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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama Authorizes Targeted Airstrikes Against ISIS; Explosions Rock Gaza

Aired August 08, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning. President Obama authorizing airstrikes in Iraq, if necessary, pledging to help fight Islamic terrorists who are making stunning advances and slaughtering anyone in their way. This morning, how the United States is stepping in trying to help those victims and also what may come next.

Violence erupting again between Hamas and Israel as negotiators failed to extend a three-day cease-fire. Israel walking out of those peace talks in Egypt. Live team coverage from the latest on the ground in Gaza and also from Cairo to see if there's any hope left for hammering out a long-term peace deal.

And happening right now, tropical storm Iselle barreling into Hawaii. Dangerous wind, rain and waves slamming the islands there. Also there could be much more on the way. This is a big one. Indra Petersons is tracking all of it for us.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. It is 30 minutes past 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. We welcome all of our viewers here in the United States and of course around the world as well.

President Obama upping the stakes in northern Iraq. In a nationally televised address last night, the president authorized the use of targeted airstrikes against ISIS militants, warning America cannot turn a blind eye to the crisis unfolding in the region. Islamic extremist on a rampage, closing in very close to the city of Irbil. That is where U.S. military and diplomatic personnel could be in harm's way.

Also the president authorizing an emergency air drop of water and food to try to help a large number of Kurds and other religious minorities that are trapped on a mountainside by those oncoming militants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no decision that I take more seriously than the use of military force. Over the last several years, we have brought the vast majority of our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. And I have been careful to resist calls to turn time and again to our military because America has other tools in our arsenal than our military. We can also lead with the power of our diplomacy, our economy and our

ideals. But when the lives of American citizens are at risk, we will take action. That's my responsibility as commander in chief. And when many thousands of innocent civilians are faced with the danger of being wiped out and we have the capacity to do something about it, we will take action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: ISIS militants in northern Iraq have made really stunning advances in just the past few weeks. They have seized town after town. It has been a bloody onslaught. They've even taken control of Iraq's largest dam. That is in Mosul. Right now, though, all eyes are on the city of Irbil. That is where chaos could erupt at any moment.

Our Ivan Watson is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are the conditions that thousands of desperate Iraqis are going to be sleeping in tonight after they have fled the most recent offensive by ISIS militants who have succeeded in capturing a number of towns and villages, taking them away from Kurdish Peshmerga militia fighters.

At this location we see some of these families who have pulled up after arriving, packed into the back of pick-up trucks, in some cases hitchhiking, hiring taxis, in some cases fleeing on foot. And they are showing up in some of the unfinished apartment and office buildings on the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Irbil.

The conditions here, as basic as can be. They are sleeping on cement. We have seen some distribution of water, of cookies to these people. But these families have no plan in mind. They tend to come from religious minorities that are viewed as apostates by the ISIS militants. And these are Shiites. In other cases, they are Christians Yazidis who feel threatened. Their lives are at risk from these Sunni Muslim hardliners who have vowed to kill people who do not come from a Sunni Muslim faith.

This exodus of people is going to be an enormous burden for the authorities in the Kurdistan regional government that controls northern Iraq. Even at the same time as their militias, their Peshmerga fighters, are pressed on the front lines to try to protect Kurdish -- territories from the ISIS militants who we are told are now equipped with armored vehicles and -- heavy weapons that have been captured from the Iraqi Army that collapsed, the same Iraqi Army that was equipped with weapons from the U.S. government.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Ivan, thank you for that look from the ground and from the people's perspective. They're caught in the middle of all of this. Also this happening right now, loud explosions in Gaza. Israel

resuming those airstrikes after claiming that Hamas violated that three-day cease-fire before it even ended. Hamas, though, is denying that.

Let's go to John Vause who is live for us in Gaza.

So, you know, at this point, we know that Hamas is denying that they shot those rockets. Another faction there is actually taking responsibility. But at the end of the day, the bottom line is that the peace talks did not work. Israel has walked out. And now the fighting has started all over again.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Let's just be clear there, Poppy, no one is taking responsibility for the rocket fire hours before the cease-fire was expected to expire. That was 8:00 a.m. in the morning here local time. The rocket fire happened around 4:00 a.m. At this point, no one is willing to own up to say we did it. But as you say, right now we have a situation at the moment. That cease-fire expired. We just heard an ambulance behind us because there have been a number of airstrikes here, as you mentioned, on Gaza City.

They started about an hour ago, the Israelis using air power. There was a number of strikes, the first one just to the west of us. And since then, we believe that an area not far from a mosque has been hit. In that airstrike, we're being told by Palestinians that a small child was killed. But really, the rockets began firing moments after the cease-fire expired. More than a dozen or so have been fired since that 8:00 a.m. deadline.

And again, Islamic jihad taking responsibility for the bulk of the rocket fire. We're not hearing anything from Hamas at this point. And as you say, the Israelis are blaming Hamas for violating the cease-fire, saying that the rockets which came out of Gaza before the 8:00 a.m. deadline for the cease-fire to expire was, in fact, Hamas, as we say they -- it was theirs. But Hamas -- but rather the Israelis blame Hamas because they are in control of the Gaza Strip.

And a spokesperson for the Israeli government, Mark Regev, explained the Israeli government position.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: The Cairo talks are based on one crucial assumption, and that is unconditional cease-fire. The talks only started because there was a cessation of hostile fire. And by breaking the cease-fire, by re-initiating violence, by targeting our civilians as they have done this morning, it's clear that Hamas has broken the fundamental premise for these talks in Cairo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It seems the rocket fire so far, Poppy, has in fact been short range rockets. And we're hearing from the other side of the border, from the Israeli side that one civilian has been moderately hurt. And an Israeli soldier has been lightly hurt as well -- Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. The violence beginning once again. John Vause live for us in Gaza.

John, your team, thank you for the reporting throughout this. Stay safe.

Breaking overnight, the Israeli delegation, as we said, at these peace talks walking out, returning home. Leaving hopes for that lasting truce pretty shattered.

Let's bring in Reza Sayah live from Cairo.

Reza, do we know what the breaking point was for this to just fall apart?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think the impasse was over the framework of this particular cease-fire agreement and any extension of it. Israel's position was clear. They wanted this unconditional cease-fire to be extended. However, Hamas and other Palestinian delegates, they were not on board. Essentially their position was that this was an Israeli bluff. Israel wanted to return to a status quo. The Hamas' position was they agreed to this cease- fire, they agreed to stop fighting and come to Cairo in order to address some of their core demands, including lifting the blockade.

We understand, based on statements from the Qassam Brigade, their minimum demand within these past 72 hours was opening the sea port, which would give the Gazans access to the outside world. Apparently that hasn't happened.

For the past few hours, we've had pretty much silence here in Cairo. An hour ago, a senior Egyptian official sent us a text message saying an update will be coming soon. We don't know what update is, we don't know if it's positive news. Another Palestinian official telling us that the talks here stopped between the Egyptians and the Palestinians at 4:00 a.m. and of course, the Israelis left at 7:00 a.m.

And what's worrying, Poppy, at this hour, there's no indication that even these indirect talks are continuing or going to resume in the coming hours and the coming days. And obviously, if you want to get this thing resolved, there's going to have to be some sort of communication.

HARLOW: Absolutely.

Reza Sayah, appreciate the update from Cairo. Your reporting throughout all this. Thanks so much.

Happening right now, also tropical storm Iselle is hitting Hawaii hard. We've got dangerous wind, rain and waves. Indra Peterson is tracking it all. We'll tell you what's going on with this really one- two punch. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARLOW: The Hawaiian islands taking an absolute beating right now from Tropical Storm Iselle. Really heavy rain has been falling since yesterday afternoon triggering some flooding. The storm's outer band packing 70-mile-an-hour winds overnight. More trouble on the way, if you can believe it.

Indra Petersons is here with the latest.

Wow, the images, especially for an area surprisingly that just does not get a lot of these.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've been talking about this since 1959.

HARLOW: Yes.

PETERSONS: Only (INAUDIBLE) have hit Hawaiian islands and now we have these two major systems that are out there, brought some hurricanes this morning. But now Iselle has weakened to a tropical storm.

I do want to point out it only weakened by five miles per hour. Very strong tropical storm is still out there. The effects are going to be very similar which you kind of see they're being torn apart by the cooler waters and the wind shear that's out there. Not the case. You talk about Julio which just strengthened now to 120-mile-per-hour winds. Look at the definition of that eye. We're talking about a two-punch system expected to be in the Hawaiian Islands in just the next several days.

Now keep in mind, it has not made landfall just yet. It's not landfall until the eye of the storm has made its way onshore. But we are currently seeing the effects of the rain and some of those strong gusts out there. Really already seeing gusts out there, even as strong as about 54 miles per hour in Hilo and even out toward even Maui, we're talking about 29, 30-mile-per-hour winds.

Of course the winds and the rain, these are going to be the biggest concern as the system continues to make its way through all of the islands as we go through the afternoon today making its way offshore in through tomorrow. Biggest area of concern is going to be the heaviest amounts of rain, up to a foot, guys, out towards Mali and even toward the big island and then it goes towards Oahu and Kauai about four to seven inches of rain.

This is a huge concern especially towards Hilo because what you're looking out is the strongest portion of the system bringing the bull's eye of that heavy rain right in that direction towards Hilo. The other concern there are those mountainous terrain. If you're talking about those regions, all that heavy rain comes right now down those hillsides bringing the threat for mudslides in through Hilo, really in through the next several hours as the system right now is looking at landfall pretty imminent.

The other concern again is going to be there's only one day of a breather. Winds out there and even the surf above 20 feet by Saturday, the system makes its way up shore. You have one day for clean up before Julio, currently a stronger system, will be out there. Keep in mind the path is staying north of the islands but the effects will still be felt especially as we go through Sunday.

HARLOW: Wow. One, two, and the second one stronger.

PETERSONS: Yes.

HARLOW: Indra, thank you. Appreciate the update. Thanks so much.

All right. A lot of news coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris and Kate are on top of it all. Let's go to Chris Cuomo for the latest.

What are you guys following, Chris?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Hey, Poppy. We're following these big stories that are breaking with global implications especially in the Middle East. Now we do have to go back to Iraq. Right? We have to go back to it as a news organization and also perhaps as a country, the United States.

The president is now forced to take action against ISIS. He has already given the go ahead for targeted airstrikes on forces closing in on American staff in the north. That staff, remember, are those advisory groups that were supposedly be out of harm's way.

He's also sent humanitarian help to thousands forced to flee the militants, now stuck on a mountain top. We'll give you the latest on that.

And there is a fresh round of violence breaking out between Israel and militants in Gaza. Different groups are taking credit or blame here. Hamas says it's not them. Israel says it is. But whatever the case is, they are fighting again. Rockets fired into Israel. More rocket fire followed. Israel now responding.

Now how quickly will it get out of control? We'll have reports, we'll have analysis of both this story and Iraq right at the top of the hour. Both stories are developing on our watch -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes, Chris, it's been incredible to see the advances that ISIS has made just in the last few weeks there. Well, we've all been watching Israel and Gaza, this happening now, and now both of them in full force. I know you guys are will be on top of it. We look forward to it.

Chris, thank you.

And of course we're going to continue following the big story this morning, Iraq breaking down, how Islamic militants are taking over this country village by village, as Chris and I were just talking. It is stunning. We're going to show it to you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: ISIS extremists in northern Iraq have made significant advances in just the past few weeks. They have taken over town after town in a ruthless rampage against religious minorities forcing tens of thousands of Iraqis to flee their homes or face certain death.

Our chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto has a closer look at exactly what's happening.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, the president responding to both an immediate threat from ISIS but also a broader threat.

Let's talk about the immediate threat first. Right here, just to the east of Mosul, you have the Yazidi minority. They are surrounded by ISIS, really under threat of a massacre now. And the president has dropped humanitarian supplies just to keep them from starving, from running out of water on this mountain and giving time for the next step, which is opening up a humanitarian quarter so they can escape to the Kurdish controlled areas here in the north.

The trouble is, those Kurdish controlled areas also coming under threat from ISIS. And in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish controlled areas in the north, you have several hundred American consular workers as well as military advisers, who have been advising the Iraqi military. The president saying he will conduct airstrikes to protect U.S. personnel there as well as here in Baghdad if ISIS advances.

Those are the immediate threats. Let's talk about the broader threat for a moment because this is where ISIS territory was just in the middle of June. Now, in the last six weeks, here is how much it has grown. And as it grows, it is threatening more parts of the country. And their strength is growing. And I speak to U.S. officials frequently about this, they say the Iraqi military is in no position right now to push ISIS back from these positions. In fact, ISIS is expanding.

That is the next challenge for the administration. It's a threat not only to the region, it's also a threat to the American homeland because U.S. intelligence officials believe that ISIS fighters are being trained and prepped for the possibility of carrying out attacks in the U.S. when they return home -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Jim Sciutto, thank you for that. A fascinating look at the reality on the ground there in Iraq.

Also happening right now, closing arguments for a former Olympic athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend. The latest from court in South Africa, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander is the latest sitting senator to beat back a Tea Party challenger. CNN projects Alexander has defeated Tennessee state senator, Joe Carr, in the GOP primary. Carr was endorsed by Sarah Palin, another Tea Party conservative. In the state of Tennessee Alexander is now expected to win re-election in November.

Republican hopes of picking up a Senate seat in November just got a boost as Montana Democrat John Walsh dropping out of a race because of a plagiarism scandal. Walsh says that claims that he plagiarized part of a paper submitted for his masters degree have become a, quote, "distraction from the issues." He was appointed back in February to replace Montana's Max Baucus in the Senate. Republicans need a net gain of six Senate seats in the midterm elections to take control of that chamber.

And the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius is expected to wrap up in South Africa today. The case will go to the judge after the defense finishes their closing arguments. Again, there's not a jury in South Africa. This is a bench trial. So it will be up to the judge. Pistorius is accused of pre-meditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. His defense argues the former Olympic runner shot Steenkamp accidentally, making her -- really mistaking her for an intruder. Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if he is convicted.

We'll keep you posted on that. Of course a lot of breaking news ahead from Iraq to Israel and Gaza. That is all on "NEW DAY." Stay tuned, "NEW DAY" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, the U.S. prepares for battle in Iraq.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, I authorize two operations in Iraq. Targeted airstrikes to protect our American personnel and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians.

CUOMO: Airstrikes approved as terrorist group ISIS takes more towns. A million people now displaced, many of them Christians fleeing for their lives. The U.S. military in a daring humanitarian aid drop to save the tens of thousands surrounded on a mountain top.

OBAMA: When the lives of American citizens are at risk, we will take action.

CUOMO: New fears U.S. personnel on the ground may be in danger. The latest on the crisis.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Also breaking the cease-fire in the Middle East, over.

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: It's clear that Hamas has broken the fundamental premise for these talks in Cairo.

BOLDUAN: Rockets fired into Israel even before the clock expired. And the barrage didn't stop there. Israel is now responding with force in Gaza. And the peace negotiations seem to be over. The Israeli delegation has left the talks, so what next?

CUOMO: A special edition of NEW DAY starts right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)