[Anderson:] Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Wherever you are watching folks, you are more than welcome, joining the dots on the day's major developments for you. And in a big reveal, Turkey saying it has detained the wife of Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. President Erdogan also confirming Turkey captured the late ISIS leader's sister and brother-in-law. Now course, the U.S. said Baghdadi blew himself up during a raid in Syria on October the 26th.
[Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President:] We captured his wife, but we didn't make a big fuss. I am announcing it here for the first time. At the same time, we captured his sister and brother-in-law in Syria.
[Anderson:] Right. Well, let's do more on this. Our senior international correspondent Sam Kiley is here with us. And as we speak, the network pressing the Turks for more details, further details on the arrest captured, detaining of al-Baghdadi's wife. What do you make of that news? And how significant is it?
[Sam Kiley, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Well, it's quite intriguing because there were a number of U.S. officials and even Iraqi officials who soon after the Baghdadi raid were talking about how intelligence that was obtained from the arrest of one of led to that event. And we don't know when this Turkish arrest was made. But it's an interesting connection that the Turks have not made publicly but we don't have any kind of causal link between the two. He had two wives. One is Saja al-Dulaimi. Who was arrested actually in Lebanon taken into Lebanon a few years back, about 2014, 2015. But this one is believed to be his younger wife who is called Israa Rajab. He has a son Ali who would be about 8 or 9. One hopes not one of the victims that he took with him in that hole in the ground when he, according to the Americans, blew himself up. So it's the sort of chicken and egg at the moment until we get more detail. Is this an arrest that has followed the sort of intelligence perhaps they were able to gather on the site of the Baghdadi raid or was this an arrest actually that may have indeed led to it? We just don't know. It's interesting, too, of course, that perhaps somewhat to cover embarrassment or controversy over the Turkish incursion into the north and the very bad press that that generated, particularly in the United States. The Turks are going more and more public with their suddenly enthusiastic role in arresting ISIS members, particularly top members.
[Anderson:] It's fascinating isn't it. Our colleague Jomana Karadsheh is in northern Syria embedded with Turkish forces. Very close to, if not at the site of the original detention, as I understand it
[Kiley:] His sister's arrest.
[Anderson:] The sister's arrest. She just sent us this report. Let's have a listen.
[Jomana Karadsheh, Cnn Correspondent:] President Erdogan announcing on Wednesday that Turkey captured the wife of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. Now it is not clear where this happened, when this happened or which of Baghdadi's multiple wives this was. But it comes a day after Turkish officials say they captured the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, her husband and daughter-in-law in a raid on a housing container here in the northern Syrian town of Azaz. Now we spoke to an official from the free Syrian army the Syrian national army, as it is known right now. And he told us that she had moved into the town about six months ago. She was pausing as a refugee. That the family came into Azaz with fake documents. And they tried to blend into the local population of the internally displaced. And they are concerned that there could be many more who are trying to do the same. Former ISIS members, the family members of ISIS members. And they say they are on the lookout for that right now. Turkish officials believe that these recent arrests are a potential intelligence gold mine. That it could give them insights into how ISIS is operating right now. And the kind of threat that it pauses to Turkey and to the rest of the world. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN in Azaz, northern Syria.
[Anderson:] And Jomana making a very important point. So what? Why do we care about these arrests? Well, as she rightly points out, the Turks have said they hope to get a veritable sort of gold mine of intelligence about ISIS, the group. Where it is now, as an organization and its future strategy from these arrests, of course. This is the significance, isn't it?
[Kiley:] There's that, and the question, why do these people keep popping up in areas that have been under Turkish control for two years? It's a militarized Turkish zone where Baghdadi was killed right on the doorstep of Turkey. These are not people that have been found in the areas vacated by the Syrian Democratic Forces. They're not in government-held territory. What is it about that territory that makes them feel they can blend in and perhaps move north into Turkish territory? Were they trying to get into Turkish territory? And from the Turkish perspective, how many have already crossed? That will be something of a deep concern to the Turkish authorities.
[Anderson:] Yes, and questions remain, a failing of Turkish intelligence. If, indeed, the Turks confirm they didn't know that these characters were around in this area. Is that a failing of Turkish intelligence? Sam, always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed. UNICEF appealing to countries to repatriate around 28,000 children from all around the world who are now stranded in Syrian camps. The U.N. children's agency describes the conditions as, quote, not fit for children. In the coming hour we'll bring you the story of a man on a quest to find his son and daughter who are believed trapped in the region.
[Bashirul Shikder, Father:] When I used to be talking to my son, I tried my best not to show my tears to him. I tried my best but sometimes I could not.
[Anderson:] And we'll be talking to a UNICEF representative about exactly what sort of conditions they believe these children are being held in and what happens to them next. I'll get you to an exclusive CNN report now. You looking at video taken secretly of American-made weapons arriving in Yemen. That is even as U.S. lawmakers asked for an urgent briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanding answers on how the weapons got there. Despite the outrage of lawmakers in Washington, CNN has proof that it is still happening. Let's bring in our senior CNN senior international correspondent, Nima Elbagir, with more. Jus explain what you've got here and its significance, if you will.
[Nima Elbagir, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] What you see in that footage, Becky, is heavy weaponry arriving, reinforcements arriving to the Saudi-led coalition in Aiden in the south of Yemen. And the reason this has been particularly contentious is because of previous CNN reporting that showed that U.S. weaponry illegally had been diverted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to their allies in the region. The only reason what you see there is not illegal is because President Trump and the White House have placed themselves solely in the middle of this debate, and they have President Trump has brought about several vetoes to continue arming what he says are key allies, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's not controversial, though, and you can see that in the way that these weapons were delivered, Becky. We were able to track the ship that brought them to the Yemeni port of Aden. It was pretty difficult. We worked we spoke to whistleblowers. We looked through documents at the port of Aden. And the reason it was difficult was because that Saudi ship, as we discovered it to be, had switched off its tracking. Now that is highly irregular with regards to the way that maritime regulations govern ships having their tracking on at all time. At the moment, we have reached out to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. They've not responded to our request for comment. But Saudi Arabia says that this is not illegal and that they acknowledge they did bring in this weaponry, Becky. U.S. lawmakers say that they're going to be bringing it up as they continue their demands for further briefings by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Secretary of Defense.
[Anderson:] Nima, on Tuesday, Yemen's internationally recognized government officially signed an agreement with southern separatists in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. This deal aimed at resolving the power struggle between Yemen and Saudi-backed government and the southern transitional council which had been supported by the UAE. Details to follow. But the key stakeholders do hope for the first time in years, a viable pathway to peace is in view. Do you share their optimism?
[Elbagir:] Well, we have reached out to several people who were very close to those talks in Riyadh. And the sense that we're getting is that absolutely, this is a first step. But it is a first step towards resolving a lot of the tensions in the south, Becky. And the detail that we're getting scant as it is at the moment is that not much has actually been resolved. Yes, there will be positions in the cabinet for southern separatists but the fear is that what they're doing really is kicking that can further down the road. Because they have not resolved this issue of the south's hunger for secession. Those involved in Saudi Arabia say, that really it has to be taken one step at a time, though Becky.
[Anderson:] Nima Elbagir out of London for you. Thank you, Nima. Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, a suspect is in custody in connection with the brutal massacre of a Mormon family in Mexico. Details on how this family might have landed in the crosshairs of Mexican cartels, up next.