Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

MH370 Search: Plane Wreckage Offers New Clues; Former Cop Released on Bail; Taliban Selects New Leader; U.S.: "Jihadi John" Most Likely Alive; House Dems Vow to Uphold Iran Nuke Deal; Brady Back on Field, Legal Teams Gear Up. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 31, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:05] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: new information suggesting Malaysia Airline Flight 370 was deliberately taken off course before it crashed, as investigators search for more pieces of plane in the Indian Ocean.

We've got live team coverage breaking down all the angles of our big story. That begins now.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Alison Kosik.

MARQUEZ: I'm Miguel Marquez. It is Friday, July 31st, 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.

Breaking news in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence finding that someone controlling the plane deliberately, flew it off-course before it disappeared. Two U.S. officials briefed on the assessment say it was prepared months ago and was not intended for public release.

A new analysis puts a spotlight back on the two pilots. But Malaysian investigators say there is no evidence of unusual behavior by the pilots or the cabin crew before the flight.

Meantime, on Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean, new debris has washed ashore in addition to the wing component that was found earlier. Remnants of what looks like a suitcase were found Thursday and searchers are out scouring the shoreline.

For more, senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir is on Reunion with the latest.

Nima, what are they looking for now?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miguel. Well, that new piece of debris is giving credence to the theory that investigators are trying to build, which is that a countercurrent could be pulling debris if this is possibly from MH370, could be pulling debris from what was presumed to be that initial search sign off the coast of Australia, all the way to the other side of the Indian Ocean.

And so, they are trying to pinpoint that and the importance of that really is to give them a broader sense of where else they should be looking and if they can really narrow those current lanes and start looking beyond Reunion. Whether it is Madagascar or further along the southeastern coast of Africa.

Officials here say the search along that stretch of beach where both pieces of debris turned up, that's going to continue today. Their hope is not only to try and get a sense of what else is out there, but also it is so important to get their hands on this before any damage can be done. We are seeing in pictures from what is believed to be the segment of wing, the sea life or barnacles. We will see where this plane wing could have been and how deep it was and how far its come. It is not only getting access to the debris, but access to the debris as soon as they can before any damage is done to it.

The hope is soon we will get confirmation that this is finally being moved to Toulouse, in the south of France, and investigators can finally get a closer look at this -- Miguel.

MARQUEZ: The picture we see is always on grass. Do you know if it was found closer to the shore? How far from the waterline was it found initially?

ELBAGIR: It was found actually on the shoreline, on the pebbled beach. This is where a bit of concern comes. The clean-up crews initially did not realize what they found. They started scraping the barnacles off it and leaning it against the wall past the beach. One of the clean-up crew said it hit him looking at it. This could be something important.

An amazing guy called Johnny. He shouted to his colleagues to stop. We need to stop touching this. I think this might be part of a plane crash.

And hearing him speak, he said -- he just thought to himself, if it is a plane crash, people have died. And f people have died and this was someone I love, I would want this to be created with much respect, as possible.

And Johnny is back down on the beach today trying to help with the search efforts.

MARQUEZ: What an incredible story. Amazing that piece of debris. Thank you very much, Nima.

KOSIK: And this morning, the airplane flaperon found on the shore of Reunion Island on the flight to France for analysis at the office of the BEA, that's the agency charged with investigating civil aviation accidents. They are looking for anything that would confirm the component came from MH370, and anything that might help find the rest of the plane, the flaperon was torn from.

For more, let's bring in senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He is in France.

So, we heard this morning, Frederik, that a Malaysian official making a headline in the Malaysian newspaper, two days -- two days we'll know if this piece is in fact a part of MH370.

[05:05:06] Is that what you are hearing as well?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly going to be a process. It's unclear how long the analysis is actually going to take. But, first of all, that piece of plane you said or debris has to be brought here to Toulouse. And the way that's going to happen is that will leave Reunion later today. We expect in a couple of hours, in the evening hours, in the island's time. It's going to be an 11-hour flight to Paris, afterwards, after it land in Paris, which by that time, it will be Saturday. It's going to be brought down here to Toulouse, in the south of France.

So, we believe it's going to be here either late Saturday or early Sunday morning. The latest that's we're hearing from the French authorities is that analysis of that debris is going to take place next week. They have not given a timeframe as to how long the analysis will take and they have not given indication when exactly they're going to be giving updates along the way, because there are going to be many tests that will be conducted on this particular piece of debris, because, of course, as we have been saying, one of the things they need to find out if it is from a 777, whether or not it is from that 777, from the Malaysia Airlines MH370.

And then, also, of course, they're going to conduct tests to try and find out or try at least get some clues as to what happened on impact and what angle the plane impacted and what might have caused the plane to crash in the first place.

One of the things that this office here is specialized in is also finding out whether or not possibly there was an explosion that might have caused the plane to crash. Of course, all of that is speculation at this point. But these are the tests conducted here.

This is the premier lab for this kind of investigations in all of Europe. It's been specifically assigned by the French investigation authority, the BEA. It is itself actually part of the French defense ministry. So, this is a military installation.

So, at this point in time, they are not saying when exactly they're going to be giving us any sort of update. Right now, they say what they want to do is they want to get the part, they want to start analyzing it.

And interestingly enough, Alison, that suitcase that was found is also going to be brought to France and that's going to be analyzed in a laboratory outside of Paris, Alison. KOSIK: But these investigators, these scientists have an

understanding about time is of the essence for these families, right, about finding out at least before all the battery of other tests, at least whether or not this piece belongs to MH370, right?

PLEITGEN: Yes, absolutely. I mean, of course, they know that time is of the essence. But they also, of course, wouldn't in any want to increase the pain that these families are feeling in the first place. And, of course, one of the things that we have seen over the past couple of months, the past -- more than a year that this investigation has been going on, that the effort has been going on to try and find this aircraft, is that there have been some false leads in the past.

So, they say they want to be absolutely certain before they put any sort of information out there. It's not clear whether or not they're going to do that in stages or whether or not there's going to be one big final report that they are going to issue.

But they do say that they want to be absolutely accurate. And, of course, one of the things they will be doing is conducting some tests to find out how long this thing was in the water. Also how it may have come to where it was, where it might have come from. So, there is a lot of detailed analysis you can do.

But you're absolutely right. They do realize that time is of the essence and that certainly the families want to know whether or not this is part of the plane that their loved ones were in, Alison.

KOSIK: All right. It could take days. Thanks a lot, Fred Pleitgen.

MARQUEZ: And this morning, the families of passengers, 239 passengers and crew on MH370 are reacting with caution and skepticism. Two officials who say they're increasingly confident that the flaperon is indeed from the missing jet after repeatedly having their hopes raised and dashed again, some say they want 100 percent certainty the part came from MH370.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH BAJC, PARTNER PHILIP WOOD WAS ON MH370: You know, we lived for 16 months in the state of limbo with absolutely no concrete information, and in fact, a lot of misdirection by the officials. We have become very suspicious of anything that can't be proven through a third party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Let's bring in CNN's Will Ripley for more on the reaction of the MH370 families.

Will, I assume it is hope and fear for these families.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is. It's also a lot of question about what is going to happen next. As we have been talking to families, we have been getting a little bit of insight as to the compensation that has been offered by Malaysia Airlines. The initial compensation amount is $50,000 U.S. a lot of families tell us they haven't taken because they're afraid if they accept that money and have to sign a form, that they might be signing away their right to pursue more recourse down the road if it turns out that the airline was negligent in some way as a result of all of this.

[05:10:04] But the families that did sign the compensation packages, are the ones where they lost their sole bread winner. I want you to hear from one who lost her only daughter and her son-in-law who were Canadian citizens who are on holiday in Malaysia. It was really remarkable when we sat down with this woman and what has kept her going until now is if she had her daughter. If we have that, I like to play it for you.

Oh, we do not have that. So, I'll just tell you what she said, Miguel, is that what kept her going, what kept her strong throughout the last more than 500 days is the thought she may be able to be reunited with her daughter, that her daughter may come home. To be faced with this potential piece of debris from the plane and the fact that there is somehow tangible proof for these families that the plane may have crashed, it's going to be difficult in the days ahead.

The families are asking for psychological support which has stopped many months ago. Hasn't been started an again, and these people say they need it, they're hurting.

MARQUEZ: We saw the pictures of her as you were speaking about her and how he was just bawling. It must be absolutely horrendous for them to put their emotions on hold this long and to now have the hope this thing is solved and the fear that it just might be.

Will, thanks very much.

KOSIK: And we are going to continue to cover the latest on the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 all morning long.

MARQUEZ: But first, a police officer accused of murder in a traffic stop appears in court as new video in the case is released. That coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: A former University of Cincinnati police officer released from jail after posting bond. Ray Tensing spending 27 hours behind bars under suicide watch before his father bailed him out.

[05:15:04] He is facing murder charges for shooting a black motorist in the head during a traffic stop earlier this month.

Tensing claimed he fired at Samuel DuBose after getting knocked to the ground and dragged by his car. But this new video from Tensing's body camera contradicts that story. Listen to Tensing seconds after the shooting giving his version of what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER RAY TENSING: I thought he's to run me over. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK?

TENSING: I guess.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

TENSING: Paramedics (INAUDIBLE) gunshot wound to the head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: For more on the video evidence on the case and reaction from DuBose's family, here is CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miguel, Alison, to date, three body cam videos have been released. None of them appear to show Tensing being dragged by DuBose's car.

Even so, Tensing's attorney says one of those body cam videos is significant. It shows Tensing on the ground. Tensing attorney says that is evidence enough that something has happened. But Dubose's family could not disagree more. They say what they see on those tapes is very clear to them.

TERINA DUBOSE ALLEN, VICTIM'S SISTER: There's a camera angle. That's not going to show him putting his hands up and say, what are you doing?

Go ahead and I would ask his attorney to get those angles and show me the angles that show where my brother did not beg for his life. Put his hands up where he ever dragged the police officer.

STEW MATTHEWS, TENSING'S ATTORNEY: You can tell he was moved at least 20 to 25 feet from the scene of the traffic stop and he is getting up in the street. That tends to corroborate what he said happened. He was getting dragged.

CARROLL: Tensing's bail set at $1 million. Late Thursday, he was out on bond. DuBose's family says that any of the University of Cincinnati police officers who corroborated his story should also be held accountable.

I can tell you that two University of Cincinnati police officers are now on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation -- Miguel, Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Jason Carroll, thank you very much.

Breaking news: the Taliban naming a new leader. Mullah Akhtar Mansoor appointed to the position after a meeting of top Taliban officials. He is a long time deputy to Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, whose death was just confirmed by Taliban officials. Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government now on hold during the transition of power.

KOSIK: U.S. intelligence officials say recent indications suggest Jihadi John is alive and well and hiding likely in Syria. The hooded ISIS executioner hasn't been seen in months after appearing in several brutal beheading videos. A U.S.-led coalition has been trying to track him down. It's believed he is transferred to a lower profile position by ISIS to keep him out of the spotlight.

MARQUEZ: And Democrats in the House of Representatives are lining up behind the Iran nuclear deal. Increasing numbers of the House Democrats promising to back President Obama and the Iran deal against Republican opposition. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi even calling it a diplomatic masterpiece.

But lobbying efforts are ramping up and proponents are feeling pressure. Speaking to liberal group of activists by phone overnight, President Obama said he can tell when his supporters are getting squishy and encourages them to speak up in support.

KOSIK: Squishy?

MARQUEZ: Squishy.

KOSIK: Time for an early start on your money. Looks like a calm end to the week for stocks. Stocks in China down about 1 percent. That's nothing compared to the huge swings that we've been seeing there.

European stocks are up a bit. We are also watching U.S. futures, they're barely moving at the moment. Stocks finished yesterday basically unchanged, because investors got a good sign. The economy is picking up momentum. GDP grew 2.3 percent in the second quarter. Wall Street was expecting a bit higher, but it was a huge improvement from the growth at the beginning of the year.

And oil prices continue to fall this morning. Crude oil down 1 percent right now near $48 a barrel. The supply glut is getting worse and global demand is weakening.

Good for drivers, though.

MARQUEZ: Good for drivers at the gas tank, we assume.

A dramatic confrontation between police and environmental protesters in Portland, Oregon. Protesters hanging from a bridge paddling kayaks and jumping into the Willamette River all in an unsuccessful effort to stop the Royal Dutch Shell ice breaker from returning to the arctic where it's part of the company's oil drilling efforts. Police say a number of people were detained and may face charges.

KOSIK: Dramatic pictures.

MARQUEZ: Incredible. They wanted that program stopped. But Shell is moving ahead.

[05:20:00] KOSIK: All right. Two thumbs up from George H.W. Bush. The 91-year-old former president recovering from a fall and broken neck bone at this summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. He just tweeted a photo to his 175,000 followers saying, "Who knew jumping out of planes was safer than getting out of bed." That's a humor there. "Thanks to all of you for your kind get well wishes."

The elder Bush is expected to make a full recovery. We're happy about that.

MARQUEZ: Good sense of humor.

KOSIK: Exactly.

MARQUEZ: Tom Brady reporting for duty. The Patriots quarterback showing up for training camp two days early. Did he have anything to say about deflategate?

Andy Scholes, he has the details, all of them coming up in the bleacher report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUEZ: Tom Brady is back on the field for the Pats, while his legal team is gearing up for a battle in the different field, the courtroom.

KOSIK: Oh, yes. Andy Scholes has more on this --

MARQUEZ: Andy deflategate Scholes.

KOSIK: You know what? The drama continues with deflategate, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It sure does, guys.

It seems like we're going to be talking about this forever. You know, the federal judge in Manhattan who has been assigned told both sides to tone down the rhetoric. And he also it would be nice if these two sides could come to agreement and work things out before it actually gets to court.

Now, Jeffrey Kessler, the lead attorney for Brady and the players union, said they will be filing an injunction today that if granted would allow Brady to play for the Patriots until the case is final.

[05:25:04] In the meantime, business as usual for Brady yesterday. He took the field with the patriots for the first practice of training camp. But there was a bit of a distraction playing with the banner, "cheaters look up" was flying over the field during practice. The plane was paid for by Jets fans.

Now, the Jets fans getting troubling news. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson has been charged with resisting arrest after a July 14th incident. Police say Richardson was driving 143 miles per hour. When he was stopped, they found a fully loaded semiautomatic weapon, smelled like marijuana, and his 12-year-old son was in the car. The incident happened 12 days after Richardson was suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Women's basketball great Nancy Lieberman announcing on Twitter she has opinion hired to be an assistant coach with Sacramento Kings. Lieberman was the first head coach in the NBA's D-league, coach of the Texas Legends from 2009 to 2011. She joins Becky Hammon as the only two female coaches in the NBA.

Ronda Rousey will be back in the octagon Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro defending her title against Brazilian Beth Correia. Now, both of these fighters are undefeated, but Rousey is still the heavy favorite. Don't tune in late for this one. Rousey's last two matches lasted a combined 30 seconds.

Texans superstar JJ Watt was at Minute Maid Park before the Astros and Angel last night. He met Mike Trout and others before hitting some bombs during batting practice. As for the actual game, it was 0-0 in the bottom of the ninth. Two outs, two strikes for Jason Castro. He launches that for a walk-off home run.

Astros sweep the Angels 3-0 win. Castro, he got mobbed by the teammates, and actually got a Gatorade bat as he crossed home plate. Pretty cool scene there in Houston.

Astros big trade last night, trading for Carlos Gomez for the Milwaukee Brewers. And guys the trade deadline in Major League Baseball is today at 4:00 Eastern. A lot of wheeling and dealing this afternoon with a lot of Major League Baseball teams.

KOSIK: Oh, yes.

MARQUEZ: Andy, 143 miles an hour. I think that wasn't a Prius he was in?

SCHOLES: I don't it was a Prius, Miguel. More like a Lambo.

MARQUEZ: Wow, impressive. Thanks, Andy.

KOSIK: More like a rocket. I mean crazy.

MARQUEZ: Amazing.

KOSIK: All right.

Was missing Malaysia Airline Flight 370 intentionally steered off course before it crashed? Troubling new information this morning, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)