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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Ohio Man Arrested in Terror Plot; ISIS Advance in Ramadi Contained; Al Qaeda Seizes Yemen Airport; GOP Candidates Gather in New Hampshire. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired April 17, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:14] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: An American arrested, accused of training with terrorists in Syria to bring jihad back to the United States.
Iraq desperate for help fighting ISIS as the terrorists try to take over a new city.
And al Qaeda making alarming advances in Yemen.
So much going on. We have team coverage breaking down the growing terror threat here at home and around the world.
Good morning, everyone. Happy Friday. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. Nice to see you all this morning. It is Friday, April 17th, 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Developing this morning: a naturalized American citizen back from terrorism training in Syria with plans to attack on U.S. soil is now in custody. He is charged with providing material support to terrorists and lying to the FBI.
CNN justice reporter Ivan Perez is in Washington with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: John and Christine, Abdirahman Mohamud is alleged the terrorist threat that U.S. counterterrorism officials have warned us about for months. An American who traveled overseas to fight with an al Qaeda group and retired to the U.S. to plot an attack at home.
A federal indictment charges the 23-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, with attempting to provide material support to the Nusra Front, a terrorist group.
The FBI says Mohamud became a U.S. citizen last year. Two months later, in April 2014, he flew on a one way ticket to Greece with plans to make his way to Turkey and then to Syria. Justice Department prosecutors say he got training in guns and
explosives and combat. He came back last June, just days after his brother was killed fighting for Nusra in Syria.
The FBI says Mohamud told a friend that a cleric told him to come back home to carry out a domestic terrorist attack.
Now, Christine and John, according to the FBI, Mohamud talked about killing police and military execution-style.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Our thanks to Evan for that.
Happening now, airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition helping contain an ISIS advance in the city of Ramadi. That's 70 miles from Baghdad, with tens of thousands fleeing the battle, a senior official in Anbar Province tells the air strikes do appear to be cutting off supplies to ISIS. He says troops defending Ramadi need more reinforcements and weapons if there is hope to hold on to the city.
Let's bring our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson following the developments for us.
Good morning, Ivan .
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
That's right. There's a tentative hold that the Iraqi security forces have over Ramadi right now.
We've just spoken to a city official by phone there who says that ISIS continues to hold positions in the eastern part of the city while exhausted government forces are holding on to the center where the government compound and government buildings are. He tells that there are aircraft in the air, but they are not bombing with the frequency they were on Thursday. He's worried if more reinforcements don't come, that Iraqi government forces could in fact collapse.
He described the city streets as being virtually deserted. No civilian presence on the ground at all.
Now, why are we talking about Ramadi? It is about an hour's drive west of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. That's if you can drive freely on the highway. But ISIS does control towns before you reach the town of Ramadi.
Somewhat surprisingly to Iraqis, the senior U.S. military commander, chief of staff -- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey was quoted yesterday saying, I would rather Ramadi not fall, but it won't be the end of the campaign should it fall to ISIS.
That coming as a big surprise to some Iraqis, because it is so close to Baghdad. The fall of the city like this after some nine months of U.S.-led air strikes would be a moral setback for the Iraqi government, and it has displaced according to Iraqi government officials, at least 150,000 civilians who've been forced to flee and having to take a roundabout route, including traveling over a poorly protected pontoon bridge over the Euphrates River to try to escape.
It just gives you a sense that is, despite some setbacks is able to carry out offensives just an hour's drive west -- John and Christine.
BERMAN: In some cases, that's a place of their choosing. Ivan Watson, thanks for being with us.
ROMANS: All right. Turning now to the battle for Yemen. The air war by the Arab-led coalition against Houthi rebels keeping both sides busy, leaving al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula mostly unopposed.
On Thursday, al Qaeda fighters overran an airport and an oil export terminal in southeastern Yemen, this after seizing of a nearby city of Al Mukalla, emptying a bank, emptying a prison there.
[04:05:09] In Washington, U.S. officials tell the "L.A. Times" they are increasingly concerned about the Saudi air campaign which has reportedly caused hundreds of civilian casualties. And now, the United Nations worried about a humanitarian crisis, calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides fighting in Yemen.
I want to bring in senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir off the coast of Yemen.
Nima, first, let's talk about al Qaeda's new move in Yemen.
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, al Qaeda are clearly moving into that security vacuum, Christine. They have now taken the third largest airport in Yemen. They have as you said, they've got an oil platform. They moved in to repel the Houthis advances in their stronghold. And they seem to be putting up their black flags in a number of areas where they don't have complete control of.
So, they seem to try to honeycomb that territory that has not been fought over fully between the Houthi and the loyalists to the deposed government of President Hadi in Yemen. The circumstance remains that the reality is people are focused so much on the fighting between north and south effectively, that's the view really from Aden, that has become a north/south divide in terms of the Houthis moving down. That they are forgetting of what is happening to the east and west.
When you move into the southwestern area, you get dangerously close to the natural gas platforms. That has not just local repercussions, but it has regional repercussions, beyond just the security implications, Christine.
ROMANS: Nima, you see the humanitarian crisis there up close. U.N. concerned about the humanitarian effects here.
ELBAGIR: People are essentially trapped, Christine. Aden felt like a city under siege. We went there and there was no one much in the streets. We could hear sniper fire on the main roads that nobody was willing to walk down.
The hospitals are overwhelmed. Medical supplies are not getting in. People can't move from district to district to get to the hospitals. They are attended to in local clinics with whatever supplies they have there. The only crowds we saw on the streets were in the front of the bakeries.
One baker said this is it. Four or five sacks remain. When this is gone, I will be the last bakery in the neighborhood to close and then there is no more. It almost feels like the combination of the air strikes and the Houthi assault is starving people in Aden, Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Nima Elbagir for us off the coast of Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden, thank you so much, Nima.
BERMAN: As U.S. senators head home for the weekend, Eric Holder is still attorney general and his potential or nominated successor Loretta Lynch is still waiting. Senate Republicans have tied to Lynch's nomination to a still unresolved human trafficking bill, thereby delaying her confirmation for months and infuriating many Democrats.
Now, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid will force a vote on Lynch if it does not happen soon, if the majority is not heard on the floor. And presidential candidate contender Jeb Bush is breaking with some fellow Republicans, calling for Lynch to be confirmed as soon as possible.
Let's get more from senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta -- Jim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the White House is lashing out at Republicans over their tactics in stalling the nomination of President Obama's pick for attorney general, Loretta Lynch. Lynch's nomination has been held up for months, mired in a dispute over abortion language, in a bill that deals with human trafficking.
At the White House, Thursday, Press Secretary Josh Earnest accused the GOP of hypocrisy, noting that Republican lawmakers like Iowa Senator Charles Grassley had urged the president last fall to hold off on naming the nominee until the New Year as a gesture of bipartisanship. Now, the White House notes Grassley is blaming the president for Lynch's delay. Earnest called that shameful, saying Lynch deserves a vote. Here's what he had to say.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: So, she's waited now more than twice as long as the previous seven attorneys general nominations combined to get a vote on the floor of the United States Senate. That is an unconscionable and there is no excuse or explanation for it.
ACOSTA: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated a break in the log jam could be coming next week when he believes bipartisan negotiators will come up with a compromise on the human trafficking bill and then get to a vote on Lynch. As for Grassley's office, they fired back at Josh Earnest, saying the White House is good at rewriting history -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Jim Acosta at the White House this morning.
Nuclear talks with Iran resume next week in Vienna. The two sides preparing to address several key unresolved issues like the terms for lifting sanctions and whether inspectors will have unrestricted access to Iranian military sites. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says he's optimistic a deal can be reached by the end of June, but he admits getting one will be difficult.
[04:10:06] BERMAN: New concerns about the government's ability to protect vital landmarks after a Florida postal worker flew the gyrocopter through protected air space undetected, right unto the Capitol lawn. Homeland Security is looking into the gap.
Lots going on, 61-year-old Doug Hughes is facing federal charges for violating the restricted air space and operating an unregistered craft. He has been released on home confinement and says he did this stunt to call attention to the need for campaign finance reform.
ROMANS: Breaking: congressional leaders hammered out a bipartisan deal granting the president fast track trade negotiating authority. Liberal and pro-business Democrats are split over the deals potential for creating or cutting American jobs. Under the legislation, Congress gets an up or down vote on any such deals. But in return, they can't make changes. That is a concern for labor, environmental and other interest groups. House Speaker John Boehner backing the deal but said the burden of the success rests on Obama's shoulders.
BERMAN: WikiLeaks is pouring salt on Sony's electronic wounds and oh, it thinks, publishing a searchable database of every Sony e-mail and document that was stolen by hackers last year. The big data breach exposed pretty embarrassing emails from top studio executives. WikiLeaks editor in chief Julian Assange defends the move, saying that the hack material is news worthy and belongs in the public domain.
In a statement, Sony condemned this release, saying the cyberattack was a malicious criminal act.
ROMANS: And some of the e-mails that were leaked complain it wasn't news. It was gossip and back fighting. No public interest.
BERMAN: Embarrassing for them.
ROMANS: It embarrassing.
Time for an early start on your money this morning.
U.S. stock futures are lower. Stocks fell a bit yesterday. Despite strong earnings from Goldman and Citigroup. The Dow dropped six points, well, you know, still really 1 percent shy from record highs. The price of oil still rising, U.S. crude oil just above 56 bucks a
barrel. Prices have been plummeting since last summer. Now has bounced a little bit.
You know, Schlumberger, that's the oil services company, says it's laying off 11,000 people. It has already cut 9,000 jobs in January. Its workforce now 15 percent less than last summer. That's what happens when you have oil prices plunge like that.
And Walmart unexpectedly laying off 2,200 employees. Why? To fix plumbing issues. A lot of buzz about this yesterday. They are temporarily closing five stores for half a year to get plumbing issues taken care of. The workers get two months paid leave and the option to transfer to different Walmart. Plumbing issues.
BERMAN: Think about that for a second right there.
All right. Twelve minutes after the hour.
New information following the accusations that a volunteer deputy arrested for what he called a deadly mistake on the job may have bought his way on to that force. What the sheriff's office is now saying, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:16:05] ROMANS: The ACLU and lawmakers in Oklahoma are calling into the investigation into the shooting death of Eric Harris. Seventy-three-year-old reserve deputy Robert Gates claims he accidentally pulled his gun instead of his taser when he killed Harris earlier this morning. Now, there are reports suggesting Bates training records were falsified. Thursday night, the sheriff's office admitted the training records are missing, they are missing. While an attorney for the Harris family said there is no way the reserve deputy belonged on the street with a weapon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. SHANNON CLARK, TULSA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: It may be semantics. The sheriff said they're lost. We have not located them. It doesn't mean they are never to be found again. It means that we are trying to figure out where the training records are. You have to remember, this goes back a long time.
DAN SMOLEN, HARRIS FAMILY ATTORNEY: We are talking about hours on the job training, field training, which is what specifically required. That he is there with an officer. He is working. He is learning how to do a takedown. He is learning how to carry a weapon. He's learning he difference between what a weapon feels like versus a taser.
And no, I don't believe any of that training has been done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Tulsa County sheriff's department has opened an investigation of Bates training records. An Oklahoma City lawmaker says he has zero confidence in the investigation. He asked the state attorney general to step in.
BERMAN: Just two weeks before the NFL draft, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is being sued by the woman who accused him of rape. Erica Kinsman, a former FSU student, claims that Winston sexually assaulted him in 2012. The suit comes after multiple investigations, ending with no criminal charges against Winston who has maintained his innocence. He is considered the top prospect in the draft. The Buccaneers are expected to take Winston with number one overall pick.
ROMANS: Adrian Peterson is back in the NFL. He has been reinstated by the league effective today. Peterson missed most of last season, suspended while fighting child abuse charges. He is now free to rejoin the Minnesota Vikings as long as he participates in an ongoing counseling program. Peterson's agent says the star running back would prefer a fresh start with a new team in 2015.
BERMAN: Officials release the 911 call from the Seattle airport worker who fell asleep and found himself trapped in the baggage compartment of an airborne Alaska Airlines jet earlier this week. During the call, the 911 operator has trouble understanding that the panic caller is stuck in the belly of a plane. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: Where are you in a plane?
CALLER: I'm inside the plane. Alaska Airlines plane Flight 448.
OPERATOR: Are you at the airport?
CALLER: Not in the airport. I feel like (INAUDIBLE)
OPERATOR: Are you by yourself or with somebody?
CALLER: (INAUDIBLE)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BERMAN: Sounds like they lost the connection. In defense of the operator, how many times do you get a call from the belly of a plane? You can understand why she had a hard time comprehending what was going on.
The plane made an emergency landing in Seattle after the pilots heard banging and screaming coming from the cargo hold. The plane was in the air 14 minutes. The compartment was pressurized and temperature. So, the worker ended up being OK. Alaska Airlines has banned him from working on any future flights.
ROMANS: Just an all-around bad day for that guy, a very bad day.
BERMAN: Some days are just like that. ROMANS: All right. A six-year, $287 million campaign aimed at boosting moral among those in the U.S. Army appears to be failing. According to a report in "USA Today", more than half of the 770,000 Army soldiers pessimistic about their future in the military, nearly as many are unhappy in their jobs. Data compiled by the army also indicates that just 14 percent are eating healthy and getting sufficient rest.
BERMAN: A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states an increase in the electronic cigarettes by teens.
ROMANS: A shocking report.
BERMAN: The report says the number of high school students using e- cigarettes tripled from 2013 to 2014. It is now the most popular tobacco product among high schoolers and middle schoolers in the United States.
[04:20:05] The CDC says the percentage of teens who regularly smoke regular cigarettes dropped from nearly 16 percent in 2011, to just over 9 percent in 2014, which is a remarkable drop in an of itself.
I have to say e-cigarettes is the most unexplored and fascinating public health and public policy issues in the United States. And the discussion hasn't caught up with technology.
ROMANS: No. And Elizabeth Cohen, our Elizabeth Cohen, our senior medical correspondent, she was saying that, look, parents need to talk to their kids, but you can't smell it on your kid's breath. And sometimes, it's like hard candy, or it smells like candy, not cigarette smoke. And so, there's this -- you know, parents don't know what's going on.
BERMAN: But the other side of it, is it better they are smoking e- cigarettes than real life cigarettes?
ROMANS: She says it shouldn't be one or the other. It should be no and no.
BERMAN: But there are people who suggested they're going to be doing one.
ROMANS: OK. Well, we can argue about had this in break.
BERMAN: Yes.
ROMANS: Twenty minutes past the hour.
Critical weekend for potential Republican candidates in New Hampshire. This as Hillary Clinton takes criticism from within her own party, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Every Republican with even a remote chance of becoming president will be in Nashville, New Hampshire, this weekend, attending the GOP's first in the nation leadership summit. It's a two-day cattle call for candidates, both declared and undecided, a chance to separate themselves from an increasingly crowded field.
We got more from CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[04:25:01] JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Christine.
All eyes are on New Hampshire today and tomorrow and throughout the weekend for the first big Republican gathering of the year of potential presidential hopefuls. The entire cast of possible candidates, including a long list of long shots will be on hand. Former New York Governor George Pataki will start things off today at 11:00 a.m. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will finish on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. In between, so many speeches, including from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, along with the three candidates who've already announced their candidacies, Senator Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
Now, New Hampshire, of course, has the first in the nation primary. It follows the Iowa caucuses next February. Chris Christie has been campaigning the longest this week. He has been there already for several days, and former Texas Governor Rick Perry, too.
This is the most wide open Republican field that we've seen in recent memory. But all potential candidates are hardly on equal footing. This weekend will give the Republican activists their best chance yet to size up this field and see who they think should be the nominee.
And on top of all this, on Monday, Hillary Clinton comes for her very first visit to New Hampshire following her first campaign visit in Iowa.
So, so much politicking in New Hampshire -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: So much welcome politicking in New Hampshire.
All right. One of the first challengers to Hillary Clinton may be coming out of his shell a bit. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, he's taking a few shots at the former first lady, former secretary of state, accusing her of flip-flopping on issues like same- sex marriage and immigration. The former Maryland governor says it is important to lead by principle and not by polls. He says the presidency should not be a crown to be passed between two families.
He is expected to make a decision about running by the end of May. He's already out there campaigning like most of these guys, but the official announcement probably within the next month.
ROMANS: All right. Twenty-six minutes past the hour.
An American arrested returning from Syria. Investigators say this man was ready to launch terror attacks here in the United States. Details next.
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