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New Day
Father of Jihadi John Speaks Out; Americans Consume the Most Sugar in the World
Aired March 04, 2015 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here we go with the five things you need to know for your new day.
At number one, President Obama dismissing Prime Minister Netanyahu's criticism of nuclear talks with Iran as, quote, nothing new, after the Israeli leader called a proposed agreement with Iran a, quote, "very bad deal."
A federal investigation launched after the Michael Brown shooting finds a widespread pattern of racial bias in the Ferguson, Missouri, police department. The full Justice Department report is expected to be released today.
The FBI says a suspect is in custody following a series of shootings in Maryland, including a shooting near the NSA headquarters. One building on the campus appeared to be damaged by gunfire.
The Supreme Court will hear a major challenge to the president's signature health care law. At issue, the legality of Obamacare tax credits in 34 states with federal run insurance exchanges.
It has been nearly two years since the deadly blasts at the Boston Marathon. Today, the surviving suspect will face a judge as opening statements get underway.
We do update those five things to know, so be sure to visit newdaycnn.com for the latest and freshest.
Alisyn.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: The father of the terrorist dubbed "Jihadi John" is speaking out. What he says about his son. Could it give us a new perspective on what made him join ISIS?
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CAMEROTA: We have new audio recordings of the ISIS terrorist, Mohammed Emwazi, aka "Jihadi John." In the 2009 recordings released by the Muslim advocacy group CAGE, Emwazi is heard denying that he's an terrorist. We are also hearing from Emwazi's father and his teachers. Let's turn to Bobby Ghosh. He's our CNN global affairs analyst and the managing editor of Quartz.
Bobby, great to have you here because we're going to walk through lots of voices --
BOBBY GHOSH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Now talking about the man known who has come to be known as "Jihadi John."
First I want to start with his high school teacher. Listen to what she says about what he was like in high school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was quiet and he was reserved. But generally, he was fine. There was no issues with him. There were no massive behavior problems with him. And by the time he got into the sixth (INAUDIBLE), he settled, he was working hard and he achieved great grades for him and he went on to the university that he chose to go to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Does that mean something happened after high school?
GHOSH: It would suggest that. I mean you should hear what my high school teachers have to say about me. You know, people -- people don't come out of the womb as terrorists. In many cases the -- they are -- you know, they're picked up by organizations later on in life and they're susceptible to these ideologies because something else is going on in their lives. It can happen at different times. The time line is far from clear.
CAMEROTA: It seems as though something happened to him in 2009. The story is that he was trying to travel to Tanzania to go on safari with friends, but he was intercepted by British security forces who believed that he was actually going to Somalia, possibly to join al Shabaab. He was questioned by them. And here is what he says he told them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED EMWAZI: What did you think of 9/11? I told them, this is the wrong thing. What happened was wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: OK. So they asked him, what did you think of 9/11? I told them, this is a wrong thing. What happened was wrong. He then says that they didn't believe him and --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMWAZI: After, you know, I told you that, what's happening is extremism and you're still suggesting that I'm an extremist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: He was angry that they were suggesting that he was an extremist and that he was going to -- to travel to join al Shabaab.
GHOSH: He says he was angry. We only have his word for this. This is a recording made by an organization led by a person, (INAUDIBLE), there he is right there, who's known to have sort of -- who favors jihad not necessarily against the west but who favors jihad. So we don't know the circumstances of this recording. We don't know whether he was coached to make this recording.
But, if you take it at face value, which suggests that at this time in his life, in 2009, he was still, if you like, a normal, well-adjusted person who, when -- as most Muslims when they saw what happened in 9/11 were filled with revulsion and anger against the terrorists and that after this time, after 2009, something turned.
CAMEROTA: One of the things that's chilling about listening to those two audio clips that we just heard are how analysts say it sounds so similar to the voice from the beheading videos. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMWAZI: Obama, you have started your heir of bombardment in Shem (ph), which keeps on striking our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: When his high school teacher says that she heard that, she said the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Obviously people are comparing voice recordings now.
GHOSH: That's right. We are also hearing that his mother, who is in Kuwait, when she first heard these recordings, she pointed to the television screen and said, "that's my son." Didn't -- as far as we can tell, didn't tell the authorities. But the voice is quite distinctive.
What we have not yet heard from him or from CAGE is what the precipitating event was. What turns what this teacher says is normal, well-adjusted somewhat reserved young man, to someone capable of slashing out (ph) the throats of innocent civilians.
CAMEROTA: Well, he himself says that it was in 2009 when he was intercepted by the British security forces on his way to a safari in Tanzania with friends. I mean, again, we don't know --
GHOSH: Yes.
CAMEROTA: But that's what he claims is what made him angry.
GHOSH: Yes. It's understandable to be angry, and lots and lots of people who get mistreated by security services around the world get angry, but it would be an insult to all of them to claim that that itself is enough to become this monster. I mean most people who are treated poorly by security forces, they complain or they have -- they harbor grudges, but they don't become what this man has become. It's much more complex than that. This is -- his explanation and CAGE's explanation for why he turned is too simplistic for it.
CAMEROTA: And, of course, other people believe that he was radicalized at university.
GHOSH: Yes.
CAMEROTA: We're also hearing from his father for the first time. Here is what Emwazi's father says. He says he is ashamed of his son. He calls him a dog, an animal and a terrorist. Is that significant?
GHOSH: That is significant. That is important for the world to hear that his family has turned from him. But if the family months ago saw this figure on television, heard the voice and recognized him, why didn't they say something?
CAMEROTA: Last, I want to end with Mr. Qureshi. He is the one who is at CAGE, which is this advocacy group that fights against the war on terror because they think it's discriminatory.
GHOSH: Yes.
CAMEROTA: He gets very emotional when he talks about Emwazi. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASIM QURESHI, CAGE: He's such a -- (INAUDIBLE) that he's -- he's -- he was such a beautiful young man, really. You know, it's -- it's hard to imagine the trajectory, but it's not a trajectory that's unfamiliar with us. Our entire national security strategy over the last 13 years has only increased alienation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: He says it's the national security strategy from Britain that has increased his alienation. What do you think?
GHOSH: Again, very, very simplistic explanation. And he has heard the recordings of Qureshi praising jihad. His idea of what makes a beautiful young man might be quite different from the rest of us. He has praised jihad in Chechnya and Afhganistan, in Kashmir, and in Syria. And that is I think, to me, quite revealing about him and what his organization's up to.
Listen, if the -- if all the stories that have been -- that he and Jihad John have told about the circumstances in which he was treated by the security forces, if all those stories are 100 percent true, there needs to be an inquiry. The government needs to answer for a lot of things and needs to fix these things. Innocent people can't be picked up and treated badly. All that said, it's not even the beginnings of an excuse for what this man has done.
CAMEROTA: Of course. If you're mistreated by security forces, you don't start beheading people.
Bobby Ghosh, thanks so much for your perspective. Always great to get it.
Let's get over to Michaela.
PEREIRA: All right, we're going to change in an entirely different direction ahead. Tell Michaela a little something. You got a sweet tooth? Don't worry, boo, you're not alone. We Americans consume the most sugar in the world. Turns out, though, it may not be all your fault. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will explain.
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PEREIRA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. People in the United States have a very sweet tooth. In fact, Americans consume more sweeteners than anywhere else in the world. But now some of the country's top dietitians want to stop the sugar rush, encouraging people to limit the amount of sweets they eat or drink.
CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with the latest NEW DAY New You. All right, we know sugar is bad for us. We get it. We get it. Why is it that we Americans have such a sweet tooth?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Michaela, I think human beings evolved to have a sweet tooth. I mean, back when we were evolving initially, it was a very good tasting, high energy source of food, source of calories. So we evolved to want it, and now we continue to eat it in greater numbers than ever before because it's more readily available.
But I think it's even more than that. There's been studies now that have shown that when you eat sugar, it does release some of these feel good chemicals in the brain. And that feels good and, therefore, if you eat sugar, you're going to want even more sugar. People have made the case that there is an addictive sort of quality to it, at least in animals but probably in humans in well.
PEREIRA: I think some of us would attest to that. How bad is it for America, then? How bad is our American sweet tooth?
GUPTA: We eat a lot of it, no question. Let me give you some numbers. In context --
PEREIRA: Drop the knowledge, Doc.
GUPTA: Yes, 100 to 150 calories is what you should be eating; instead they eat an extra 350 calories per day. So as far as any nutrients in our diet, this is the one we sort of abuse. Three times, four times as much as we should be eating. Again, you see the numbers, it's 100 calories per day, 150, is what we should be eating. And so it's really high. It's high around the world but it's particularly high, as you mentioned, right here.
PEREIRA: Well, with the American diet, we eat so much fast food and processed food and prepared food. And it's hard for people, I think, to understand without looking at the label how much is in -- how much sugar is in those items. GUPTA: I think about this all the time. So there's sugar in lots of
different foods, right? Obviously in fruits, even vegetables, even things like milk. That's sugar that many people don't pay attention to, but it's in natural foods. Then there is the obvious added sugar, like a sugary soda, for example, which if you have one sugary soda, you've already blown your daily allotment in terms of what is actually recommended.
I think the thing that really gets people often, though, Michaela, is as you say the sort of surprising sources of sugar -- sauces, for example. Salad dressings, things you may not think of as having that much sugar but in fact add up really, really quickly. And those are in foods for all sorts of different reasons. Bread has sugar in it. Why? Not to make it sweet but because sugar is a humectant. It actually draws in water. And that makes bread and pastries more moist. So the moister the pastry you're eating, the moister the bread, the more sugar it has.
Let me just show you something else. You get surprised how much sugar things have. This is a flavored grande latte. Just in terms of sugar content, you think that probably has sugar, but if you drink that, it's like having 2-1/2 donuts as well?
PEREIRA: You're kidding?
GUPTA: 28 grams of sugar. There's 4 calories per gram, so it's 112 calories of sugar just in one of these things.
PEREIRA: That is a shocking comparison. And Chris wants to know what you're doing with both of those after?
GUPTA: I'm actually sending those to Chris Cuomo.
PEREIRA: Donuts first. OK, you get the chai, send the donuts to Chris. My goodness, what a great illustration for us. Thanks so much, Sanjay, for breaking that down for us. We'll have to watch our sugar consumption to be sure.
Chris?
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here's the kind of sweet that doesn't hurt your teeth or your body. A beautiful bride to be, the perfect dress, but a hefty price tag. How can this be the Good Stuff? Oh, just wait.
But, first, take a look at the new CNN series, "FINDING JESUS". The next one airs Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An unprecedented CNN event. He didn't vanish without leaving a trace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the first time in history we're able to place these relics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And grasp something that changed the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really the moment of truth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the story of Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The rock upon which the church was built.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An icon of scientific obsession.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is extraordinary to find an archaeological piece.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we really have here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did Judas betray Jesus?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody chose to write this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The science does matter. Is this the burial shroud of Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are the clues he left behind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Faith, fact, forgery.
"FINDING JESUS" premiers Sunday night at 9:00 on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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CUOMO: All right. Good Stuff. Today's edition, young bride seriously strapped for cash gets a big boost from a total strange. Listen to this. Liz Jensen, college student, about to marry the love of her life. She tries on a dress. Oh, everything is perfect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ JENSEN, MYSTERY SHOPPER PAID FOR HER WEDDING DRESS: Right when I put it on I was just like, OK, this is easy. This is the one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Except it was too expensive. Too much for Liz to afford so that's when the owner of the store told her, don't worry about it, it's all taken care of.
PEREIRA: What?
CUOMO: Turns out another customer in the store, also a bride to be, paid for the dress and then snuck out. Wanted to remain anonymous.
PEREIRA: Get out.
CUOMO: Now Liz says that spirit of giving is going to have a place in her wedding with a special table where guests can pledge to do an act of service for somebody else.
CAMEROTA: So good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENSEN: We have felt inspired through this experience to base our marriage and our relationship on the principle of thinking of other people before ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: That's beautiful.
CUOMO: Right?
CAMEROTA: Beautiful; pay it forward.
PEREIRA: Love it. What a nice looking couple. They look so happy together.
CUOMO: That's what marriage is all about, doing things for the other.
CAMEROTA: Wow. So sweet, Chris Cuomo. I'm sure your wife loves hearing you say that.
PEREIRA: Say it to the camera.
CUOMO: I think that was a seizure.
PEREIRA: I know. Are you all right?
CUOMO: I'm swallowing my tongue. We should go.
CAMEROTA: Let's do that. It's time for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. Hi, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEWSROOM": Just in the nick of time. Right? he is. He's -- he is a mess. Have a great day though, try at least.
"NEWSROOM" starts now.
