the late Apple co-founder are not
happy.
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GORANI: Hello everyone, I'm Hala Gorani; we're live at CNN, London, happy Friday to you all around the world. This is The World Right Now.
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GORANI: From air, land and sea, Russia's military is in full swing against targets in Syria.
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GORANI: These pictures show some of the huge fire power Moscow is using to try to stamp out ISIS and what it calls other, "terrorist groups." Russia
claims to have taken out 200 ISIS militants in the last 24 hours alone. However, as you can see on this map, many missiles appear to have struck
areas outside their control.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Moscow of targeting western backed moderate rebel groups, all that while Washington's plans to tackle ISIS on the
ground appear to be falling apart. It has suspended its already very weak and hugely expensive program to train rebels like these in Syria. The U.S.
Defense Secretary, Ashton Carter says what's been done has not been working.
ASHTON CARTER, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I wasn't satisfied with the early efforts in that regard and so we're looking at different ways to achieve
basically the same kind of strategic objective, which is the right one, which is to enable capable, motivated forces on the ground to retake
territory from ISIL and reclaim Syrian territory from extremism. So we have devised a number of different approaches to that going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: The Defense Secretary in the United States admitting that this program has not worked. The former U.S. Ambassador to Syria in fact telling
me on this program just a few days ago, that the program was "an abject failure." So Ashton Carter says he wants to look at other ways to fight on
the ground. It's not just the U.S. and Russia there, there are many other forces are involved.
Let's cross over to Turkey, a country that's also been dropping bombs on Syria where CNN's Arwa Damon is monitoring developments from Istanbul.
Let's first talk about the U.S. Program to train rebels to fight ISIS, which frankly was a fiasco almost from the beginning. They're now
suspending the program. Will it make a difference on the ground at all?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that initial program, the concept behind it was try to identify certain rebels,
individuals or at least certain group that is the U.S. could work with, moderate groups, as they like to call them, take them to Turkey and Jordan,
train them and then send them back in.
And in an ideal, hypothetical world, this would have created a force on the ground that the U.S. would then be able to coordinate with. Well that was a
complete and total failure for a plethora of reasons.
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DAMON: Among which was the fact that the U.S. was effectively dictating to these fighters, telling them they only wanted them to focus on the fight
against ISIS. Whereas you speak to any Syrian and they will tell you that they want to get rid of ISIS, yes, but they also want to be able to focus
on the Syrian regime. That plan now gone, shelved.
What this new approach is going to be doing is effectively sending in ammunition and some basic radio technology to a group of around 3,000 to
5,000 moderate again rebels as the Americans are calling them. Sort of a newly formed Syria defense force that is something of an extension of the
Kurdish forces that the U.S. has, in fact, been coordinating with for quite some time. But we're talking very small numbers at this small stage, Hala
in what is a very complicated battlefield.
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DAMON: So is it going to make a massive difference? Probably not. But at this stage, it seems to be that floored or not, it's the best option that
at least America thinks that it has.
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GORANI: Well, we'll see if the best option will actually change anything on the ground. All the while, we mentioned there to our viewers before coming
to you, Arwa, that it's not just Americans, it's not just Russians, it's also many other groups from outside the country. Iran, for instance, an
Iranian commander was killed inside of Syria, his name Hussein Hamedani near Aleppo. Tell us more about this particular death and why it's
significant in the larger picture.
DAMON: Well, what we do know, and this is the Iranians themselves that actually came out and announced it no longer even bothering to try to hide
the fact that they are involved in the battlefields in Syria and of course in Iraq.
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DAMON: In this particular instance, this commander was killed outside of Aleppo by, according to the Iranians, ISIS - ISIS terrorists they were
calling it.
But yes, it is a phenomenally complicated battlefield. On the one side you have the Assad regime, they are government forces, various different
militias, the Iranians. You have Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters that have been active inside Syria for quite some time now. And then on the flip
side of it, you have rebel fighters ranging from the Americans again called them these moderate groups all the way on up to the Al Qaeda linked Nusra
front, all of which are fighting against ISIS but also against the Assad regime.
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DAMON: The U.S.-led coalition fighting against ISIS. The Russians bombing they're saying ISIS and other terrorist organizations, but effectively
going over -going after just about every single rebel group that poses a threat to the Assad regime.
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DAMON: What we have playing out in Syria is a proxy war on so many different multiple levels. And Russia now with the most recent maneuvers
effectively muscling itself onto the table in a very key and critical role, one that many would argue and many analysts are arguing is effectively
sidelining the Americans and not really sending a very positive message to America's allies about what kind of an ally America actually is.
Because they look at what the Russians are doing for the Syrian regime and ever since their bombing campaign began on September 30th, Syrian forces
have managed to launch fierce fighting in areas that they weren't able to in the past and make small gains at this stage, but gains nonetheless.
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DAMON: And of course Hala, one has to mention at this stage, that despite the fact these key players are talking about strategic games and military
maneuvers, what that rhetoric translates to on the ground is civilian deaths in a country that's already seen too much. Hala.
GORANI: All right, Arwa Damon is live in Istanbul, thanks very much.
While Syria is in the midst of that crippling four-year conflict, one group has been rewarded for helping to build a more peaceful transition in the
wake of the Arab Spring. The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet has won the Nobel Peace Prize.
It was quite a surprise by the way, many people were betting on other better known names, Pope Francis, or Angela Merkel. The committee in this
case says it was instrumental, this quartet in establishing a system of government there. Phil Black has more.
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KACI KULLMANN, NOBEL COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON: The Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 is to be awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A surprise result, a reminder to the world, the Arab Spring wasn't a total failure. In late 2010, Tunisia
was the first North African country to rise up against its authoritarian government. The people of Libya, Egypt and Syria followed. But today, of
all those countries, only Tunisia stands as a democracy.
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee says that's significantly due to the efforts of four civil society groups.
KULLMANN: The quartet exercised its role as a mediator and driving force to advance peaceful, democratic development in Tunisia with great, moral
authority.
BLACK: It could have been very different. The optimism of Tunisia's revolution quickly evolved into a dark, difficult transition marked by
political assassinations, unrest and enormous distrust between opposing secular and Islamist political parties.
The peace prize committee says the quartet established a political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war. (Inaudible) is
part of the quartet, as the President of the Tunisian Employers Union. She describes the win as incredible. Congratulates the Tunisian people and
dedicates the prize to everyone who fought and died for the country.
Their achievements are great. Tunisia held their first democratic elections in late 2014. But the country's future remains uncertain.
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BLACK: Twice this year, Islamist terrorists have massacred tourists killing dozens of Europeans. Tunisia's economy, its political stability depend on
international tourism. This Peace Prize is meant as a reward for those who steered Tunisia away from the bloody and backwards paths followed by other
Arab Spring countries. The Committee says it's also meant to highlight an example, a model of dialogue between Islamist and secular groups that can
inspire anyone who wants to promote peace and democracy.
Phil Black, CNN, London.
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GORANI: Earlier, I spoke to the Tunisian Ambassador to the UK, Nabila Mehr who spoke of his pride that his compatriots had won this award.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE) I was very happy, particularly happy. I said this would help very much to install this positive dynamics that we need in Tunisia.
GORANI: And you were proud?
(AMBASSADOR TO TUNISIA) Yes, definitely. Very much.
GORANI: As a Tunisian?
Yes, and as Ambassador of Tunisia.
GORANI: Did you feel like you had -- you are share in this prize with your compatriots?
AMBASSADOR: Of course. Of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, well you can see the full interview in around 40 minute's time for more reaction there on that Nobel. Now, to an extremely
volatile situation that appears to be worsening by the hour.
Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has now spread to Gaza.
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GORANI: Israel's military says troops fired at protesters who they say were throwing stones as they approached Gaza's fortified border with Israel.
Palestinian medics say seven people were killed. Also today a new spate of stabbing attacks in Israel on the west bank, targeting both sides. Israel's
prime minister and the Palestinian Authority President have appealed for calm. But Hamas leader Ismail Haniya is encouraging the violence saying a
new intifada is underway.
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GORANI: Video has also emerged of a shocking confrontation between Israeli forces and a Palestinian woman at a bus station. And we must warn you that
the images are disturbing. Let's bring in senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman who's live in Jerusalem with more. Tell us about
this video, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this video was shot - it's amateur video shot at a bus station in Afula which is just north of
the West Bank in Israel.
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WEDEMAN: There you see it, this woman, who has been identified as (Inaudible) 30 years old. She's an Israeli Arab from Nazareth.
Now she -- the Israeli police say she's holding a knife. Now, it's not all together clear when you look at the video, however, that she has a knife.
She's surrounded by several people with weapons. According to the account by the Israeli police, this woman went into the bus station, started
shouting at a soldier and took out a knife and tried to stab him.
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WEDEMAN: Now, there were other off duty security personnel there who confronted her. In the video it appears to - it sounds as if people around
her are saying shoot her, shoot her and some of these off duty security personnel are saying put down the gun, put down the gun. Now you hear on
this video six shots being fired. We understand that this woman is in moderate condition at this point.
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WEDEMAN: Now, according to Israeli police, she -- they describe her as a terrorist, but she has no criminal record of any kind. Now, we did also
hear in reacting to this video that's been widely circulated in Israel. (Inaudible) who's the spokesman for the Arab Joint List Alliance, he said
after seeing this video that the police and media are encouraging the execution of Arabs in cold blood. So, this obviously is not going to help
tampen down passions at the moment. Hala?
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GORANI: And let's - right - and we're talking about, of course, an extremely volatile situation. As we told our viewers, you were in the West
Bank most of today. In fact, we're going to show some of the video that your team filmed there as well. What did you see?
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WEDEMAN: Yes, this was to the north of (Al-Bira Rammalan) the West Bank where we saw for four or five hour's Palestinian youth clashing with
Israeli security forces. The Israelis were using what's known as skunk water, which is this putrid smelling liquid they use to try to disperse
crowds.
They were firing tear gas and rubber bullets and stun grenades. The Palestinians throwing rocks, using slingshots, slings, they were throwing
Molotov cocktails. We saw multiple instances of people being hit by rubber bullets, by also these what appear to be these 22 caliber rounds that the
Israelis are now using as sort of tie small, live, ammunition.
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WEDEMAN: And speaking to people there, this is a new generation who didn't take part in the last intifada which ended in 2004-2005. So they don't
recall just how bad things got. And many of them said we are doing it for Al-Aqsa, the mosque here in Jerusalem on the Harem esh-Sharif or the Temple
Mount where there's been so much friction recently between Israelis and Palestinians. The feeling you get there is this maybe just the beginning.
Hala?
GORANI: All right. Well certainly tensions high. Ben Wedeman is in Jerusalem. A lot more to come tonight.
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GORANI: North Korea whips up a celebratory spectacle that could be the biggest the country has ever seen.
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GORANI: But is it also preparing to test a potentially deadly weapon? That story, next.
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GORANI: India is demanding justice after an Indian maid reportedly suffered a horrific attack at the hands of her employer in Saudi Arabia.
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GORANI: The employer cut her arm off after the woman complained to police that she was being mistreated and was not being paid. That's according to
the woman's sister who spoke to CNN. India is urging Saudi Arabia to charge the employer with attempted murder.
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GORANI: Now to this story and there are signs North Korea may be getting ready to test a medium range ballistic missile this weekend that's
according to several U.S. Officials who spoke to us.
It would coincide with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling party. All eyes are in preparation for a celebration in Pyongyang. CNN's
Will Ripley has more.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When it comes to massive displays of state muscle, nobody does it quite like North Korea. Then
again, no other nation has the Korean Workers Party led by three generations of the same family for seven decades.
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RIPLEY: This weekend's spectacle is supposed to be a showcase of loyalty to the party and its supreme leader. Pyongyang's citizens have been rehearsing
for months, day and night.
We want to celebrate in the most significant way says this university student. Tens of thousands will fill the streets, a lavish celebration for
a nation still struggling economically.
You'll often see North Korean young people dancing in large formations like this. This is one way that they celebrate major holidays like the one
that's coming up.
Behind them, a monument to the Worker's Party, an imposing symbol of North Korea's only ruling party that turns 70 on Saturday.
We are taken to the party's first headquarters, a place the North Korean government says foreign media has never visited before. As many communist
regimes collapsed, North Korea's system is practically unchanged.
People are in these rooms learning about the history of the party.
From their earliest days of school right through their adult working lives, every North Korean attends regular history studies. They learn the official
story of Kim Il-Sung's rise to power from teenage revolutionary to Worker's Party founder to supreme lead for 46 years. A title passed on to his son
and grandson.
Third generation leader, Kim Jong-un rules a nation some call a Cold War throwback. But North Korea insists it's here to stay. Developing nuclear
weapons and missiles to defend the regime. This weekend's parade a show of devotion to the leadership, a defiant show of force to the world.
Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.
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GORANI: Coming up some in the business world are worried about China's economic downturn.
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GORANI: But not this lady. Hear what the head of the IMF has to say, next.
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GORANI: Well, it's a big gathering in Peru. Bankers and finance ministers are attending the International Monetary Fund's Annual Meeting in Lima with
some investors there looking nervously at the economic slowdown in China. The IMF's Christine Lagarde though is not nervous. She told CNN's Richard
Quest, that the slowdown was expected and perhaps even necessary.
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CHRISTINE LAGARDE, IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR: It is a slowdown, but it's a moderate slow down and one that is actually expected, healthy. Because that
country, at that stage of development where it is, cannot continue to grow at such a high rate as we have seen a few years ago.
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GORANI: Well let's cross live to Richard Quest, he's in the Peruvian capital, Lima.
Richard, let's first start by - I mean I know Christine Lagarde is saying she's not too concerned by the Chinese economic slowdown. But we've seen on
equity markets a lot of concern.
I mean is this gathering of finance ministers, are we not hearing a lot kind of worry about what's happening in china?
RICHARD QUEST, HOST QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: No, you're not, Hala. What you're hearing is them basically saying this was expected and how you manage it
depends on how well you've run your economy in the good times.
So you have countries like Peru, Columbia, Chile, the so called Pacific Alliance all saying yes, we are seeing the effect on commodity prices.
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QUEST: There will be an effect within the economy, but we can with stand it and there'll be some tough times. Even Australia, I was talking to the
finance minister of Australia, and he said yes, there will be an effect but China had to slowdown sometime. And the issue is not the slowdown, but how
it manages it and how everybody else responds.
So Hala, yes I suppose there's a certain - there's a certain wish to put up the best case scenario and I will say there's worry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: There is worry that the Chinese maybe wrong and that this slowdown is more of a car crash and that actually there's a very hard landing at the
end of it.
GORANI: All right. Well, we'll see. I know that some investors who are betting on where the equity markets will go in the coming months are
perhaps a little bit more hesitant right now than some of the finance ministers are.
Let me ask you a little bit about -- you had the opportunity to speak with the finance minister of the U.K., George Osborne. And one big topic of
discussion of course here in the U.K. is this country's relationship with the European Union, whether to stay or whether to go. What did he tell you?
QUEST: Well, David Cameron, the British Prime Minister is meeting Angela Merkel. The negotiations are very much at the early stage. George Osborne
is clear though that when it comes to these negotiations, it's not just the U.K. that stands to benefit.
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GEORGE OSBORNE, BRITISH CHANCELLOR: I think the majority of British people you know want us to try and achieve a better relationship with Europe. And
if we can do that, then I think they will support us in our continued membership. But we have to show that Britain, you know, is in a position
where we're in Europe and not run by Europe. In other words, it's working in Britain's national interest. And that's what we are negotiating hard
for.
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QUEST: They may be putting a rosy gloss on it. The negotiations can be expected to be very tough because Hala, the one thing the other nations are
saying is, yes, we know Britain has some concerns. But they're not about to throw the baby out of the bath water with full scale treaty change.
GORANI: All right, Richard Quest, we'll see you at the top of the hour from Lima, Peru.
QUEST: You will.
GORANI: With Quest Means Business. All right. I love Lima, love Peru.
It may not do very well in wet weather, but Lexus' new car is definitely ready for a test drive on let's just say sunnier day. Check it out.
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GORANI: A team of designers spent three months putting together a cardboard origami car. It's made of 1700 sheets of card board. It has an electric
motor, rolling wheels, functioning doors, functioning headlight. The best part, it can be recycled after you drive it into the ground. I'm not sure
it would pass inspection but if it did it would be a fun ride. Not to be driven in London, I don't think with the weather we have.
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GORANI: Just ahead, images of the latest Russian air strikes in Syria are black and white.
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GORANI: But the situation on the ground there is anything but. I'll be joined by an expert on the Middle East to help us untangle it what is going
on next.
Plus what happens when one of the biggest companies in the world hates the movie made about its Co-founder. We'll look at the reaction to the film
Steve Jobs. Stay with us.
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GORANI: A look at our top stories. The American Secretary of Defense is suspending training rebel forces in Syria saying he's not happy with how
it's been going.
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Ashton Carter says he wants to look at other ways to push Washington's agenda on the ground. It comes as Russia continues to unilaterally hit
targets all across Syria.
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GORANI: Also, among the top stories, the escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has now spread to Gaza.
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GORANI: Israel's military says troops fired at protesters. They claim they were throwing stones and rolling burning tires as they approached Gaza's
fortified border with Israel. Palestinian medics say seven Palestinians were killed.
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GORANI: The United Nations is taking action in the Mediterranean.
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GORANI: The U.N. Security Council has approved, today, military action against migrant smugglers off Libya's coast. The measure allows EU naval
forces to board and seize ships for inspection.
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GORANI: The American President, Barack Obama is in Roseberg, Oregon at this hour.
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GORANI: He's there to meet with families of the victims of last week's shooting at Umpqua Community College. Police say a gunman killed nine
people there before killing himself.
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GORANI: Let's get more now on our top story; the escalating conflict in Syria. There are a number of world and regional powers on the ground there
yet more evidence of that today.
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GORANI: This senior commander from an elite unit in the Iranian army was killed near Aleppo. It was announced by Iran.
It happened on Thursday night according to the military. Iranian state media are blaming ISIS for his death. Let's get some analysis on who's
operating inside Syria.
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GORANI: Let's bring in Vali Naser he's the dean at the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University, and the author of The
Dispensable Nation. Vali thanks for being with us.
What do you make of the fact that the - that this was announced so publicly that Hussein Hamadani was not only operating in Syria, but that he was -
that he was killed? What did you make of that?
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VALI NASER, DEAN, SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: Well this is not the first time that a revolutionary guard
commander has been killed in Syria or in Iraq. And each time the Iranian government had announced it.
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NASER: I think the benefit this time is to underscore the fact that ISIS is actually active and potent in Syria because ISIS was blamed for his
killing. That gives strength to the argument that is used by Russia that the fight in Syria is really against a very aggressive and powerful ISIS
and ISIS' ability to kill the commander essentially makes that point stronger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, but this is also being used for internal consumption, right? I mean to essentially send this message that this military effort
inside Syria is against terrorists. And it's really drawn on sectarian lines as well with sort of the Sunni terrorist versus the Iranian fighters
on the ground inside the country.
NASER: Well within Iran it's always a sensitive issue, the extent which actual Iranian personnel are engaged in Syria or in Iraq in fighting ISIS.
Usually the argument is that these high level commanders are there as advisers and not soldiers. But ultimately, it does point to the fact that
Iran is facing a very dangerous threat in ISIS.
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NASER: That both in Iraq and Syria is determined to defeat Iran and its allies and that it heightens the importance of this threat. But I think for
the Iranians, it's always very sensitive to admit that their personnel is being killed, that they are engaged to the degree in which Iranians are on
the ground. So it can cut both ways. I mean one commander dying is manageable but if the - but if the numbers get more then it would be more
problematic.
GORANI: Well certainly, if the reports are true that Iran has hundreds you know, we don't know the exact numbers, but hundreds of fighters on the
ground preparing for some sort of ground offensive in parts of Syria, inevitably, you're going to get soldiers killed. You know, you might have
some kidnapped. I mean it's also become a propaganda war with the videos released of kidnapped enemy soldiers et cetera circulating on line.
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GORANI: I mean if Iran really involves itself to that level inside of Syria, inevitably that's going to happen. How much appetite is there in the
country for that?
NASER: I don't think there's much appetite. There's appetite in Iran for Iranian personnel or advisers to defend Shia holy places. One of which is
actually Damascus. There's not much appetite for fighting in Sunni regions in order to save Assad, for instance.
But I think one of the reasons why Russia has gone into Syria is exactly because Iran is unable to carry out the large scale ground operation that
is being reported.
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NASER: Iranians have been able to put advisers in place and when casualties have happened, it has been against those advisers. But So far, I don't
think the regime has thought that it has the political backing at home to actually put troops in the ground. And it's exactly for that fact why the -
why the Russians have picked up the fighting now that Assad looks to be so weak.
GORANI: All right. For now, the fighting is from the air, as far as the Russians are concerned. They also are saying absolutely no plans to deploy
ground troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Now let's talk about the United States. You are in the U.S. with news today that the country has suspended the program to train "moderate
rebels" to fight ISIS. That was a disaster pretty much from the outset. It's been suspended. What are the U.S's options here?
NASER: Well partly the U.S. is suspending this because it really had become an embarrassment how much they spend and how little training they were able
to do. But also, I think it's a way of avoiding a direct confrontation with Russia. I don't think the U.S. wants to be in the position of re-training
the fighters that Russians are trying to destroy through their air campaign. And at some point this could escalate into a much more direct
confrontation between the U.S. and Russia.
I think the U.S. is likely to try to look to support rebels that are being trained by others, by Turks or by Jordanians. But I think by and large I
think the U.S. is really trying to gage how can it be effective in this fighting without getting into a direct confrontation with the Russians.
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NASER: The Russian campaign has really limited U.S's options at this point.
GORANI: But Vali, basically, is the U.S. at this stage saying with Russia engaged in the way that it has been over the last several weeks saying well
all right, we're just not going to try to shape events inside this country any more so long as Russia has this large scale offensive under way?
[15:40:06]
NASER: Well actually, the U.S. has not been trying to shape the situation on the ground. The U.S. has been doing the minimum in order to
support this argument that it wish Assad would go. But the U.S. has not really tried to change Assad.
GORANI: But is it still bombing - it's been bombing for a year and a half ISIS targets, and not in a very effective way, either it's not like they're
disengaged completely.
NASER: Well bombing ISIS targets doesn't change the facts on the ground about the relative power of Assad vis-a-vis the opposition. That is really
just protecting the United States against a potential terrorists attack coming from Syria.
But the U.S. has not been really trying to change the balance of power between Assad and the opposition by imposing a no fly zone or directly
taking on Assad forces.
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NASER: So in some ways, by stopping - stop supporting the rebels, essentially he is throwing in the blanket, the towel, saying that you know
the Russians have taken over. They are shaping the facts on the ground and we're not going to contest that. We're going to wait and see what happens.
GORANI: All right, Vali Naser, thanks very much, we always appreciate your time you're your analysis.
NASER: Thank you.
GORANI: Joining us from Washington. A quick break, we'll be right back.
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GORANI: Let's return to one of our top stories. A surprising Nobel Peace Prize win for the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.
Earlier I spoke to the Tunisian Ambassador to the U.K. Nabil Ammar, I asked him if he was as surprised as everyone else was that the quartet won.
NABIL AMMAR, TUNISIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.K.: Well, yes if it is a surprise, it's a nice one, it's a very positive one. I had the opportunity to be an
Ambassador to Oslo, and I know how serious is the Nobel Prize and how big the impact of the Nobel Prize is around the world. So this is a very
positive surprise.
GORANI: And as a Tunisian, you're proud today?
[15:45:04]
AMMAR: Yes, definitely. It is the Tunisian example showed and recognized all over the world. I hope. Because of the strength of the message of the
Nobel prize.
GORANI: Because Tunisia does stand out, I mean it has its problems and we'll get to that in a moment. But it stands out.
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GORANI: It's where the Arab Spring was born. It has managed to avoid all- out civil war to avoid and all-out chaos.
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GORANI: How do you think Tunisia has managed to that this when other countries have not?
AMMAR: Because it is an internal process in Tunisia. It's the Tunisian Spring, I like to call it.
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AMMAR: An internal and national process relying on all our national and internal forces. But, of course, we welcome very much the help, the
assistance of our partners and friends.
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AMMAR: Because the success of the Tunisian experience is very important, not only for Tunisia, but also for our region and peace. Peace and
prosperity in the world.
GORANI: Now the Nobel committee said, and these are -- this is their word, that the prize is intended as, "an encouragement." Not for an achievement
as much as to encourage the process to continue.
AMMAR: Of course. You know in the history of a country you cannot talk about an achievement. I mean everything is moving all the time.
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AMMAR: So we are in the process of consolidating and reinforcing our democracy so this price should be understood as an encouragement. As yes,
go on Tunisia with the help and assistance of friends and partners again.
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AMMAR: So what the committee, the Nobel Committee said is accurate.
GORANI: OK, so you believe that to be accurate. Of course the prize comes at a very difficult time for Tunisia.
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GORANI: We had terrible attacks, not least the one on the coastal town of Sousse where so many foreigners and westerners were murdered basically on
the beach. Also an attack on the Bardo museum in Tunis as well many many were killed there by terrorists.
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GORANI: How does this prize - how do you contrast it against what's going on, the reality of what's happening in your country?
AMMAR: Well, the bad news that happened in Tunisia are a part of the process of transition. I mean it's part of the challenges linked to any
process of transition.
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AMMAR: You know, you have the positive forces, you have the negative one. You have to manage with both of them. Today is good news. And we hope,
after the Nobel Prize, this will initiate a dynamic that would help all the business community, friends of Tunisia, tourists to give confidence to the
country and to come back here because it is also their responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Let's talk a little bit about the criticism. Some people actually were very not just surprised, but were disappointed with this choice by the
Nobel Committee. The Telegraph Newspaper say this is another case of rewarding hope rather than a finished product.
Hamadi al Aouni who's in Berlin who's a political scientist there and a Tunisian "I don't know what the Nobel Committee were thinking. There is no
state in Tunisia, just total chaos."
How do you respond to that criticism?
AMMAR: This is an extreme judgment. I mean I do not agree at all, of course. I mean but we are a democracy, we have to accept and to listen to
every - to every opinion. Every time when a Nobel Prize is given, you have people that will criticize them but not more than that. I think this is
very good news for Tunisia and for democracy.
GORANI: Nabil Ammar, the U.K. Ambassador - I should say the Tunisian Ambassador to the United Kingdom very, very happy and he said proud that
the dialogue quartet today was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: A highly publicized biopic gets ready for release but many of the people it portrays have objected to the film. Stay with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[15:52:19]
GORANI: A new biopic as enraged nearly all of its real-life counterparts. Quite an achievement.
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GORANI: You may have seen the trailer for the new Steve Jobs movie which releases this month. The film chronicles the man who brought us the Mac,
the iPad, the iPhone, pretty much any device with the iconic apple on it. One of which you might be using to watch our show.
But backlash has been swift. Apple does not approve and neither does Jobs' widow and she reportedly hasn't seen the movie yet.
Take a look at some of it.
And apparently they're miming the whole thing. Just kidding. So why exactly are so many people criticizing the film? Let's answer that question. CNN's
Brian Stelter joins me now live from New York with more.
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GORANI: All right, so what are they -- first of all, Michael Fassbender I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought it was a surprising casting choice.
But those who don't like it, what are they saying about it?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: They say the film is too negative in its portrayal of Steve Jobs, that it characterizes
him as someone who cared so much more about his company than about his own family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: I agree with you on Fassbender. I went out on assignment and saw the movie for you to day so that I could tell you my thoughts on it.
Fassbender doesn't quite look like Jobs never necessarily tries to look like Jobs. But I thought the movie was so compelling and so engaging that I
saw past it pretty quickly.
I actually did not think the movie was as negative toward Jobs as other critics have. I thought overall, it was - it was somewhat humanizing but
more importantly, it was a reminder, a dramatic reminder of Apples and Steve Jobs' impact on the world. The movie essentially plays out in three
parts so in three different product launches.
And one of the other characters is played by Jeff Daniels, almost forgot. He played the Apple CEO John Scully. So CNN Money spoke to the real John
Scully asked him for his review of the film and I thought he nailed it. Here's what - here's what John Scully said.
JOHN SCULLY, FORMER APPLE CEO: I think Steve would see a lot of things about this film that he would like. First of all, it's a perfectionist
product. And Steve is a perfectionist. But I also think that Steve Jobs would be a little bit hurt because many people who never knew the young
Steve Jobs could go away from seeing this movie and think, well, I know Steve Jobs. Well guess what? You don't. Steve was a much bigger, more
complete person than just what you see in a two-hour movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: So Scully hits it right on the head there. It's not factual portrayal, it's a fictional portrayal of Steve Jobs but it captures the
essence of the man. The perfectionist spirit, the driver for a better tomorrow. That's the ultimate importance of Steve Jobs to our world today.
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[15:55:12]
STELTER: Even though he passed away several years ago people are always curious about someone who is actually able to change the world.
GORANI: And it's not the first Steve Jobs biopic. There was one with Ashton Kutcher. I bet it won't be the last. Because I mean this is a fascinating
individual and you know I'll always be interested in hearing more and more about the nuance, about what made him tick, about what made him such a
genius in his chosen field. So I mean you know, we can look forward to, I guess, more and more of this until perhaps one hits the nail on the head.
STELTER: Yes, I think you're right about that. We saw Aaron Sorkin, the writer of this film write "The Social Network" previously. That was about
the Facebook - about the creation of Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg. Now he's taking on Apple and Steve Jobs in this film.
There is something about Silicon Valley that is so intriguing to Hollywood right now because of the way these small number of companies are reshaping
the way we communicate and the way that we interact with the world. Apple perhaps the best example of all of this film.
But it is a historical look. You know it's looking at the '80s and the '90s. There are many more movies to be about Steve Jobs' time at Apple,
that's for sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, definitely and such a fascinating individual. Brian Stelter, have a great weekend. Thanks for seeing the movie for us.
STELTER: You too. Thank you. Hey any time.
GORANI: Going above and beyond the call of duty. This has been the World Right Now, I'm Hala Gorani, thanks for watching. Quest Means Business is in
Lima, Peru.
END
