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Massive Assault in Yemen Targets al Qaeda; Bergen: Strikes in Yemen Obama's War; Divers Find "Bulk of Bodies" on Ship; General Mills Backtracks on Right to Sue; Families of Flight 370 Frustrated with Search; Boston Marathon Kicks Off

Aired April 21, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning. I'm Pamela Brown in for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for being here with us on this Monday.

What's being called a massive and unprecedented assault is under way targeting al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. It's considered the most dangerous branch of al Qaeda in the world. A Yemeni government official tells CNN it's a joint operation with the U.S. involving a region in southern Yemen and that's a hotbed for the terror group.

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom is live in Washington for us.

And Mohammed you just learned some new information about this operation. Tell us what you're finding out.

MOHAMMED, JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes Pamela well the big question all along after learning about this operation is have any high-value targets from amongst the AQAP al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula group actually been captured or killed? Because clearly the Yemeni government wants to get their hands on some of these core leadership people there in Yemen.

Well, I spoke with a source of mine just a few minutes back he said that last night in Shabwah Province there was an operation that involve Yemeni special forces that they ambushed a bunch of vehicles that were carrying militants that were suspected of being AQAP high value targets, that a fire fight ensued that then all those militants were killed.

After that a Yemeni Special Forces helicopter landed on the scene there in Shabwah whisked those bodies away to try to commence the DNA testing. As of now a lot of officials I'm speaking with in Yemen believe that there is a good possibility that some of these very high- value targets may have actually been killed. But the DNA testing will take several days. So that's what they're trying to do as quickly as possible.

Now there have been a lot of rumors that perhaps even the top AQAP bomb maker Ibrahim al-Asiri, may have been killed in these attacks. That's been far from substantiated. Everybody wants to know where he is and really what they want to know now is who they have been able to kill and if that will make a difference as far as degrading the structure of AQAP which is as many analysts say the most dangerous -- the most dangerous wing of the al Qaeda network in the world -- Pamela.

BROWN: And Mohammed, we have a government official in Yemen saying that this was a joint operation with the U.S. Do we know how involved the U.S. was with this?

JAMJOOM: It's unclear. We know from some U.S. officials that the CIA was involved in planning. But that's not really a surprise because the CIA is often involved when it comes to trying to plan these drone strikes. It's -- it's operational assistance sometimes from the air but not on the ground. What I have been told from Yemeni officials is that the Yemeni soldiers that are the ground -- the boots that are on the ground are only Yemeni boots that there are only Yemeni commanders there.

And that really shows how significant this operation is. I've been to Yemen many times and I've never been able to get to these areas. These are rugged, mountainous areas where -- that are considered a real hotbed of militancy. They house some of the most dangerous members of the AQAP network and it's a weak central government in Yemen. It's very hard for them to try to actually get to these areas so the fact that not only were they carrying out air strikes but now they've actually sent in troops that really shows just how serious it is and how seriously they're going after these targets -- Pamela.

BROWN: And of course this follows that video we just saw recently being released showing the gathering of AQAP members.

Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you for that report. We appreciate it.

And CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen calls the drone campaign in Yemen "President Obama's war". I talked to him last hour and asked why. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Under President George W. Bush there was one drone strike and under President Obama there have been at least 90 and also additionally some cruise missile strikes. So it's really something a campaign that President Obama launched as is mentioned that came in the context of the failed plot to bring down a plane over Detroit, the underwear bomb plot. And U.S. officials are very concerned about this group which keeps trying to build bombs that are very hard to detect and trying to get them on to American aircraft.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The New America Foundation says air and drone strikes in Yemen have killed anywhere between 700 and 1,000 people most of them militants and at least 81 civilians also lost their lives. And still to come, searching the cold, murky waters for victims of South Korea's ferry disaster; we'll hear from one rescue diver who struggles with the bleak and daunting mission.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Welcome back, everyone.

Taking a look here at First Lady Michelle Obama making some live remarks at the White House lawn -- it is the 136th Easter egg roll. The biggest annual event at the White House and there are several kids there and a big group gathering for this tradition and a beautiful day in the nation's capital.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: All right have a great time. Bye-bye.

BROWN: And shifting focus now to other news that we're keeping an eye on this morning.

In South Korea, the death toll from the ferry disaster has jumped dramatically from 65 to 87 and it is sure to keep climbing. South Korea's Coast Guard tells CNN the divers found quote, "A bulk of bodies on board the submerged vessel." Those victims will not be added to the death toll until they are brought ashore and for some divers, the grim task is almost too much to bear.

CNN's Will Ripley has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For these divers every day is a race against time, a race to find survivors of the sunken Sewol ferry marked by only these two buoys.

CHOUNG DONG NAM, PRESIDENT, KOREA RESCUE ASSOCIATION (through translator): For the civilian divers there must be survivors no matter what we must find the air pocket. That's why I have hope.

RIPLEY: That hope is fading quickly for Choung Dong Nam who leads hundreds of volunteer divers; each hour reduces the chances of finding anyone alive.

NAM: We cry every day and search for the missing people. I cry whenever I think about it.

RIPLEY: A heavy burden as divers brave dangerous conditions underwater, strong currents and almost zero visibility.

NAM: If you go down 10 meters you can only see about 20 centimeters. Divers can barely recognize their own palm.

RIPLEY (on camera): As they search for the living all they find are the dead. Each day more and more victims are pulled from the water placed on these ships and taken to shore. NAM: All the families of the missing people and hundreds of volunteer divers are focused on searching for the survivors. We're willing to risk our lives for this.

RIPLEY (voice over): Each day, they fight to find survivors. They fight the pain of knowing there may be nobody left alive.

NAM: Let's stop here.

RIPLEY: Body after body, day after day these divers don't give up. They say they can't give up.

Will Ripley, CNN, off the coast of Jindo, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And checking other "Top Stories" today. Officials in northwest Wyoming are trying to stabilize a landslide that's devouring one hillside town inch-by-inch. The once slow-moving landslide has doubled in speed and split one home apart. It's about the size of two football fields and it's threatening even more homes.

It's not clear why this is happening but officials say it's unlikely the ground will collapse like last month. The deadly landslide in Washington State you'll probably remember that.

And what a story here. The FBI investigating whether a 16-year-old boy may have flown from California to Hawaii by hitching a ride in the landing gear wheel of a Boeing 767. According to officials, the boy appeared dazed and confused when he arrived in Maui on Sunday. Experts say the teen who stands by his story wouldn't have been able to survive the freezing temperatures and the low oxygen levels outside the jet's cabin.

Kraft is recalling nearly 100,000 pounds of hot dogs. Apparently there is a mix-up with labeling and some Oscar Mayer's classic packages contain cheese dogs. The mislabeled packages were produced in March and distributed throughout the United States this month.

Robin "Hurricane" Carter has died at age of 76. The former boxing contender who spent 19 years in prison for three murders he did not commit. His case first drew international attention back in 1976 when Bob Dylan co-wrote a song declaring his innocence. Carter's story also inspired books and the 1999 film "Hurricane" starring Denzel Washington. Carter lived in Toronto after he was freed from prison and reportedly died this weekend of complications from prostate cancer.

General Mills backtracks. It looked like you were giving up the right to sue the company if you downloaded coupons or joined a sweepstakes but now it's making some changes.

CNN's personal finance and business correspondent Zain Asher is at the New York Stock Exchange with more. Hi there, Zain.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Pamela. So basically General Mills is scrapping a change to its fine print. Last week the company posted new legal terms to its Web site that basically appeared to say that if you joined any of its online communities or if you interacted with the company in a broad number of ways you would not be able to sue them. You would have to be able -- you would have to go through informal negotiation or arbitration instead.

So obviously needless to say, there was some degree of consumer outrage that prompted the company to void the new terms. And people were worried well you know if I agreed to a discount on like Cheerios am I giving up the right to sue? General Mills basically said that all of this was a big misunderstanding and that this did not apply to people, who simply likes their Facebook page. But here is the thing it may have actually applied if you for example downloaded a coupon on its sites or entered sweepstakes and check the box agreeing to terms and conditions.

So the bottom line is you have to read the fine print. Now we all see all those pages with terms and conditions online. And a lot of people don't read them. And so people don't know what they're signing up for. A lot of companies include arbitration clauses it's actually relatively common in the corporate world.

If you have agreed to arbitration, here is what you need to know, you can still pursue a claim it just won't be heard by a jury and it does eliminate class action lawsuits, as well. It also limits the amount of information each side can get from the other side and it is virtually impossible to appeal. Bottom line, Pamela, you do have to read those terms and conditions -- Pamela.

BROWN: Yes. Take the time and read the fine print. All right Zain Asher. Thank you.

And still to come, her husband was on Flight 370 and now she is struggling with the possibility she may have to tell her three children their father may never come home.

Up next we'll hear from the wife of one of the plane's crew members after this break.

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BROWN: As the search drags on for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, families of the victims continue to demand answers from government officials about what happened to the missing jetliner. For one woman, the wait is especially painful. Her husband was a flight attendant on MH370 and she says she doesn't know how to tell her children they may never see their father again.

CNN's Nic Robertson shares her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the past six weeks, Laila has been waiting. NURLAILA NGAH AWANG, HUSBAND WAS FLIGHT ATTENDANT ON FLIGHT 370: Emotionally is up and down, you know. Sometimes I'm OK. Sometimes so-so, sometimes always very sad.

ROBERTSON: The worst was three weeks ago when Malaysia's prime minister said Flight 370 ended in the sea.

AWANG: Really hurts. When we hear that they have ended there.

ROBERTSON: Her husband Wan Swaid Ismail was one of the cabin crew. They met 19 years ago when she too, was an air stewardess at Malaysian Airlines. A conversation they had a week before the fateful flight helps keep her going.

AWANG: I was telling him we are going to celebrate our 13th anniversary this year. He was telling me of course, the best for him. And I was asking him are we going to have next 13 years together? Of course.

ROBERTSON: Also helping her cope, their three children.

AWANG: They have faith that their father coming back.

ROBERTSON: Two boys, 10 and 12; and a girl, just eight years old.

AWANG: They don't want to show their emotion much in front of me. But for me I'm trying to hide my emotions as much as I can. They try to cheer me up. I'm the one who have to cheer them.

ROBERTSON: After six weeks, her hardest moments -- finding a way to tell her children they may never see their father again.

AWANG: I was telling them also to accept if the father had gone forever and they said they will try as much as how I can accept it.

ROBERTSON: In your heart, what do you tell yourself?

AWANG: He's there. That's what I think of. He is just -- he will be there. Wherever I go, whatever I do, he'll always be beside me.

ROBERTSON: Nothing could prepare a family for this -- waiting without knowing -- a wife, a mother coping one day at a time.

AWANG: Although I smile but it's not from my heart. I'm smiling because of, you know -- but I was sad inside. I believe everybody was feeling the same.

ROBERTSON: Nic Robertson, CNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Thank you so much for joining me today. John Berman is live from Boston after a quick break.

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm John Berman in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

It all starts here. This is the starting line for the Boston Marathon. The 118th Boston Marathon is already under way right behind me. They have been starting for about the last hour and a half in steady waves. You can see a pack of people right there. They're getting ready to begin the elite women, the elite men. The people who will win this race are on the course right now making the mad dash toward Boylston Street in downtown Boston.

Of course, this race, this year is really a year like none other. 36,000 runners will be on the course. Security like we have never seen before -- unprecedented. Some 3,500 security personnel, cameras, dogs, really much more intense than ever seen for obvious reasons following what happened here last year.

But today, very much a celebration -- and I'm joined here in Hopkinton by two of the 36,000 participants in the Boston Marathon -- Brian Herr and Mary Murphy. Brian, you have run 24 Boston Marathons. Today will be your 25th. He's starting literally in about five minutes. Mary, you have run several marathons yourself. It's great to have you here.

Brian, let me start with you because it's such an interesting story. You were on the course last year. You didn't finish the race last year because of what happened.

BRIAN HERR, BOSTON MARATHON RUNNER: Yes. That's right. I got to mile 25.5 and they shut us down right there. We didn't know what was going on. It was about 20 minutes of concern and chaos until we figured out what to do next.

BERMAN: Why does that make today so important to you?

HERR: Well, you know, I have been doing this for a long time and I run for a charity, we raise a lot of money. We do a lot of good things for our world, our charity does a lot of good for the world. And what happened last year was simply wrong and it's important for us to come back this year and do good again.

The Boston Marathon is all about doing good and we're happy to be here.

BERMAN: Mary, you took last year's race off. You've run many of the others. But last year was a trying time for you because your kids there to watch the race, of course, you thought they might be near the finish line when everything happened.

MARY MURPHY, BOSTON MARATHON RUNNER: Right. I was actually cheering at Mile 20 and my two older kids went from Mile 20 in with dad to run the race and finish with him and as things started unfolding, we didn't -- there was literally 90 minutes when I had no idea where any of them were and what had happened exactly, so it was, as a mom, tricky.

BERMAN: It was one of the toughest 90-minute-period I think anyone in this city, this area has ever seen. It was really, really confusing and terrifying for so many people. Again, today is important to go out and show that that's not what the marathon is about. This is what it's about -- the celebration and the running that's happening right behind us.

MURPHY: That's why we're back.

BERMAN: Now, your preparation for it, do you think at all about the security -- we have been talking about unprecedented security -- some 35,000 law enforcement personnel. You guys put any thought into that? I know you are actually involved in planning the security here in Hopkinton. But as runners, do you know that's going on around you?

MURPHY: No. But it feels like the safest place on the planet actually because there's everywhere coverage and police and checkpoints that we have had not. We're from Hopkinton so it feels very normal but not normal.

BERMAN: Brian, you are a selectman here in town. You've been involved with planning this unprecedented level of security. Were there concerns balancing the security with the festivities, the celebratory nature of what's supposed to happen?

HERR: The first major concern is security. The second major concern was security with a balanced approach. So we worked very hard to make sure that we could feel the festivities today, we could feel the carnival-like atmosphere, that we could feel the positive energy and at the same time make it very, very secure for everybody that's here.

BERMAN: The positive energy is everywhere here. I mean Hopkinton is such a great little town if people don't know it -- roughly 26.2 miles from Boston. It all starts here -- the town motto, this is where the marathon all begins. It's such a wonderful time to be here in this town.

How -- what was the reaction here immediately after the marathon last year?

HERR: We were shocked. We were saddened. We were very upset. We put a lot of time in this marathon; we know the organizers extremely well. All the citizens of Hopkinton really believe in the marathon and what it stands for. So it hurt us a great deal but like so many people in Massachusetts we went through the process. We got over it and we started planning for this year. So we're ready to go.

BERMAN: Now, when you crossing that finish line roughly three and a half hours from now?

MURPHY: Sure.

BERMAN: What's going to be going through your head when you cross that finish line?

MURPHY: Just excitement, excitement to be back in, back running. We want to cross together, so hopefully we'll be able to do that. Just take it all in.

BERMAN: I get the sense of what's going on here is everyone is doing it together. There'll be 36,000 people out there doing this together.

MURPHY: That's true. You definitely whether it's someone next to you or behind you, you kind of form an alliance with people around you that you run for.

BERMAN: Guys, good luck. Hydrate. Mary Murphy, Brian Herr, have a great race. We're pulling for you. Really appreciate you being with us.

HERR: All right.

MURPHY: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right. That's it from Hopkinton right now.

Let's go back to "@THIS HOUR" in New York with my partner in crime, Miss Michaela Pereira.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: I'm staying where no sweat will be broken; I'm sure there'll be plenty of sweat and cheers for all of the racers there, John. I'm so glad you're there. Thanks so much. We're going check in with you a little while from now the Boston Marathon. We'll go back live.

Thanks for joining us. For you at home -- I'm Michaela Pereira in New York.

And "@THIS HOUR", divers on a desperate search to find anyone who might have survived that ferry disaster off South Korea, but the death toll is rising.