WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST IS THE CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AT
CNN AND THE ANCHOR THE "AMANPOUR."
PLEASE WELCOME CHRISTIANE AMANPOR.
HOW IS EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL NEWS?
>> EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL NEWS IS VERY BAD.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> VERY, VERY BAD INDEED.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE SAID WHATEVER THE MEDIUM, ONE OF YOUR
GOALS IS TO MAKE FOREIGN NEWS LESS FOREIGN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HOW-- HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
BECAUSE THEY GOT THE ACCENTS AND EVERYTHING.
>> THEY HAVE THE ACCENTS AND SOMETIMES THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
LANGUAGE, WHICH IS KIND OF EXTRAORDINARY.
>> Stephen: HOW TO YOU MAKE SOMEONE HERE IN AMERICA CARE.
>> OFTEN, PARTICULARLY NOW, IT'S COMING HERE TO AMERICA.
>> Stephen: NOT IF TRUMP HAS HIS WAY.
NOT IF TRUMP HAS HIS WAY.
HE'S GOING TO BUILD A WAR BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
SYRIA.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> AND THAT WILL HELP THAT'S HOW WE TRY TO MAKE THE NEWS LESS
FOREIGN, TELLING THOSE KINDS OF STORIES.
>> Stephen: IS THERE A STORY HAPPENING INTERNATIONALLY RIGHT
NOW THAT WE AMERICANS DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT, SOMETHING THAT'S
HAPPENING THAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE CARRYING ABOUT THAT WE
HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT YET?
>> WELL, LOOK, YOU PRETTY MUCH KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING.
BUT THE BIG STORY THAT WE HAVE TO GET FIXED IS SYRIA AND ALL
THESE POOR REFUGEES WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY IN TERRIBLE
HARDSHIP.
AND I THINK BEING REALLY MISREPRESENTED AND THEIR
HARDSHIP AND THEIR HUMANITY JUST BEING COMPLETELY SORT OF DENIED
IS PRETTY SAD.
>> Stephen: IT SEEMS LIKE IT GOT TO SOME POINT-- AT A CERTAIN
LEVEL PEOPLE WANT TO THROW UP THEIR HANDS.
WHY TRUMP'S MESSAGE IS APPEALING IS BECAUSE HE SAYS, "JUST KEEP
THEM ALL OUT" BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH FEAR ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT SITUATION GOT SO BAD?
>> I'M PRETTY STRONG, HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE WEST DIDN'T DO WHAT IT COULD HAVE
DONE EARLY ENOUGH.
>> Stephen: BY "WEST" YOU MEAN AMERICA?
>> WELL... PERHAPS.
>> Stephen: EVERYBODY ELSE IS KIND OF LIKE--
>> BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: EVERYBODY ELSE IS LIKE GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE.
IS.
EVERYONE ELSE IS THE.
IS.
>> EVERYONE SAYS, "WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE ANYTHING."
AND I ACTUALLY THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING BECAUSE VERY
EARLY ON YOU COULD HAVE INTERVENED IN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE LOT LESS PAINFUL THAN THEY ARE NOW.
AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN INVASION, AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND IT COULD HAVE REALLY CONTAINED AND
STOPPED THIS BEFORE WE HAD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
DEAD, BEFORE WE HAD MILLIONS OF REFUGEES, AND BEFORE WE NOW HAVE
TERRORISM IN EUROPE, IN THE UNITED STATES, AND, YOU KNOW, I
DO BELIEVE, UNFORTUNATELY, A VERY IMPORTANT CHANCE WAS MISSED
IN THAT REGARD.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE INTERVIEWED EVERY MAJOR WORLD LEADER.
WHO HAS IMPRESSED YOU MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT?
>> WELL, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK NOW SEVERAL DECADES, SOMEBODY
WAS AN AMAZING, AMAZING INTERVIEW.
HE WAS KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, A VERY STRONG ALLY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
HE MADE PEACE WITH ISRAEL, A REALLY BRAVE, BRAVE MAN WHO HAD
THESE INCREDIBLE POLICIES AND HAD THE COURAGE TO ENACT THEM.
AND MAKING PEACE WITH ISRAEL, IF YOU'RE AN ARAB LEADER, IS NOT
VERY POPULAR, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
AND HE WAS AMAZING.
AND HE ACTUALLY TREATED US JOURNALISTS AS IF HE KIND OF
REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO US AND AS IF WE WEREN'T DUMB.
>> Stephen: IS THAT UNUSUAL FOR A WORLD LEADER?
>> YES, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE LIKE TO DO THE WHOLE SPIN CYCLE AND,
YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR TALKING POINTS.
AND HE TALKED TO YOU AS IF YOU WERE A SENTIENT HUMAN BEING.
THAT WAS QUITE REFRESHING.
>> Stephen: ANYBODY DISAPPOINTED YOU?
ANYBODY GIVE YOU, LIKE, A REALLY WEAK HANDSHAKE?
>> OH, THE HANDSHAKES.
>> Stephen: GIVE YOU A FISH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN DEAD FISH.
THERE HAVE BEEN ROTTEN FISH.
THERE HAVE BEEN SWEATY FISH.
>> Stephen: GIVE ME A HINT.
WHO IS THE WORST HANDSHAKE?
SOMEBODY DEAD.
>> I CAN'T-- HE'S A DEAD FISH.
HE'S WITH THE FISHES.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT THE WORST FOR ME WAS WHEN I
WOULD INTERVIEW, LET'S SAY THE IRANIAN LEADERS.
LIKE I GET THIS AMAZING SCOOP, AND I'M PSYCHED AND I STICK MY
HAND OUT AND THE HAPPENED IS HERE BECAUSE, NO, THEY CANNOT
SHAKE HANDS WITH A WOMAN.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO, THAT
RIGHT?
WHY CAN THAT SURPRISE YOU?
>> IT'S THEIR RELIGION, WELL, YOU FORGET.
>> Stephen: THAT SHOCKS YOU?
>> YOU FORGET.
>> Stephen: YOU FORGET?
>> YES, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.
>> Stephen: BEFORE THE REVOLUTION THAT WASN'T THERE?
>> NO, I REMEMBER SHAKING A LOT OF HANDS IN RAWP BEFORE THE
REVOLUTION.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHY WE HAD A REVOLUTION.
OH, YOU HAVE A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD HANDSHAKE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
>> I LIKE THAT ONE.
>> Stephen: CAN YOU STICK AROUND?
>> YES.
>> WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WE'RE BACK WITH
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR.
CHRISTIANE, I UNDERSTAND-- I HEARD THIS FROM MY LITTLE
RESEARCH PACKAGE HERE, WHILE YOU'RE A WELL-KNOWN JOURNALIST
NOW, YOU SAY YOU'RE AN ACCIDENTAL JOURNALIST, WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN?
>> WELL, AFTER THE REVOLUTION IN IRAN, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
IN ANY EVENT, MY PARENT WERE STUCK THERE AND WE WERE IN
ENGLAND GLPPED AND MY SISTER DECIDED TO SIGN HERSELF UP TO A
JOURNALIST COLLEGE IN LONDON.
AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS SHE DECIDED THIS WAS NOT FOR HER.
SO I WENT BACK AND SAID CAN WE HAVE OUR MONEY BACK, PLEASE,
BECAUSE WE CANNOT AFFORD TO THROW IT AWAY.
THEY SAID NO, AND I SAID I CAN TAKE THE COURSE INSTEAD?
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID AND THAT'S HOW I BECAME A JOURNALIST.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WOW.
AND YOU GOT HOOKED.
>> I GOT HOOKED.
>> Stephen: YOU GOT TOTALLY HOOKED.
>> I GOT TOTALLY HOOKED.
AND THEN I CAME HERE, THE GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND
JOINED CNN AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SCRAMBLED MY WAY.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU REPORTING ALL THE TIME.
ARE YOU ALWAYS IN THAT MODE, LOOKING FOR THE STORY.
>> ALWAYS, EVEN RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: RIGHT NOW.
>> RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: EVEN THIS SECOND, TODAY?
>> IN FACT TODAY I FOUND SOME INCREDIBLE SCOOPS RIGHT HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: A CRISIS?
>> A BIT OF A CRISIS.
YOU COULD CALL IT THAT.
>> Stephen: I'D LOVE TO SEE IT.
>> I BROUGHT SOME TAPES.
I BROUGHT SOME REPORTS.
JIM?
DAWN HAS BROKEN AND IN A CONSTANT STREAM THEY COME, HERE,
TO THE 11th FLOOR KITCHENET, THE BELEAGUERED "LATE SHOW"
PRODUCTION STAFF ESCAPE FROM THEIR TOIL, HOWEVER BRIEFLY, TO
RIFLE THROUGH THESE DRAWERS AND CABINETS IN A DESPERATE SEARCH
FOR CARBOHYDRATES.
AND, SADLY, FOR THOSE HOPING FOR CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH, IT IS
ALREADY TOO LATE.
WHAT DOES REMAIN IS THIS FRUIT CUP AND, APPARENTLY, HEALTHY
SNACK, BUT IN REALITY, PROCESSED PEACH CUBES DROWNING IN HEAVY
SYRUP, DOOMING THESE LOST SOULS TO RETURN HERE HOUR AFTER HOUR,
TRAPPED IN A HEARTBREAKING CYCLE OF SUGAR CRASH AND SUGAR
CRAVING, FROM WHICH THEY WILL NEVER BREAK FREE.
ANDERSON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE "LATE SHOW" GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT IS A
VERITABLE WASTELAND OF UNWASHED HAIR AND SNACK REF USE.
THE STALE ODOR OF CHEETOS, RED BULL, AND SADNESS FILL THE AIR.
SLEEP DEPRIVED, THEY DUTIFULLY CARRY OUT THEIR SUPERIOR'S
ORDERS, GRAPHICALLY ADDING DONALD TRUMP'S HAIR TO ANY
ANIMAL YOU CAN THINK OF IT.
( LAUGHTER ) NEVER THINKING TO ASK THE
QUESTION, "WHY?" WOLF.
>> Stephen: OKAY, CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, WHAT'S HER DEAL?
SHE'S IMPRESSIVE, LIKE?
SHE'S GOT, LINE, NINE EMMYS, RIGHT?
>> I THINK IT'S NINE GLI HAVE INTERVIEWED HER BEFORE BUT I
CAN'T REMEMBER, IS SHE FROM ENGLAND OR LONDON.
>> BORN IN LONDON, SHE STARTED AT THE FOREIGN DESK AT CNN IN
1983, AND COVERED THE REVOLUTION IN ROMANIA IN '89, THE FIRST
GULF WAR AND THE WAR IN BOSNIA.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW.
>> ANDERSON?
>> Stephen: SO WHO IS NEXT?
>> OLIVIA WILDE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> I HAVE 11 EMMYS.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: BEAUTIFUL WORK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: BEAUTIFUL WORK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: TRAGIG SITUATION.
HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN BE DONE.
I>> IT WAS HARD.
BUT I WAS GLAD TO PRING THAT NEWS TO THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: STAY SAFE OUT THERE.
CHRISTIANE, THANK YOU.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, EVERYBODY, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )