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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Hunt for ISIS: The President's Plan; Kerry Arrives in Baghdad; More Ebola Victims in U.S.?; Russian Troops Pull Back from Ukraine; Apple Makes Bold Bets

Aired September 10, 2014 - 04:30   ET

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

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The hunt for ISIS. Tonight, President Obama reveals his strategy on how to take down the terrorists in Iraq and Syria, a crucial primetime address.

This morning, we're learning new information on what that plan will look like. This as Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Baghdad, that just moments ago. We're covering all the angles live right now.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour.

So, what is President Obama's plan for combating the growing threat from ISIS? We're going to get a much clearer idea tonight, excuse me, when the president addresses the nation on his strategy. We're getting insight this morning into what the president will say.

An administration official tells CNN that the president will focus on framing the threat posed by ISIS, to discuss actions he's already taken, and announced a series of new proposals to wipe out the terror group. We're also being told Congress won't be forced to vote on the use of force since the president feels he already has the authority to take the action.

The president met with top congressional leaders at the White House Tuesday ahead of this address.

House Speaker John Boehner says questions remain to be answered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Until we know what the strategy is, we don't know what's going to be involved. And so, it's critically important that we take these in some organized steps. And the first step is, what's the plan?

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He'll talk about the risk that the United States faces. And he'll talk about the strategy that he's put together to confront those risks, to mitigate them, and ultimately to degrade and destroy ISIL.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The president's address comes as ISIS fights for more ground in Iraq.

Our Anna Coren live in Irbil with the very latest, Anna. And tell us, what is the situation on the ground?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, as far as the situation on ground, there's still intense fighting going on in much of the country. Obviously, over the past several days, we've seen intense U.S. airstrikes around Haditha dam, Iraq's second largest dam. The fighting there continues. It's still happening in Mosul dam.

Also, an hour here from Irbil, which is where we were here late last week, fighting continues against ISIS. You know, they are not retreating. They are still digging in. But, obviously, those U.S. airstrikes making a real difference on the ground, there have been more than 150 U.S. airstrikes in the past month according to U.S. central command.

And certainly from the people we're speaking to, not just here in Irbil, but also in Baghdad, is that they want to see an intensification of those U.S. airstrikes. People are wanting President Obama to give that commitment, that strong statement, that the United States is here for the long haul. Not boots on the ground.

The president has made it perfectly clear that that will not happen. In saying that, there are more than 1,000 U.S. troops currently in country, supporting the embassies, supporting the consulate, protecting U.S. personnel.

But I think everybody is pretty clear, they're also here to advise and to assist and to help coordinate the action. Obviously, people also wanting more arms, better resources, more intelligence. They say that the Kurds and the Iraqis, they can take it fight directly to ISIS, but they do need that support and that leadership from the United States.

The Kurds and the Iraqis have been operating as two very separate, you know, entities. So they need to come together, if they're going to fight ISIS and really push them out -- certainly, here in Iraq.

Christine, the other thing that people wanting here is for President Obama to authorize those airstrikes in Syria. The reason being, as we all know, it is a safe haven for ISIS. It is also where they have a lot of their economic infrastructure, those oil fields. That's where they're getting a lot of the revenue to really fund their campaign.

So, you know, as the people here in Iraq know, as we've been discussing, they need to take that fight to ISIS in Syria, if they are really going to cripple, if not destroy, these terrorist organizations.

ROMANS: Tonight, we'll learn more about what the president's plan is, what he expects to do and what that will look like. Thank you so much, Anna. BERMAN: As we said, there's a diplomatic aspect to all of this.

Secretary of State John Kerry just arrived in Baghdad this morning as part of the swing to the Middle East to build support from nations there in the fight against ISIS.

The prevailing hope from the West is that the new, more inclusive government in Iraq will help bolster the efforts to defeat ISIS. The secretary will also attend talks in Saudi Arabia, with foreign ministers from countries including Iraq, Egypt and Jordan.

We're also hearing this morning that the United States and Iran discussed the ISIS threat once again last week, despite repeated insistence that they are not actually working together.

I want to go to the ground in Baghdad. Jomana Karadsheh joins us now live.

And the stability of the Iraqi government and whether or not it has the support of the Sunni people, have actually been in some cases, helping ISIS. That may be one of the keys here to defeating the terrorist group.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. This is a very critical component of the whole strategy of going after ISIS. It's the change in this government.

And, John, as you mentioned, Secretary Kerry arriving here endorsing this new government. And, of course, after he arrived here, a couple of tweets saying that he's back again here for the second time in three months describing Iraq and Baghdad as a critical partner in this fight against is, and this inclusive government, a big step. Yes, that is what we're hearing from U.S. officials, it's a major milestone, as they describe it.

But there's a daunting task ahead. If you look at this government, Iraq has had the same sort of government, inclusive with Sunni, Shia, Kurds, and other minorities represented in these governments since 2003. What really needs to change here is the policy, is the real -- to see real power-sharing between these two here. And the key would be the Sunnis in Iraq, as you mentioned.

Their grievances, what they've been feeling over the past few years marginalized by the Shia-led government. They feel persecuted by the security forces. They are key to the fight against ISIS. We saw that back in 2006 and 2007 with that U.S. strategy of recruiting the Sunni Arab tribes to fight al Qaeda in Iraq, the predecessor of ISIS.

And that worked really well. It weakened that group. To try and copy that again, to try and do this again, it is going to have to take real political will here -- real reforms when it comes to the political process to make the Sunnis feel they are part of this.

And the United States has a big role to play in this. In addition to the military support that the United States is offering, this diplomatic and political engagement is key. We have heard Iraqi politicians over the past few years really criticize the Obama administration, saying throughout his presidency, there has been really not much engagement when it comes to Iraq and the political process and that has really led to where we are today.

So, very important to see the U.S. administration again really involved and engaged on the political level, as well as the military level. The United States now has more leverage than it's had in a very long when it comes to the political process here -- those airstrikes are key. The military aid and support is key so they can play that card to try and force those politicians to put their deep divisions, their mistrust of each other, and sectarian and political divides on the side and try to work together because that is the only thing that will really try and change things on the ground here.

BERMAN: The secretary will no doubt be applying that pressure when he meets with leaders in Baghdad today. Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad for us -- thanks so much.

Be sure to join us at 9:00 Eastern for the president's address to the nation. This san important moment, talking about the new military effort against this terrorist group on the eve of the September 11th anniversary. We will bring this to you live, followed by full analysis, right here on CNN.

ROMANS: Top brass at the New York Police Department are venting concerns about the rise of ISIS and other terror affiliates. NYPD counterterror officials say the threat has grown in complexity as the geographic and ideological sources of terror spread. This, of course, comes as New York and the nation prepare to mark 13 years since the September 11th attacks. NYPD says there are no specific threats linked to tomorrow's anniversary.

BERMAN: Big questions this morning about how many Ebola patients or people exposed to Ebola are being evacuated to the United States. The vice president of the Phoenix Air Group confirms that his pilots have transported quote, "a lot" of other people who had been exposed to the deadly virus, but he will not say how many because of privacy concerns. The company is under the contract with the State Department.

One of the four Americans infected with Ebola that we have been told about has arrived at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for treatment. His identity is not being released.

The outbreak of West Africa keeps growing with little signs of progress in the fight. The death toll near 2,300. More than 4,200 confirmed or suspected cases.

I want to show you a map of Africa published by researchers of Oxford. This shows 15 nations now at risk for Ebola outbreaks.

ROMANS: Thirty-nine minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START on your money.

European stocks are down, U.S. futures after a tough day yesterday.

BERMAN: Down, down. ROMANS: Looking for answers, answers in a massive Home Depot hack. Two senators are asking the FTC to investigate what could be the largest retail hack ever. Several states have launched probes into the matter.

Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs who first reported this breach, he told me our regulations around cyber security are severely out of date.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KREBS, CYBERSECURITY JOURNALIST: If the problem is much bigger than being reported, you know, why aren't we hearing about this? Why don't we hear about these breaches if there's that many out there? When it comes to credit cards, the reality is most of them don't involve people's names and according to data breach disclosure laws, if they don't include somebody's name, they don't have to disclose it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Home Depot is not commenting on how many people are affected by this breach. But "The New York Times" is estimating 60 million people.

BERMAN: That's a lot of people.

ROMANS: OK. Well, former running back Ray Rice, will he ever play for the NFL again? Commissioner Goodell with an answer that may surprise you, as Rice's wife breaks her silence in her husband's new punishment. That's after the break.

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ROMANS: Ray Rice's wife is coming to his defense following the release of video showing him knocking her out earlier this year. The fallout has been swift. Rice was cut by the Ravens and suspended by the league.

But Janay Rice took to Instagram to vent. This is what she said, "I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend. But I have to accept the fact that reality is a nightmare in itself. No one knows the pain that the media and the unwanted opinions from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing.

This is our life. What don't you all get? If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels. Just know that we will continue to grow and show the world what real love is. Ravensnation we love you."

Meantime, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is defending the league's response, maintaining the league never saw the video of that punch. Never saw it before this week. Goodell says he may reinstate Rice eventually, but for now, his actions merit time off the field. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, in the first tape she was lying unconscious on the ground being dragged out. Did you really need to see a videotape of Ray Rice punching her in the face to make this decision?

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: No, we certainly didn't. And I will tell you what we saw in the first videotape was troubling to us in and of itself. But what we saw yesterday was extremely clear, it was extremely graphic, and it was sickening, and that's why we took the action that we took yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Rice has already had an endorsement deal terminated by Nike and he's being removed from the Madden NFL 15 videogame.

And you wonder if the culture is going to change if there's -- you know, I think there are a couple of NFL players who have been arrested but are waiting sort of adjudication for domestic violence.

BERMANS: One of them played this weekend. They changed the rules. Certainly, it has shed a spotlight on the discussion that needs to be had.

Forty-six minutes after the hour, a tragic, tragic end to a story out of South Carolina. The bodies of five kids have been recovered in Alabama after authorities were led to the site by the kids' father identified as Tim Jones Jr. Law enforcement believed the kids all between the ages of 1 and 9 were killed in South Carolina, but it's unclear how long ago.

ROMANS: The first city council meeting in Ferguson, Missouri, since the Michael Brown shooting interrupted by protesters. They put their hand it's in air yelling "shut it down", voicing doubts about the city's planned reforms. It comes ahead of a planned protest this afternoon. That protest aimed at shutting down a section of Intestate 70. Organizers are demanding the governor appoint a special prosecutor to review the shooting by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Meantime, a Missouri, Family court judge has denied the request for the release of any of Michael Brown's juvenile records.

BERMAN: New details this morning about the death of Joan Rivers. "The New York Daily News said the routine procedure that ultimately took Rivers' life was the result of an unplanned throat biopsy that caused the throat to seize cutting off his air supply. The news quotes medical experts saying the procedure is one that should not be performed outside of a hospital. Rivers had the surgery in an outpatient clinic in New York City. Her death is being investigated by the state health department and the city's medical examiner.

ROMANS: Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown back on the ballot in New Hampshire. He won a crowded GOP primary last night, beating back nine challengers. Brown will face incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in November. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo secured his spot in a November ballot. He beat Zephyr Teachout in the gubernatorial primary, the first-time candidate finished with about 35 percent of the vote. Liberal Democrats in New York calling it a rebuke to the governor.

And Congressman John Tierney becomes the first sitting Massachusetts Democrat more than two decades to lose a primary. He was beaten by Seth Moulton, an ex-marine with three Harvard degrees.

That was the last night of the primaries before November's general election. What is the chance of that, three Harvard degrees?

BERMAN: You know, take some time between fighting wars in Iraq and running for Congress. You know, he managed to fit it.

A warning now from Russia as it faces new tougher sanctions for its role in the Ukraine crisis, where fighting continues despite the announced cease-fire. We're live on the ground in Ukraine right after the break.

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BERMAN: All right. Breaking just moments ago, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko says more than half of the Russian troops believed to have been in Ukraine have withdrawn back across the border. This comes as European diplomats prepare to meet tomorrow in Brussels to discuss new sanctions against the Russians. The fragile cease-fire more or less holds in Ukraine.

Tougher sanctions against Moscow have been approved but have been ruled out as all parties wait to see if this lasting peace can be reached.

CNN's Reza Sayah standing on the scene in Ukraine with the latest.

Good morning, Reza.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Good morning, John.

This could be significant news. Within the past 30 minutes, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko spoke to reporters and said that 70 percent of Russian troops have withdrawn from Ukrainian territory.

Now, two things to keep in mind. Moscow has long denied they had troops on Ukrainian soil. Even so, Mr. Poroshenko saying that according to their intelligence, Ukraine intelligence, 70 percent of Russian troops have withdrawn. The other thing to keep in mind is that this conflict has been fraught with a lot of misinformation on both sides, either intentionally or unintentionally.

So, we're going to be cautious in reporting this. And we're going to verify this independently.

But this is in fact happening, if Russian troops were pulling out, that would seem to suggest Moscow and the rebels are taking real steps to de-escalate the conflict.

In the meantime, the West doesn't appear to be sold yet. The European Union seemingly preparing to pile on tougher sanctions. Washington considering more unilateral sanctions as well. The E.U. has yet to implement the sanctions.

But if they do, we have to see how this impacts the conflict because Moscow will likely see this as provocation. They've already threatened to respond with their own economic measures.

So, this is a conflict, John, with lots of moving parts. We're watching all of them closely. But again, the latest news out of Ukraine, the president here, Petro Poroshenko, saying 70 percent of Russian troops have withdrawn from Ukrainian territory.

BERMAN: Very interesting development, if as you point, it's true. Not always clear on the ground there.

Reza Sayah for us in Eastern Ukraine, thanks so much, Reza.

ROMANS: All right. The iPhones weren't the big surprise at Apple's launch -- product launch yesterday. What are the new innovations from the tech giant?

We're going to give you an EARLY START on your money, next.

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ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning.

European stocks lower, U.S. stock futures are down. Stocks had a rough day yesterday. The fear is the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates sooner than expected. The federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco released a report earlier this week saying the public expects interest rates to stay low longer than the Fed does. So, that sparked a round of selling.

Apple taking new bold bets where other companies have struggled. The company announced its first wearable device yesterday. It's the Apple watch. It will pair with users' iPhones and comes with health and fitness apps. Samsung, Motorola and others have already smart matches with little interest from consumers. This watch does more than the others, but it's unclear if the consumer will bite.

Apple also having this thing called Apple Pay. It's also not really a new concept, but Apple plans to make its mobile system easier and more widely expected than others.

Would you pay with your cell phone?

BERMAN: Sure. If it works and it's consistent. I don't really understand -- you have to carry something. The credit card is not that big.

ROMANS: I think if they do that right, and there's buy-in from the public, you will -- we might have seen the end of the plastic credit card yesterday.

BERMAN: I always ask, what's a wearable device? It's like a tank top, something you wear? I mean, watch -- why do you call it a wearable device?

ROMANS: I know, watch is a watch.

BERMAN: All right. I have issues.

EARLY START continues right now.