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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Police Ready for Texas Gang War; Amtrak Derailment Investigation; U.S. Vows to Fight ISIS for Key Iraqi City; Demilitarizing Law Enforcement. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 19, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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


[04:30:00] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for being with me this morning. I'm Poppy Harlow. It is 29 minutes past 4:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.

And this morning, police in Waco, Texas, are bracing for the possibility that motorcycle gangs would go to war in the wake of shout-out at Twin Peaks restaurant that left at least nine people dead, 18 people hospitalized, and at least 170 others under arrest.

A new law enforcement bulletin says that leaders of the Bandidos and Cossacks biker gangs have reportedly told members to arm themselves and to head to the Waco area. The bulletin warns police the police presence will not stop gangs from attacking one another.

But a member of the Bandidos denies his club is violent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. W. PATRICK SWANTON, WACO POLICE DEPARTMENT: When the threat was put out towards law enforcement officers caused us to really step up our game. Obviously, it's something we are concerned about. We would encourage biker groups to stand down. There has been enough bloodshed. There's been enough death here. We don't need additional death in the Waco area.

JIMMY GRAVES, BANDIDOS MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBER: We are not a gang. We do not do gang things. They reading too many comic books and watching too many "B" rated biker movies. We have been stereotyped. We are not thugs. When we find a thug in our bunch, we get rid of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, late Monday, a Waco judge set bail for many of those jailed suspects at $1 million each. The sources tell CNN the brawl was mainly over territory that the Bandidos don't allow other motorcycle clubs to wear the Texas insignia.

The reportedly clash came as no surprise to police. A law enforcement bulletin obtained by the WFAA televisions warns of escalating violence between these two biker gangs. In turn, Waco police say they warned the Twin Peaks restaurant of the danger, but that the restaurant just ignored that advice to keep those biker gangs away. Our Kyung Lah has the latest from Waco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy.

Law enforcement says the scene is so large that there is so much evidence that the processing of it, the collection of it will spill over into a second day. So, this morning, a continuation of what we've been seeing.

Police primarily focusing on what they can collect like the motorcycles. They are pushing motorcycle after motorcycle on to flatbed trucks, hauling away dozens of them. They are also going through the individual cars, and trying to decide if they're going to release them to the owners or move that into evidence.

More than 100 guns have been collected by police, in addition to other weapons, like knives, batons and chains with padlocks on them. A hundred seventy people in all have been arrested. The sheriff is telling us there are so many people, they had to put the suspects on city buses and then bring them to the convention center for processing.

As far as the restaurant, police say they are now getting cooperation from the owners. The law enforcement here is saying that all of this carnage could have been avoided had the restaurant cooperated with the police in the first place -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Kyung, thank you for that.

New this morning, Shiite militia fighters are preparing to retake the capital of Iraq's Anbar province from ISIS terrorists. Iraqi security sources telling CNN that nearly 3,000 fighters and the Iranian-backed Hashid al-Shabi militia are gathering at an air base east of Ramadi. This just days after ISIS blasted its way into Ramadi stronghold with armored bulldozers and a series of car bombs. The White House on Monday conceding the loss of Ramadi is a setback, promising to help the Iraqi government retake the city.

Let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson. He is following the story for us from Hong Kong.

Ivan, you've been there. You've spent so much time on the ground, the fact that ISIS was able to so quickly take over Ramadi. They've had success in Fallujah. They've had success in other key strongholds like Karmah. Do you think it is likely that we will be able to see the forces retake ha Ramadi?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's going to be a hard battle. And what's remarkable about this, Poppy, is this taking so close to Baghdad. I mean, if you look on the map here, Ramadi located right here is only about an hour's drive. I have done that drive in more peaceful times. An hour drive on the highway from Baghdad and Ramadi was the headquarters of the Iraqi military in Anbar province. So, ISIS has been showing off pictures of military equipment and military vehicles that they have seized from some of the bases they captured in the city on Sunday.

Now, the Iraqi security forces, they pulled back to here. This is a town called Habbaniya, where they tried to set up a defensive line where Shiite militiamen, thousands of them, have arrived to help bolster and reinforce the Iraqi security forces.

In the meantime, United Nation says tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have been streaming out of Ramadi. Many of them presumably related to some of the Sunni tribesmen who were working with the Iraqi government to defend Ramadi. And they are, of course, terrified of the aspect of having their heads chopped off, of being targeted by the mass executions that ISIS have become notorious for.

[04:35:07] Now, they have pulled back, but as you can see, this is not a straight shoot back to Baghdad, even for the Iraqi government. Fallujah is a town that many of our viewers may remember from a decade ago when the U.S. had its very complicated military occupation of Iraq. This was controlled by al Qaeda linked militants. So was Ramadi.

And the U.S. marines and soldiers, they had to fight for months, street by street, house by house, to try to regain control of those two cities from the al Qaeda-linked insurgents. Scores of U.S. servicemen and women were killed in those periods of urban combat. If the Iraqi security forces want to win back those cities, they have to embark on similar very difficult urban campaigns -- Poppy.

HARLOW: And, Ivan, what happens if ISIS is ability to hang on to Ramadi, able to topple Iraqi controlled bases to the west? You have one near al Baghdadi, you've got one near the Haditha dam. Then, they get this straight shot to Baghdad. What's the likelihood of that?

I mean, I just wonder if their capability is really focused on Ramadi now, or if they have enough resources to do that as well?

WATSON: What's incredible about ISIS, Poppy, is that they have been fighting on many fronts across the border in Syria and in many different locations in Iraq simultaneously.

HARLOW: Right.

WATSON: They popped up on the scene a year ago when they captured Mosul. That was June of 2014. That's what triggered international alarm. That's what helped prompt the U.S. a couple months later to start air strikes to defend Kurdish fighters that control Iraqi Kurdistan in the north.

It hasn't all been bad news for the Iraqi government. They were able to recapture this city, Tikrit, just in March and April of this year, with the help of those Shiite militias.

The Iraqi government said, OK, after this victory, we're going to push to recapture Mosul and to capture all of Anbar province. Instead, what we've seen is the Iraqi security forces retreating here -- Poppy.

HARLOW: And it's fascinating to see how coordinated their efforts have been. I mean, Bob Baer, CNN security analyst, was telling me just a few days ago, this is not just a terrorist organization. This is a well equipped, extraordinarily well-funded army.

When you talk about that versus innocent civilians, the United Nations saying in the last 48 hours, 25,000 people in Ramadi have fled. But most of them aren't even able to flee. Is that right?

WATSON: You know, one of the ways out of Ramadi, because it's been cut off to the east from Baghdad is actually some of the civilians have had to take the circuitous route in the west and overland in the north. And one of the only ways out is over a single bridge across over a river and the Iraqi security forces have had to hold people back at that bridge, because they can't just let everybody flood across. They have to search for weapons.

And this is a process that has been going on for more than a month now. I was reporting on Ramadi and the local government there, warning that it could fall a month ago in April, and sounding the alarm, and saying we desperately need help and reinforcements. Iraqi government was able to hold on since then, but some of the civilians that had been fleeing have had to take that same route over the bridge to try to get out over the single bridge. The United Nations telling us, that there are thousands of Iraqi civilians that had been sleeping in the open since this latest exodus began -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes, think about the people on the ground going through this absolute terror and tragedy.

Ivan, thanks. I appreciate the reporting.

Meantime, President Obama ordering the federal government to stop distributing military equipment to local police departments. The president says those armored vehicles and war zone weapons make police departments look like an occupying force. Not the public servants that they are.

As CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta tells us, this new ban takes effect immediately.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, nine months after riots turned the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, into what looked like a combat zone, the White House is outlining reforms aimed demilitarizing law enforcement. Under the new policy, federal agencies would be barred from providing police agencies with tank-like vehicles, weaponized the aircraft, high caliber weapons, grenade launchers and camouflage uniforms.

The administration would control, but still allow the acquisition of the armored vehicles that were roaming Ferguson if police departments can show officers are being trained properly. Also permitted under certain conditions are manned aircraft, drones, guns, explosives and riot gear. And after meeting with police officials in Camden, New Jersey, yesterday, the president said too many police agencies look like an occupying force.

Here's what he had to say.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It can alienate and intimidate local residents and send the wrong message. So, we're going to prohibit some equipment made for the battlefield that is not appropriate for local police departments.

[04:40:03] ACOSTA: The National Sheriffs Association worries the White House will overreach and leave officers and deputies outgunned. The White House says these new restrictions on that list of banned military equipment takes effect right away. The new training requirements for police departments seeking military hardware kick in later this year -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you very much.

Let's get an early start on your money. CNN Money correspondent Alison Kosik is with me bright and early this morning.

Good morning.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. It took a bit of a gain for stocks to reach new records. Yesterday, the Dow climbed 26 points. Not a huge day, but just enough to top the March 2nd closing high. The S&P 500 also notching a record close. Its third in a row.

And it looks like there could be another record day for stocks. U.S. stock futures are up right now. And with a lot on Wall Street's plate this morning, including earnings from Walmart, the nation's biggest private employer.

Guess what? Soon, you'll be able to pick the music that you are hearing in Starbucks through Spotify. It's part of a new partnership between the coffee chain and the music streaming service. Customers will listen be able to and actually influence and add to their local Starbucks play list. They can keep listening even after they leave the store through either app.

Now, the Spotify customers will also be able to earn Starbucks reward points through the loyalty program. You know, it's all about having interactive experience, having an influence experience. I think you're going to see more of this partnering up going on.

HARLOW: It's like a modern day juke box, right?

KOSIK: Exactly. The baristas are kind of like the new deejays.

HARLOW: Yes, exactly. Thanks, Alison. I appreciate it.

Well, a new challenge facing President Obama. How to communicate in under 140 characters. The president on Monday officially joining the Twitter verse, with a handle @potus, promising to engage personally with the American people not through a staff member. His first post was a greeting. "Hello, Twitter. It is Barack. Really, six years in, they're finally giving me my own account." @potus already, no surprise here, more than 1 million followers, including former President Clinton who asked, "Does that user name stay with the office?" Adding the #askingforafriend.

Well, investigators slowly honing in on what could have caused last week's deadly Amtrak derailment as injured passengers join together in court. We'll give you the latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:45:52] HARLOW: Welcome back to EARLY START.

The FBI now ruling out a gunshot as a contributing cause of the deadly Amtrak derailment after examining the grapefruit size damage to the train's windshield. The NTSB says it is possible another object may have struck that windshield. Meantime, an attorney for four people injured in the crash says he is launching a mass action lawsuit against Amtrak, focusing on two things. One, the train's excessive speed and, two, the lack of speed control technology. Law enforcement meantime is keeping its focus on the man who was at the controls of Amtrak 188.

We get more now from CNN's Rene Marsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, we have been speaking with law enforcement and government sources here in Philadelphia. And they all indicate that there is a sharp focus on the engineer and his experience, as well as his handling of the train. We do know that this engineer had been on this route, according to the NTSB, for several weeks. That's not a long time.

Now, we should point out although investigators say they are focusing on the engineer's handling of the train, that doesn't necessarily indicate anything criminal. In fact, we know Philadelphia police as well as the district attorney's office here, they're in a bit of a holding pattern. They want to wait and get definitive answers from the NTSB investigation before they move forward with their investigation.

We do know the NTSB has completed the analysis of the train's recorders. That is a fact. So far, so far, they say they have not found any sign of mechanical failure, but a source with the NTSB is stressing that it is too early to rule anything in or out. They say they will not determine the cause of this derailment until this investigation concludes.

And, Poppy, they say that could take 12 months. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Rene, thanks very much.

Also this breaking overnight, the State Department setting a January 2016 deadline to complete its review and release of the thousands of pages of e-mails that Hillary Clinton exchanged on the private server while she was the secretary of state. Clinton turned over the electronic communications back in December. And the agency is responding to a Freedom of Information suit, seeking all of the former secretary's emails.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie still has not said whether he's running for president or not in 2016, but he sure sounded like a candidate on Monday, laying out his foreign policy vision in a speech in New Hampshire and blasting the current nuclear negotiations with Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: The framework we've negotiated here seems flimsy, and I have grave concerns over how we're going to make the Iranians live up to their end of the bargain and how we can insure proper, verifiable compliance. The deal structure will lead to a nuclear Iran and then a nuclearized Middle East. That not only threatens, everybody, it threatens the United States and it turns 70 years of nuclear deterrence policy on its head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The Iraq war has become a political football that prominent Republicans like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio have bobbled.

Now, Rick Perry is weighing in on this. The former Texas governor and current White House hopeful says knowing what the world knows now, he would not have invaded Iraq as President Bush did. Speaking in Iowa, Perry blamed Iraq's troubles now, including the spread of ISIS directly on President Obama. He accused the president of what he calls "delusional thinking."

Happening now: dozens killed in a muddy landslide. A state of emergency issued as rescuers dig through the debris for survivors. New information, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:53:11] HARLOW: A deadly mudslide and flash floods devastating a small town in western Colombia. An avalanche of mud, rocks and trees wiping out dozens of homes, killing 62 people, injuring 37 in Salgar, that sets some 60 miles southwest of Medellin. The disaster struck at 3:00 in the morning, in the middle of the night. Officials say several small children have been rescued, but their parents have not been found.

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Yemen. Saudi air strikes bombarding Houthi rebel targets with ground fighting intensifying after a failed five-day ceasefire -- a ceasefire designed to get much needed food, medicine and fuel to the citizens of Yemen. But they say the help never reached them. Over 1,600 people have now been killed in this conflict between Houthis and forces loyal to Yemen's ousted president Hadi.

And the European Union approving the use of military force against human traffickers in the Mediterranean. It is a significant escalation to a migrant crisis, a smuggling crisis that has already claimed close to 2,000 lives this year alone. The decision will allow the European nations to move ahead with plans for a naval operation that includes destroying smuggler vessels that ferry migrants to -- rather, from North Africa to Europe.

All right. Are you looking for a job? Where you live could be holding you back. The top cities for the top jobs, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:58:01] HARLOW: All right. Time now for an early start on your money.

Alison Kosik is with us, taking a look at stocks in the early going.

KOSIK: Yes, we are seeing records for stocks. Yesterday, the Dow climbed 26 points to top its previous closing high in March. The S&P 500 also hitting a new record for its third day in a row. And it's looking like that momentum could continue today.

Right now, stock futures are pointing higher, and there's going to be a lot for investors to digest this morning. Walmart and T.J.Maxx, Home Depot all reporting before the bell. We'll also get a look at home construction numbers as well.

And the best city in the country for new jobs is -- drum roll, please, can I get one? Thank you. Raleigh, North Carolina. That's according to Glass Door. Raleigh has almost 25,000 job openings for 1.2 million people. The median salary there is about $50,000. Plus employees report high job satisfaction.

Also in the top five, Kansas City, Missouri, Oklahoma City, Austin, Seattle and Minneapolis comes in at number 16.

HARLOW: My hometown. I thought it might be number one, I'm hoping.

KOSIK: So sad. Sorry.

All right. Speaking of jobs. Google is hiring. Work doesn't get more fun than this. Google looking for a doodler. That is a designer for the cartoons that you see on the home page, celebrating holidays and famous people.

Some of these are interactive if you haven't noticed, like a recent game where you got a horse to deliver mail on the anniversary of the pony express. They really are really cute. All this sounds great. All you need is experience in illustration and graphic design and animation, 3D modeling, and, oh, and some serious creativity. Plus, a sense of humor does help.

I'd say, sign me up. If only I could draw. HARLOW: Here's the thing. I'm going to be the naysayer on this because I think that's a really hard job. You have to think of something new every single day.

KOSIK: Everybody is looking and anticipating something on the special day.

HARLOW: And everyone is going to see it. All right. Thanks, Alison. Good to have you here.

EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

HARLOW: Bikers revenge. Police warning that rival biker gangs could be bringing their fight back to Waco, picking up where a deadly brawl left off. What we're learning this morning, ahead.