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New Day
Three Grieving Mothers Speak Out; Escalating Violence in the Middle East; Why are Hostages Treated Differently?; Unanswered Questions Remain in Death of Michael Brown; More Supporters of Officer Darren Wilson Emerge
Aired August 25, 2014 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VALERIE BELL, SEAN BELL'S MOTHER: Yes. If I know something has to be done, "Ma, I got this," that's his favorite saying, "Ma, I got this."
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Do you do the same thing, Lesley?
LESLEY MCSPADDEN, MICHAEL BROWN'S MOTHER: Especially when it rains.
LEMON: When it rains. Why?
MCSPADDEN: Something about the rain. Something about it.
LEMON: That makes you want to --
MCSPADDEN: I feel him.
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: He's there. He's there. He's watching over you.
LEMON: What was it like meeting her?
BELL: I'm glad I did meet you. It brought back memories for my son. I thought of your son.
FULTON: It's hurtful, but at the same time it's comforting because I know she needs people that understand what she's going through.
LEMON: And, Leslie, what was it like meeting these ladies. They've been saying everything, how they feel about you. What's it like meeting them? What do you want to say to them?
MCSPADDEN: I'm sorry what you had to go through, and I'm sorry about yours, too.
LEMON: Thank you all.
FULTON: He got you. He got you, baby. He got you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: I thought it was showed extraordinary strength that she conducted this interview after just coming from the funeral home and seeing her son for the first time and making sure that his body was the way she wanted it to be. They told us it's going to be a closed casket ceremony. When I asked her what she wanted to say to those ladies and she turned to them and said I just want to say I'm sorry you had to go through this. Imagine that. Imagine her saying she's sorry to them.
It's heartbreaking, and regardless of how you feel about this case, whose side you're on, if you want to pick sides, the officer's side or Mike Brown's side, no mother should have to go through this -- John, Alisyn.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I can't imagine, I don't think any of us can't imagine what they're going through. So much tragedy there, three separate tragedies. But also such a blessing in a way that they have each other now, at least someone to lean.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: A horrible blessing. What a horrible blessing.
BERMAN: At least they're there.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: They are. They have the support for one another.
BERMAN: Next up for us on NEW DAY an American held captive in Syria spared the fate that awaited James Foley. Peter Theo Curtis finally free after two years in captivity. We're going to break down the efforts that secured his release, because there are a lot of questions about that. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY on this Monday. Here's a look at your headlines.
Freedom at last for an American held captive in Syria for almost two years. Peter Theo Curtis was released by an al Qaeda affiliate that captured back him in 2012. This all comes as officials in the U.K. work to identify the ISIS fighters seen on video executing another American captive, James Foley.
President Obama meanwhile is back from Martha's Vineyard. He is meeting this morning with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about how to neutralize the ISIS threat.
Chances for a cease-fire in the Mideast hitting a roadblock this weekend. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 people in Gaza, including a Hamas financial leader. In the meantime, four Israelis were wounded in mortar fire near the Gaza border.
Karl Penhaul is live on the ground in Jerusalem, with what is amounting to a violent weekend there -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Michaela. Both sides continuing to trade fire. The Erez border crossing, that was the border post that came under attack by Hamas fighters. They rain down mortars on that border post. That's where four Israelis were wounded. The Israeli air strikes going into the Gaza Strip, among the
casualties, more civilians, a mother and her three children were killed. And also, Israel said it targeted a chief Hamas financial operative. No word from Hamas, though, as to whether that operative was, in fact, killed.
Now, all this seems bad news, but there is a ray of hope. There's media buzz that perhaps new cease-fire talks could be under way. The Israeli government is giving no confirmation of that. We heard from Palestinian sources that there may be some kind of announcement from Egyptian authorities as early as this evening. We don't know what the content of any cease-fire proposal could be, Michaela.
PEREIRA: A substantive cease-fire agreement couldn't come soon enough. Karl Penhaul with the latest. Thanks so much.
Let's turn to California now where people there are enduring dozens of aftershocks in the wake of the powerful Napa earthquake. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. We know Napa Valley schools will remain close today. The airport, though, is open even though its air traffic control tower was damaged. Most of the windows knocked out there. Some 2,200 power customers still do not have electricity. Sunday's 6.0 earthquake was the largest in the Bay Area since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.
The first British Ebola patient is being treated at a London hospital. The British health care worker was evacuated from Sierra Leone in a specially outfitted Royal Air Force jet. His doctors are working to determine the best course of treatment now.
In the meantime, the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported two deaths from the Ebola virus. But a government spokesman says the deaths are from a different strain of the virus than the outbreak that has been caused in West Africa. That is an interesting development and a concern because, again, we don't know how widely -- we know how contagious rather -- how infectious the Ebola virus is in West Africa. So, we'll be watching.
CAMEROTA: Different strains are a concern.
All right. Meanwhile, coming up on NEW DAY: an American has been freed by terrorists less than a week after the gruesome murder of James Foley. So, what was the difference between the two cases? We'll talk to an expert committed to the fight against terrorism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
BERMAN (voice-over): This morning American Peter Theo Curtis is free after being released by an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
(END VIDEOCLIP) BERMAN (on camera): In just a few hours President Obama will meet with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to discuss the growing threat from another extremist group in Syria, ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
BERMAN (voice-over): This coming as British investigators say they are close to identifying the ISIS militant who killed another American captive, James Foley. I want to bring in Haras Rafiq.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BERMAN (on camera): The outreach officer at Quilliam, a think tank dedicated to combating extremism. Haras, thanks so much for being with us. In just one week we have two stories with two such different outcomes. What happened to James Foley in such a grizzly way on video for the world to see, and now the release of Theo Curtis. So why such a different outcome this time?
HARAS RAFIQ, QUILLIAM OUTREACH OFFICER: I think we'll find that in the region what we have is a number of competing jihadi organizations. We have ISIS who claim that they've set up this so-called Islamic State and then we have the Nusra Front, which is actually in essence al Qaeda and the group from where ISIS originate. Now, what we're seeing is that al Qaeda are losing ground, they're losing a lot of ground to ISIS, both in Syria and Iraq. And ISIS were the people that we were bombing, the U.S. was bombing, and the British was supplying arms to to actually help free the Yazidis and other minorities within the Iraqi region.
So therefore, they decided that they would actually kill James Foley in a very gruesome, barbaric manner. But Peter Curtis was actually held by al Qaeda. What's interesting here is that we're seeing a new dynamic, we're seeing that Qatar was involved, and has been involved with al Qaeda in the region for a long time, and for sectarian reasons have been funding the group to actually take on the Shia-controlled regime in Syria.
We're seeing that Qatar now is playing a very dangerous game of being an intermediary between the U.S. and its allies and al Qaeda. Although I'm very, very pleased and I'm very happy for the family of Peter Curtis that he's actually released and safe, there are another 20 -- approximately another 20 foreign nationals that are held as hostage, and I wonder if we're setting a dangerous precedent here by negotiating with al Qaeda terrorists. It's something that certainly we don't seem to have done in the past, and I'm just worried that we don't get into a situation where -- if you excuse my mixed metaphors, that we actually are caught between the devil and a hard rock where we seem to be supporting an organization, let's not forget, that did 9/11 and a number of other terrorist atrocities around the world and has not denounced those acts. We have to be very careful on how we actually make sure that our journalists, our citizens, are actually returned safely.
BERMAN: Haras, the family of Theo Curtis says they were told that no ransom was paid by Qatar, by anyone to release their family member, Theo Curtis. But you suspect that Qatar gave something up to al Nusra in order to get this hostage released.
RAFIQ: Yes, Qatar has been negotiating and funding and dealing with the al Qaeda fronts for a long time. Of course, Qatar, alongside Saudi Arabia and all the other countries in the region fear for their own safety. Now I'm wondering whether they've decided that they will actually try and help and fund al Qaeda to actually try and fight ISIS in the region. Now that's very, very dangerous. Although we may not have given money or finances, I wonder what other support Qatar has promised them. What are the support in terms of either weapons or political support. Qatar on behalf of the U.S. or anybody else, any of the Western allies has promised the al Qaeda front. Because if we have promised them something, we're actually, as I mentioned, a dangerous precedent, but we're also creating a problem for ourselves long term as well.
BERMAN: Haras Rafiq for us. Thanks so much for being with us. Obviously a very complicated situation, and I think you have the mixed metaphor of the day but it is an apt one. Caught between a devil and the hard place right now. Thanks, Haras.
Next up for us on NEW DAY. As the family of Michael Brown prepares to lay him to rest, there is a growing amount of support for Officer Darren Wilson. Will that community be torn apart if this officer is not charged with a crime? That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
PEREIRA (voice-over): Michael Brown Jr. being laid to rest today, 16 days after he was shot by police officer Darren Wilson. Brown's father has asked for a day of silence, a day of peace as he buries his son. Now a growing amount of support for Officer Wilson. An online fund-raiser for Wilson has so far raised over $300,000 in donations, surpassing donations even made for Michael Brown.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
PEREIRA (on camera): So much to discuss with Paul Callan, CNN legal analyst, and Mo Ivory, attorney and radio host. Mo, I'm going to start with you because I know you were there in Ferguson today. Why did you feel it was important to be there?
MO IVORY, ATTORNEY AND RADIO HOST: Well, you know, this story, obviously, for so many Americans and for myself has been just heart- wrenching. I've been reporting on it, both on radio and joining you guys. I just felt like I wanted to come here. I wanted to see the community, I wanted to pay my respects to the family, and I just wanted to pray for Michael Brown and his family and for peace moving forward. So, I thought it was important to come.
PEREIRA: I'm glad you're there and I'm glad that you're going to share with your radio crowd as well as the audience here your experience there. Paul, sitting here with me in studio, we've been watching and I mentioned it during the intro, that the support for officer brown is gaining some serious momentum, the fund-raising, and also the fact that there was a rally and people are being very vocal. Are you surprised by the amount of support he's getting?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Actually, I've been surprised at the lack of support that he's been getting previous to this. You know, in big cities like New York, for instance, where we have a police force of over 35,000, there would be sort of an orchestrated campaign of support for him by the PBA Union and by his attorney. But in the case of Darren Wilson, his attorney hasn't returned phone calls. There's been no orchestrated - -
PEREIRA: Its been all quiet.
CALLAN: - - PR campaign. It's very, very unusual. Usually you see the officer being portrayed in a more sympathetic light. I'm talking about his personal life.
PEREIRA: Sure.
CALLAN: And we haven't seen that so far in this case.
PEREIRA: And Mo, it's interesting because as the protests have gotten a little bit more subdued and more quiet and the protesters are not staying out as late, we're seeing the support rising for Officer Wilson and getting more vocal. Are you concerned that that's going to spark a new round of angst there in the community?
IVORY: Well, I think that everything has been peaceful so far. I just really think that it's about having, you know, the officers on the street and people remaining calm. But you know, I have seen a little bit of a contrast in sort of the terminology that's used between both parties because when people were out supporting Michael Brown, they were protesters, but when people are out supporting Officer Wilson they're supporters. So, I mean, we don't clearly at all see the police presence that we did during the Michael Brown protesting or supporting that we see for Officer Wilson. But I also think that as one dies down, another picks up, so we may see more activity for Officer Wilson as those begin to stay home around the Michael Brown situation and especially today, giving the family what they want.
CALLAN: You know, in fairness, Mo, I think that the press account I saw said there were 100 supporters of Officer Wilson publicly appearing. I don't think there was any, you know, rioting, or attacks on stores, or any disruption. So I'm not surprised. Now, if those people turned violent in some way, as a small number of the protesters who we've seen earlier did, I think you'd see more of a police presence.
PEREIRA: I want to talk about the governor.
IVORY: I understand that.
PEREIRA: I want to move on to another point here real quick, guys. I want to talk about the governor. A lot of people are wondering what if the officer is not charged? Our Candy Crowley spoke to the Governor Nixon over the weekend. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Have you considered the possibility this might have been a clean shoot, or that the officer might not be charged by a grand jury?
GOV. JAY NIXON, (D) MISSOURI: I think all of those things could happen, but the bottom line is our focus here is on making sure that the dual investigations, one by the local prosecutor and by the U.S. attorney general and the Justice Department move forward and that they're thorough.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
PEREIRA: Do you think, Paul, it's likely that he could not be charged, the officer could not be charged in this?
CALLAN: I think there's a substantial probability that that could happen. But of course, we still don't know all of the evidence in the case. We're really kind of seeing one side of the case. We haven't heard Wilson's detailed account, nor have we heard if there are other witnesses who might support that account. I can tell you that in most cases where lethal force is used by the police, the police officer is not indicted. So it would not be a surprising situation if he were not. But of course we have the community concern. We have political issues here. Sometimes you know what a prosecutor says? I'm going to submit to it a jury for decision and that could happen in this case.
PEREIRA: Final thought with you, Mo, if the grand jury doesn't define Michael Brown's death a murder, what recourse does the family have?
IVORY: Well, obviously the family will be devastated if something like that happens, as will the community and, you know, I can imagine the nation of people that have been supporting, and globally as well. They, of course, have the federal lawsuit to go after. They can, you know, continue working with the Justice Department and hope that something will happen there. And then, of course, there are the civil lawsuits that will come for wrongful death against the police department, against Officer Wilson. So there is other recourse. But there is no recourse like having Officer Wilson arrested, which again can happen any day that they want it to happen, or the prosecutor deciding to indict himself and bring a charge because again, he does not need the grand jury in order bring a charge against Officer Wilson.
PEREIRA: Mo Ivory, I'm glad you're there in Ferguson this morning. Thanks for joining us this morning. Paul Callan, always a pleasure.
IVORY: Thank you.
CALLAN: Thank you.
PEREIRA: John, over to you.
BERMAN: Thanks so much, Michaela. So much news this morning that we're following. Let's get right to it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An American held by Islamic rebels in Syria for almost two years has been released.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a group, they're not moderate, but they're not as severely extreme as ISIS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cleanup effort in Napa continues this morning after Sunday's earthquake.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here at Thompson Vineyards we lost approximately 100 cases of library wine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do think the aftershocks will continue for several weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ferguson, Missouri is preparing to remember Mike Brown for who he was.
MICHAEL BROWN SR., FATHER OF MICHAEL BROWN: All I want is peace while my son is being laid to rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to NEW DAY. I'm Alisyn Camerota joined by John Berman and Michaela Pereira. Of course, John great to be with you. Chris and Kate are off this morning. President Obama will huddle with his top advisers to map out a strategy to fight the war against ISIS, as we've been talking about. He's meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel amid increasing signs that ISIS could have plans in the works to try to attack the United States. This comes as freedom is finally granted to an American held captive for almost two years in Syria as efforts continue to free 3 more Americans believed to be in terrorist hands. Meanwhile, officials in the UK are said to be making progress towards identifying the ISIS terrorists seen on video executing James Foley. More now from senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh in London. What's the latest, Nick?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, details emerging about how Peter Theo Curtis seemed to have been released from (inaudible) . A statement from his family saying that they thank the U.S. and Qatari governments for negotiating, that it happened on humanitarian grounds and, as far as they know, no money changed hands. But potentially a fortunate off-shooter of the U.S. and continued crackdown and onslaught against ISIS through air strikes that may now potentially continue in Syria.
