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CONNECT THE WORLD
Roger Federer Earns Record 234th Grand Slam Victory; Syria Following In Bosnia's Footsteps; UN Discovers 13 Bodies in Latest Syria Atrocity; Liberia's Taylor Given 50-Year Jail Sentence; Colombian Rebels Free French Journalist; Obama Calls Romney to Congratulate Him on GOP Nomination; Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Diamond Jubilee; Euro 2012 Ukraine and Poland; Romney Campaign Misspelled 'America' on iPhone App
Aired May 30, 2012 - 16:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Tonight on Connect the World, the international community watches on as Syrians turn on themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you know that these men are Shia Shabiha from this fight -- how do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They wear -- they're wearing black clothes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: From inside the town which bore witness to a most brutal massacre, a story emerges of a growing sectarian battle.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is connect the world with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: It is the outcome that no one wants to talk about, but everyone fears. Tonight, we reveal evidence of clear fault lines in a conflict that the outside world seems incapable of doing anything about.
Also this hour, as the race for the White House gets underway, the hurdles for candidates face in the spring for the finishing line.
And the queen, as you have never seen her before or is it? My interview with the photographer who shot (inaudible) what they seem.
After all the talk about a massacre in Syria potentially being a tipping point, world powers still seem no closer to figuring out how to stop this bloodshed. And we take a look this hour at the diplomatic deadlock. But first, I want to take you straight into Syria this evening. Alex Thomson, chief correspondent for Britain's Channel 4 news is on the ground and he just visited Houla where 108 civilians were slaughtered at the weened. He talked with outraged residents desperate to share their stories with the world. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX THOMSON, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: The UN warned us, you passed the last Syrian army checkpoint, then it's no-man's land. Space out the vehicles as we go across. And if shooting starts, do a U turn and get the hell out. You're on your own.
It is a chilling, mile long straight drive through the broken empty buildings. Watch the dead horse rotting in the street on the right, passed that and the abandoned armored personnel carrier of the Syrian army and you are in to rebel held Houla.
We'll cut Assad's throat they chant.
They want to scream at us, they want to shout, they want to chant, they want to show us fragments of shells. I have scarcely ever seen people so desperate to tell their story.
UN observers simply embraced before they can observe anything at all.
The chanting, the relief, the anger is palpable in this place. We've seen very few people from the outside. We've certainly never seen a journalist here since the horrors overtook this town back on Friday.
From that moment, we were taken away, swept up, led from house to house where everyone has a story to tell. And when it comes to the man who carried out the massacre here on Friday, it is the same one -- this man, who didn't wish to give his name, speaks for everyone here it seems.
Hang on, this is important. You know where these militia came from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
THOMSON: Which villages did the militia come from. Tell me that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: el-Habu (ph), (inaudible), el-Khour (ph), and from the Alawite (inaudible).
THOMSON: So you think these are Alawite Shabiha from nearby here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. 100 percent.
THOMSON: How do you know that these men are Shia Shabiha from nearby? How do you know that/
UNIDENTIIFED MALE: They wear -- they wear -- wearing black clothes.
THOMSON: Black clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're writing on their forehead la becca ali (ph).
THOMSON: La Becca Ali (ph)is a Shia slogan in this region.
Houla is no the plane, overwhelmingly Sunni. The killers, they say, came down from the hills to the west where the villages are Shia and Alawite. To the southwest, this is Kabul (ph), named again and again by people here as a village where the killers had come from. And so to Houla to the northwest, again named by different people at different times in different locations as being a place where the killers live.
Time and again they showed us their videos of the massacre aftermath. We can't show pictures of children virtually decapitated by knives, women with their faces shot away, tiny mutilated bodies of toddlers.
Survivors, scarred by all this, constantly brought to our attention like 3-year-old Sadara (ph) who is wounded by shrapnel, but her mother is dead.
Well now, though, time was up for the Red Crescent and the UN. We had to move out. South, back across no man's land, and away from this stricken place.
Alex Thomson, Channel 4 News, Houla.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I've got our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson who spent much of the last year getting in and our of Syria with me tonight. As a seemingly impotent world watches on. I want to consider with you, Nic, the very real ramifications what seems to be the emergence of a sectarian civil war in Syria tonight.
Before we do that, let's just get some news as to what the world is trying to do as it were today. And news out of Syria even as the United Nations Security Council debated ways to increase pressure on Syria, today we heard of another atrocity, the head of the UN observer mission says 13 people were discovered bound and slain in the eastern part of the country.
Now the government is not permitting CNN's correspondents into the country so we can't verify that account. It's reports, though, like these that have Syrian activists calling for outside military intervention. But it was clear at the UN today that is not going to happen any time soon. Many diplomats still supporting the peace efforts of special envoy Kofi Annan. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: We certainly agreed with Kofi Annan that this is a moment where we have reached, in effect, a tipping point with the events over the weekend being the most recent manifestation of that reality.
I think we may be beginning to see the wheels coming off this bus.
BASHAR JAAFARI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: We are fully committed to the success of Mr. Kofi Annan's plan. But we need everybody else to be equally committed and on board. Stop mingling with the blood of our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. There is a six point plan out there. It was written, built, and executed as it were some six weeks ago by Kofi Annan. He hoped it were this about a ceasefire. It doesn't seem to be working. As our viewers, Nic, get a sense or a reminder of what the six points in this plan are, just talk me through its effectiveness or not at this point.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a ceasefire completely ineffective, a political process not in effect, humanitarian assistance for people in some areas, but we just saw in Alex Thomson's report very clearly the humanitarian assistance was for a very limited period. They came in with the UN and had to leave. So it's not free access. Access for journalists: well, Alex Thomson is one of the only journalists in the country. That was a point on the plan.
So it really -- that plan isn't working. The fundamental was the UN observer mission went in for a ceasefire. Remember when there was a slight dip? We sat here and talked about it. Would it be the end of the fighting? No it hasn't been.
ANDERSON: OK. So this is a peace plan in tatters. So the last 24 hours, as journalists, we have discussed at length amongst ourselves, and we've heard the outside world doing exactly the same thing. Is what we saw in Houla this weekend a tipping point?
ROBERTSON: It has to be on the consciences of the international community. And we've seen that reflected in the governments that have turned out and thrown out of their country Syrian diplomats. But is it really a tipping point that's going to tip the UN to a new place? No, it isn't.
Why has it become a tipping point? Because it is so blatant that Syria has been accused -- the UN are there on the ground, finally they can say this was elements supportive of the government cold-blooded murder. That's why we're looking at it as a tipping point, but it's still not tipping the UN.
ANDERSON: Nic, you've prepared a report for us tonight on this basis.
ROBERTSON: When I look back at what I've seen in previous conflicts and I was dragged back to that a couple of weeks ago watching the trial of Ratko Mladic, there are so many similarities. We've learned today that there was a sectarian component in these murders in Houla, that there is an element of pre-meditation if you will on the hand of the government, maybe not directly controlling. We've seen this in Bosnia. This is what struck me when I was watching Ratko Mladic's trial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Houla has horrified the world -- some killed through shelling, the others according to the UN brutally murdered by regime loyalists, war crimes some at the UN suggest.
RUPERT COLVILLE, UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SPOKESMAN: But the majority appear to have been the result of house to house summary executions of home and getting into houses and killing men, women, and children inside.
ROBERTSON: The more I see what's happening in Syria, the more I feel we've seen this before.
Last week I was sitting in the trial of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnia-Serb war criminal accused of the biggest mass slaughter since World War II in killing of 7,000 Muslim men and boys.
Ratko Mladic on trial in The Hague accused of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide, 20 years after the crimes the details, the man, are chilling.
When you're inside there and you're looking at this man, and I saw him many times in the 1990s in Bosnia, he's still got such an intense stare in his eyes. And at times he really glowers, glowers at the people who are watching him -- the victims, the wives, the mothers of all those people who died in Srebenica.
Like Houla, many victims in Srebrenica were gunned down in cold-blood. The Srebrenica killings came after three years of stop-gap international intervention. UN troops were there, too few to prevent the slaughter.
And for three years the world closed its eyes and it knew what was happening from the satellite imagery and it was getting the pictures from the ground. And I sat there in that court room thinking this is what's happening in Syria. Today we know what's happening. We have the images.
Srebrenica became an important catalyst for real intervention. Air strikes stopped the Serbs in their tracks, reversed their gains. They sued for peace.
So the question I ask myself, will Syria unfold like Bosnia? A slaughter so horrified the world will have no choice but to take action. The experts are not so sure.
FOUAD AJAMI, SYRIA ANALYST: I used to believe that if there is a Syrian Srebrenica to go back to the Balkans, that we were forced if you will, we were pushed into Bosnia by the horror of what happened in Srebrenica. I know don't even know if there is a Syrian Srebrenica, I'm not even sure we would come to the rescue.
ROBERTSON: In the 90s, Russia backed the Serbs. Today it backs Syria. In the 90s, Russia was stumbling out of Communism. The U.S. overran their protests. Today, Russia is resurgent, rich in oil, it can and is ignoring the west.
What I learned watching Mladic, justice delayed for the victims is no justice at all, just ask he women of Srebrenica.
When we ask them, OK, isn't it good that Mladic is on trial, isn't that good? The answer comes back every time, no. You should have stepped in at the time and stopped the slaughter.
Mladic is no Assad. The Serb never did control all the levers of power. The Syrian president on the other hand, does. The writing for him may be on the wall: al-Assad one day in The Hague. Right now that looks as unlikely as Mladic walking free.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: It sent chills down me sitting in that court room in The Hague two weeks ago watching that, because it just sounded so similar to what we're seeing in Syria. Everyone knew. Chilling.
ANDERSON: OK. My sense is that we have a fairly impotent what we call international community at the moment. We are dead set on trying to sort this out diplomatically. To me, it seems unsure. Many of our viewers, that ain't going to happen.
The SNC are calling for the use of force, military intervention. That, it seems, at least from what we heard today ain't going to happen.
What we do know is that Arab nations are arming rebels and financing the opposition. It doesn't seem to have tipped the balance as of yet. Last night, I talked to a representative of the GCC, the Gulf states, and a representative of the SNC. Nic, have a listen to the discussion they had last night. I think it's enlightening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMI AL-FARAJ, KUWAITI ADVISER TO GCC : We are not going to allow Iran to win and take -- grab another Arab countries for us. And for the Sunni Muslims all over the world. If Iran were to penetrate from Iran to the Mediterranean it will cut the Arab speaking Sunni world from the territory speak Sunni world. This is not acceptable, neither for us nor for Turkey. You will see different course of action taken place and taking shape.
NETTO: Becky if I may.
ANDERSON: George. The final word, George.
GEORGE JABBOURE NETTO, SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER: So -- yes. I would beg to disagree. We don't want it to be a theater for Shiites and the war. This is not -- we are not a proxy war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: But it is. Already we're seeing the improvement in the equipment that the rebels have. You see them all in uniforms now, a lot of them -- some of them at least have flak jackets. You can be sure that there are weapons coming in as well. So we see the effects of that money coming in.
I mean, what's staggering about that is there is an utter acceptance this is a sectarian conflict. Whether or not the sort of political leadership outside of the country want it, clearly they don't because it doesn't, it's not what they were originally hoping for, but it is.
And the other thing this says very, very clearly is that these Gulf stats -- the Qataris, the Kuwaitis, the Saudis look at Iran and say see that Iran won Iraq. And they're not going to let, they're not going to let Syria go.
So this is already -- there's a resemblance and anger already built up that out of U.S. and international intervention in Iraq that Iran won the prize, they won the country. And these countries -- these states -- these Gulf states are not going to sit back and take that. The battle is on for them.
ANDERSON: That is remarkable stuff. And wishes it wasn't happening, but it is. Nic Robertson, always a pleasure. Thank you.
Well, Today has seen a landmark for sentencing that could impact how President Bashar al-Assad could be treated in the aftermath of this conflict as former Liberian President Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison. Leading human rights lawyer Jeffrey Robertson tells CNN that Taylor's conviction for aiding and abetting war crimes set a possible precedent for indicting President al-Assad. We're going to have more on that Taylor sentence coming up.
And a historic battle is set between the first black U.S. president and the first Mormon White House nominee. How the candidates are faring just over five months away from D-day.
And we're going to hear from some of those who know her majesty on a little more personal level. All of that and much more after this.
(COMMERCAIL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
Now former Liberian President Charles Taylor is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The trial chamber unanimously sentences you to a single term of imprisonment of 50 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, last month Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes in neighboring Sierre Leone. And his trial, it was said that he received a constant supply of diamonds in return for fueling the civil war there that killed 50,000 people.
Vladimir Duthiers has been with victims of the war in Sienne Leone. And he joins me now on the line from the capital Freetown.
Vladimir, what was the reaction when this sentence was handed down?
VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, when the sentence was handed down we spoke to several of Charles Taylor's victims and they were very, very happy. One man told us, one man who a his hand amputated by the RUS, the Revolutionary United Front that was according to the trial lawyers essentially taking, following orders from Charles Taylor. This young man had his hand chopped off by these rebels and they told him that they were taking his hand, because his hand was involved in politics and that without a hand he would no longer be able to take part in any kind of politics. He told me that this was a day that Charles Taylor received his just desserts.
And, you know, what was amazing is to listen to the judge talking about Charles Taylor aiding and abetting as well as planning some of the most heinous and brutal crimes recorded in human history. That was the award that the judge this afternoon. And many people that we spoke to felt that this was exactly what Mr. Taylor had been -- had done to them and to their country, Becky.
ANDERSON: Vladimir Duthiers connecting your world tonight, a story in The Hague resonating thousands and thousands of miles away. Vladimir thank you for that.
A look at some of the other stories that are connecting our world tonight. And the British high court has denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition appeal. They did, however, two weeks to file yet another appeal. Assange has spent the last year-and-a-half fighting extradition to Sweden where he's wanted for questioning about accusations of sexual abuse. Now he maintains his innocence and that the charges are politically motivated. He has promised to take his fight all the way to the European court of human rights.
Pakistani authorities say they fear the doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden will be killed in prison. They want Shakeel Afridi to be transferred to a more secure facility because of fears for his safety if he is surrounded by jailed Taliban members. Now Afridi was sentenced to 33 years last week. Tribal court documents say it was because of links to militants rather than for aiding U.S. intelligence, which was widely believed and reported.
Colombian rebels have released a French journalist that they've been holding captive for over a month. France Free journalist Romeo Langlois was captured by FARC rebels while he was embedded with Colombian troops. Now in a video released by the rebels on Monday, he appears to be in good health. He was reportedly handed over to a delegation including the Red Cross, a French diplomat, and a Colombia peace activist.
Well, there have been tears and cheers in the Thai capital and Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi visits there. It's Suu Kyi's first trip outside her homefront in more than two decades. And she addressed crowds of Thai supporters and migrants from Myanmar. Many exiles from the country holding placards saying they want to go home. She said she would do her best to help those migrant workers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, MYANMAR PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Everybody has a responsibility, they too have a responsibility, we too have a responsibility to create the kind of country to which all our people can return whenever they wish to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I think we'll all agree it's good to hear Aung San Suu Kyi speaking freely.
We're going to take a very short break here on CNN. When we come back, though, this man might be seeing red by the end of the week. Liverpool has offered their head managerial job to -- well, we'll tell you after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right. Liverpool Football Club have offered their managerial post to a man called Brendan Rogers from a football club called Swansea. Well, earlier this month the Anfield club parted with their manager and club legend Kenny Dalglish. I'm going to get you to Mark McKay immediately at CNN Center with more on this story.
I know this news isn't official as of yet. When do we expect it to be so?
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Probably within the next 24 hours, Becky. And that comes from Swansea itself. Rogers is considered to be one of the brightest young minds in English football. What he did with Swansea was take a team that was on a relatively meager budget to an 11th place finish in the Premier League just one season after securing promotion in the championship.
He's a young manager, 39-years-old from Northern Ireland. And again, one of the brightest and upcoming managers. But as of tonight he is still a Swansea man. But we have this statement from the Swansea club president, or chairman I should say. That says, "following on from discussions with Liverpool's owners, Brendan has informed us that he would like to take up their offer to manage Liverpool. At the moment, we are currently in talks with the owners to agree compensation. We are trying to finalize within the next 24 hours." There it is. We wish Brendan every success in the future.
Sounds like he's on his way to Anfield to me, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, that's a big club. Swansea is a little club. But boy have they done well in the past season. So they will miss him. And let me tell you, I think you'll agree with me, that compensation to Swansea from those who own Liverpool is going to be huge, right?
MCKAY: No doubt about it, yeah. He's not going -- he's going to come at a very high price.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
All right. Listen, Euro 2012 fast approaching, of course, starting next Friday. Co-hosts Ukraine and Poland. This question of racism still lingering unfortunately.
MCKAY: It is. And someone has weighed in that we all know well, Manchester City and Italy player -- striker -- Mario Balotelli has weighed in with his own comments. He has suffered racism before playing for both his clubs and his country. 21-year-old speaking to France Football magazine saying pointedly, quote, "racism is unacceptable to me. I cannot bear it. We are in 2012. It can't happen. If someone throws a banana at me in the street I will go to prison, because I will kill him." A very strong -- very strong words from Balotelli there.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
And upsets mean so much that we are talking about the subject of racism in football. But you know what, it is so important to talk about that, we will continue to do so until maybe one day it is a done deal.
Mark, French Open action, something a bit more fun for us tonight. What are the big headlines out of that.
MCKAY: How about Roger Federer winning again. He is so used to winning, Becky, on the grand stages of the grand slam. What he did on Wednesday was set a new record, 234 grand slam match wins. He reaches the last 32 in Paris. And this time he goes past Jimmy Connors' longstanding record of 233 wins at the majors. He had equaled that in the first round.
A four set win on Wednesday over Romania's Adrian Ungur. The 16 time grand slam champion moves on, but the Williams sisters not represented. The entire Williams family is out. Venus Williams following Serena Williams out of the tournament on Wednesday. Much more on the French Open and the rest of the day in sport when I see you a little over an hour from now for World Sport -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Good stuff. Stick around viewers. An hour from now, World Sport with Mark McKay. Thank you, Mark.
Still to come on Connect the World this half hour, he has clinched the title. The prize, well it's the chance to battle it out for one of the biggest jobs in the world. But what does this man really stand for? Well, that's up next.
Plus, as jubilee fever grips this country, we're going to take a look at some different perspectives of her majesty.
And ship ahoy: we've got our eye on the Polish shipyard coasting through Europe's tough economic times as we keep our eyes firmly focused on what is one of the co-hosts of Euro 2012 next week. That all coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: A very warm welcome to our viewers across Europe and around the world. I'm Becky Anderson, these are the latest news world headlines from CNN.
A new atrocity reported in Syria. U.N. observers say 13 bodies were found in the eastern village with their hands tied behind their back. Victims had apparently being shot in the head from close range.
And in international court, they sentence former Liberian President Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison for war crimes. He'd already being found guilty of aiding rebels during their civil war in neighboring Sierra-Leone.
Columbian rebels have released a French journalist they've been holding captive for over a month. "France 24" journalist, Ramier Langlois was captured by Farc rebels while he was invaded with Colombian troops.
And, U.S. President Barack Obama has telephoned Mitt Romney to congratulate him on clinching the Republican nomination. The primary election in Texas on Tuesday, including over the required number of delegates needed to secure the title. But he won't be confirmed as the Republican candidate until his party's national convention in Florida in August.
Well the U.S. election in November will be truly historic. Putting the first Mormon White House nominee against the first black U.S. president.
In a moment, we're going to talk to veteran political analyst and friend of the show, Bill Schneider. But first, I want you to take a look at just who Mitt Romney is.
First, now he's a bit of a campaign pro. The former governor of Massachusetts sought the Republican presidential nomination in the 2008 election, you may remember. He lost out though to John McCain then.
Well many focus on Romney's religion, Mormon's members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but view themselves as Christians.
In a recent speech, Romney tackled the hot but an issue when some got his view on gay marriage. They're just ten words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ten words, ten seconds. He was on a foreign policy, the Romney camp has repeatedly forced more boots on the ground in certain parts of the world including possible military intervention in Syria and in Iran.
Speaking at a memorial day tribute, his world view was stark.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: I wish I can tell you that the world is a safe place today, it's not. Iran is rushing to become a nuclear nation, as a national sponsor of terror around the world that thought of missile material in the hands of Hezbollah or Hamas, or other terrorist is simply unthinkable.
Pakistan is home to some 100 nuclear weapons. China is on the road to becoming a nuclear -- a military super power. Russia is rebuilding their military and is now led by a man who believes that the Soviet Union was a great as opposed to evil empire.
Chavez is campaigning for power throughout Latin America. Mexico is under siege from the cartels in the Middle East. The Arab-spring is becoming Arab-winter, the world is not safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It might as well as for many voters, it may all come down to that all important word beginning with E though. Well he wants to cut taxes and spending and say he is the man to pull America out of the economic crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: We need to have presidents who understand how this economy works. Day-to-day, small business, middle-size business, big business, I do, I want to use that experience to get us to work again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So you're pretty sure or I'm pretty sure, you probably know President Obama is, so as Mitt Romney, a man you may not know so much about got what it takes.
The leading U.S. political analyst Bill Schneider has forgotten more about U.S. politics and I will never know. Who joins me now from Washington, a man who loves the polls. So let's get straight to it.
Because Bill, it's intriguing when you look at some of the latest polling featuring Romney against Obama in for example -- lets begin with a dozen swing state.
Take a look at this. According the latest USA today gallup poll Bill, Obama comes out on top but by a smooching only. Just 2 percentage points in it. Bill, remind us why these swing states are so important.
BILL SCHNEIDER, POLITICAL ANALYST: Because of the actual college. Those are the states that count in the presidential election. Most states like New York or Texas, we know how they're going to vote. The swing states like Ohio and Florida, they're really up for grabs.
And so that's where the election will be fought and what this says is, this election is going to be another humdinger as the Americans say. It will be very close, we could have another result like 2000, God forbid.
In which we were counting votes late into the night maybe even beyond election night.
ANDERSON: Oh, keeping us all up. All right, this is interesting, this number I thought when I was looking at this poll earlier on.
Among the most religious voters Bill, the latest gallup poll shows the presumptive republican presidential nominee beating Obama by 17 percentage points, 37 to 54.
In the U.S. in 2012, how significant is that?
SCHNEIDER: Very significant because America is the most religious industrial society in the world. That's because of the way the United States was settled.
By groups seeking religious freedom. By members of dissenting churches. The result is about 40 percent of Americans here, they go to church every week.
The ministers don't see them, but that's what they claim. And religious voters for the last 32 years since Ronald Reagan was elected had become more and more Republican.
Nine religious voters have become more and more Democratic. That's a divide we've never seen before and its gotten bigger and bigger.
ANDERSON: I wonder which candidate this will help more, Bill. Take a look at this number on the economy, 42 percent believe the economic recovery hasn't started but conditions have stabilized. 24 percent say it's recovering, 33 percent, a third of those polls still say they think there's a down turn and we know this is -- the economy is stupid of course, we know that.
So Obama, you know obviously needs some good news but have we heard a cogent argument from Mitt Romney about how he would accelerate this recovery.
SCHNEIDER: Well he says he has the experience based on his business experience to turn the economy around. He's selling himself as a turn- around artist. He turned around the Olympics, he turned around failing companies he claims.
Well what Obama is saying is, he really didn't do that, that wasn't his job as the executive at Bain Company. He wasn't there to create or to save jobs, he was there to create wealth, that's a very different mandate.
So what Obama is saying is, his business experience is really irrelevant to turn the economy around in the United States.
ANDERSON: Let me throw this one at you finally, Obama recently -- of course you and I know, many of our viewers will know became the first sitting U.S. president to announce his support for same-sex marriage.
So this is interesting Bill, in this gallup poll, half of Americans support legalizing, half of Americans support legalizing same-sex marriages. How high up, the list of game changes might that be for U.S. voters?
Actually pretty low. U.S. voters put same-sex marriage, abortion, those kinds of issue very low. Everything is the economy, same-sex marriage, social issues, rape, very low.
Even foreign policy rate is very low. People are pretty happy with Obama's foreign policy. But on the issue of same-sex marriage, President Obama is betting that it will count with one vital constituency.
Young voters, they are the most supportive of same-sex marriage. To them, to young voters in colleges today, they think of gay rights the way my generation when we were in college thought of civil rights.
They're outraged to imagine that gays don't have equal rights. So that could be an issue that gets out a lot of college age voters and they're the ones who vote overwhelmingly for Barack Obama.
ANDERSON: We have five months to go, how exciting. Looking forward to it, looking forward to speaking to you as everyone, our viewers around the world appreciate your analysis.
So Bill Schneider, your regular guest on the show and a sort of -- a bit of phony war between the two candidates over the next few months until Romney is confirmed as the nominee. That is set for the end of August when the Republican party will hold their national convention in Florida.
Now, the Democrats hold theirs, let me remind you early September and then you can look forward to a series of debates. Finally election day, November the 6th. It's a busy time for the candidates but coming up in the show, find out why Mitt Romney might need to clear his dairy for a few spelling bee before the election.
Will come before that, she's probably the most famous woman in the world but who is she? Take a closer look at the personality behind (INAUDIBLE).
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PRINCE HARRY, HEIR, ENGLAND: When we were young, it was very easy to take our grandmother for granted. You know she was just a grandmother to us.
And it's only really sort of being over the last sort of five, eight, ten years, now that she's really learnt to sort of understand and accept the huge deal that she is around the world, especially in the U.K.
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ANDERSON: Well to most of us, she's the queen but to them, well she's just granny. Given the many roles she face in her everyday life.
It is easy to forget that as well as being head of state in Britain and the Common Wealth, Elizabeth II, is also a wife, a mother as we heard there and an adored and respected grandmother.
Well, over 60 years on the throne. Her supporters soon will say she's performed her duties with devotion, warmth and dignity.
But away from the public eye, what's the queen actually like, well CNN's Mark Foster, spoke to some of her acquaintances to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH II, QUEEN, ENGLAND: I declare before you all with my whole life, whether it being long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.
MARGRETHE II, QUEEN, DENMARK: I think to remember having, having listened to that speech and I remember very well exactly remember reading not so much -- not many years later.
The way she dedicated her life to her country and that was an example that I very much felt that when I grow older that was what it was about.
You dedicate your life to your country.
ROBERT HARDMAN, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: But she's taken an institution that was frankly Edwardian if not Victoria and the way it operated.
When she started and she's brought it right up to the present day to the extent that she's not only the most famous woman in the world, but one of the most respected people in the world.
The monarchy are strong now as it's being I think many -- in any stage during her reign is secured for the future. And when you're running hereditary institution that's what you're in to do.
CONSTANTINE II, FORMER KING, GREECE: I think it's a major achievement and the queen, she came to one of my conferences of my schools.
And I mentioned to her that when the English poet Keith gave advice to his younger brother, he said "Let your mind be a thought of her of all thoughts, and not a select few."
And I think she's some blessed as a person who adopted, and you mention how many prime ministers she's had, how many presidents of the United States she's met, it's a vast experience.
Laid the street and perfect symbol to the nation and I think that's why the jubilee will be a huge success. And the next generation with her son and then later on, her grandson will be perfect.
But I would suggest that they will be extremely happy and supportive to the queen to her all endeavors. And anyway, Prince of Wales has done a huge amount of work for the young people of Britain and that's well documented.
Especially the youth business trust, it's an amazing achievement.
MARK FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT(on camera): What will you be thinking as she celebrates the jubilee?
MARGRETHE II: Well I will think it's -- she's -- having an extraordinary reign and she's a -- now I will tell you what, I will absolutely refuse to de-mask my colleagues and relay relations.
FOSTER: Now absolutely do understand that but your thoughts as someone goes into their 60th year.
MARGRETHE II: Well she's a remarkable person. Quite certainly, I think people realize that very much. I should --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well the rest of us, normal people like you and me can only imagine what life behind royal palace walls might be like. But that is not something as wondering is it?
I caught up with one British artist who spent the past decade using her rather cheeky imagination to get behind the royal scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON(voice-over): An image of the British queen on her knees with her coggi or is it?
ALISON JACKSON, PHOTOGRAPHER & FILMMAKER: I love this picture actually because I always think the queen probably really very fund to her coggi, she's surrounded -- I don't know how many but a lot. She takes them on her aeroplane and so on and so forth.
So just thought it would be really nice to have a picture of her playing at home with her coggies.
ANDERSON: It's what Alison Jackson calls a mental image only.
JACKSON: Really great, your smile is really great.
ANDERSON: The notorious photographer and filmmaker satirizes the liberties through look-alikes. And the British royals are among her favorite subjects.
What is it about the royals that has inspired you to do this sort of work?
JACKSON: Well I think they're such a fantastic family; the royals. Because they're sort of shadowed in mystique and mystery and I'm always dying to know how they actually really live their lives.
You know they got this fantastic life with footmen and servants and carriages and castles, and I think everyone really dreams of something like that in their life.
That really, what is it like? So I try and depict what's always going on for real in their lives.
ANDERSON: Who's your favorite?
JACKSON: Well I think the queen, actually. Because I think she's such some figure head, you know she works hard, she's 85, she's really fit. I just can't believe she keeps on going in the way she does.
ANDERSON: And in Jackson's mind, that includes doing the konger, at the after party, the Kateline and Wills wedding.
(on camera): Where on earth do you find these look-alikes, and how difficult is it to find?
JACKSON: It's very difficult to find the look-alikes but it's -- I've got a spitting image replica, royal family now. They are all absolutely excellent.
As you can see, the queen is just brilliant, the Kate and Wills look alike so, fantastic. And even Pepper Middleton is just got to be an exact replica, including her bottom.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON (voice-over): These photographs have all being selected by Jackson for an exhibition, celebrating the queen's diamond jubilee. We can't show you the naughtier ones, which many believe go too far.
JACKSON: Oh yes, I mean people go woo, you know but there isn't -- it isn't really anything that I'm showing or making that isn't really existing in our minds anyway.
So I'm just depicting what exist in our minds. And so all I can say is if people are offended and they're offended by their own mind. You'll never probably get an opportunity to find out what goes on for real now, will you?
(LAUGHTER)
No absolutely not and must be crossed off any kind of way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now as the country gears up for the official diamond jubilee this weekend, CNN here will bring you special coverage of all the events taking place across the capital. We'll have the ceremonies and street parties and all sorts of tribute being paid to her majesty.
Please join us for that. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
When we come back, we're in Poland, where a French luxury yacht builder is learning from Polish boat building fishing. We've got our eye on Poland this week as we look forward to Euro 2012 championships and that story coming up after this.
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ANDERSON: Right. All this week we've got our eye on Poland, ahead of next week's football competition. So we've looked this week at how the country is gearing up for the biggest footballing tournament in Europe, Euro 2012.
Of course, going behind the scenes for a look at what is a massive security operation. Well the next month or so we'll see Poland grabbing the headlines as Euro 2012 co-host.
Away from the football, this is a country that has an awful lot to shout about. So I can tell you in tonight's report and what is a weeklong series.
Comes from Gdansk where Jim Boulden being finding out how a ship building business is sailing through the global economic crisis.
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JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT(voice-over): It's the birth place of the solidarity trade movement. Strikes at the Gdansk's shipyard led Lech Walesa, essentially led to the down fall of communism in Poland and all of eastern Europe.
Today, the 60-year-old Gdansk shipyard like many others is a ghostly shadow of its former self. 2000 to 3000 people work here depending on the amount of work. That's perhaps a 10th of the number in communist days.
Few big ships are seen here today under the massive green cranes beyond the yard new fairy, or a cruise ship being refurbished.
But inside the factory house, there is life. Wind turbines, steel structures and for the past decade yacht construction. All keeping Gdansk afloat.
Francis Lapp shows Gdansk to help build luxury catamaran yacht for his company Sunreef.
(on camera): Do you think that makes a difference to your customers that it comes from here?
FRANCIS LAPP, CEO, SUNREEF YACHTS(through translator): Yes it does as there are a lot of different specialist from aluminium specialist to woodworks specialist. We really have very professional staff.
BOULDEN(voice-over): Lapp won't review the names of any of those super rich who have bought their 60 plus catamarans made here. But it's interesting to note that Poland did not fall into recession after the economic crisis.
And work here, did not slow down either.
RAFAL LENARTOWSKI, SUNREEF YACHTS: The recession did not touch this segments of the market and we have still have other offers that are coming into our work ship yard especially from their emerging partners.
BOULDEN: That's a relief for the workers here.
ADAM MUCZYNSKI, SUNREEF YACHTS: Because to say this is something Polish you know, proudly Polish you know.
BOULDEN: Adam Muczynski oversees production here. The 32-year-old father worked at the shipyard in the 1980s. He was an electrician just like a certain other former employee.
MUCZYNSKI: This is something important for me because -- you know I (INAUDIBLE) this factory is very important for all Polish people here.
BOULDEN: Sunreef says Gdansk's first days don't have to be in the past.
LENARTOWSKI: We are building history as well because we started with large cargo ships, and we are continuing with pleasure boats for millionaires from all over the world.
BOULDEN(on camera): Well small scale operations like Sunreef Yacht can possibly replace the thousands of jobs lost here over the years. They can at least happen to the history and skills of this region.
And keep a small part of this historic shipyard thriving. Jim Boulden, CNN, Gdansk, Poland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And we are back in Gdansk tomorrow with our eye on -- or rather our ears on a small family guitar business they set up in the cold war. This business now making waves on the international music scene.
Jim's being discovering many things about Poland he had to -- their workshop, discover the secret to their success.
All right, we will team at CONNECT THE WORLD, you'll know if you're a regular viewer always interested to hear your views and the stories that we are covering -- after all this is your show.
So tonight your thoughts on what was our top stories.
Syria, how many Houla massacres can you submit before all of us, say enough is enough. It seems to answer this, join our discussion tonight at the international community.
It's quite impotent in what is the next step, they don't seem to know so what do you think it is? What is the next step to stop this bloody civil war? facebook.com/CNNconnect. Have your say, you can twit me of course @BeckyCNN, your thoughts.
Please @BeckyCNN. If you don't want to talk about Syria, talk about Euro 2012 or talk about the diamond jubilee. Let us know how you feel tonight in "PARTING SHOTS".
We have a little spelling tests for you, have a look at this screen shot of the new Republican presidential candidate iPhone app. It's OK, if you don't see the misspelling of America.
First time, Mitt Romney's camp have certainly missed it in this particular slogan. Romney is hoping to become the next president of the USA. The A in this case stands for Amercia.
His team since updated the app so the would be president should be sure in campaigning to become the leader of America instead.
I'm Becky Anderson that was OK, well thank you for watching. Amanpour up.
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