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Terror Downplayed in Flight 370 Mystery; Search Area Expands for Missing Jet; Pistorius' Friend Takes Stand in Murder Trial; Democrats Pull All-Nighter, Talk Climate

Aired March 11, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Brooke. Have a great day, all of you.

NEWSROOM starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, breaking overnight, new details in the mystery of Flight 370.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They questioned the travel agency that sold the tickets.

COSTELLO: An Iranian identified as one the two who boarded the plane with a stolen passport.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Authorities say Pouri Nour Mohammadi was on his way to Germany, possibly trying to seek asylum.

COSTELLO: And this morning the focus turns to its second new photo as officials now wave off terrorism ties.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that he is not likely to be a member of any terrorist group.

COSTELLO: Investigators working around the clock searching the seas, scouring an area the size of Pennsylvania.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're now flying just 500 feet above sea level.

COSTELLO: Looking for new clues in the mystery of Flight 370.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me. We begin this hour with the search for Malaysian Airlines jetliner and new developments that may downplay terrorism in its disappearance.

This morning police identify the two men who used stolen passports to board the plane. This is a 29-year-old Iranian. And the other man is an 18-year-old Iranian. The head of the global police agency Interpol says the latest details are tamping down initial suspicions of terrorism. But here's an odd twist. Both men entered Malaysia with valid Iranian passports.

So let's get the latest on the investigation. Our Nic Robertson is in London and CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes is in Washington.

Good morning to both of you.

ROBERTSON: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

Tom, I want to start with you. We now know the men who used the stolen passports were probably seeking asylum. Does this rule out terrorism?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: No. It doesn't rule it in or rule it out. It makes it less likely that these two individuals themselves were part of a terrorist scheme and -- if in fact they were seeking asylum. But there's still a lot of investigation, I think, that has to be done, who was Kazam Ali, the individual that purchased the tickets through the travel agency in Thailand. How many other times has he arranged for travel for individuals on false passports? And has that always been in relationship to someone trying to seek asylum?

So we don't know how he knew the two individuals that actually got on the airplane. So that still leaves a question. And I think that Ron Noble, the secretary general of Interpol, was saying it reduces the likelihood of terrorism being the cause but it doesn't -- it doesn't eliminate and it still doesn't account for the other couple hundred passengers on the aircraft, and not to mention crew members and the possibility that somehow, you know, a pilot or co-pilot decided to do something bad that we're not aware of yet and may not ever be aware of until the flight recorders are recovered.

COSTELLO: Nic, Malaysian Police are focusing on four particular areas -- hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems of passengers and crew and personal problems among passengers and crew. I did notice mechanical failure is not in that mix. So do Malaysian authorities know something we don't?

ROBERTSON: You know, I have the same question and they haven't answered that question so far. And again the issue of sort of terrorism, I suppose that could still fall under hijacking, it would be. One would suspect to have been terrorists perhaps on that list of people who could be -- who could on the aircraft to hijack.

But it is -- and it's very interesting that they are saying or not saying, rather, that a mechanical failure. However they have said that as far as those two people, those two young Iranians who traveled to Kuala Lumpur, arrived there on the Iranian passports a week before the flight to Beijing took off, they are saying that they also are discounting them from terrorism. It is interesting, though, to look at what the director general Ron Noble from Interpol is saying. He said this may be more sort of human trafficking.

COSTELLO: Human trafficking. What do you mean by that? Just explain that further. Human trafficking of what? Why?

ROBERTSON: Yes, people. Yes. Exactly. I mean, I question that language as well because we know that the reason that Malaysian authorities were tipped off to one of these young Iranians, the 19- year-old Iranian, being missing was because his mother who was waiting in Frankfurt for him to arrive called authorities and said, my son didn't get off his flight. What's going on here?

And that kind of led the trail back to these men. I'm not sure what kind of trafficking he is talking about. Look, what is clear here is that Interpol is using this incident to say that more airlines should be using and cross-referencing the Interpol database of stolen, fraudulent passports that are out there and certainly when CNN's Jim Clancy interviewed the CEO of Malaysian Airlines he asked that question and the CEO said well, you know, it would be time consuming to do it. Interpol have really taken a firm stand today and said that kind of rationale reasoning does not, does not hold water -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. Another question for you, Tom. Malaysian authorities are also looking at airport surveillance of passengers boarding the plane. What are they focusing on?

FUENTES: Well, trying to identify the other individuals that actually got on the airplane. You know, they've notified next of kin immediately almost after the plane disappeared. But again there could be other suspicion individuals that come up that are on that flight that have nothing to do with these two Iranian gentlemen. And you know, you just don't know. They have to look at everything.

And I think what happens is the media has a tendency to report it as if they're doing one thing at a time. And if that doesn't work out, do something else. They're doing everything simultaneously as Nic Robertson mentioned. You know, they're looking at the crew, they're looking at passengers, they're looking at other information, other possible threats from terrorist groups. So this is a wide ranging extensive investigation. It's not limited to just one or two areas of focus.

COSTELLO: And by the way, still no sign of the wreckage. But thanks to both of you, Nic Robertson and Tom Fuentes.

ROBERTSON: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Of course there were three American citizens aboard that flight. One of them was Phillip Wood. His family who lives in suburban Dallas say they're fighting to hold out hope even as the news appears more grim with each passing hour. Last night Phillip's brother spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, AC 360: James, how are you and your family holding up?

JAMES WOOD, BROTHER OF MISSING PASSENGER: We're doing OK. We are -- we're getting through. We're taking it -- sometimes an hour at a time. Sometimes just a minute at a time. But we're holding together and we are -- we're working on this because of faith. You know, honestly we're getting through this on our faith. And taking it just a little at a time. It's been a little bit numbing to be honest.

COSTELLO: Understandably. And, James, I know Phillip has two sons. One of them is in college. I mean, are you in touch with them constantly? How are they holding up?

WOOD: Yes. Absolutely. They're doing OK, too. We just saw them a couple of days ago. And they're with my mom and dad right now. And so -- we all process grief a little different. So they're being a little quieter right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Phillip Wood was an IBM executive that lived in Beijing the last couple of years and he was relocating to Malaysia.

Search teams have of course been scouring tens of thousands of square miles of the sea where Flight 370 was last seen. The area includes the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. That's the size of the state of Pennsylvania.

CNN's Saima Mohsin is on board a search plane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOSHIN (on camera): This C-130 plane carries out regular search and rescue missions. This is still a search and rescue operation as far as the Malaysian government is concerned. We're now flying just 500 feet above sea level, very low, searching for the missing plane MH- 370.

Now this is the first time the Malaysian Ministry of the Defense and Transportation and the chief of Defense Force have come out to see to join the operation. Over viewing all the ships that are out here, more than 40 from neighboring countries, from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia and the USA and Australia have joined this search mission.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: But we're still hearing discouraging news this morning. The U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet says no aircraft debris was spotted during today's search.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the friend of Oscar Pistorius takes the stand in the track star's murder. After the emotional day of testimony that left Pistorius physically ill. We'll have more on today's testimony in just a minute. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking our top stories at 13 minutes past the hour. We learn today that Russian lawmakers plan to debate legislation next week on Crimea becoming part of Russia. Crimea plans to hold a referendum on the issue Sunday. Ukraine's interim government who's called the referendum unconstitutional.

New video out showing a pregnant mom driving a minivan with her children inside into the ocean. Pictures from beach security cameras were released as Ebony Wilkerson went to court. No details released about the dependency hearing held to determine what will happen to Wilkerson's three kids. Wilkerson has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse.

Nine people injured including six children when a school bus flipped after colliding with a taxi cab. The accident happened in Brooklyn. A witness rushed to help the kids.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DENMARK, WITNESS: They were screaming, yelling, jumping around. They had no idea really what was going on or how they were going to get out of there. I just immediately jumped in the bus and just started, trying to get people out as far as possible because I saw blood on the ceiling of the bus so I didn't know whether -- if that had been a child or if that had been one of the adults.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The children and two adults on the bus had minor injuries. The cab driver suffered serious injuries.

A scary moment at last night's Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas stars game. Dallas center Rich Peverly collapsed on the bench. Peverly was conscious as he was taken to the hospital. Even asking if he could go back into the game. He's now listed in stable condition.

Peverly had a procedure back in September to fix an irregular heartbeat. Last night's game was called and will be made up later -- will be made up, I should, at a later date.

He's a close friend of Oscar Pistorius and someone who witnessed the track stars gun used in the past. Now, as Pistorius stands trial for the murder of his girlfriend, that friend is taking the stand about a traffic stop on how Pistorius brandished a gun afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERRIE NEL, PROSECUTOR: What is the accused's reaction to what happened when you left?

DARREN FRESCO, FRIEND OF OSCAR PISTORIUS: He was furious about that someone else had touched his gun.

I was driving. The accused was in the passenger seat. Sam Taylor was in the back of the car. Without prior warning, he shot out the sunroof.

NEL: How do you know he shot out the sunroof?

FRESCO: Once I flinched to the right-hand side of the vehicle, having ducked down, I seen the weapon being brought back in through the sunroof.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But it was the testimony of a pathologist that captivated the courtroom, when he detailed the multiple injuries sustained by Steenkamp, including the final bullet that hit her above her right eye, a sort that pathologist called, quote, :"incapacitating and almost instantly fatal." He also described the ammunition, a hollow- tipped "Ranger" bullet, what the pathologist says opens up like a flower petal to cause maximum tissue damage.

It was those comments that Pistorius to cover his ears, dry heave and at times vomit into a bucket. Pistorius' brother and sister both coming over to check on him during a break in the testimony.

Robyn Curnow is in Pretoria. And psychiatrist Gail Saltz is in New York.

Robyn, I want to start with you. Pistorius' emotional behavior is so unusual. How are people inside the courtroom perceiving it?

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't know if it's unusual. I mean, how do you react when you listen to testimony of somebody that you shot, whether it was intentional or not? I mean, he has a very genuine reaction in court yesterday. He had a physical gut reaction to the testimony which was quite clinical. It wasn't gratuitous or gruesome.

I must say though, today in court -- court is over for today, he's far more composed, far more able to follow proceedings. In fact, staring down his so called friend. I don't think he's a friend any longer while he gave a testimony and was ripped to shreds in cross- examination.

So, I mean, I think I don't know whether I've seen many people vomit in court. But that said, how can you judge someone on hearing that kind of information?

COSTELLO: Well, you're absolutely right, but it is unusual to see someone get physically ill in a courtroom. I covered courts for a long time. I've never seen it. Maybe it's different in the United States.

So, Dr. Gail, I will enlist your help. Is this unusual?

GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST: It is unusual, but it's not unheard of to basically have symptoms like this for a whole host of reasons. One can be essentially shock, you know, feeling very stunned, feeling very fearful. Fear can cause an adrenaline rush which causes what's called vasovagal reaction when people are very, very stunned. You know, they can faint. Their blood pressure can drop.

And as part of that, you can be nauseous, sweating and you can throw up. So, a very dramatic, emotional reaction can cause someone to throw up. We don't know what the contents of that would be, whether it's -- you know, I'm horrified by what I've done or I'm afraid I'm going to prison the rest of my life.

You know, it could mean a whole host of things.

COSTELLO: Robyn, I also understand Pistorius cried and prayed over Reeva's body the night she died. Tell us about that.

CURNOW: Well, this comes from the testimony from one of the first responders, actually one of the neighbors who is a doctor. And he said when he arrived on the scene, Pistorius had one hand in her mouth trying to open her passage ways, her airways, and he also had one on her groin, her hip wound. He was pleading to God to save her saying to God he would devote his life to him if she lived.

So, that was the compelling emotional testimony that this doctor saw when he arrived and also tried to save Reeva.

COSTELLO: So, I'm going to generalize and ask this question. Can a man kill a woman and grieve over her and still be guilty of murder?

SALTZ: I would say, since anything is possible, I would say yes, in the sense that if you have impulse control problem and in a fit of rage, you commit a murder, and then, you know, after you're no longer enraged think to yourself, what have I done? Then, you could absolutely be horrified by your actions that you committed not that long ago. And it doesn't mean you didn't do it in a moment of passionate rage.

COSTELLO: We'll see what the courts decide.

CNN's Robyn Curnow, psychiatrist Gail Saltz, thanks so much.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: Democrats wrapping up in all-nighter on the Senate floor, talking for hours and hours and hours about climate change. But did the overnight talkathon really wake up many Americans? We'll talk about that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Just moments ago in Washington, Democrats wrapped up an overnight talkathon on the Senate floor. It was a stunt to draw attention to an issue stalled in Congress. That would be climate change.

But 14-plus hours is a lot of time to fill. And at one point, Massachusetts' Ed Markey even borrowed a page from the GOP, citing Dr. Seuss. This time, it wasn't "Green Eggs and Ham", but the Lorax. Seriously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I will just have to close with this short portion. Here's what it says. "But now", says the Once- ler, "now that you're here, the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."

So, to my colleagues here in the Senate, and everyone watching and following tonight, thank you for caring a whole awful lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. Dr. Seuss also said you'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut. So, while the stunt might have slipped by us while sleeping, Apple's Tim Cook and Virgin's Richard Branson might have done more to wake some people up.

Joining me now, CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans.

Both men have very strong views on climate change.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They do and they've been very vocal about those views.

You know, Carol, the Senate Democrats are trying to stir the base, trying to talk about what liberals want them to be talking about, and that is climate change, even though there's no meaningful legislation on the table. But what these CEOs have been saying is they're saying, look, you know, climate change deniers stay out of our way.

In particular, Richard Branson, you know, the billionaire, he recently put out the blog post lauding another CEO for his stance. He says, "Look, more businesses should be following Apple's stance and encouraging more investment and sustainability. While Tim told sustainability skeptics to get out of the stock, I would urge climate change deniers to get out of our way."

He's talking about Tim Cook, who at their shareholder meeting last month, basically got pretty fired up at that meeting and said, "If you want me to do things only for ROI reasons," that's return on investment reasons, "you should get out of this stock."

He, again, was being very pointed at people who were skeptical of their sustainability track record at Apple, too. So, very interesting, you've got a couple of outspoken CEOs who, much like those Senate Democrats, are trying to keep this subject out there and talked about, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, are they taking a chance here by, you know, kind of angering their stockholders? I mean, Tim Cook said, don't invest in my company if you're going to be a climate change denier.

ROMANS: I know. I will say it's pretty rare, it is pretty rare to have a CEO stand up and say, "Don't invest in my stock." You know, their goal is to have you want to invest in their stock.

But these are two CEOs with very outspoken views about what their world view is and what their company's world view is. You know, there's an Apple sensibility and this world view in terms of this at least. So, interesting that these two CEOs, Senate Democrats at this time talking about something where there's no meaningful legislation on the table.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Christine Romans, interesting as always. Thank you so much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM -- President Obama, comedian in chief?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you planning on building your presidential library, in Hawaii or your home country of Kenya? Because -- I mean, both places seem like they would be --

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Zach, that's a ridiculous question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Why the president is tapping into his funny side to sell Obamacare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)