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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Three NYC Men Arrested in ISIS Plot; ISIS Steps Up Recruitment of Women; Drone Flying Al-Jazeera Journalists Arrested

Aired February 26, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Plotting to join ISIS from Brooklyn. New information on the arrest of three New York men accused of trying to help the terrorists, even join them. This could just be the beginning. This morning, the FBI now revealing they are tracking terror suspects in all 50 states.

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour this Thursday morning.

Happening now. Three Brooklyn men in federal custody this morning, they are charged in connection with an alleged plot to join ISIS in Syria. Now these men also discussed committing acts of terror on American soil, including an attempt on President Obama's life. That's what the FBI says.

FBI agents arrested one of the men, a 19-year-old, originally from Kazakhstan. Arrested him at Kennedy Airport preparing to board a plane to Turkey. Officials say his 24-year-old friend from Uzbekistan was due to follow later. A 30-year-old also from Uzbekistan allegedly helped organized and financed the whole operation.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the latest for us this morning from the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, two of the three Brooklyn men were here in federal court. The hearing was delayed for a couple of hours because one of the men actually wanted an Uzbek translator so he could understand all the charges and the documents that were filed against him.

The 19-year-old, he was picked up as he was on the jetway ready to board that plane to Turkey. That's when he was arrested. The third man, the money man, he was at a hearing in Florida. He owns a series of kiosks in Philadelphia, Savannah, Virginia Beach. That's how he makes his money. He sells kitchen wares, as well as replaces mobile -- or fixes mobile phones. But all three are facing conspiracy charges of providing material support to terrorists.

The two wannabe jihadists who are here in this court, they actually wanted to get to Syria to join the terror group. Now both of the men did have back-up plans. The 19-year-old, the

reason he had a back-up plan is because his mom had confiscated his passport fearing that he was going to try to get to Syria. His plan allegedly was to join the military, funnel information to ISIS, and then if he was caught, he would simply open fire on soldiers. His other plan was to buy an AK-47 and go out and shoot police officers, as well as FBI agents.

The 24-year-old, he works at the Gyro King (ph). He was going to actually try to get to Syria, but if that failed, then he allegedly told the FBI and repeatedly said that he was going to shoot the president once he got the green light from ISIS.

Now the men were here in court. They're rather small. They're about 5'3", 5'4". Both of them wearing hoodies. Both told a judge that they understand the charges against them. They're scheduled to be back here on March 11th -- John, Christine.

BERMAN: So interesting. Our thanks to Deb.

The lawyer for one of the suspects cautions that we have not heard the whole story yet. The FBI's case against the three men comes partly from their social media postings and partly from a confidential informant.

Attorney Adam Perlmutter says his client is not admitting or denying anything at this point but Perlmutter is questioning the credibility of that FBI informant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM PERLMUTTER, AKHROR SAIDAKHMETOV'S ATTORNEY: This is all information that is delivered to the FBI from a confidential informant that the government says in their own complaint they can't rely on the credibility of. And we only have, again, these small snippets of what my client allegedly said. We don't know the background. We don't know the context. We don't know how this confidential informant manipulated my client.

He has not had to enter a plea yet. He has not been indicted yet. All that's happened is he's been presented on a complaint and there's no need for him to enter any type of plea or make any type of statement to that effect at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The FBI says homegrown violent extremism is a nationwide problem with investigations active in all 50 states.

FBI Director James Comey telling state attorneys general in a speech Wednesday ISIS has developed a message and Web-savvy packaging that can reach what he calls troubled souls in every corner of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: ISIL in particular is putting out a siren song through their slick propaganda, through social media, that goes like this.

Troubled soul, come to the caliphate, all right. You will live a life of glory. These are the apocalyptic end times. You will find a life of meaning here fighting for our so-called caliphate. And if you can't come, kill somebody where you are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: This morning, committees in both the House and the Senate will hear testimony on the ISIS terror threat from high-level intelligence officials.

BERMAN: The sophisticated efforts from ISIS to recruit are now increasingly focused on bringing women into the fold. Of course, those three British teenage girl authorities believe now have crossed into Syria trying to join ISIS. They are in the focus right now.

CNN's Atika Shubert is live in London for us now.

Good morning, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. This is really the first jihadi conflict where we've seen large amounts of women especially Western women, raised in Europe or in other countries like the U.S. actually traveling to join groups like ISIS in Syria. And part of that is because of this recruitment drive to get them there.

And, you know, just like we heard earlier about the siren song, it's quite a similar romantic notion that these young women are being sold. That they'll come, they'll be fighting for -- they won't be fighting but that they'll be helping in a good and holy cause by marrying a jihadi fighter. And it now seems even that that role may also be evolving. They may also be used as spies, some terror analysts are saying, as reconnaissance and possibly also a sort of an internal police force within ISIS -- John.

BERMAN: So interesting. And I was reading an article that pointed out ISIS doesn't want 14 or 15-year-old boys. They can't do much for them, they say, but 15, 16-year-old girls much more desirable for ISIS apparently.

Atika Shubert, thanks so much.

ROMANS: Now with concern over terrorism at fever pitch right now, we're tracking the political showdown that could lead to a partial shutdown at Homeland Security. The Senate now deciding to send a clean DHS funding bill back to the House. That means no add-ons to overturn the president's immigration reforms.

Homeland Security runs dry at midnight Friday. Law enforcement officials in big cities like New York are getting nervous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BRATTON, NYPD COMMISSIONER: This is not the time to engage in activities that would threaten our counterterrorism capabilities, such as has been exhibited in the movement on this case, and effectively to hold our counterterrorism agencies hostage to political machinations in D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It's not clear whether the House will even vote on a clean DHS funding bill once it arrived later today or tomorrow. Short-term measure to fund the department may be the only way to avoid furloughs next week.

ROMANS: President Obama was speaking about his immigration efforts overnight. He promised to aggressively appeal a Texas district judge's ruling that blocked the executive actions on immigration.

At a town hall in Miami, he said the pressure needs to stay on Republicans in order to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has the latest -- Michelle.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.

Well, a part of this impasse is that a federal judge in Texas essentially put on hold implementation of the president's executive order on immigration. But at a town hall meeting in Miami, where many in the crowd were asking him, why can't you do more on immigration, his tone was confident and defiant, saying he is absolutely confident that, first of all, the administration is on the right side of the law on this and will ultimately prevail. Even if they lose this first round appeal, that they would ultimately be successful in a higher court.

And in the meantime the president said that he is using this prosecutorial discretion to prioritize deportations on, as the White House keeps putting it, felons, not families. And that he's put out this directive to Customs and Immigrations officials that they're not supposed to be deporting people who are here working and raising families. He said that if that wasn't met, then there would be consequences.

He also put the onus on Republicans saying it's about time to act for comprehensive immigration reform, but also on voters. With only about a third of eligible voters doing so in the last election, he asked them, why are you not doing your part on this? Why are you not participating?

John and Christine.

BERMAN: All right. Our thanks to Michelle.

A key vote in the Senate today as the Judiciary Committee decides on sending the nomination of Loretta Lynch as attorney general to the full Senate. The vote comes as Republican opposition to Lynch grows. The main

roadblock to her confirmation to replace Eric Holder is her support for President Obama's sweeping executive actions on immigration.

ROMANS: Time for an EARLY START on your money. Asian shares climbed. Shanghai up 2.2 percent. European stocks, U.S. futures have been higher as well. Yesterday, mixed bag. The Dow inched higher by 15 points to close to a record. The Nasdaq snapped its losing -- the longest winning streak in five years.

American Express users, beware. Your interest rate could be rising. Some customers received letters this month warning of the increase in rates. Amex says this will only affect a small percentage of the company's 55 million card holders. That's exactly how many that will see an average hike of 2.5 percentage points. Such rate adjustments used to be common, but they're less so now. Federal regulations changed in 2009 discouraging banks from making these changes.

BERMAN: Happening now, the south just getting hammered by freezing icy conditions. Snow, a deadly storm has grounded planes, canceling schools, closing roads. Millions of people are being affected by this.

We'll give you the forecast after the break.

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BERMAN: Storm battered south dealing with a new round of snow and ice. Right now, winter storm warnings in effect in 11 states from Texas to the Carolinas. Nearly 900 flights, 900 flights now already canceled just today.

ROMANS: Schools in Atlanta, Knoxville, Greenville all closed along with Charlotte, Raleigh, other districts in North Carolina, where six to 10 inches of snow had fallen overnight. In Mississippi, a 2-year- old girl was killed in a car accident when the car she was in hydroplaned. Curfews remained in effect for certain counties in the northern part of the state where nine inches of snow have fallen.

BERMAN: In North Carolina, the weight of heavy wet snow fallen overnight. The damage to that road sign. Too much for that road sign. These folks found out that the snow will make for a tough commute.

Look at that. You're not going to get there fast that way. That is everywhere right now.

ROMANS: A state of emergency in effect in Georgia. Four inches of snow expected in Atlanta. Crews are treating the roads hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's disaster when ice virtually shut down that city. Last year, people slept in their offices in Atlanta. Couldn't get --

BERMAN: In schools.

ROMANS: Yes. BERMAN: Remember the school couldn't get the kids home.

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: How bad is it going to get today? When will it all stop?

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the answers -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, things beginning to quiet down across the southeast. Now the energy all shifted across northern North Carolina, southern Virginia. Plus the D.C. is starting to get a few flakes this morning as well. Generally one to two inches around the nation's capital.

But here we go across Chicagoland. We have had about three to four inches of snowfall into the overnight hours. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a couple of more inches out of this. Generally going to be in the light variety before things tapers off.

Springfield also seeing some snow showers. And St. Louis, if you're traveling there, a couple of inches could slow you down a little bit as far as the minimal delays expected across the airport there.

But here's the blockbuster snow across some of the higher elevations of the Rockies. Southern Rockies. We're talking about around northern New Mexico there's significant accumulations into southern Colorado, up to two feet expected to come down. I know the skiers and snowboarders are going to be loving life across that region.

But across the southeast, our storm system is on the move. Again, some rain showers on much of South Carolina. But get into northern North Carolina again, that's where we expect much of the snowfall to be left in place. Cold temperatures expected to continue. New York City generally into the upper 20s and low 30s all weekend, while Boston, a slight warming trend into the 30s by week's end.

Here we go, warming trend in sight. Sometime in the early to middle portion of next week, we're talking 50s around D.C., while upper 40s possible in New York City, with nearly 70 down in the south, guys.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thanks for that.

Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us now.

Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: All right. How are you doing, Christine and John? We're going to look at those latest terror arrests in Brooklyn. It may seem familiar, but it isn't. This is actually the first known case of having men actively recruited to go fight for ISIS. But it is a window into a new wave of threat here in the country. Why are we hearing that all 50 states now have active cases? What is this dynamic that's going on and what is a terror investor? We're going to take you through that this morning. Now that's the threat. We also have the reality. More Christians

taken hostage by the group ISIS. Is this just random sampling for them of all those who oppose them? Or is this targeting of Christians? Does that make this a holy war?

We also have reaction to the guilty verdict on "American Sniper" trial from Chris Kyle's family, his brother Jeff is going to be with us. You've heard from him before on the show. He's going to talk about how the family is dealing with this, what it means to them as justice and what's going to happen going forward.

That's what we have for you, John and Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Thank you for that, Chris. Can't wait.

At 46 minutes past hour, security scare in Paris. Police trying to figure out just who is behind the mysterious drones flying illegally over some of the most iconic Paris sights.

We are live with the latest next.

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BERMAN: Three Al-Jazeera journalists have been arrested in France for flying a drone over a Paris park. Law enforcement officials say they are not taking chances after two straight nights of mysterious drone sightings over some of the city's most famous landmarks.

Want to bring in CNN's Samuel Burke live from Paris this morning.

Samuel, what are you learning?

SAMUEL BURKE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. We've just learned that the third of those Al-Jazeera journalist who was in custody overnight here in Paris has been released, though French prosecutors say they will summon him next week and move for prosecution.

Now the authorities say they don't believe that these Al-Jazeera journalists were connected to these mysterious drones that have been flying over us for two nights. At the same time we've also learned that French officials have reached out to the American secret service. Keep in mind they are dealing with the follow-up from that drone that actually reached the White House lawn.

Now that drone was made by DJI, that Chinese manufacturer says they've been working with American authorities to update the software of those drones so that they no longer fly over downtown Washington, D.C. So what analysts tell me is that the Americans are likely advising the French to work closely with a wide variety of drone manufacturers so that they can't fly over the Parisian skies. Of course flying below 20,000 feet here is explicitly prohibited.

BERMAN: Quickly, Samuel, we had two nights in a row of those drones. The mysterious ones with no connection to anybody yet. What happened last night? Any new sightings? BURKE: I was up until 2:00 a.m. in the morning just like French

police who are looking for drones. We didn't see any. French police tell us to the best of their knowledge there were no sightings. It is a double-edged sword, though. Parisians can breathe a sigh of relief, though, we still don't know who is behind this. So it is an unsolved mystery -- John.

BERMAN: Samuel Burke for us in Paris, after a long night of looking for those drones. Thanks, Samuel. I appreciate it.

ROMANS: All right. The Obama administration is struggling with the idea of sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. According to NATO's top commander, the White House is concerned such a move might escalate Russia's military involvement in the region. Getting strong consideration now sending defensive lethal aid to the Ukrainians.

General Philip Breedlove telling Congress Russia continues to build up its forces in eastern Ukraine and the current U.S. policy is providing no deterrents.

All right, another retailer following walmart's lead. Raising wages for its employees and the commander-in-chief calls from Air Force One to thank who?

EARLY START on your money next.

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ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Stocks higher around the world so far this morning. Yesterday, the Dow had 15 points, all it needed was 15 points notching a record high. But the Nasdaq faltered led by Apple shares. They had almost a 3 percent dip.

Another battle won for workers in the low wage wars. Thousands of TJMaxx workers are about to get a raise. In June all employees will make at least $9 an hour. Next year it'll go up to $10 an hour. Sound familiar? Wal-Mart announced a $9 starting wage last week. Wal-Mart making that move really matters a lot because it is the nation's largest private employer.

The nation's biggest employer overall is the U.S. government. And guess what? Those two bosses had a phone call yesterday. The president from Air Force One called the Wal-Mart CEO to thank him for raising wages.

It's almost a job summit, John Berman. Those two on the phone.

The president was pushing hard for a higher minimum wage. But Congress won't do it. Cities and states have been raising wages on their own. Gap, by the way, was one of the first major retailers to raise wages. That was a year ago. They raised it to $9. And the company said job applications jumped right after.

BERMAN: Well, you point out that they're not doing this out of altruism. These companies. But you don't want them to do it out of that. You want them to do because they need to from a financial perspective. That's what will help the economy.

ROMANS: That's what will help them and the economy. They have high turnover in many cases. And the labor market is tightening. So in restaurants and in retail, they know if they want to keep good people, train them and move them forward, they have to pay them a little bit more.

There have been all of these protests. You know, that it's the right thing to do to pay people more wages. Companies don't do things really for the right reasons. The right thing to do. They do it because it makes financial sense. This tells me, all these retailers doing, it tell me it makes financial sense for them to pay a little bit more.

BERMAN: Good. All right.

Three men arrested in Brooklyn accused of trying to join ISIS. And there are fears this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

"NEW DAY" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Arrests made in Brooklyn, New York.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Their objective was simply to carry out attacks here in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: To shoot Obama and then get shot ourselves.

BILL BRATTON, NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER: This is the concern about the lone wolf inspired.

ADAM PERLMUTTER, AKHROR SAIDAKHMETOV'S ATTORNEY: I have a lot of questions about exactly what they're accused of doing.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: We're awaiting for the Senate to do their job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This partisan politics has got to stop.

JEH JOHNSON, HOME SECURITY SECRETARY: We need a fully funded Department of Homeland Security.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you do not have to travel, do not travel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We collided with a Minivan that was back -- that had crashed into a pick-up truck.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Schools in Atlanta, Knoxville, Greenville, all closed.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY, with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, welcome to your NEW DAY," It is Thursday, February 26th, just before 6:00 in the east, we do have breaking new. The man known as Jihadi John, the executioner in several of those gruesome ISIS beheading videos has been identified by this real name, the BBC, the "Washington Post" are reporting that the man on your screen right now is actually Mohammed Emwazi. He is a British national, he was allegedly known by authorities there.

His name was not released for operational reasons. That we cannot verify. Sometimes they say they knew the name, but they didn't. But now they're naming him. That should be helpful to the investigation overall.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: There's this big breaking news because this has been one of the biggest mysteries about ISIS and helping to crack their code. Everyone thought that he had a British accent, that's been confirmed. They believe that he is from west London, that's where he grew up.