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Hezbollah Deputy Chief Threatens to Attack Any Point in Israel; Israel Says It Plans to Target Iranian Military, Not Oil or Nuclear Sites; U.S. Demands Israel Improve Gaza Humanitarian Situation; Gauging Black Support for Harris in Milwaukee; Two Prominent Arab American Groups Not Endorsing; Oil Falls as Fears Ease over Iranian Oil; Canadian PM Says Police Can't Ignore Assassination Evidence. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 15, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. It's 6:00 in Abu Dhabi.
Coming up, Hezbollah's deputy leader warns it is ready to hit anywhere in Israel. This as American troops arrive in Israel to operate the THAAD
missile defense system.
Plus Kamala Harris campaigning in Michigan today where two key Arab American groups say they won't be endorsing either candidate.
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ANDERSON: Deescalation on the Israeli Lebanese border clearly off the table today. The message coming from both Israel and Hezbollah. Clear: the
gloves are off. Israel promising to keep up its attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, including targets they say in Beirut.
And now Hezbollah's deputy chief saying in a speech just an hour or so ago that the attacks will go both ways and no place, he said, in Israel is off
limits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAIM QASSEM, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL, HEZBOLLAH (through translator): Since the Israeli enemy has targeted all of Lebanon, we have the right from
a defensive position to target any point within the Israeli entity, whether in the center, north or south.
We will choose the point we see is appropriate. There are no longer any points within a controlled equation because the Israelis have opened up the
equation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, some clear threats there. Jeremy Diamond back with us this hour from Jerusalem.
We did also hear from the deputy leader, as I understand it, that the only thing that is going to stop this conflict, this war, this fighting is a
ceasefire at this point. Look, we know that it -- we feel a very long way away from a ceasefire, either between Hezbollah and Israel at this point
and indeed, in Gaza.
What else did we hear from the deputy leader?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's important to know that, as he is talking about a ceasefire here being the solution,
it's not clear what kind of ceasefire he's actually talking about.
I mean, he did say that a ceasefire being reached could allow for the return of people to both the north of Israel and also the south of Lebanon.
But the question is, for how long?
And that is going to ultimately be the key question for the Israeli government.
3because we know that now that three-week cease-fire that was reportedly on the table before the Israeli military carried out that airstrike in Beirut
that killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, that that three week ceasefire is off the table as far as Israel is concerned.
They are now clearly going for kind of allout gambit here that will either destroy Hezbollah militarily through military operations or -- which seems
to be the preference here.
To ultimately use that military pressure to reach a diplomatic solution that will see not only a ceasefire but also critically Hezbollah actually
pulling back beyond the Litani river some 30 kilometers north of the Lebanese border, which is not clear if that's something that Hezbollah
would agree to at this point.
And so the Israeli prime minister at this stage speaking from that training base where at least four Israeli soldiers were killed and several dozen
others were wounded on Sunday night, the Israeli prime minister now saying that Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy everywhere in
Lebanon, including in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
And so for now, it seems like neither of these sides are actually headed toward any kind of real de-escalation. And instead, these military
operations by Israel in southern Lebanon are going to continue. The bombing campaign throughout Lebanon is going to continue as well as Hezbollah
rocket fire into northern and central at this point, Israel.
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: This as American troops arrive in Israel to operate what is known as the THAAD missile defense system.
What do we understand to be Israel's position?
What are its options and how is it decided to go after Iran based interests at this point?
DIAMOND: Well, this THAAD system arriving in Israel is critical to understanding a few different things, including the calculus that the
Israeli government is making, the calculus that the United States is also making as it tries to get Israel to kind of calibrate its response to Iran,
not to go for something that would be viewed as very escalatory.
I think it is clear, from speaking with Israeli officials, that the Israeli military is going to deliver a very strong response to Iran, one that is
going to have a real effect inside of Iran. That's going to deliver a serious blow to the Iranian government.
Of course, the question has been, what will that target be?
And we know that the Israeli government has been considering strikes on nuclear facilities, on oil facilities as well as on military targets. And
the United States has been trying to pull Israel back from striking nuclear or oil targets.
And this THAAD system does appear to be the carrot that is going to convince Israel to scale back that potential retaliation, effectively
saying we'll provide you with this air defense system to guard against future Iranian retaliation.
But you also have to take into consideration our position as far as what you will actually strike -- "you" being Israel in this case.
And so it appears that, for now, according to a source familiar telling -- speaking to our colleague, Kevin Liptak, that there has been some kind of
an understanding here, where Israel will go after military targets but will refrain from striking nuclear and oil targets.
That being said, that hasn't been said officially by the Israeli government. And we really only will know once those strikes actually happen
because the Israeli prime minister's office is still insisting publicly that Israel will take into account what the United States says but will
ultimately make its own final decision about what to strike. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you.
That's the view there from Jerusalem tonight. Let's get you live to the Pentagon and to CNN's Natasha Bertrand.
So what further details do you have from your sources there on what this Israeli response will look like?
And importantly, when?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think that the U.S. understands that Israel is likely going to try to calibrate
its response at this point, given what Netanyahu told President Biden, according to our reporting, which is that he is going to primarily hit
military sites in Iran and not those nuclear facilities.
But still, of course, there was a lot of concern here that he could change his mind, right?
I mean, the U.S. has shown that it is not able to influence Netanyahu in a number of ways over the last year. And so while they have been trying to
convince them to not escalate the situation any further, they're still under no illusions here that they can control Israel's military response.
And I think that this is one of the big reasons you have seen the U.S. military deploy that very sophisticated anti missile defense system to
Israel in order to prepare for the worst-case scenario here.
Which is that an Israeli retaliation against Iran then prompts yet another extremely large missile barrage or some other form of attack by the
Iranians on Israel, which could in turn put U.S. troops, U.S. persons at risk inside the country.
And so this is somewhat of an insurance policy that the U.S. is providing to the Israelis in a way that is specifically designed to help protect
against ballistic missile attacks. And so that is the view from the Pentagon at this point.
Those components for that THAAD system, that anti-missile system, they have started to arrive in country as well as U.S. personnel. And that is an
indication, of course, just given how quickly this moved of how concerned the U.S. is that this could potentially escalate even further.
But it is worth noting here that the U.S. had previously up pretty much put its foot down on sending additional U.S. troops to the region, to Israel.
And now they're sending 100 troops to operate this missile defense system, really showing again, just how concerned they are that this could escalate
even more. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. It does raise questions about the effectiveness of Israel's defense systems against these ballistic missiles at this point. And also
clearly, the significance of U.S. assets on the ground, suggesting to many that this is the U.S. increasingly involved in the Israeli response.
Good to have you. Thank you.
Well, in retaliation for that recent Iranian missile strike on Israel, a source tells CNN -- and I repeat here -- that Israel has assured the U.S.
that it plans to target Iran's military and not its oil or nuclear sites.
[10:10:03]
This comes as tens of thousands of people in Tehran attended funeral services for a slain commander of the Islamic Republican Guard. He was
killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut recently, which also killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. CNN's Fred Pleitgen was on the ground
for that service.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There were a lot of people out there who had anti-Israeli signs, anti-U.S. signs.
Obviously, a lot of that chanting that we hear so frequently at events like this of, "Down with the United States, down with Israel." There certainly
was a lot of that.
There was definitely, Becky, a lot of people who turned out at this funeral. I would say tens of thousands of people were there in central
Tehran. And what was really interesting to us as well is that large parts of the Iranian leadership also showed up there as well.
The president, Masoud Pezeshkian, he was in attendance. But then also, pretty much the entire military leadership as well the head of the
Revolutionary Guard Corps and also the head of the Revolutionary Guard Quds Force, which is, of course, the foreign operations wing of the
Revolutionary Guard, Esmail Qaani.
He was there as well. He'd been out of sight for a couple of days. So this was one of the first times that we had been able to see him.
Again, speaking to people on the ground there, a lot of them extremely angry at the fact that this Revolutionary Guard commander was killed.
He is someone who served in the Revolutionary Guard for a very long time and many of them demanding revenge towards Israel. Let's listen to what
some people told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are one. These geographical distances do not mean that we are separated from Hezbollah, from Lebanon.
We are all one, and we are all enemies of Israel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Can Iran destroy Israel?
Of course, it can. Iran is stronger, stronger than Israel can even imagine. Israel thinks it's brought these martyrs close to death but it has just
brought them closer to their wishes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will always be against the ruthless Zionists and Americans and any country that wants to come against
us. From the lives of our martyrs to the last drop of blood, we will continue to stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: That's some of the people who spoke to us earlier. The other thing that the Iranians have been pointing out and that we really saw on
display at this funeral procession as well, is that the Iranians are saying that they are fully going to continue to support Hezbollah.
It was quite interesting, as we were walking along there in that funeral procession that went on for several kilometers, people kept chanting, "We
are Nasrallah. Our party is Hezbollah," obviously pledging allegiance on the part of the Iranians towards Hezbollah and towards support of
Hezbollah.
It's really something, Becky, that you see here in the city a lot, in general, in Tehran, a lot of posters and billboards with the likeness of
Hassan Nasrallah on them. A lot of things pledging that Iranian continued support to Hezbollah, which of course, is also something that Iran's
supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has pointed out as well, Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that was CNN's Fred Pleitgen reporting from Tehran.
Israel's current offensive in northern Gaza setting off alarm bells at the United Nations. The U.N.'s human rights office says that Israel is
effectively sealing off the northern part of the enclave and may be carrying out a, quote, "large scale forced transfer of civilians."
That, U.N. officials say, would amount to a war crime. The IDF's intense ground operation in the north and repeated warnings to evacuate, punctuated
by continued airstrikes across Gaza, have left at least 40 people reported killed in strikes overnight.
Right. I've got some breaking news coming to you at CNN. I want to get you back to Natasha Bertrand at the Pentagon.
Natasha, what are we hearing?
BERTRAND: Yes, Becky. The U.S. has written this pretty extraordinary letter to the Israeli government, essentially saying that if the Israelis
don't do more to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, then U.S. military assistance to the Israelis could be at risk.
Because the Israelis might be running afoul of U.S. laws governing foreign military aid, which do require that the country that is receiving that
military assistance show that it is not impeding or restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid to another country in order to receive that
military assistance.
And so this letter was written by the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, as well as the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. And it was addressed to
Israel's minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, as well as minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer.
And it emphasized that they are extremely concerned about the, quote, "dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," given that, since earlier this spring, the
amount of aid entering Gaza has actually dropped by about 50 percent.
And the month of September was actually the lowest amount of humanitarian aid getting into Gaza to this point throughout the entire course of the
war.
[10:15:03]
So clearly, the Biden administration does not feel that Israel is doing enough to get humanitarian assistance and U.S. provided humanitarian
assistance into Gaza. And they're essentially now threatening U.S. military aid if Israel does not act within the next 30 days to increase the flow of
that assistance.
So a very significant step here, marking perhaps the first time that the U.S. is actually willing to use this leverage that it has in U.S. provided
weapons assistance to change Israel's behavior.
ANDERSON: And this letter noting -- and this is your reporting -- that the U.S. State and Defense Departments, under U.S. law, quote, "must
continually assess Israel's adherence to its assurances made earlier this year, that it would not restrict aid flows into the enclave."
So those are assurances that were made earlier this year. This is about ensuring that Israel is or is not adhering to that. The deadline falls
after the presidential election, of course, on November 5th.
Do we know when this letter was actually sent?
You've referred to the fact that they have 30 days to respond.
Do we actually have a date in which this letter was addressed to the ministry of defense?
BERTRAND: So it does appear to have been sent earlier this week. And so as you said, it does fall after the election. And it does give Israel quite a
bit of time to try to change its behavior here.
And we should note that COGAT, which is the Israeli military presence, of course, in the Palestinian Territories in Gaza, they have been tweeting
over the last day or so, emphasizing that they are getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, clearly a response to this letter that the Biden administration
sent them.
Saying, look, you need to do more or else our weapons and our equipment could be at risk.
ANDERSON: Good to have you.
I want to bring in Stephen Collinson at this point to get his sense of just how significant this could be.
Stephen, some context for this, of course. For months, those who oppose Israel's action in Gaza have been calling not just from around this region
where I am but voices echoed in the West and around the world, calling on the U.S. to do more, to use its leverage with Israel to effect more
humanitarian access into Gaza.
In the first instance, of course, we've been in this sort ongoing months- long effort led by the United States to get a ceasefire completed for Gaza.
What do you make of what we're seeing and hearing today?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There's a couple of things interesting here. Natasha clearly is making the point that this is
very significant. It's a public message to the Israelis.
I think the big question all along throughout this process has been, how much is prime minister Netanyahu willing to listen to what the United
States says. He has been betting that, when push comes to shove, the U.S. will always come to Israel's defense and will not take the steps that the
administration appears to be threatening in this letter.
Because of the political conditions in the United States, this is coming at a time when the United States is poised for Israel's retaliation against
Iran. That complicates the political situation here, both internationally and domestically.
And this is not happening in a vacuum. There's a U.S. election taking place in three weeks. One of the key swing states, Michigan, has lots of Arab
American and Muslim voters who normally vote Democratic.
And there are deep concerns in the Democratic Party and in the White House that these voters may not vote for Kamala Harris specifically because of
the administration's stance on the Middle East.
The question is, on this letter, will anything that's involved in this come in time to mitigate those concerns?
And after months of this going on, a year of this going on after October 7th attacks, it seems unlikely.
ANDERSON: And you bring up Michigan, where there is a key cohort of Arab American voters and one of the groups that represents those voters said
today, if not two, have come out and said they will not, they will not support either candidate.
Now as you rightly point out, these are normally Democrat-leaning voters. The fact that they will not back Kamala Harris is really significant. They
could be the make or break for the Democrat contender to win this U.S. election. So I think it's a really, really important point that you are
making.
I guess the other point is as we understand it.
[10:20:00]
The Israelis now have 30 days from a point last week to respond to this letter, to show, to assure the United States that they are doing what they
can to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Of course, you have a Biden administration right up until the November election and then beyond into January.
So effectively that administration could use its leverage on Israel, right the way through the back end of this year, of course, couldn't it?
COLLINSON: It could and, as you say, President Biden will be present until January the 20th.
But I think you probably have to ask the question, if it hasn't used that leverage so far at a very significant time, is it going to do so in the
last few months?
And if it did, how much impact would it have if Donald Trump wins the presidential election on November the 5th?
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have outlasted the Biden administration and the Democratic administration in the White House. There
were times during this war when it appeared that was very unlikely to happen because of his own sometimes political situation.
So any steps that the White House would take after the election would seem to be -- only have temporary leverage, if you like. I think it's going to
be interesting to see whether Kamala Harris, who is in Michigan today, is going to raise this letter.
It appears to give her an opening to start arguing on the campaign trail that the United States needs to be tougher in terms of humanitarian
questions with Israel. And I think she may use that as a political device.
And the fact this letter is being made public now makes me think that that's going to increasingly play into her campaign in this crucial swing
state.
ANDERSON: (OFF MIKE COMMENTS).
Yes, and she will be keenly aware she needs those endorsements. She's not getting the full raft at present. But in Michigan, those Arab American
voters are absolutely key if she is to see a pathway through to victory in this election. It's always good to have you, sir. Thank you.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come --
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ERIC JONES, WISCONSIN VOTER: The Good Old Party (sic) feels that they have a monopoly over the Christian vote. The Democratic Party feels they have a
monopoly over the Black vote. The problem is there are a lot of Blacks that are Christians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's John King returns to Milwaukee to talk with Black voters about their support for Vice President Kamala Harris. That is just
ahead.
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ANDERSON: That is the arrival of two giant pandas who have just landed at Washington Dulles Airport.
The 3-year-old fluffy diplomats from China, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived in a FedEx cargo plane, dubbed the Panda Express.
They will spend the next 10 years at Washington's National Zoo on loan from Beijing, a renewal of the panda diplomacy, which dates back decades but
comes, of course, amid recent tensions between the two countries.
Well, early voting in the U.S. presidential election is now underway in Georgia, one of the key battleground states. In person polling locations
are open as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump fine tune their messaging in the remaining days of the race. We are three weeks to go until the U.S.
Election Day.
Part of Harris' strategy is to reach out to Black voters. She will participate later today in a town hall event with radio host Charlamagne
tha God and also meet with Black entrepreneurs in Detroit.
Well, a year ago, CNN's John King spoke to Milwaukee voters about the 2024 election. Since then, a lot has changed. John returned recently to gauge
the community's support for Vice President Kamala Harris and exposed some cracks in the Democratic foundation for her candidacy.
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JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Door to door, north side Milwaukee. If Kamala Harris is to win Wisconsin, the path starts
right here.
DEVONTA JOHNSON, CANVASSER, BLACK LEADERS ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITIES: How do you feel about Kamala Harris?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, Kamala Harris, I think she's great.
JOHNSON: She's great. How do you feel about Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not so great.
KING (voice-over): A phone number to keep in touch.
JOHNSON: I appreciate you, ma'am. Have a good day, blessed day.
KING (voice-over): To make sure support translates into voting.
JOHNSON: He was pretty excited about Kamala.
KING (voice-over): Devonta Johnson now shares that excitement. When we met a year ago, he was undecided between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
JOHNSON: At the time, I was like kind of iffy, feeling like everybody else like undecided and not confused but it's like, I don't know for sure going
to vote for him. But now that Kamala got the ball and she rolling with it, I feel like, oh yes.
KING (voice-over): Johnson and his colleagues walk these streets year round, building trust for right now. The leaves are falling. Halloween is
at hand. It's turnout time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to remind you that early voting starts on October 22nd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife and I, we already absentee ballot.
KING (voice-over): This look under the hood was positive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want your opinion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump is trying to take us back to days that we don't want to be in.
KING (voice-over): But there are cracks in the Democratic foundation. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know I don't want him but then I feel like I
question her a little bit too.
KING (voice-over): The canvassers share notes every workday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are people saying?
KING (voice-over): No question Harris is stronger in the Black neighborhoods now than Joe Biden was when we first visited a year ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a sense of hope in the air.
[20:35:07]
KING (voice-over): But there are warning signs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is people out here saying that they don't want to vote. They still saying that.
KING (voice-over): Often the conversation at those doors turns to higher rents and food prices.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to pick and choose between what we can and what we can't buy. And ain't nobody talking about it. But you all just
vote, vote, vote, get out and vote. You all want us to vote.
KING (voice-over): Angela Lang is the boss here at Black Leaders Organizing for Communities. She knows the hard math of Hillary Clinton's
narrow 2016 Wisconsin loss and what it took to deliver Joe Biden's narrow 2020 win. Cautiously optimistic now as she rallies her team and runs the
2024 canvassing numbers.
ANGELA LANG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BLACK LEADERS ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITIES: You can't win a statewide election here without going through the heart of
Milwaukee and in some cases that runs through this office and the work that our team does.
But also we're seeing folks in heavily red areas that are getting together with other women at coffee shops without their husbands knowing, for
example and starting to have those conversations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got the most to lose right now.
KING (voice-over): Off-the-chart support among women is critical for Harris. When these canvassers encounter a Trump supporter, it is almost
always a Black man.
LANG: One of the things that we've heard is people are like, well, I think I had more money in my pocket when Trump was in office because of the
stimulus checks during the pandemic.
BRIAN MCMUTUARY, WISCONSIN VOTER: It's kind of hard to choose when that's all you got.
KING (voice-over): Brian McMutuary was a lifelong Democrat but he voted for Trump in 2020. He's undecided but leaning Trump this year.
MCMUTUARY: The cost of living, you know, gas, food prices, you know, rent, it's hard. You try to, you know, keep up and trying, you know, stay away
from the credit cards.
So what'd you do today?
KING (voice-over): McMutuary has two children, manages a McDonald's, disagrees with Trump on immigration and abortion but likes his take on
cryptocurrency and remembers being better off when Trump was president.
MCMUTUARY: I would have to say that the biggest difference is I didn't have any experience.
KING (voice-over): Plus, he says he worries Russia's Putin and China's Xi wouldn't see Harris as an equal.
MCMUTUARY: They look at a man as being, you know, a leader.
[10:30:00]
So that's like somewhat of a troubling issue.
KING: Do you have any problem with a woman president?
MCMUTUARY: Nope, not at all. Like I say, it's about doing the right thing for the country.
JONES: How can you take bigotry over a job?
KING (voice-over): Eric Jones hears it all when he stops for coffee at the barber shop and in his real estate business.
JONES: If I was a gambling man, I would probably put my money on Harris. Things are getting better. The numbers are better. The energy is different.
KING (voice-over): But an earlier job sometimes hurts the Vice President.
JONES: It is Black men. Law enforcement has not been kind to Black people historically. District attorneys have not been kind to Black people
historically.
KING (voice-over): Plus, Jones says abortion and transgender rights sometimes come up in his barbershop debates.
JONES: The Good Old Party (sic) feels that they have a monopoly over the Christian vote. The Democratic Party feels they have a monopoly over the
Black vote. The problem is there are a lot of Blacks that are Christians and the Black church is one of the strongest institutions in the community.
So you have this tug of war in a city that I'm pretty sure the Black vote will decide who wins that city and more than likely the presidency.
KING (voice-over): Yes, turnout time in a community that matters big time -- John King, CNN, Milwaukee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, it's 21 days until America votes and, for both candidates, it is a race across the swing states. Still to come, I'll speak to an Arab
American voter from Michigan about the biggest issue for her this election and why she says, even as a life-long Democrat, she is backing Donald
Trump. That is coming up.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson, time here in Abu Dhabi is just after 6:30. I want to get you back
to our breaking news this hour.
The Biden administration now demanding an improvement in conditions in Gaza. In a letter to the Israeli government, the U.S. secretaries of State
and Defense suggest U.S. military aid could be in jeopardy if there is no improvement in the next 30 days.
We are exactly three weeks to go until America picks its next president. And one of Michigan's key voting blocs -- and Michigan is a key swing
state. One of the key blocs there is the Arab American community.
[10:35:00]
And they could potentially help decide the outcome of the election in this state. Just this week, two prominent Arab American groups there made an
unprecedented announcement that they won't be endorsing either candidate for president.
Michigan, worth 15 electoral votes, as I say, is considered a crucial battleground. Trump won there in 2016. But in 2020, the Great Lakes state
went blue with Biden claiming victory. But the numbers were tiny.
My next guest is an Arab American and community organizer from Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the highest concentrations of Muslim residents
in the U.S.
Samra'a Luqman says that she's a lifelong Democrat who has endorsed Donald Trump, saying this.
"Believe him or not, if there is a 99 percent chance that Trump is going to continue the genocide -- and I have to weigh that against the 100 percent
chance that it's going to continue under Harris -- I'm going to take the 99 percent chance.
Well Samra'a Luqman is joining me now.
And it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Your position, I think, is so important as our viewers around the world get to grips with
what is going to happen in the state some three weeks from now.
Before we talk about the position that you've had and the posts that I've just read out from you -- and we've had some breaking news in the past hour
or so. It's good to have you on because I think your perspective here is important.
The Biden administration has, we have just learned, sent a letter to the Israeli government, demanding that it acts to improve the humanitarian
situation in Gaza within the next 30 days or risk violating U.S. laws governing foreign military assistance.
Which is effectively suggesting U.S. military aid to Israel could be in jeopardy.
What's your response to that?
SAMRA'A LUQMAN, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN: Well, I mean, first of all, we've heard a lot of lip service from the Biden
administration. So a lot of things that are stated have not been followed through or in actuality the opposite has been done.
So for example, stating that you want a cease-fire but continue to send military aid or saying that you may withhold it in the future but
continuing to send it as we speak is really hypocritical. And the community really sees right through that.
And then on another note, the issue of the election for me and many other voters is not what Biden could potentially do at this point. It's a little
bit too little, too late. We want accountability. We do not forgive him for the genocide of over 200,000 civilians.
So there is absolutely nothing that Biden can do, short of pulling a Jesus and resurrecting all those lives that could make us come back to the
Democratic Party for the presidential.
ANDERSON: I'm fascinated to hear this.
Can I just ask you, do you dismiss outright the efforts that the Biden administration certainly has been promoting in trying to get a ceasefire
sorted for Gaza?
I mean, I'm talking since November, I've been on that story. The first ceasefire was a temporary albeit temporary relief in Gaza. But the efforts
have been going on behind the scenes since then to get a ceasefire, a more than temporary ceasefire.
Do you -- have you just simply not bought those arguments, that effort?
LUQMAN: Well, I mean, yes. So historically I've seen Reagan end a conflict with Israel and then Lebanon with just one phone call. And I know that our
president can do more and is capable of having that power and sway to do more. So I don't buy the lip-service. I don't buy the crumbs (ph) of a
temporary ceasefire here and there.
And all the while, as they're continuing to send aid, that is literally -- we are watching people burned alive. We are watching mutilated bodies of
babies. There is just nothing that he could potentially say that would make me believe that. He's capable of having called for a cease-fire by now if
he had really actually wanted one.
ANDERSON: Right. And I know that you're referring to images on social media that are horrific to see. And they are widely circulated these days.
It is an out and out catastrophe.
You talk about 99 percent certainty of what Trump will do. We've heard him talk about wanting the Israelis to finish the job, just get it done.
[10:40:00]
When you talk about a 99 percent possibility of knowing what he is up to, doesn't it worry you when you -- when you consider voting for Donald Trump
and you hear his message on and to Israel at this point?
LUQMAN: I've heard many things come out of his mouth that were contradictory and right now we haven't gotten any specific policies. But he
has stated that he wanted to stop the war.
And what I can say is that, with 100 percent certainty, had this (INAUDIBLE) occurring under the Trump's presidency, we would have seen
Democrats stand up and find their moral compass as they did when he moved the embassy.
You had over 50 Democrats, I believe, that stood up and said, this is wrong. However, with the duopoly and the nature of politics in this
country, because it is a Democratic president, you're never going to have Democrats step up, especially during an election year, and say, what he's
doing is wrong.
So even if Trump was to do exactly the same thing that Biden is doing, I have a little bit of hope that perhaps Democrats would find their moral
compass and stand up and say that we would need a cease-fire by now with certainty.
I imagined they would have called for it by now had it been under Trump. So that's one thing. On the other note, Trump, as we know, is a wild card and
we've seen even after, you know, toward the end of his prior presidency that he soured on Biden.
And I can only hope that, due to some personality conflict or serendipitously, he solves the crisis in the Middle East, my only goal is
to ensure that people are held accountable for the genocide and that it sends a message to him and any other subsequent president that you will not
be rewarded if you do what Biden has done.
And that is -- that is something that I think he -- he is a political animal and I'm sure he will see that message as well.
ANDERSON: And for our viewers, you've written -- and I quote you here -- "There is no greater insult to me and Muslim Yemeni American women or to my
community than to assume we do not understand the ramifications of a second Trump presidency."
Two Arab American organizations have decided not to endorse either candidate at this point. Last time, as I understand it back in 2020, you
wrote in Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election.
There is a possibility of doing that again, given the risks of a Trump presidency. But you've decided not to do that.
Can I just ask you why?
LUQMAN: Yes, because the -- I follow the polls closely and with the numbers as they are, if the election were held today, with Harris leading
in Michigan and Trump that trailing about three to four points on average, you have about 6 percent of voters who are voting for other.
And if the election were held today, Harris would win. I can't have that. I made the political calculation that I need to vote for Trump, whether I
like it or not, in order to effectuate accountability for the genocide. And so that is why I am not writing anything.
I'm not voting for third party, albeit I do agree with a lot of the other third-party candidates, including in my policies and the things that I'm
fighting for even actively to this day. It is a political calculation that I'm making. And it is strictly mathematical in order to ensure, again,
accountability for lives lost.
ANDERSON: And you are a one issue voter in 2024, are you?
LUQMAN: With genocide, I think that, even if you were to weigh all the domestic policies, the value of human life to me is it outweighs
everything.
It outweighs women's rights, student debt elimination, economy, health care, everything that I love and espouse and have fought for all my life.
When I put that against human life, I -- it's nothing. It outweighs everything.
And so you can call it a one issue voter. I think that humanity and life is more important than any other issues. So I will choose life over everything
else. And if that's a one issue voter, then so be it.
ANDERSON: Samra'a Luqman, thank you very much indeed for joining us, joining us out of Dearborn, Michigan, today. Thank you.
Well, still ahead Israeli officials signal that they won't attack Iran's oil facilities. Let's take a look at how those markets are reacting after
this short break. Stay with us.
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[10:45:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, oil prices are off quite significantly after Israeli officials told the United States that it would not strike Iran's oil
facilities. West Texas and Brent both down more than 4 percent and that Brent down about 3.8 but around about 4 percent.
Oil prices of course, have been on the ARP over the last month to nearly $80 a barrel earlier this month over concerns that Israel might target
those oil facilities. CNN's Anna Stewart has the very latest from London.
Just remind us why an attack on those oil facilities would have been so significant because I think this is as we look at these oil prices, an
important story today.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're seeing some significant falls today. Oil down around 5 percent. If you're looking at WTI or Brent crude.
And I think it is important, we give it some context as you mentioned, oil prices were looking like they were going to breach the sort of $80 mark
earlier this month, all based on the potential that a wider conflict in the Middle East could have on oil prices.
And this is looking at both the disruption you could see in terms of oil facilities and the production of oil but also the trading of oil. And
actually to be -- to be completely honest, $80 a barrel, just under, felt like, in many ways, people were almost underestimated the risk that there
was.
It's important to note, though, Becky, that feeding into this picture as well, we're also seeing oil prices slightly suppressed as a result of
global oil demand outlook as well this week. So a lot is weighing on that price.
But significant falls today.
ANDERSON: Yes, it is -- I think you make a very good point. Given that we may see OPEC turn back the -- turn the spigots back on, going forward, it
may be that we see further falls on this price.
It really has been as high as you might have expected, given the conflict in the region. Historically, we've seen much higher prices or much highest
spikes when we've had this sort of instability.
What are analysts saying about why that might be?
STEWART: I would say if we saw this sort of instability, 2-3-4 years ago, we'd see a much bigger rise in the oil price but we're not really seeing as
much. Now part of this is just due to the global oil demand outlook. It was really interesting yesterday.
With OPEC's monthly oil report out and they have lowered their forecast for global oil demand growth this year by 100,000 barrels a day. And 70 percent
of that is down to their forecasts for China, where they're really seeing demand slipping.
Actually lots of analysts are saying that OPEC are actually being pretty optimistic there. And we could see even lower demand than they're
expecting. Very interesting in recent weeks, actually, lots of notes.
Is China going to hit peak oil demand this year, next year?
It's going to be soon. Given they are the second biggest consumer in the world, those oil prices could fall significantly in years to come.
[10:50:00]
ANDERSON: Yes, no, it's fascinating, isn't it. Keep an eye on those oil markets, they are indicative of where the global economy's at times headed.
Thank you.
I want to turn back to the human impact of the war that we have been covering here for more than a year. Hamas, of course, took 250 people
hostage on October the 7th. Hersh Goldberg-Polin was one of the hostages taken by Hamas that day.
The Israeli American kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival and suffered a grievous wound while trying to protect his friends from grenades. Well, in
August, Israeli forces discovered the bodies of Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages in tunnels beneath Gaza. They had been murdered shortly
before they were found.
My colleague, Anderson Cooper, spoke to Goldberg-Polin's parents to see how they are coping with what can only be described just unimaginable loss.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Rachel, for you, what has this been like?
RACHEL GOLDBERG, HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN'S MOTHER: Well, I think that in order to get through the 11 months before day 330, I was using so much
psychological suppression in order to function.
You know, there was so much trauma and terror that we were experiencing as parents of someone there, that I was shoving all of this emotion and fear
and terror in. I like to think of it as, you know, suitcases and shoving those suitcases into a room and not dealing with that because we were in
battle.
We were on a mission. And in order to function, I had to suppress so much.
So I don't want to look back at those 11 months. I don't want to unpack those suitcases. I also don't want to look ahead at what does life look
like without Hersh in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rachel Goldberg says their family is determined to live and not just exist in order to honor Hersh and his love for life.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. We will be right back.
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ANDERSON: We've got a bit more news for you just before we go this hour. Canada expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday, including the high
commissioner. That's after police linked them to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year.
India has called Nijjar a terrorist. Well India retaliated by swiftly expelling six high-ranking Canadian diplomats. Canada's prime minister is
defending the need for a police investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: The evidence brought to light by the RCMP cannot be ignored. It leads to one conclusion.
It is necessary to disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to public safety in Canada. That is why we acted because we will
always, first and foremost, stand for the rights of Canadians to feel safe and secure in their own country.
[10:55:03]
We will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON (voice-over): The Indian government released a statement accusing Canada of smearing India for political gain and said, "The aspersions cast
on the high commissioner are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt," end quote.
Canada is home to the largest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab, India.
Right. Just time for our parting shots today.
Just two days of heavy rain turned the sand dunes of the world's largest non-polar desert to large lakes. And the images are fascinating.
Last month, the Sahara Desert in southeast Morocco was hit by its first floods in decades. The rare two-day rainfall reached nearly three inches,
four times more than the normal rainfall for the whole month.
You've been watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson, Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next. From the team working with me here, it's a very good
evening.
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