Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

U.S. Warships Head to Yemen; Migrant Shipwreck: Death Toll Rises, New Arrests; Baltimore Officers Suspended; Warriors Taken to the Brink. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired April 21, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A warning to Iran: U.S. war ships on their way to block Iranian weapons from reaching Yemen.

[05:30:01] The U.S. and Iran on opposite sides of a civil war, while also trying to secure a nuclear deal. Will Iran's military moves in the Middle East complication complications? We have live team coverage breaking it all down.

The death toll rises in a migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean. This tragedy revealing a refugee crisis. Crew members arrested, suspected of human trafficking. We are live with the very latest there.

And, six police officers suspended in the death of a man mysteriously injured in an arrest. The community is demanding answers this morning. We have new developments.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman. It is Tuesday, April 21st, 5:00 a.m. in the East. Christine Romans is off this morning.

This morning, there is a new hot zone that puts U.S. assets in direct conflict with Iran. U.S. warships are now patrolling the waters off Yemen. Those on board engaging in a show of force to block Iranian vessels suspected of trafficking arms to rebels in Yemen. The Iranian-backed Houthis have overthrown the government there that is backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Iranian officials are not backing down. The commander of the Iran's regular navy told CNN, we don't let anyone give us warnings and threats.

Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is watching the latest developments for us.

Good morning, Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, more and more U.S. logistics, fire power capabilities involved in assisting the Saudi-backed coalition, Saudi-led coalition around Yemen. The latest now joining about 10 ships already in the region. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier, and the guided missile carrier, the USSS Normandy. There'll be moving in there, many say, as a show of force.

But there's a practical dimension to this, too. The U.S. has eyes on about nine, it says, ships, thought perhaps to be carrying weapons. It's unclear the destination. If they're going to make a move towards the Yemeni coast, bear in mind, John, there is United Nations Security Council resolution imposing an arms blockade against Yemen and its Houthis at this particular stage.

There will potentially come a point if those Iranian ships decide to make that move towards Yemen that the U.S. is faced with the choice, do they let them carry on or block them. It may mostly likely not come to that, but it does raise the stakes. So many more issues now, so much more weaponry in that highly contested volatile gulf so vital for energy and trade routes around the world. And I think many are concern that if something did go wrong, it could escalate particularly quickly.

This, too, while the U.S. is trying to talk peace, and nuclear negotiations with Iran and trying to show the long-term decades long allies, Saudi Arabia, that is behind them in the conflict in Yemen, a very complex situation for Washington, one I think in which it is clear it wants to show it will back longer term regional allies, John.

BERMAN: Just one piece of the puzzle in the new relationship or almost relationship with the United States and Iran. Nick Paton Walsh for us in London, thank you so much.

U.S. officials believe the Iranian role in Yemen is evidence of a larger effort to spread influence in the Middle East. Already, Iran is training and equipping Shia militias in Iraq and helping to prop up the Assad government in Syria. A senior member of Iran's parliament added Yemen to the list when he recently said Sana'a is the fourth capital to fall into our hands.

What will this now do to the nuclear negotiations? How does this now concern this "Washington Post" correspondent who is being held on charges deemed ludicrous by people here in the United States inside Iran?

Let's bring in our senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He is standing by live in Tehran for us this morning.

Good morning, Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John. It is interesting, the difference between much of the world sees Iran and the way Iranians see themselves. I was actually at the national army day here two days ago, and President Rouhani actually held a speech where he said that Iranians believe that their military is a stabilizing factor not only for Iran itself but for the entire region. So, they clearly have a very different point of view of their role here in the Middle East region.

Certainly, there is the belief here that it was the Iranians who stabilized Iraq when things were going very badly. They still believe that they have a better strategy when it comes to fighting is. They believe that the U.S. airstrikes, they are not enough. They believe the way that they are training the Shiite militia is helping Kurdish militias as well, it's something that's more effective.

They also however claim that as far as Yemen is concerned, that the only way that they are involved is by trying to send humanitarian aid. They flat-out deny that they're trying to send any weapons or have sent any weapons to Yemen. They also say that those warships that might be in the region at this point in time, that they are only carrying out anti-piracy missions. And they say that those warships are there in accordance with international law.

However, they also say that they're not going to take orders from anyone as far as where to place their navy in that region or any other region. So, certainly, you do have confrontation on the one hand, but you also have the reconciliation on the other hand, where as we've noted, the nuclear negotiations continue.

[05:05:08] There are many people here in Tehran who are very happy at the interim agreement that was already reached.

And many people who are looking forward to the possible lifting of sanctions. So, it is really interesting to see how there's a sort of a dual relationship right now that seems to be evolving, John.

BERMAN: And, Fred, you say that, despite what's going on off the coast of Yemen, despite the fact that this "Washington Post" bureau chief being held on charges that people here in the U.S. think are ludicrous, despite all of that, that people inside Iran, many of them at least think you're sitting on the precipice of major change.

PLEITGEN: Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean, they do believe that relief of sanctions could be on the way. A lot of them also believe that the economy would benefit greatly if indeed the sanctions do go away. It is, certainly, of course, something that puts the power that be here in this country under a lot of pressure. On the one hand, you have the Rouhani government that certainly wants a nuclear deal, that wants these negotiations to move forward, but you also have a lot of hard liners here in this country who felt Iran should have walked away a long time ago, who are very skeptical about the negotiations, who think that America wants to take advantage of Iran and it is very difficult for the politicians here in the country to balance all of that, to make all sides happy.

And it's also one of the reasons why you are seeing rhetoric coming from Iran. For instance, the Iranians saying they would never allow inspections in any military sites. It is something the government has acknowledged is difficult for them. They say that they also have to keep in mind what the hard liners in the country think.

And as far as "The Washington Post" bureau chief Jason Rezaian is concerned, I actually did press the vice president of this country on that issue. And she told me that it is out of the hands of politicians at this point. She said this is not necessarily the position of the government of this government, but they do say that there is the judicial process that's going forward. Of course, it is one that is being monitored very closely and where many people are very concerned at this point in time, John.

BERMAN: Fascinating the government would not own that part of the story. Frederik Pleitgen, we are lucky to have you inside Iran this morning on this big news morning and the relationship between the U.S. and Iran. Thanks, Fred.

Developing overnight, the captain and crew member of the ship that capsized in the Mediterranean on Sunday had been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. As many as 900 migrants from Africa are believed to have died when the overcrowded fishing vessel that they were packed into went down. Top European leaders met in Luxembourg on Monday, trying to confront what they are calling a migrant crisis. Hundreds of thousands made the journey from North Africa. So many of them need to be rescued. About 3,500 people died at sea last year.

I want to bring in our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman who is live in Sicily this morning with the latest, Ben, on the investigation. Some 900 people, as many as 900 could be dead.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good day, John. This crisis just continues unabated. According to the Italian coast guard we just spoke to now, yesterday, alone, they rescued 638 migrants in the Mediterranean in six separate operations. Now, just a little while ago, we had the opportunity to speak with two medics from the order of Malta who were involved in that rescue for this ill-fated ship, in which there may have been almost a thousand people one board.

Now, one of those medics was telling us about how they were in a dinghy at 1:00 in the morning just after the ship capsized. And he said, he described what he said was a carpet of dead bodies floating in the sea. But among those dead bodies, they found two men who were barely alive. They were able to fish them out of the sea. One of them telling them in perfect English that they were now, these two medics that rescued, him, were their best friends.

And that gives you an idea of the difficulty of the operation that's going on here. Not only, of course, when disaster strikes like it did late Saturday night, but simply every day on the Mediterranean. Italian ships, Maltese ships and other vessels trying desperately to stop or rescue people who are in dire straits in the Mediterranean, trying to flee fighting poverty, ISIS and just a range of nightmares that have led them to come here to Europe, John.

BERMAN: Now, so many reasons, so many forces pushing them out of their country, but pushing them into the grave danger. Ben Wedeman for us in Sicily, thanks so much.

We have new details this morning in what federal prosecutors called the biggest ISIS biggest recruitment case so far in the United States. Officials say six men, Somali Americans age 19 to 21 were conspiring to sneak into Syria and join ISIS. Four arrested in Minneapolis on Sunday, two others detained in San Diego. Officials say they're trying to cross into Mexico with fake passports and make their way to Syria from there.

[05:10:03] Prosecutors say the men were encouraged by a 21-year-old friend who has already joined ISIS in Syria. But the U.S. attorney in Minneapolis says there is no mastermind behind this conspiracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW LUGER, MINNESOTA U.S. ATTORNEY: In today's case, the answer is that this group of friends is recruiting each other. They are engaged in what we describe as peer-to-peer recruiting, friend to friend, brother to brother. We have a terror recruiting problem in Minnesota.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Four suspects appeared in court on Monday. They did not enter a plea.

Ten minutes after the hour right now. Time for an early start on your money. Cristina Alesci here with that.

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, green across the board this morning. U.S. stock futures are solidly up. It's been a great start to the week. Yesterday, the Dow climbed 208 points thanks to some strong earnings from Morgan Stanley, Halliburton, and IBM. There's a lot to consider today, with Verizon, Chipotle, Yahoo, and many more reporting results today.

And a big change for Google search this morning. Its mobile search algorithm will now favor mobile friendly sites. A site has to load quickly, be easy to right and adjust to a smaller screen to get better placement if not the site will rank lower.

It could be a huge loss for small businesses that don't have separate mobile sites. We know that Google tweaks the algorithm, but we often don't get insight like this into what the company is actually thinking.

BERMAN: You know, it should be a big benefit for those of us who are searching our phones for things all the time. If you do a Google search on your phone and sometimes what you need is buried like 18 swipes down. It takes a long, long time --

ALESCI: They are trying to do a better job with mobile. We'll see if they can pull it off.

BERMAN: All right, Cristina. Thanks so much.

Six officers off the job after a man somehow injured during his arrest died. We have new video that raises more questions into what went so terribly wrong.

(COMMRECIAL BREAK)

[05:15:07] BERMAN: New protests in Baltimore and still no explanation from police about why Freddie Gray was arrested in the first place or how he suffered a fatal spinal cord injury while in custody.

Baltimore police have released video of the arrest that seems to show Gray being dragged into a police van. Six officers involved in the arrest have been suspended during the investigation. An attorney for the family says that Freddie Gray was in perfect

health until police chased and tackled him. The mayor of Baltimore has promised to get to the bottom of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, BALTIMORE, MD: We are very committed to making sure that we get this right. We have had a very challenging history in our city when it comes to trust between the community and the police. And we have to make sure that this investigation goes forward, that it's transparent, and that we actually have independent eyes to take a look at it because it's too important not to get this right.

WILLIAM MURPHY, FREDDIE GRAY FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE: Baltimore has a sorry history of police brutality and an even sorrier history in terms of a governmental response to police brutality. Typically, the police deny, deny, deny no matter what the facts are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Emotions running high right now in Baltimore.

CNN national correspondent Miguel Marquez is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, an amazing scene outside here at the western division of the Baltimore Police Department. A few protesters left after a huge rain storm came through here. You still see they are shouting angrily at police who have gathered here.

The man in the white shirt there, that's -- he's community affairs commander, Melvin Russell. He came in the middle of the crowd. Hundreds of people here at one point to try to engage them and bring down the level of anger.

Here's how that turned out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are asking the wrong person. You're asking the wrong person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You totally think he was OK before he got put in that wagon.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you asking questions I can't answer?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why wasn't he --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. MARQUEZ: That was just several blocks from here where Freddie Gray

died, 25 years old, when he was arrested by police, witnesses say he was complaining about having asthma and not having his inhaler on him. They put him in a wagon and took him in to custody, putting him in leg irons at one point.

There was never a point, say police, where he was injured while he was arrested.

But by the time he got to the police station, somehow, his neck was broken, his family's lawyer saying it was nearly severed, the spinal cord. Seven days later, he died.

And this crowd now angry protesting that black lives matter, and they don't want this to happen again. It seems to be at least for this very tough neighborhood in Baltimore, a turning point -- John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Miguel Marquez in Baltimore for us.

Two Tulsa deputies have now been reassigned following the fatal shooting of Eric Harris. Seventy-three-year-old volunteer Robert Bates who says he shot the unarmed suspect when he meant to tase him, he is charged with second degree manslaughter. The two deputies who pinned Harris to the ground were resigned after death threats against them and their families.

The FBI has determined that a civil rights investigation into the shooting is not warranted. Bates is currently free on bond while awaiting trial.

Later this morning, the jury that convicted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston marathon bombing will reconvene for the sentencing phase of that trial. Jurors will decide whether Tsarnaev will get the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Some marathon bombing survivors have appealed that Tsarnaev essentially to be spared the death penalty. They say that years of appeal that would follow a death sentence would force them to relive the painful tragedy again and again.

The Transportation Security Administration has imposed new rules for screening airport and airline workers. When traveling as passengers, these employees will no longer be allowed to bypass security face by other travelers. Airports will also be required to reduce the number of access points to secure areas and conduct random screenings throughout the day. The new rules follow a number of security lapses involving guns being smuggled onto planes.

A major egg-producing plant in Iowa is quarantined after the outbreak of bird flu. Officials say more than 5 million hens are going to have to be killed to prevent the spread disease. Bird flu in three Wisconsin counties has prompted Governor Scott Walker to declare a state of emergency in Wisconsin. The virus has been detected in 12 states since the beginning of the year. A close call for one of the NBA's finest. The Golden State Warriors trying to go up 2-0 in the NBA playoff series. Coy Wire has the details in the bleacher report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:28] BERMAN: These NBA playoffs already classic. And, man, the Pelicans trying so hard, so hard to beat the one seed Golden State Warriors.

Coy Wire has more in the bleacher report.

Hey, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Good morning, John.

They almost did. Look, the Warriors were 40-2 on their home court going into last night's game against New Orleans. But the pelicans don't care, they're going to scrap. Eric Gordon had 23 on the night. Look at this, step back, take that money, knocks down the three, pulling the Pelicans within one with six minutes remaining.

But luckily for Golden State, their house is made of clay. The Klay Thompson, that is. Look at this, so pretty. He had 10 points in the final six minutes. Warriors win 97-87 to take a 2-0 series lead.

In the East last night, the Bulls and Bucks locked horns, figuratively and literally, if the players had horns, that is. Bucks John Henson plows over Aaron Brooks and pushing and shoving ensues. Refs doled out seven technical fouls and one ejection. Then it turned into the Jimmy Butler show, he hit four of five, including three three-pointers in the fourth, notching a playoff career high 31 for the second straight game in a row. Bulls win, 91-82, take a 2-0 series lead.

To baseball, scary moment in the Cubs and Pirates game. Check out the fan behind home plate. She gets hit in the head by the Castro foul ball. There is a net behind home plate, but there is give to it. She was taken away on a stretcher and sent to the hospital.

Pirates said she was conscious and alert. That is good news to hear. Hope she's OK.

[05:25:02] Reds manager Bryan Price had the case of the Mondays yesterday. He went off on local reporters for giving off too much information to the opposition. Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRYAN PRICE, REDS MANAGER: I (EXPLETIVE DELETED) talk to you guys like men. I tell you what the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is going with the team and I tell you what is going on candidly as I can and then this (EXPLETIVE DELETED)? You've got to watch this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) bit. I've got to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) read that on a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) tweet from our people in here that we don't have a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) player? How does that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) benefit the Reds? Doesn't (EXPLETIVE DELETED) benefit us (EXPLETIVE DELETED) one bit. God (EXPLETIVE DELELETED) we try to go out there and win (EXPLETIVE DELETED) games and I got to come in here and win (EXPLETIVE DELETED) games and I got to come in here and then you guys (EXPLETIVE DELETED) blow it all over the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) place?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WIRE: Oh my goodness. Price reportedly dropped the F-bomb 77 times, threw in 10 other variations of curse words. His Reds have lost seven of eight before last night's win over the Brewers. So, he had reason to be frustrated. John, is this up there with Dennis Green, Jim Moore, as one of the greatest coaching rants of all time?

BERMAN: It is pretty good. He's got a little bit of a potty mouth there.

WIRE: I'm waiting for the video to surface. I hope we'll see that.

BERMAN: I kind of just kept on laughing. It's not funny, though. We take it very, very seriously when someone swears that much.

Coy Wire, thanks so much.

WIRE: You're welcome, John.

BERMAN: All right. Twenty-six minutes after the hour.

The U.S. sending warships to Yemen with a warning for Iran, face-to- face U.S. vessels are at odds with Iranian warships. The implications, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: A warning to Iran. U.S. war shipping patrolling the waters near Yemen to block Iranian weapons from reaching rebels inside Yemen. Iran meanwhile flexing its military muscle at the same time brokers a deal with the United States.