Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama Caught in the Middle on Torture; Terrorist Bombmaker Alive; U.S. Ends Control of Afghan Prisons; Spending Plan Hits Snag; Black Congressional Staffers Plan Walkout; Western Weather Danger; Rising Tensions in Middle East

Aired December 11, 2014 - 04:00   ET

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


JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The United States under fire. Scathing criticism for the CIA because of the report on their enhanced interrogation techniques, the agency's director preparing to speak out today. How leaders around the world are reacting this morning? We have a live report.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Still alive. One of the most dangerous bomb makers in al Qaeda survives a drone strike once thought to have killed him. Where is he now and what threat could he pose? Answers ahead from the Pentagon.

BERMAN: Monster weather. We are talking on both coasts here, parts of California preparing for what could be the state's worst storm in decades, as the Northeast sludges and trudges through another day of rain, snow, sleet and ice. We will tell you what you need to know.

ROMANS: It looked pretty, it looked pretty.

BERMAN: Vermont is supposed to look like that. The rest of New England and the rest of us, not so much.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's Thursday, December 11th. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.

President Obama finds himself walking a very fine line this morning in the wake of the Senate's report on the use of torture by the CIA after the September 11th attacks. Now, the president who banned harsh techniques immediately after taking office, he says he supports the release of the report. While congressional Democrats are upset that the president has not endorsed the conclusion that torture failed to produce useful intelligence, many Democrats also unhappy Obama is standing behind his CIA Director John Brennan.

Senator Mark Udall attacking Brennan as deceptive and calling for him to resign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK UDALL (D), COLORADO: Director Brennan and his CIA today are continuing to willfully provide inaccurate information and misrepresent the efficacy of torture. In other words, the CIA is lying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Republicans, meanwhile, mounting a coordinated attack on the Senate report, calling its release a danger to Americans and a betrayal of promises made to U.S. allies. They're also putting the architects of enhanced interrogation front and center to defend it as necessary, to defend it as effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: We did exactly what needed to be done in order to catch those who were guilty on 9/11 and prevent further attack. And we were successful on both parts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The controversy over the explosive Senate torture report continues today as CIA Director Brennan fields questions from reporters this afternoon. You will want to catch that. CNN will carry it live starting around 1:30 Eastern.

BERMAN: It will be fascinating to hear what he has to say, because he is caught between the Senate and White House, and old CIA personnel, current CIA personnel. A lot of different interest groups here involved. That will be fascinating event. Please watch it here on CNN at 1:30.

Now, this morning, the United Nations and human rights groups are bolstering their calls for the prosecution of any CIA or other U.S. officials involved in what they call torture. The spokesman for the United Nations secretary-general says that Ban Ki-moon hopes the report marks that start of the process toward criminal prosecution.

And U.N. human rights official Ben Emmerson says the fact that the policies revealed in this report were authorized at a high level within the U.S. government provides no excuse whatsoever. It reinforces the need for accountability.

The White House says the decision on criminal charges is for federal prosecutors to make, not the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This report as important as it is to release it. As far as I know, at least, it doesn't include a whole lot of new information that wasn't previously available to these federal prosecutors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: To be clear, the Justice Department has said it is not prosecuting and further released a statement saying that it is committed to complying with its international obligations, but those obligations are best handled by domestic, not foreign courts and prosecutors. And again, the Justice Department has investigated this and says it is not going to prosecute.

Meanwhile, a growing chorus of international leaders is speaking out.

Let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul from London.

Karl, what do they say?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the publication of this report certainly seems to have handed a propaganda coup to America's ideological foes. We heard a statement from Russia's foreign ministry this morning, accusing the American authorities of gross violation of human rights, calling for the perpetrators to be called to justice. We've heard from China saying that America should get its house in order and observe international convention on the rules of war and on torture. We heard from Iran saying that the CIA has now shown itself to be a tyranny against humanity. We've also heard from North Korea, saying that the United Nations should sanction (ph) the U.S. officials for their actions.

Of course, all these countries have something in common. They have an absolutely appalling record on human rights. But then you look at normal U.S. allies like Britain for example. While we have heard from David Cameron saying that torture is wrong under any circumstance, but nevertheless, what David Cameron didn't spell is that Britain may have been complicit with the United States in running certain aspects of its international torture program.

We've also heard from Poland's former president. Now, he said that he was aware and he did offer what he called a quiet place for CIA operations on Polish territory. But he said that he didn't know what was going on.

Incidentally, though, the European Court of Human Rights is already condemned Poland for its actions allowing the CIA to run one of these so-called black sites on its territory, whether any of this can then be forwarded to the International Criminal Courts, for example, a debatable point. That would probably count -- need to count on some assistance from U.S. officials. Kind of cooperation that probably they're not going to be giving, John.

BERMAN: They made pretty clear they will not be giving most of that cooperation. Karl Penhaul for us in London, thanks so much.

ROMANS: You may remember word from last month, that U.S. officials believed a highly skilled bomb maker for an al Qaeda group had been killed in a drone strike. Now, it turns reports of that death may have been premature.

CNN's Barbara Starr from the Pentagon with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, two U.S. officials are telling me they believe a key leader in the Khorasan group, that al Qaeda group in Syria, is still alive even after months of U.S. airstrikes. A French bomb maker named David Drugeon, a master bomb maker, they thought they had killed him potentially in an earlier air strike, now officials say every reason to believe he is still alive. The concern about Drugeon, he has the skills and knowledge on how to make bombs that can potentially bypass airport security measures.

So, the fact that he is still alive causes a good deal of concern to U.S. officials. They also believe the leader of the group, a man named Muhsin al-Fadhli also still alive after months of U.S. airstrikes against the Khorasan Group. This is a group of hard core al Qaeda operatives that move from Pakistan to Syria over the last several years. It is a group that causes the U.S. a great deal of concern because of their abilities and desire to potentially attack the United States -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Our thanks to Barbara.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets later today. Leaders from both parties are trying to reach an agreement on authorizing the use of military force against ISIS. The White House wants all options on the table with no limits on how or where the U.S. can attack ISIS.

Senator Rand Paul is demanding the U.S. actually declare war on ISIS. He calls the current conflict as it stands illegal.

ROMANS: The United States no longer operating prisons or holding detainees in Afghanistan. The final three inmates have been transferred as NATO combat mission winds down to the December 31 withdrawal date. The Afghan military will now be in charge of all prisoners and detention facilities effective January 1st.

BERMAN: Developing overnight, the $1.1 trillion spending plan that would keep the federal government operating beyond midnight tonight, it hit a snag.

The Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi is demanding two provisions be removed from the measure. One eases financial regulations on derivatives. The other raises limits on certain political donations. Now, they might need a short term extension of tonight's deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

You get the sense no one thinks there will be a shutdown. You also get a sense that the vote on the $1.1 trillion measure, will it may pass, could be razor, razor thin. There could be some dramas.

ROMANS: There's a lot in there. They crammed an awful lot into that measure. And it's a reminder that it is basically the function of Congress to -- you know, fund government operations. They have so much trouble doing it I think.

BERMAN: Indeed. They need Christmas.

ROMANS: Interesting.

All right. Black congressional staffers planning to walk off the job this afternoon. They'll be gathering on the steps of the capitol, speaking out against the grand jury decisions in the Eric Garner and Michael Brown killings. The outrage now spilling on to college basketball courts for the first time.

The entire Georgetown Hoyas team wearing "I can't breathe" shirts before last night's game against Kansas.

Meanwhile, Officer Daniel Pantaleo, the New York police officer who avoided indictment in Eric Garner's death, he met with internal affairs this week, insisting he never used a chokehold on the father of six. He claims he used a takedown technique that he was taught at the police academy. This as the NYPD announces plans to arm more of its officers with stun guns for subduing suspects who resist arrest. The commissioner says the department needs funding to buy the stun guns to develop a proper protocols for using them.

BERMAN: This morning, a growing number of people believe the American dream is out of their reach. A new "New York Times" poll just out shows there is more pessimism now than there was right after the financial crisis in 2008.

ROMANS: Interesting.

BERMAN: By one measurement at least.

The poll finds that only 64 percent of Americans believe it is still possible to work hard and become rich. This is the lowest number in decades.

ROMANS: That is so interesting in light of the fact the stock market has more than doubled in that period of time.

BERMAN: It gets to the issue of mobility and wage inflation. Things like that.

ROMANS: Right, and the success of the economy has gone in whose hands, not into the middle class.

A time for an early start on money. Oil prices keep falling and that is a real problem for markets. Asian stocks fell today. European shares, U.S. stock futures looking lower.

Yesterday was the worst day for stocks since October. Look at this number, guys. The Dow fell 268 points. That's 1 1/2 percent, further putting 18,000 in the rear-view mirror.

The S&P 500 lose 1.6 percent, and oil stocks were the biggest losers. You probably have these in your 401k. These are widely held stocks. Some of these are in the Dow. ExxonMobil fell 3 percent. Chevron lost 2 percent.

Some of the smaller players were hit even harder, falling 5 percent or more. Oil prices still in the tailspin. Five-year low now for a barrel of crude is $61 a barrel. We haven't seen that in several years.

OPEC yesterday slashed next year's forecast for oil demand to the lowest in 12 years.

BERMAN: Wow.

ROMANS: Analysts say prices could keep dropping as low as $40 a barrel. There's something called risk on and risk off in markets, you know, when people are buying stock.

BERMAN: It's like wax on and wax off in "Karate Kid?"

ROMANS: Sort of, sort of.

BERMAN: OK. Sorry.

ROMANS: It's risk off right now. When you see a big commodity like oil falling so quickly and disrupting so much of the global economy, you see people lose appetite for risk. They're not buying stocks. It's good for drivers. It's probably good for economic growth to have oil prices fall. But it's not good for markets right now.

BERMAN: It is the disruptive force, to say the least. Some of it good, some of it bad. But it's shaking things.

ROMANS: Wax on, wax off.

BERMAN: You can use that if you want.

ROMANS: Next hour, we will have other "Karate Kid" references. You can tweet us when you hear them.

BERMAN: Eleven minutes after the hour. California has been starved for rain, but I got to tell you, what they have coming today is probably not what people had in mind. Parts of Northern California gearing up for what could be the biggest storm they had seen in decades. What's in store, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Wow. The weather nuts on both coasts this morning. The big nor'easter dumping 20 inches of snow in some part of the East, while the West is bracing for the biggest storm in about a decade.

This is Palo Alto, California. Crews are working around the clock, sand bags there near rivers. They're to subdue the flooding that might come. The area could see up to five inches of rain into late Thursday.

ROMANS: They need it.

BERMAN: They really do.

ROMANS: They really need it.

BERMAN: This is a lot at once. Folks further inland in California bracing for blizzard conditions.

ROMANS: Heavy storms are already soaking the ground in Washington state. More than a foot of rain flooding roads around Puget Sound.

This beach front homes, this is the state's south coast. They're basically gone. And with wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour forecast for the north coast, power outages are likely.

BERMAN: In Upstate New York, heavy snowfall prompted that tree or caused that tree to fall on a home in Richmondville. Family inside said they had no idea what had happened. One man said his nerves were rattled, understandably, but luckily, he and his wife made it out safely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It scared me. I told my wife, get dress, get dress, in case more happen. You know, you got to dress and pack medical supplies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Fantastic mustache and attitude.

ROMANS: A different story in Kansas. Icy roads prompted a 13-car pile up in Topeka, at the height of the morning rush. Oh, that's a bad way to start the day. At least four people were hurt and luckily, they're expected to be OK.

For an early look at the rough weather forecast on both coasts, let's bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

Hi there.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. Yes, absolutely. You know, it's been so rough that we had flights, about 200 of them, either delayed or canceled out of from LaGuardia on Wednesday, about the same number on the West Coast and San Francisco. It kind of shows you the severity of this. And, of course, it all started on Tuesday with the heavy rainfall that moved in across portions of the East Coast, and if you put the map in motion for you here, we'll show what we're talking about when it comes to the heavy rainfall pushed in, and transitioning it to heavy snowfall.

We have two to five inches left in the forecast when it comes to the heavy snowfall over the next couple of days. But generally speaking, conditions will quiet down on the East Coast. It's on the West Coast where places like San Francisco Bay, also down towards Los Angeles, we could see anywhere from three to five inches of rainfall.

Keep in mind, in 2013, San Francisco for the entire calendar year saw about 3.5 inches of rainfall. Los Angeles, 3.6 inches for the entire calendar year, we could see this over the next 24 to 48 hours. You get up above 7,000 feet, we're talking about getting two to three feet of snow. So, travel plans taking you across to, say, Reno or Lake Tahoe, certainly, it's going to be a dangerous set up.

And keep in mind, the storm surge and wave heights, waxing off and waxing on on there, 20-foot wave heights across the coast of California. So, you want to stay away from the coast there and some of these south-facing beaches, yes.

BERMAN: Be careful out there.

Pedram Javaheri winning the award for active viewership in paying attention to our jokes. Appreciate it. Nice to see you this morning.

ROMANS: "Karate Kid" reference number two in the program.

BERMAN: But do be careful on the coast in the midst of that storm.

Eighteen minutes after the hour.

No more delays in the trial of Aurora, Colorado theater shooter James Holmes. The judge in the case -- alleged shooter, I supposed. The judge in the case has denied the defense request for the seventh postponement. Holmes attorney say they need more time to evaluate the sanity evaluation, including 5,000 pages of records from the state mental hospital. The judge says victims and their families are entitled to swift justice. This has gone for a long, long time.

Jury selection is set to start January 20th.

ROMANS: The NFL has a new personal conduct policy for its players. The league owners passed it unanimously and it takes effect immediately. The plan calls for independent investigations. It establishes a leave with pay policy for players charged with violent crimes.

Not everyone is happy about it. The president of the National Organization for Women says the new policy is the same as the old policy, saying it treats female victims as an afterthought. She is calling on Commissioner Roger Goodell to resign without delay.

BERMAN: So, 67-year-old boater who was missing at sea for 12 days is back on dry land this morning. His family is now hoping to reunite over the holidays.

Ron Ingraham sent out a distress call on Thanksgiving Day. He was stuck on a 25-foot sailboat for days as waves swelled 15 to 20 feet high. The coast guard called off the search after three days. Nine days later, Ingraham sent another distress call. This one worked.

His son described what it was like to hear his father was found alive 60 miles south of Honolulu. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAKARY INGRAHAM, SON OF RESCUED BOATER: When I got that phone call, that was -- that was rough. The commanding officer of the coast guard told me they were calling off the search, you know? I broke down crying. I was thinking of an image of somebody floating in the water.

And I said, well, did you find the sailboat, too? They says, no, we found your dad and sailboat and he's alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Imagine that. Wow.

Ingraham said he survived by catching and eating fish. He joked it wasn't as good as a sushi bar.

ROMANS: Wow. I'm so glad. That's amazing.

BERMAN: That's an amazing story.

ROMANS: "TIME" magazine has named its person of the year. Editors of the magazine chose the caregivers working on the frontlines of the Ebola crisis in West Africa. Among those honored in the issue is Dr. Kent Brantley, the American doctor who contracted Ebola while caring for patients in Liberia. "TIME's" editor says the Ebola fighters were chosen for their tireless acts of courage and mercy.

BERMAN: Hats off to them.

ROMANS: Yes.

As if the Israelis and Palestinians didn't have enough to grapple with, a security arrangement in the West Bank could now be in jeopardy after a death of a Palestinian official after an altercation with Israeli officer. But will cooler heads prevail?

We are live in Ramallah, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New this morning, rising tension between Israel and Palestinians. This follows the death of the Palestinian official during a confrontation with Israeli troops. Just how this official died and what part if any Israeli troops played is now under investigation.

Joining us now live from the West Bank, senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman.

Good morning, Ben. What do we know?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we know at this point is that certainly, there was no question that it was a result of the actions of Israeli soldiers. Now, what we understand is that, of course, there are two different interpretations of how he died. The Israelis are saying Ziyad Abu Ein died as a result of a heart attack caused by the stress when the soldier -- and you see it quite clearly in video and still photos -- when the soldier grabbed him by the throat and pushed him back. Another soldier apparently hit him in the chest with his helmet.

Now, according to the Palestinians, he died of asphyxiation caused by choking on his own vomit. This brought by first of all being hit several times by the Israeli soldiers, and then inhaling a lot of tear gas that was used at the scene.

But -- so there is a disagreement on that, but we understand that the Israelis are eager to avoid this lead to further trouble.

Now, yesterday, the Palestinian Authority did halt briefly, not the long run, security coordination with Palestinian security forces. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a personal message to the Palestinian Authority pledging Israel will carry out full investigation. In addition to that, the Israeli defense minister also expressed condolences for the death of Abu Ein and again said an investigation will be conducted -- John.

BERMAN: Ben, seemingly trying to diffuse the tensions as much as they possibly can there.

Ben Wedeman in Ramallah, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. Has the use of torture tactics caused the U.S. to take the moral high ground? President Obama defending the CIA, taking hit for it. Former Vice President Cheney defending the tactics but got the country in awful lot of hot water. Is retribution in store? More on the fallout from the controversial CIA report right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)