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CONNECT THE WORLD

Hurricane Matthew Sets Sights on Southeast U.S.; Kaine, Pence Square Off in Vice Presidential Debate; Former Portuguese Prime Minister To Be Named Next UN Secretary-General; African Start-up Cafe Neo. Aired. 11:00a- 12:00p ET

Aired October 5, 2016 - 11:00:00   ET

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


[11:00:16] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Breakdown: one day after the U.S. suspends talks with Russia on Syria, tensions continue to rise as Moscow

deploys an advanced missile defense system. The war-torn country, as fighting continues in Aleppo.

Next up for you, we are live in Russia and Syria's neighbor Turkey this hour.

Also ahead ahead for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The vice presidential debate becoming a night of whose candidate is more insulting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Low blows as the running mates of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off. Who came out top? Well, the highlights for the U.S.

vice presidential debates up for you.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Operation is never a solution, and military is the last solution. And we have read history and we have seen that it has

never, ever achieved the goals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Stay with us this hour. My conversations with Indians and Pakistanis here in the UAE. Their view of the renewed conflict in Kashmir.

Welcome, you're watching Connect the World. It's a minute past 7:00 in the UAE. I'm Becky Anderson.

Germany says it is hosting a new round of talks on Syria today, but one important player will not be at the table -- Russia. A diplomatic

stalemate between Moscow and Washington deepening after the U.S. broke off bilateral talks on a cessation of hostilities for

Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his parliament today talking mostly about domestic issues, but he also vowed to boost Russia's

defenses to keep the country strong.

Now, Russia says a new anti-aircraft and anti-missile system that it sent to Syria is purely for

defensive purposes. But U.S. officials say the deployment contradicts Russia's own statement that it's in Syria to fight extremists pointing out

that ISIS and al Qaeda aren't known for flying aircraft.

We have got this story covered from all angles tonight as you would expect. Our international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson following

developments from Istanbul for you. And Matthew Chance in Moscow.

And what do we know about the deployment of this anti-missile system? And what's it for effectively? Is it really clear at this point?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Russians say that it's there, as you mentioned, for defensive purposes. They say

they're stationing it at Tartus, which is the Russian naval base on the Syrian coast. And, you know, in theory it will provide you know, very

intensive, comprehensive air cover around that immediate area. That tallies with some of the other troop and armament movements that we've been

hearing about over the last couple of weeks as well. For instance, the Russians have deployed their flagship of the Russian navy, the Admiral

Kuznetsov, which is an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean. It's expected to arrive there sort of any day now, and that will bring more war

planes to the region using the aircraft carrier as a platform.

It's also just been reported in the past few minutes on a state news agency TASS that two further Russian warships, missile cruisers, will be

deployed to the eastern Mediterranean as well. And that means the waters off the coast of Syria. And they will both be capable of firing caliber

missiles, which are the Russian equivalents of cruise missiles.

They've been used in the past in the Syrian war zone. They could now be used again. And so, you know, on the face of it, this deployment of the

S-300 system, which is a very complex and sophisticated system, would provide air cover to those other naval military elements.

But, as I have been saying, you need to see it in the context ofwhat other equipment they have

got on the ground. They have already got a much more advanced anti- aircraft system already deployed in Syria, the S-400. And so in that sense this new deployment doesn't represent an even greater threat to the

militaries of other countries, for instance.

ANDERSON: Nic, what is going on on the ground as far as you understand it?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, civilians continue

to die, that's the headline. 121 people according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent observatory group that

monitors casualties on both sides of the front lines. They say there's 121, 58 were civilians. Some died at a wedding. There was a Turkish

military airstrike close to the border. A number of people were killed in that disputed, whether they were rebels or whether they were civilians. Of

course, all of this very hard to tell at a distance.

But this is the worry, that absent of a peace initiative of some kind, and that was what Secretary Kerry, John Staton (ph), Sergey Lavrov, foreign

minister of Russia, were working on until a couple of days ago. That's gone now.

Absent of that, the death toll will continue steadily to climb. The United States is concerned about those missile defense systems that have --

that have newly arrived inside Syria from Russia, because they consider that perhaps if they're put on the top of the mountains in the northwest of

Syria, this would give the Russian military sort of radar, a military strategic capability into an area of Syria where the United States flies

its own aircraft. And that would be a consideration and a worry for them, and no doubt that also look at this current buildup of military capability,

Russian military capability as well and be considering what implication that has for the battlefield there.

[11:06:12] ANDERSON: And very briefly, Germany saying that it's hosting a new round of

talks on Syria today without Russia at the table. What's the likelihood these are going to get anywhere, Nic?

ROBERTSON: You know, you have got to on the face of it say not so much. I mean, they're low-level meetings. Their foreign ministry

officials. You've got Britain, France, Germany, Italy, European Union represented and the United States, but we've just heard in the last couple

of minutes that France will be sending its foreign minister in the coming days to both Moscow and to Washington, D.C. So, there's an indication

there France is sort of attempting to sort of build some bridges here in the gap that's opening up.

But from that meeting today, the Germans saying there was no chance of additional sanctions being put on Russia, because of the current situation.

So, unlikely to see any immediate impact here --- Becky.

ANDERSON: To both of you, thank you.

Get you viewers to the U.S. presidential race. There are just four days to go before the

candidates square off again at what will be the second and next debate. Mike Pence and Tim Kaine threw verbal jabs at each other in the only U.S.

vice presidential debate of the campaign last night leaving most viewers feeling that Donald Trump's running mate won what was this verbal war.

A CNN/ORC poll shows 48 percent of those watching thought Pence prevailed to Kaine's 42 percent.

My colleague Phil Mattingly has a look at what were some of the key moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. TIM KAINE, (D) VIRGINIA: You are Donald Trump's apprentice.

GOV. MIKE PENCE, (R) INDIANA: I must have hit a nerve here.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hotly contentious from the start.

KAINE: I can't imagine how Governor Pence can defend the insult- driven, selfish-me for style of Donald Trump.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): The vice presidential debate becoming a night of whose candidate is more insulting.

PENCE: Senator, you and Hillary Clinton would know a lot about an insult-driven campaign.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Tim Kaine repeatedly putting Mike Pence on the defensive using Donald Trump's own words.

KAINE: He's called women slobs, pigs, dogs, disgusting. He went after John McCain, a POW, and said he wasn't a hero.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Words Pence, in many cases, didn't directly defend.

KAINE: When Donald Trump says women should be punished or Mexicans are rapists and criminals...

PENCE: I'm telling you...

KAINE: ...or John McCain is not a hero, he is showing you who he is.

PENCE: Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again. Look...

KAINE: Can you defend it?

PENCE: ...there are criminal aliens in this country, Tim.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Instead, trying to take a similar tack against Hillary Clinton.

PENCE: He still wouldn't have a fraction of the insults that Hillary Clinton leveled when she said that half of our supporters were a basket of

deplorables.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Trump's running mate at times flat out denying statements the billionaire has made in the past.

KAINE: Donald Trump and Mike Pence have said he's a great leader, and Donald Trump has business...

PENCE: No, we haven't.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I respect Putin. He's a strong leader.

KAINE: Donald Trump's claimed that he wants to -- that NATO is obsolete and that we need to get rid of NATO is so dangerous because...

PENCE: It's not his plan.

TRUMP: NATO is obsolete. NATO has to either be rejiggered, you know, changed for the better.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Kaine frequently interrupting Pence.

KAINE: Let me talk about this figure about this state of the world.

PENCE: Senator, I think I'm still on my time. Yes, he...

KAINE: Well, I know. These were Donald...

PENCE: He says...

KAINE: Hold on a second, Governor.

PENCE: It's my time, Senator.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): And attempting to prove Trump is unfit for office by quoting Ronald Reagan.

KAINE: He said the problem with nuclear proliferation is that some fool or maniac could trigger a catastrophic event. And I think that's who

Governor Pence's running mate is, exactly who President Reagan warned us about.

PENCE: Oh, come on. Senator, that was even beneath you and Hillary Clinton. And that is pretty low.

[08:10:07] MATTINGLY (voice-over): Kaine hammering Pence on Donald Trump's refusal to release his taxes.

KAINE: And he said if I run for President, I will absolutely release my taxes. He's broken his first...

[11:10:03] PENCE: And he will.

KAINE: He's broken his first promise. Second, he stood on the stage last...

PENCE: He hasn't broken his promise, Senator.

KAINE: He stood on the stage last week and when Hillary said you haven't been paying taxes, he said, that makes me smart. So it's smart not

to pay for our military. It's smart not to pay for veterans. It's smart not to pay for teachers.

PENCE: His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used and he did

it brilliantly.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): As Pence touted the message Trump advisors desperately want their own candidate to make, that they represent change.

PENCE: What you all just heard out there is more taxes, $2 trillion in more spending, more deficits, more debt, more government. And if you think

that's all working, then you look at the other side of the table.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Both candidates asking Americans to trust their candidate and distrust their opponent.

KAINE: We trust Hillary Clinton, my wife and I, and we trust her with the most important thing in our life. We have a son deployed overseas in

the Marine Corps right now. We trust Hillary Clinton as President and Commander-in-Chief, but the thought of Donald Trump as Commander- in-Chief

scares us to death.

PENCE: There's a reason why people question the trustworthiness of Hillary Clinton and that's because they're paying attention.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): The fiery debate ending with a testy exchange on abortion and faith.

PENCE: ...that's not to stand with great compassion for the sanctity of life. We can create a culture of life. I believe those children in

crisis pregnancies...

KAINE: Why don't you trust women to make this choice for themselves? You know, we can encourage people to support life, of course, we can.

PENCE: Is there...

KAINE: But on fundamental issues of morality...

PENCE: Because, Senator...

KAINE: ... we should let women make their own decisions.

PENCE: Because there is...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Whoa. The two vice presidential candidates for you.

And as I say, the next presidential debate forthcoming.

You'll see that here on CNN.

A deadly hurricane is beginning to lash the Bahamas with heavy rain and high winds, after doing brutal damage in southern Haiti.

Communications systems down. So the full extent of the damage still not known. But we do know the storm knocked out roads and bridges, hospitals

overflowing and growing fears, I am afraid, about another cholera outbreak due to the risk of standing water.

Hurricane Matthew expected to approach Florida's eastern coast by Thursday evening. And officials there preparing for the worst.

South Carolina's governor has ordered evacuations in some coastal areas.

Let's get you to Boris Sanchez in Florida in just a moment to find out what's going on there so far as preparations are concerned.

First up, though, I want to get the latest on the situation in Haiti. Yvetot Gouin joins me now on the phone. He's traveling to (inaudible)

where a bridge I believe connecting the north to the southern peninsula has collapsed. And I gather things there pretty bad. Yvetot, what can you

report for us at this point.

YVETOT GOUIN, JOURNALIST: Becky, we crossed a little while ago. As of now (inaudible)

ANDERSON: All right. yvetot, stand by for me. The line is really not very good. We're going to get you to redial. And while you do that,

Boris is standing by for us.

What can you tell us there about what is going on so far as preparations are concerned? I know that this hurricane has lost some of

its ferocity and thankfully avoided Cuba on its way, but still a very damaging storm.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Becky. And it's only gaining strength right now, hitting Jamaica and Haiti weakened it slightly.

It went from a category 4 storm to a category 3. But now in that warm water of the Caribbean it is just

powering back up as it barrels toward the coast of Florida and Georgia and South and North Carolina as you mentioned.

The trajectory for the storm, from what we heard is tricky. Just a slight difference of 60 miles can really signify either just wind for the

coast or a devastating storm. Here in Florida, the governor Rick Scott has said come out and said there needs to be preparation for a

catastrophe. We need to be ready for a direct hit, if one does indeed happen.

Because of that, we've had mandatory evacuations just south of us in Brevard County. We've also had in South Carolina, word that up to about a

million people will have to evacuate as well.

Aside from that, residents here in Florida are doing what they can on their own to prepare. We have seen enormous lines at gas stations as

people ready their cars and as well at grocery stores where we have seen shelves completely emptied out, people buying water and non-perishable food

items. And at hardware stores as well, people buying flashlights, generators and wood to board up their homes.

Right now, there is a state of emergency across the state. More than 500 National Guard members have already been deployed. As I mentioned,

there are evacuations in place. We can expect those to continue to grow, especially along the coastline and barrier islands like the one we're on

right now.

Very important message from the governor. He is putting the word out to people saying that if they fear at some point they're going to have to

leave their homes they should not wait. They should do it now ahead of time to avoid a traffic jam and to avoid a drain on resources that are

already starting to slim down.

I got word early this morning that a friend of mine was waiting in line at a gas station in Miami for more than an hour. And she had to

leave, because they ran out of gas. So in order to avoid headaches like that one, it's best to prepare early. This is a crucial time before we

start seeing the effects of this storm here in Florida within the next 24 to 36 hours, Becky.

[11:16:05] ANDERSON: The understandable advice.

All right, Boris. Thank you for that.

Unfortunately, viewers, we can't get back to Yvetot at this point. But do stay across CNN for any further details on what is going on there in

Haiti.

In Belgium, authorities say two police officers have been stabbed in the capital Brussels. The federal prosecutors' office is treating the

incident as a possible terror attack, and that the officers' injuries are not life-threatening. Local media reporting an attacker is in custody.

Brussels has been on high alert, as you are well aware, since bombings at the city's airport and in a subway station back in March. We'll keep an

eye on the situation for you and bring you more as it develops.

Still to come this evening, this may look like every other bill but is America's new 9/11 law reshaping international diplomacy as we know it?

We're going to discuss that up next.

And a little later, Iraqi forces still pushing ahead towards Mosul. But there is a diplomatic row brewing in the background.

We'll be live in Irbil in Iraq later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think what we've seen in the United States congress is a pretty classic case of rapid onset buyers'

remorse. Within minutes of casting their vote to put that bill into law, you had members of the United States Senate, some 28 of them, write a

letter expressing deep concern about the potential impact of the bill they just passed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:20:01] ANDERSON: Well, the message from the White House there, caveat emptor -- buyer beware.

But even as some politicians in congress are expressing regret now, the wife of a man killed in the September 11 terror attacks is already

using that new 9/11 law to sue Saudi Arabia. Other cases will surely follow.

Many think the Saudi government had links to the hijackers. Remember, 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudi nationals, but Riyadh denies involvement

and the kingdom seems to be spending a lot of cash to prove that. The Hill reports they're splashing out $1.3 million a month to keep 10 D.C. lobbying

firms on their payroll.

The White House tried to throw its weight against the law as well, you might remember. But when it rains in Washington, it pours. Lawmakers

batted down President Obama's veto for the first time ever.

Still, there's something else. It's not something you'll hear in many places. But I have spotted for you there is a clause in the legislation

that would allow the administration to ask a court to put any lawsuit on hold if it is negotiating with the country being sued. All this is fraying

America's decades-long ties with Saudi Arabia even more. Let's bring in Edward Burton who is the president and chief executive of the U.S. Saudi

Arabian Business Council in Washington.

I want to talk about the potential for a further deterioration in U.S.-Saudi relations in a moment. But firstly, let me read some headlines

from Saudi newspapers right after the law was brought in.

Okaz running with "The bill of injustice." Al-Riam (ph) quoting the justice minister, a violation of Saudi sovereignty. And Sak (ph) asking

this, "A setback or the end of the U.S. alliance?"

now, Edward, listen to what one American senator said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (R) NEW YORK: For the sake of these families, it should be made

clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every entity, including foreign states, will be held accountable if they are sponsors of heinous acts like

9/11. It's very simple.

If the Saudis were culpable, they should be held accountable. If they had nothing to do with

9/11, they have nothing to fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: If Saudi Arabia, Edward, has done nothing wrong, what is the issue here?

EDWARD BURTON, PRESIDENT, U.S.-SAUDI ARABIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL: Yeah, Becky. The issue is that there have been two congressionly mandated

studies, once in 2004 and again in 2015, looking at potential Saudi ties to the 9/11 attacks and there have been no connections made to the Saudi

government.

With the business community, both in the United States and Saudi Arabia, and their market

interests in mind, what we feel,and our view, is that this JASTA law opened the door to an acute

and prolonged chill in U.S. economic relations.

ANDERSON: Well, but let me just probe you a little further here. This isn't about the art of

international relations, it's about answering to a fair case.

I put it to you again, if Saudi has done nothing wrong, what's the problem here?

BURTON: Well, there are already laws on the books that allow probing as to potential terrorism connections that foreign governments may have in

terms of assaults in the United States. And, as President Obama stated in his veto message, it takes the full force of U.S. intelligence community

and security apparatus to look at that and render a decision as to whether sovereign governments have been involved in such actions.

What this allows is private citizens to bring litigation against sovereign nations like Saudi Arabia purely upon -- purely upon allegations

that are unsubstantiated, and this would open up doors that would eviscerate long standing international law and the value of reciprocity

among nations.

As a former foreign diplomat serving overseas, I know the importance and the comfort that U.S. military personnel and diplomats and others

serving the United States government have in knowing that domestic laws honor the sovereignty of other nations.

[11:25:06] ANDERSON: I have heard that argument. And it certainly is an argument.

But there are counter-arguments to that. You wrote this in The Hill Newspaper a few months ago, and I quote, "Saudi Arabia is rallying other

Muslim countries to oppose extremism." Yet, Edward, many accuse Saudi of exporting terrorism. you can't tie it up in dollars and cents, financial

ties. If Saudi has done something wrong they ought to be called to atone. If not, there is no issue. Correct?

BURTON: If there is evidence of Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks, or any terrorism activity and funding terrorism activities here in

the United States, then, yes, I think most would agree that needs to be brought out. But this is not the mechanism by

eviscerating hundreds of years of sovereign reciprocity and established jurisprudence internationally. This is not the way to do it.

And dollars and cents aside from, of course, the good intentions of the sponsors of this bill in

providing relief to the 9/11 victims.

That aside, yes, it is a dollars and cents issue. The United States and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed over 75 years of commercial relations, and

the relationship is extremely important. And the Saudis, as well as the United States value this relationship.

But this is going to be a law that sets back U.S. economic relations for years.

ANDERSON: And let's talk about that. In response to this U.S. law, one very well respected lawyer in this region has urged Saudi authorities

to enact a bill similar to the JASTA bill citing Saudi as one of the biggest victims of terrorists he says it's now imperative to pass a

similar law that will or Saudi JASTA that will allow every Saudi to take legal action against any government that sponsors terrorism against the

Kingdom filing lawsuits at Saudi courts. That may sound like tit for tat and may never make the lawbook, but it is something that is informing this

debate.

Now, you have pointed out yourself that this could be incredibly damaging to what are already,

let's face it, slightly deteriorating Saudi-U.S. relations. Just how bad could this get?

BURTON: Well, it is a tit for tat that can be expected to be replicated, not only in the Gulf region but internationally. Once you have

breakdown of sovereign immunity and the principle of reciprocity enjoyed and shared among nations, then you have nations pushing to protect their

citizens and corporate market interests abroad where assets are invested and deposited. You have them protecting their national interests by

enacting laws in their domestic legal infrastructure to protect their citizens.

And to bring private citizens, in this case, government employees, military personnel, in their courts for criminal and civil prosecutions.

This is a danger in the Saudi JASTA law -- replication -- as it is in probably other areas.

ANDERSON: We're going to have you on again, sir.

BURTON: I appreciate it, Becky. I am a fan.

ANDRESON: This is a story that isn't going away.

BURTON: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

All right. Good stuff.

We're going to move on, get you to the break at the bottom of this hour. It is nearly 7:30 in the UAE. The latest world news headlines,

though, follow this very short break.

Plus, as their governments trade barbs over Kashmir. We speak to Indians and Pakistanis who live and work together here in the UAE. It's

the expat view on tensions at home. And that is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[11:32:48] ANDERSON: To Iraq for you now, and ahead of an offensive to retake the ISIS held city of Mosul a war of words has broken out between

Iraq and Turkey. Now this centers around the Turkish force of around 1,000 soldiers which has been deployed near Mosul for a year that has angered the

Iraqis and has made repeated -- who have made repeated complaints.

They regard the Turkish presence as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

Well, now ambassadors of both countries have been summoned after rhetoric was ramped up.

Let's get more with Ben Wedeman. He is live for you tonight in Irbil in Iraq -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. This began last week when the Turkish parliament voted to extend the presence of

Turkish military forces in northern Iraq. They're mostly based near the town of Bashika (ph) which is about 20 kilometers northeast of Mosul. And

have been here since December of last year.

Yesterday, the Iraqi parliament condemned that vote in Turkey and called upon Turkey to withdraw those troops immediately. And, of course,

Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, held a press conference yesterday where he warned that this could lead to a regional war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAIDER AL-ABADI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Regarding the

Turkish threat, we don't want to get into a regional conflict and I fear that the Turkish plots will turn into a regional war. So I warn that we

could slip into that direction.

Our war is with Da'esh. We don't want regional war. We want to liberate to liberate our land. And I call on Turkey not to intervene in

Iraqi affairs. The presence of their troops in Iraq is a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and completely unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Turkey says, however, that their troops are here in Northern Iraq with the approval of Masoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdish

regional government. Turkey, for its part, is concerned, for instance, that the Iraqi government, the central government

in Baghdad, is going to use Shia militiamen when the operation to liberate Mosul begins and that that could exacerbate sectarian tensions when they go

into Mosul, which is a predominantly Sunni city. Turkey is also concerned about the fate of the Turkmen minority which lives in northern Iraq, many

of them in the town of Tel-Afir (ph) to the west of Mosul where we understand from officials in Baghdad Shia militiamen will be sent.

So, this really just underscores the network of complications that exist on the ground in northern

Iraq.

The United States is friendly with Turkey, friendly with the Kurds, friendly with the government in Bagdad, and stuck in the middle of it --

Becky.

[11:35:44] ANDERSON: Yeah. And as you rightly point out, this just really amplifies what

is this multi-layered, very complicated story on the ground to a certain extent, we've seen in Syria, of course. And this all with the momentum

moving towards this assault on Mosul. But we hear some divisions behind the scenes here as to the timing of this offensive.

Ben, what more can you tell us at this point?

WEDEMAN: Well, the timing is anyone's guess. Certainly -- I mean, I just arrived from Bagdad where officials are saying sometime within the

coming weeks. And I think the assumption is sometime in October, but we're only at the beginning of the month.

Coalition officials say that basically all the pieces are in place. The United States is dispatching around 600 additional personnel, many of

them will have the task, for instance, of upgrading the facilities, the runway at Gayatta (ph) which is going to be the main base of operations for

the operation against Mosul. In addition, they will also be sending these people to upgrade the runway at Inal Assad (ph) air base farther south.

These two air bases will be critical for the operation.

But when it actually begins is obviously a tightly held secret. And I think we're going to have to

wait for an announcement from Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, who normally, when an

offensive begins, he announces it oftentimes in the middle of the night wearing a military uniform -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you, Ben.

Excuse me, viewers.

Thank you, Ben, is what I was trying to say. Ben Wedeman for you in Irbil.

Right, the offensive to retake Mosul is a story that we will surely be following for the next while. And while we have a lot more information and

analysis on that looming fight on our website, do take a look at why Mosul is so important. There are a lot of videos and info graphics at CNN.com which you will find very useful.

Right. Nuclear neighbors. India and Pakistan have been trading accusations, and in one incident gunfire as tensions around the disputed

border area of Kashmir are on the rise. So, what's it like to live and work together when your governments are at loggerheads?

So, I sat down with some members of the large Indian and Pakistani communities here in the UAE to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: It's been described as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but Kashmir is home to one of the world's longest-running conflicts.

India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, have been fighting for control over the 86,000 square-mile area for 70 years. It all started when both

countries gained their independence, which resulted in fighting between Hindus and Muslims. It's been a bloody battle, with more than 47,000

people killed since 1989.

Last month an attack on an Indian military base killed 19 soldiers.

India claims the militants were from Pakistan, something the country denies. Pakistan itself lost two soldiers in an attack shortly thereafter.

India has since relocated 10,000 civilians from the disputed border area in Kashmir. I recently sat down with members of the Pakistani and

Indian communities here in the UAE, where south Asians make up about50 percent of the country's population. Many of them are watching the

situation at home very closely.

You're 26.

RITESH JESWANI, INDIAN FILMMAKER: Yes.

ANDERSON: You have lived in the UAE for most of your life. You went to school with Pakistani friends. How would you describe the dynamics

between the two groups here in the UAE?

[11:40:00] JESWANI: Indians and Pakistanis live pretty much side by side each other, many of them share the same religion. So, the festivals

are the same, the holidays are the same. So there's that connectivity that both cultures have with each other.

You relate with the other side, you have conversations, you disagree, you have fights. But you are able to do all of that rather than just

getting angry.

MANJU RAMANAN, INDIAN JOURNALIST: I was driven to Abu Dhabi by a cabby who

was Pakistani. And there was no mention of anything on the way except songs and a lot of things that we share in common. We watch movies

together. We share the same spaces together.

ANDERSON: Your grandfather emigrated from India to Pakistan back in the day. How has it helped to inform the way you perceive the Kashmir

story.

ZOHAIB HUSSAIN, PAKISTANI JOURNALIST: I myself are not a first generation Pakistani. If a referendum could happen in Scotland, why not

Kashmir? The principles of democracy are on what the people feel, because operation is never a solution, and military is the last solution. And we

have read history and we have seen that it has never, ever achieved the goals.

We have seen the curse of the referendum for those who would like to have remained in the

EU and the UK have said we should never have had a referendum.

You will hear that voice in Colombia and also, for example, in Hungary of late. Does it worry you?

JESWANI: It's the parameters under which the referendum takes place is what worries me. Kashmiri population has been left in poverty for ages.

ANDERSON: 12 million people.

JESWANI: Absolutely. There has been no development in that region for a very long time. If you are working with someone, have a professional

relationship, or are trying to build a personal one, this is something you don't bring up because you don't want to start a fight.

ANDERSON: That may not be good news for the Kashmiri people. Here we have a relatively middle class Indian and Pakistani community that you are

a part of and you say it's a sort of, you know, hot-button issue and perhaps best left aside. Just what sort of impact does the media have on

this story?

RAMANAN: As journalists, knowing different sides to the same story and understanding that

every report is not -- is a perspective, it may not be the ultimate truth.

ANDERSON: Yre you optimistic in any way there will be a solution to the issue of Kashmir anytime soon?

JESWANI: I doubt it, primarily because both countries are, apart from Kashmir, have major problems of their own.

HUSSAIN: The human evolution is so important in this. If Germany -- if after having a world war, if they can start trade, if they can come to a

solution with everything, why not India and Pakistan?

ANDERSON: Manju?

RAMANAN: I think all ideas begin in a world of dreams and you just have to be at it and it

does happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: A discussion on the situation in Kashmir with some diaspora from the Indian and Pakistani communities here in the UAE.

Live from Abu Dhabi. You're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you. Coming up, move over Starbucks: two Nigerian brothers

hoping to take their coffee shops from across Africa to across the world. We'll take you to meet them in this

week's African Start-Up. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: Nigeria is the seventh largest coffee producing nation in the world. Now two brothers are tapping into this $98 billion

industry with hopes of making Lagos the coffee capital of Africa.

Brothers Ngozi and Chijoke Dozier (ph) set up Cafe Neo in 2012 investing $400,000 in four years. The chain has locations in several

African countries with over 10 in Nigeria alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The word neo means gift in Swana and it also means new in Latin. And so for us we viewed coffee as a gift to the continent.

We felt that through Cafe Neo we could have the best African coffees produced by Africans drunk in Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The brothers returned to Nigeria to fill a void in the country's growing returnee expats and coffee loving community.

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: We were always skeptical that Nigerians would take to coffee, but all we've tried to replicate that third space. So, it

wasn't just come and drink coffee, it's come and hang out, free wi-fi, meet people, jazz music playing in the background. So, we were offering that

third space, and coffee would be the catalyst to bring them here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cafe Neo is not just about coffee, but also enabling a collaborative space for entrepreneurs to thrive.

Welcome to marvelous markets, one of the many community initiatives of Cafe Neo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cafe Neo is inspiring a lot of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in Nigeria and hopefully in other parts of Africa. And I

think it is through the fact that we are providing the path for entrepreneurs to grow. We host hackathons. We host competitions. You

know, as we grow, there are more more opportunities for people to come, work collaborate, and there are more opportunities for others to actually

plug in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A cup of coffee and treats ranges from around 50 cents to $3, making them attractive to a diverse pool of coffee drinkers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we want to set up Cafe Neo in London or New York, I mean, there is probably about 4,000 different coffee chains,

including Starbucks and a few other things.

So, you just get lost. But you start Cafe Neo in Nigeria and I can say we're the largest coffee chain in West Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With one coffee shop at a time, Cafe Neo hopes to dominate coffee spaces not only in Africa but around the globe.

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: I mean, there is definitely a coffee renaissance taking place in Afria. We think that we are at the forefront. That's one

of our goals is to have in London, in Soho a Cafe Neo store and you have Nigerian roasted coffee, you have Tanzanian roasted coffee. Some people

actually enjoying it as well.

I can't think of anywhere better for an entrepreneur right now than Nigeria. It's a fantastic opportunity right now, but don't tell anyone,

let's enjoy the opportunities first.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:10] ANDERSON: You're with CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. A warm welcome back. At 10 to 8:00 in the evening

here in Abu Dhabi.

We've got news just in to CNN from New York. Antonio Guterres poised to become the next secretary general of the United Nations. Diplomats say

none of the five security council veto powers voted against him in what was their sixth secret ballot.

Now, he is the former prime minister of Portugal.

Senior UN correspondent Richard Roth joining me now live with more details. And before we talk about the man himself just let's talk about

the process, because this is quite something, in order to get agreement on a new secretary general at what is the end of Ban Ki-moon's second term.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UN CORRESPONDENT: I would say that it was a bit of a surprise when moments ago the 15 members of the security council walked

out of their closed door meeting as the announcement was made in front of them by their council president, the Russian ambassador.

This had been one of the biggest UN stories of the year. And the runup had been even longer. Who would be the next secretary general to

replace Ban Ki-moon effective January 1.

Eastern Europe felt it was that region's turn though that is not officially in the UN charter. Many people wanted a woman. So, the thought

was Kristalina Georgieva, an economist, World Bank official from Bulgaria became the new hot candidate last week, we thought there was not going to

be a result today that would really tip it either way.

Guterres, as you mentioned, had won -- maybe you hadn't mentioned -- he led all the five previous straw polls, but he was from Western Europe

and he was a man. And well liked, though.

But today in closed door discussions and as you said, in that vote, Guterres is the man, the person who diplomats said and told me after the

meeting they feel he's the best person at this very troubled time for the world and UN, the best person to lead the organization -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Why?

ROTH: Why? I think they like his 10 years at the helm of a major UN agency. It happened to deal with refugees. And as all we know, migrants,

refugees, huge topic now. I think he has major diplomatic skills that diplomats like. For Russia not either veto today when they had their first

opportunity and prolong things. They liked the Vikova (ph), also from Bulgaria who was later withdrawn by the government.

They've dealt with him -- really, the way things were going on Syria and a lot of other issues, the big powers certainly had room to rumble on

this nomination. There was still a few months left before the term would start. So, they feel he has the right chops to also

perhaps be more demanding, be more open than Ban Ki-moon and be able to create some unity. We'll, of course, have to see.

ANDERSON: When Georgieva entered the race, as you rightly point out, sort of last-minute entry as it were, she was the -- I think I am right in

saying, the 13th candidate to enter the race and the seventh woman. And there was a lot of momentum around the sort of portfolios of those women,

not least Helen Clark who has been around two-time prime minister of New Zealand.

Many, many people thought it's about time that a woman got this job. In the end, though, if it is Antonio, what is the scope of this job? And

just how important is it these days?

A lot of people, Richard, concerned about the legitimacy of the UN, given what we've seen just over the issue of Syria, for example. The lack

of real progress that the United Nations envoy, for example, has been able to make, not for want of trying, but the progress, justice and -- just how

important a job is this now on the world stage?

ROTH: The UN, by many countries, is still seen as an honest broker, as the place to go to

maybe help settle various disputes. But you need the parties to sign on.

The council, the Security Council, remains heavily divided on Syria. Is Guterres going to be able to walk in and say to Putin in Russia and

Obama in Washington this is the way I see it? No. Every leader here will have a different chance to do things their own way.

But it is a critical point. Many of the countries in the first-ever Q&A, open, televised debate with the members of the United Nations, sort of

a primary around here, they all were asked what can you do about the growing irrelevance of the UN? Under the current secretary general he's

kind of a behind the scenes man and many don't know he is the secretary general.

Guterres, of course, will have his hands full. But he will be a different type of personality that I think the organization will need.

It's only known by the person at the top, it seems. He was also leader of his own country. He's met with various officials and leaders all around

the world. So, he's got the experience.

But to go back to your first point very briefly, there were a lot of strong female candidates in this race who have run UN organizations --

Helen Clark, Susana Malcorra, the foreign minister of Argentina. For whatever reason, remember there is only one woman ambassador in that room,

though they take the orders from higher up. The women failed here in the Security

Council voting.

[11:55:31] ANDERSON: Richard, always a pleasure having you on. Thank you for your background on this. Richard Roth reporting for you of New

York on the story that is this: Antonio Guterres, the former United Nations high commissioner for refugees poised to become the new secretary general,

a position when he was at the UNHCR that he held for ten years. He served as Portugal's prime minister from 1995 until 2002 and was also the

president of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. A man we know very well here on this show.

Right. Five-time grand slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova will return to the court much sooner than she thought. The Russian star's two

year ban for doping has been reduced to 15 months.

CNN's World Sport's Alex Thomas got reaction from Sharapova a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT: The Court of Arbitration for Sport said this is definitely not a case of an intentional doper, but it wasn't a

complete success. They only reduced your ban to 15 months. Do you feel like you've cleared your name?

MARIA SHARAPOVA, TENNIS PLAYER: Well, the lowest I could have received under the current rules of the ITF is one year. And I received 15

months. And that -- in the cast report, the reason I received 15 months was because I didn't delegate the way that my

manager at the end of last year was checking the prohibited list. So, I have been asked the question if I had been treated fairly or not. And the

ITF asked for me to be banned for four years. And is that fair? No, I don't think that's fair at all.

THOMAS: But do you think you'll continue to be called a cheat by many on social media?

SHARAPOVA: Well, social media is a big part of our society, and there is a lot of things that you can be called on social media that you just

have to avoid.

And as I said, it's part of our society. I know who I am, and I know how I have played the sport since I was a young girl, with integrity of

never taking the easy way out. I am one of the biggest fighters in the game. I love what I do and I will continue to keep doing it and forming my

legacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Maria Sharapova speaking to my colleague.

And I'm Becky Anderson. That was Connect the World. From us here, a very good evening.

END