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New Era Begins In U.S.-Cuba Relations; President To Propose Tax Benefits For Middle Class; How Radical Islamists Are Distorting Islam

Aired January 19, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: That's all I like, but all of this politics winds up becoming about the people. The obvious human rights problems that go on in that country seemingly without any answer. How do the people feel there, Karl, about what this means? Do they think it will be good for them?

PENHAUL: There are a couple strategies, ordinary Cubans that I've spoken to are very excited about the easing of trade and travel restrictions that came into effect over the weekend because that essentially means they could get more dollars in their pocket if more American travelers are coming to Cuba and if there are more remittances coming into Cuba that can fund private businesses.

So the Cubans are happy about the impact that that could have on their pockets. But talking to some of these oppositions, some of these dissident movements, they are very adamant.

They do not think this is time to give any favors to the Castro regime and what some of the dissidents will be advising to Roberta Jacobson is don't open political ties with Cuba, right now, because in their words, the Castros have to go before there can be a real solution to the problems on this island -- Chris.

CUOMO: It's always been the catch, hasn't it, Karl? You know, people don't want, Karl, they don't want you to help the Castros, but they want you to help the people, but how do you help the people without involving the Castros. So we'll see how the ball gets moved forward. Mr. Penhaul, thank you very much for the reporting -- Mich.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's take a look at some headlines for you here at 31 minutes past the hour. Yemen's information minister says his nation's presidential palace has come under an attack in an attempted coup.

There has also been an assassination attempt on the life of Prime Minister Khalid Baha. We're also getting reports that Yemeni state TV is now under the control of the Houti-Shiite political movement. We will continue to work our sources there and bring you the latest information.

Mitt Romney appears to be rebranding himself as an anti-poverty crusader. He says he is considering running for president again and because of his strong desire to address income equality. Well, that is you would anticipate it's raising all sorts of eyebrows especially after those infamous words from his last candidacy dismissing 47 percent of American voters.

The FAA investigating two very close calls over the weekend, a JetBlue flight had been cleared for takeoff and was doing so when the pilot suddenly hit the brakes because another plane crossed his path.

The FAA says the two planes came within 2,800 feet of one another. Also in Atlanta, smoke from the landing gear of a Delta flight bound for Japan forcing that pilot to turn back after burning off fuel.

An extraordinary survival story, you've already seen this picture of the guy who narrowly survived this 25-vehicle pileup in Oregon, yes. There is Caleb Whitney's pick-up truck in between two big rigs. That's him inside the sandwich pickup truck.

His only injuries required like a couple of band aids and a bag of ice. He was among a dozen people hurt. Miraculously, no one was killed. Guess what? Caleb, who I believed has all prayed up, joins us right here on NEW DAY coming up at 8:30 Eastern. We will talk to him about that, how he feels today. Wait for that.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. He feels two dimensional.

CUOMO: First question, whoever took that picture --

PEREIRA: Can you give me a hand here, buddy?

CUOMO: I hope it's not in lieu of any saving efforts.

CAMEROTA: The person who took that picture did go then and try to help him.

CUOMO: After.

CAMEROTA: He took the picture, but he was part of the helping efforts right after that, but what could he do --

CUOMO: Help first.

CAMEROTA: I mean, you have to wait --

CUOMO: You got to get him out that little hole there in the window.

PEREIRA: And the concern is, too, with that kind of compression, what happens when you do pull them apart. You know, that's the concern. We will talk to them about it. Right now, though, a pressing question is this.

New tax recalls, the president is suggesting he will unveil it to help middle class families during his annual state of the union address tomorrow night, but will these measures make it through that new Republican-controlled Congress?

CNN's Money, Christine Romans is here to explain what the president is proposing, what it means for you. OK, first up, Christine, happy Monday. What's in it?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's sort of a tax populism. Who can be against more goodies for the middle class? The middle class is getting nothing from wages, right? So here's what's in it?

Two years of free community college for qualified students and $500 tax credit for married couples, who each hold a job so that's families with incomes up to 120 grand would get another 500 bucks.

That's meant to help millions of families help pay for child care when they are both working and an increase in the top child care credit to $3,000 per kid. That's tripling of the child care credit. That's what the president is proposing in the state of the union.

CAMEROTA: Who can be against it? The answer is Republicans because part of it is taxing the wealthy more.

ROMANS: Taxing the banks and the wealthy to pay for it, taking from the rich and from the big banks to pay for the president's populist move here, which many people are saying is just never ever going to pass.

What you're hearing from Republicans is they want broad tax reform. They don't want corporate tax reform. They don't want this taking from rich people and banks to give to the middle class. They want wages to grow and they want their policies to do it.

There is some stuff in here that is by both parties have agreed to. So the president is sort of daring I think Republicans, I'm daring you, why don't you try to be against the middle class here.

CUOMO: The middle class getting squeezed is a non-partisan issue, right? You got people from both parties who are involved in the same difficulties, the banks, though, the beneficiaries of the largest welfare program in world history, what was done for them? Why shouldn't they be feed?

ROMANS: They paid it all back with interest, Chris, but you're right. The taxpayers stepped in there and short of the banks for the bad behavior of the banks. In here there are new fees for big banks that would make billions of dollars. It would bring in billions of dollars.

The banks will not like it, but it's these big banks, $50 billion and above in revenue. It would be new fees for them for their risky behavior that they do of course in their business. That won't fly with Republicans. It won't fly with the banks putting in there to show he knows how to pay for the new goodies for the middle class.

The backdrop of all of this is that wages are not rising, something has to be done. If wages don't rise, the middle class doesn't share in the economic benefits that we've had. This is what the president is trying to do.

CAMEROTA: All right, we'll see how this goes over. Great to see you. Pro-Islam protests breaking out all over the world this past weekend as authorities comb Europe trying to uncover terrorist sleeper cells. Is free speech, and the western way of life, is democracy in jeopardy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Protesters took to the streets in Pakistan and elsewhere to condemn "Charlie Hebdo" and its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. Our next guests say those protests are indicative of the column in "Newsday" she writes, "The Charlie Hebdo massacre demands that we at last acknowledged that the secular, pluralistic democratic world is imperiled by Islamism.

Joining us now is Dr. Qanta Ahmed. She is the author of "In the Land of Invisible Women." Dr. Akmed, it's great to have you here on NEW DAY. So you write that the democratic world is being imperiled by Islamism. I want to challenge you on that to see if you are overstating it somehow.

There are 320 million people in the United States by my calculation in the past several years, 50 Americans have been arrested for radical jihad. That's hardly being imperiled. We are not being overrun by Jihadists. So what do you mean?

DR. QANTA AHMED, AUTHOR, "IN THE LAND OF INVISIBLE WOMEN": That's a great question, Alisyn. First I think there is a distinction in the nature in which Islamism is expressed. There is a violent expression, which we have seen in Paris. You are right, our authority have kept us incredibly secure after September 11th.

That's true. But there is a non-violent aspect, which actually inspires these violent attacks. The "Charlie Hebdo" attacks were inspired on the idea that it was blasphemy to defame Islam. That has actually been legally augmented in non-binding resolutions in the United Nations for over a decade.

Between 1999 and 2011 or '12, each year OIC nations, that's Muslim nations have led the effort to criminalize what they believe is defamation of Islam. That term is fully defined and it constitutes even the right to have this discussion.

CAMEROTA: So in other words, we shouldn't just be looking at this in terms of when there is a terrorist attack. You are saying that it's pernicious and that they are making inroads into freedom of speech in democratic countries even the U.S.?

AHMED: I think it does have an effect on us because the discussion we are having at the moment is perilous. I feel that it's perilous. I am sure others will feel the same. The reason it's perilous is our right to debate ideas is being confined, certainly the chilling effect.

The reason why American networks are not showing these images, which would be offensive to me as well is there is because a fear of violent retaliation. That's augmented by international non-binding resolutions. They don't have legal force in the United States, but they do confine the climate. We need to liberate the opportunity for debate in the United States.

CAMEROTA: When you say this conversation that we are having on NEW DAY right now is perilous, you mean that we get so much blowback on social media of people criticizing even that we would ask these questions.

AHMED: Well, then maybe even greater consequences. I mean perilous as a believing Muslim, these are my values and I no way shape or form seek to defame my precious belief. I do not see Islamism as a religion. It needs to be exposed as a political totalitarian ideology.

Instead, it seeks shelter in the privileges of religion and that's a difficult distinction to make and also it's perilous for all broadcast journalists as well because there are consequences for their organizations.

CAMEROTA: One of the heartening things I would imagine is after the "Charlie Hebdo" massacre, online, the cartoons went viral. So people started spreading them, in other words, freedom of speech is alive and well on the internet. So even if it's hard just to have these conversations in public and on television, is the internet fighting back against Islamism.

AHMED: That's very complicated question and in one sense, yes, of course, ideas can be freely communicated. In another sense, I think this also triggers a much more violent and much more global response and that violent global response is very much fed and supported by the concept that to discuss any aspect of Islam is somehow defamatory.

We are clear we do not agree that the cartoons were respectful and neither you nor I would share those values, but that should not trigger lethal violence.

CAMEROTA: And to your point, that's not in the Koran.

AHMED: As far as I understand it the Koran does not validate the prosecution of blasphemy by a human being on another human being. If it is recognized to be a crime, it is one that God will adjudicate on the mortal himself.

CAMEROTA: You write in your NEWS DAY column that in order to defeat Islamists, we will have to engage real Islam or true Islam and its followers. Are you suggesting that moderate Muslims, as they are often referred to, are not engaged in this?

AHMED: I think that Islamism, whether it's non-violent or violent, has great power and authority. It has power and authority, for instance, to pass resolutions that fit with the ideology in the United Nations, and it is the basis of leadership in countries like Iran and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and until recently also Egypt.

So it's the word moderate is very deficient. What we need to empower are diverse voices who are anti-Islamists. That's pretty much anyone that Islamists deem heretics or heterodox or not in line with their tyrannical thinking. We have to diversify the dialogue and the way we are going to diversify the dialogue is by liberating the conversation including from the chilling effects here in the United States.

CAMEROTA: So talking about it as much as we can helps?

AHMED: Helps and there is also reclaiming our lexicon. Words have been redacted from governmental documents and from federal agencies deemed as too -- for whatever motives, I don't know the motives, we have to reclaim language before we can start to talk about this problem.

CAMEROTA: Dr. Qanta Ahmed, it's always great to have this conversation with you. Thanks so much for coming on.

AHMED: Thank you, Alisyn, for having me.

CAMEROTA: Chris.

CUOMO: A talk we need to keep having it.

Here's another angle on it, "American Sniper" shattering the Box Office records. Why? Are war weary Americans desperate for a hero? We will discuss and weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a woman and a kid 20 yards out moving towards. Her arms aren't swinging. She's carrying something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: All right. There you go. That's a clip from the Box Office blockbuster, "American Sniper." The movie is an Oscar contending film, there is no question about that. It's about Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. He is the deadliest sniper in American history.

It's also a hard look at the war on terror. The Clint Eastwood- Bradley Cooper collaboration just shattered records for the best January opening ever $90.2 million.

The deeper question is why? Is it a great movie or is it more about the American psyche today? Let's bring in CNN senior media correspondent, the host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Mr. Brian Stelter. You say you loved this movie, but you had to ask yourself why. That's why you're here.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: It was the best movie I've seen all year. These are incredible numbers. I don't think any expected $90 million over the weekend. Even Warner Brothers of CNN here say they think it will go down in history in the Box Office charts.

CAMEROTA: I mean, more than "Avatar" and you remember all of the publicity blitz that "Avatar" got. Why do you think audiences are responding to it so much?

STELTER: This is the first Iraq war themed movie at the Box Office. Even "The Hurt Locker," which won the best picture in Oscar only made about 20 million here in the U.S. It made more overseas even then I think it made $50 million overall.

So already in one weekend, "American Sniper" is bigger than any Iraq war. Maybe because it doesn't deal with politics, whether we should have been there, the reality what it was like for one soldier once he was there so it's a soldier's eye point of view?

PEREIRA: Or could it be, I wonder, because there is a different focus now. Not as many of our young men and women are there. More time in the past. Not quite as contemporary as it once was. I think it was too hard of a reminder of people their sons and daughters going over, I want watch a movie about that.

STELTER: Fundamentally most of the conversation about Iraq is negative and what happened with our country in Iraq is negative. This is a positive portrayal, a film with an American hero. This man, Chris Kyle was legendary years ago wrote a book about his experience in Iraq and his story somewhat well-known already and dramatized in this way.

It has Bradley Cooper, also entertaining and emotional and made by Clint Eastwood. It has all the qualities automatically that help boost its overall.

CAMEROTA: In terms of the themes, I mean, aren't we always hungry for the themes of bravery and courage and against all odds.

CUOMO: Especially in a situation where the U.S. gets beaten up so much.

CAMEROTA: Yes, that's a winning combo.

STELTER: But I think that's why the movie is so controversial. Michael Moore is attacking it and a billboard with murder written across in graffiti suggesting the sniper is a murderer not a hero.

CUOMO: But tell people about the part of the movie that we're not focusing on in the media right now. It's all about Chris Kyle is a sniper right now. That's what people are talking about.

When he came back home, he helped the population of veterans that's still are the most neglected. He wound up hearing about PTSD and obviously he must have been suffering from it as well after what he went through and he focused on it and discussed it in this is book and wound up leading to his demise.

STELTER: A veteran activist said we think films like "American Sniper" may bring Americans closer to us than anything else. That may be the most important quality of this movie over time.

PEREIRA: It humanizes people in a way, right? STELTER: And then starts conversations about what this movie is a like. This is a movie -- I don't think I'm the one that experienced this. No one gets up right away. Everyone watches the across. By the time I was ready to go, they were cleaning up the theater. You want to think about it. That's the kind of movie it is. I think it is helpful to bring Americans closer to the experience.

CAMEROTA: I can't wait to see it. Brian Stelter, thanks so much. Great to see you.

CUOMO: Especially just for the reminder that the war is not over when our fighting men and women come back home. So what did you think about everything we just said?

Did you see the movie or going to see it, tweet us or you can go to NEW DAY -- you tweet us at NEW DAY, you could tweet us by name, whatever you want to do or you go to facebook.com/newday and let us know what you think.

CAMEROTA: Whatever you want to do. It's your choice, really.

OK, meanwhile, President Obama wants the middle class to pay less and the rich to pay more when it comes to taxes. He faces an uphill battle in Congress. We'll hear from the White House on how they think they are going to pass this plan and the GOP that's ahead.

PEREIRA: You likely recall the imam who wanted to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero. Up ahead, we're going to talk to him about why he feels it's getting harder to convince people that Islam does not incite terrorism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Several arrests over the weekend show just how wide the web of terror cells has spread.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an international phenomenon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What these terrorists represent is a perversion of a major religion. We have to take them on with everything we've got.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a Muslim, any time, any kind of terror attack happened, the whole Muslim community is on the edge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't do enough of an effort to reach out to the community and really understand it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a 70 car pileup in Oregon. A man pinned between two semis. It's amazing this guy survived.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, January 19th, just before 8:00 in the east.