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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Kerry Building Anti-ISIS Coalition; American Gets 6 Years Hard Labor in North Korea; Obama Plans Ebola Offensive; Fighting Escalates in Ukraine
Aired September 15, 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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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The war on ISIS. Happening right now, dozens of world leaders pledging support to take down the terror group. What some countries will and won't do in the fight.
This happening as ISIS executes another hostage. David Haines' family breaking their silence as we learn new information about just how close investigators could be to identifying his killer.
Live team coverage starts right now.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Great to see you this Monday morning. Thirty minutes past the hour. I'm John Berman.
Efforts to expand the coalition against ISIS seem to be building momentum this morning. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Paris today for an international conference aimed at stopping the terrorist group. He just finished a week-long trip across the Middle East. Now, the secretary's arrival in Paris comes as ISIS beheaded a third Western captive, British aid worker David Haines.
This morning, there is word from the State Department official that several Arab nations have offered to take part in air strikes against ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have countries in this region, countries outside of this region, in addition to the United States, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance and actual strikes if that is what it requires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: CNN's Fred Pleitgen live in Paris this morning at this conference.
Good morning, Fred. What's the latest?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Good to see you.
Well, the conference is basically about trying to get these countries that are going to be part of this very broad coalition against ISIS, to specifically say what they're willing to do to combat this terrorist organization. It was a speech earlier today by French President Francois Hollande where he said some of these countries are going to try to help dry up financing for ISIS. Others are going to provide humanitarian aid for hundreds of thousands of refugees in Iraq, as well as in Syria. And then, there's going to be those countries that are going to participate militarily.
Now, the latest country that's actually doing that is France. The French said today that they started launching reconnaissance flights over Iraq earlier today. They do that from a base that they have in the United Arab Emirates.
But one of the things that you just said that's going to be important is the participation of the Arab countries and especially of Sunni- led, Sunni-led majority Arab countries, because, of course, the territory that we're talking about here are Western area or Eastern Syria, I should say, and Western Iraq is Sunni majority territory. And it's very important for the people there to see that this is not just an American effort, but that this is an effort by a lot of the Arab countries. You also just said of some Arab countries apparently are pledging air strikes. The Saudis have also said that they're going to let the U.S. train moderate Syrian rebels on their territory in the fight against ISIS.
So, all of those things are going to be very important. And the main thing that hopefully will come out of these meetings is that you're going to hear specifics from a lot of the countries that are involved in this broad coalition as to what specifically they are going to do and the U.S., of course, is looking for the European countries and especially Arab countries to tell them what they're going to be willing to put on the table, John.
BERMAN: The 40 nations said to be in this coalition. I think there are 40 different levels of participation and maybe 40 reasons to participate in the coalition right now battling ISIS.
Our Frederik Pleitgen in Paris this morning where these meetings are going on. Thanks so much, Fred.
ROMANS: British Prime Minister David Cameron is taking a tough stance following the beheading of aid worker David Haines. Cameron calling ISIS a menace, quote, "we have to confront a poison that needs to be, quote, 'drained from society'." The prime minister adding the U.K. is ready to take steps -- whatever steps necessary.
Does that mean committing to airstrikes against ISIS targets?
I want to bring in Atika Shubert live from London.
And, first, we should just say that the prime minister, the country really mourning just the brutal murder of an aid worker. I mean, this is a British aid worker, murdered, we think, by a fellow Briton on the battlefield far away. What is David Cameron prepared to do about it?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, David Cameron had an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday and he came out with some very strong words afterwards, saying that Britain would not shirk its responsibility, that this killing would simply strengthen Britain's resolve to fight against ISIS.
Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: David has been murdered in the most callous and brutal way imaginable by an organization which is the embodiment of evil. We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)(
SHUBERT: Now, he made very clear in the statement that he made there that there would be a number of steps Britain would take. It would, for example, arm Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and would also contribute fighter jets and planes to gather intelligence to ISIS. But he also said it was not about boots on the ground and he did not mention the possibility of air strikes on ISIS within Syria. Those are the specifics that presumably will be talked about in Paris today.
ROMANS: Atika, how close are investigators now to identifying the ISIS executioner?
SHUBERT: Well, we know they have been looking at the video and scouring through the audio to find out who it is. We know they narrowed it down, but we don't know if they have specifically identified him. There have been reports, possibly, that they have, but they don't want to make it public.
And the reason for that, I spoke to one terror analyst, said they want to either capture or kill this man. So, they don't want to have it publicly known that they know who he is. And they want to keep their cards close to the chest until they make a move.
ROMANS: Atika Shubert for us in London this morning -- thank you.
Family members this morning remembering David Haines as a decent and selfless man who had a joy for humanitarian work. He was in Syria for three days when he was kidnapped last year. His brother Michael heartbroken, but trying not to be bitter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HAINES, DAVID HAINES' BROTHER: My first reaction could be one of hatred. But my brother's life wasn't about hate. It was about love for all men. We prayed in our own way. Unfortunately, it was not in our hands. It was not in the hands of the government. It was in the hands of terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Michael Haines adding that his brother was most alive when he was helping others.
Meanwhile, ISIS revealed the identity of the next hostage it was threatening with death. You see him there, British aid worker Alan Henning, who was abducted while trying to help Syrian refugees.
BERMAN: Aid workers there to help refugees.
Meanwhile, as the influence of ISIS grows, al Qaeda is calling claims by the United States that it is in decline lies. Al Qaeda's influence in the Middle East has been threatened by ISIS, which split off from the group. And while a spokesman for al Qaeda admits to some slip-ups and errors, he insisted al Qaeda is expanding.
The State Department disagrees, saying the organization has been degraded, with its leadership diminished by U.S. attacks and it's right now struggling to compete for recruits. I don't think the United States really cares one way or the other if ISIS is gaining in power and al Qaeda is waning. I'm not sure that's a net positive there.
ROMANS: It's all extremists.
To North Korea now, one of three Americans being held in North Korea has been sentenced to six years hard labor. During Matthew Miller's show trial Sunday, three North Korean judges found him guilty of committing hostile acts under the guise of a tourist. It's believed Pyongyang is using Miller, along with Jeff Fowle and Kenneth Bae as bargaining chips in its dispute with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
BERMAN: President Obama making plans to escalate the U.S. role in the international fight against the Ebola outbreak. Among the moves he is expected to announce tomorrow, sending more portable hospitals, doctors and supplies to West Africa and setting up training for health workers in Liberia and other nations. The president will also urge Congress to approve $88 million to fund his proposals.
Meanwhile, a fourth doctor in Sierra Leone has died from Ebola. Attempts to get her evacuated to Germany for treatment failed.
And check this out -- 10 senior government officials have been fired by the president there for ignoring orders to return to the country. They were on overseas trips and would not go back when their country needed them the most.
ROMANS: Wow. All right. Thirty-eight minutes past the hour.
Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning. European stocks mostly lower. U.S. stock futures are down. Stocks closed lower Friday. That ended five straight weeks of gains for U.S. investors.
And this week, all eyes on the Federal Reserve this week. The Central Bank released a statement on its monetary policy after this week's two-day meeting. With stocks not far from highs, Wall Street analysts can agree on a few stocks to buy and ditch.
The top of the buy list: Delta Airlines, 100 percent of analysts have Delta rated to buy, John. Shares are already up 45 percent this year. H&R Block is also a favorite for analysts. There's less agreement on what to get rid off, but Clorox and John Deere and Campbell's Soup are among the stocks frequently rated a sell.
BERMAN: Three NFL players sidelined on Sunday, defending themselves against off-the-field violence charges. What their coaches and teammates and what the fans are saying this morning.
ROMANS: Plus, breaking news overnight. Tourists stranded as hurricane Odile barrels into Mexico. New video we're getting this morning. We'll give it to you right after the break.
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BERMAN: Iowa, the place to be in politics this weekend. The Tom Harkin steak fry, the last ever, as the senator retires there.
And there was the big star. Former secretary of state and former senator, Hillary Clinton. She was there with thousands cheering her on on Sunday. She wasn't the only one there. Bill Clinton was there, too. But Mrs. Clinton -- well, she predictably dropped some hints about whether or not she may -- well, you know, listen.
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HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, it is true. I am thinking about it. But for today, that is not why I'm here. I'm here for the steak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The steak, by the way, I'm told is not good. If you go to the steak fry, you missed your last chance. I'm told the chicken is always better than the steak.
You can see Bill Clinton there wearing a gingham shirt that was brought by his wife. She was very proud that she was able to convince him to wear it to this event. He of course was the final speaker.
Mrs. Clinton did take some political shots, calling congressional Republicans the guardians of gridlock. This is the first time she has been to Iowa since 2008. The last time she was there, she finished not first, not second, but third in the Iowa caucus.
ROMANS: The last time she was there, Iowans loved Barack Obama. And it was in Iowa where his viability as a candidate really was solidified.
BERMAN: Indeed. They don't love him so much right now, the polls show.
ROMANS: No, they don't.
All right. Forty-five minutes past the hour.
Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also was in Iowa this weekend, testing the waters for a possible presidential campaign of his own in 2016. Sanders addressed supporters Sunday at a town hall event in Waterloo. He is the longest serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history.
BERMAN: Excellent pronunciation.
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice expected to appeal his indefinite suspension from the NFL. This is according to both ESPN and profootballtalk.com. But the NFL Players Association tells CNN no final decision has been made. Rice has until 11:59 tomorrow night to file. He was cut by the Ravens and suspended by the league hours after TMZ released the video showing him striking his fiancee, knocking her unconscious after he punched in an elevator.
ROMANS: The Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is appealing his conviction on domestic abuse charges. He was found guilty back in July of assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend. On Sunday, Hardy was deactivated by the Panthers for the team's home opener. Head coach Ron Rivera grilled about his decision after the game.
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RON RIVERA, CAROLINA PANTHERS HEAD COACH: At the end of the day, I had to make a decision that was in the best interest of the Panthers, OK? I understand that guys. This is a very difficult situation that the league is dealing with right now. Teams are dealing with this. We are doing the best we can, OK?
We're not infallible. We make mistakes. But the decision I made today was based on the information I tried to get and people I talk with and then going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Rivera says Hardy will be back on the field but wouldn't say when.
BERMAN: The Minnesota Vikings played Sunday without star running back Adrian Peterson, who was deactivated after getting indicted and arrested on child negligence charges. Peterson is accused of beating and injuring his 4-year-old son, hitting him with a switch or tree branch.
After a 30-7 loss to New England Patriots, his Vikings teammates were not very talkative.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRANDON FUSCO, VIKINGS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: I'm not commenting on anything about Adrian here. We just lost a game and I shouldn't comment about that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to comment on that at all. REPORTER: You sent a message. Did you text? Did you talk? What
kind of --
JEROME FELTON, VIKINGS FULLBACK: I sent a text message. I'm not going to blow it up right now. And I know he is hurting and he is down. As a teammate and friend, send him a message. You know, we got to focus on getting better this week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Peterson is free on $15,000 bond. No word when or if the Vikings plan to reinstate him.
ROMANS: He was disciplining his child.
BERMAN: Disciplining his child. Used a switch.
ROMANS: He apologized for it. He did not know he was going to hurt him, but you say there's --
BERMAN: There are photos you can see of lacerations, which I think the photos were taken a week after the incident. The lacerations are pretty clear on the child's legs.
Hurricane Odile slamming into the southern tip of Baja, California, Sunday night. The category three hurricane making landfall near the resort town of Cabo San Lucas, with winds up to 125 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center has classified Odile as a dangerous hurricane and forecast up to 18 inches of rain in some areas. Mexican authorities ordered evacuation in costal areas and prepared shelters from some 30,000 residents and tourists.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got woken up by a call from the hotel who said they were evacuating the place and our flight had been canceled and a bus leaving in a half hour. It was a 20 to 22-hour bus ride.
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BERMAN: Can you imagine a 22-hour bus ride in the face of a hurricane?
Odile is expected to lose strengths as it passes over the Baja Peninsula.
ROMANS: I always feel so bad when people go on vacation so far away and then they get hit by mother nature.
All right. Forty-eight minutes past the hour.
Take a look at the new Miss America. She's Miss New York. Twenty- three-year-old Kira --
BERMAN: I think it's Kazantsev.
ROMANS: Kazantsev.
It's the third straight year Miss New York has won the crown. She speaks three languages and pronounces her name better than I do. She's also a passionate advocate for survivors of domestic violence, having being a victim of abuse herself.
Congratulations to Miss America.
BERMAN: All right. Forty-eight minutes after the hour.
Crisis in Ukraine. Intense fighting escalating in the east. The country's prime minister claiming Russia is trying to recreate the Soviet Union. Is the takeover now in the Kremlin's plans? We're live, next.
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BERMAN: The ten-day old cease-fire in Ukraine on the break, if not shatter completely. Heavy fighting breaking out between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the city of Donetsk. The airport there seems to be destroyed with Ukrainian troops said to be surrounded right now. So far at least, six people have been killed in the fighting there.
Ukrainian officials announcing weapons shipments from NATO nations are now arriving, as Russia deals with the growing refugee crisis. More than 800,000 Ukrainians are already crossing the border this year to escape the fighting. Our Reza Sayah is joining us live now from western Ukraine, where the United States among other countries now conducting military exercises.
Good morning, Reza.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. More than 130 U.S. forces are now on Ukrainian soil. NATO forces are on Ukrainian soil as well.
However, they made it clear they're not here to fight. They're only here to practice. But in many ways, this is a message to Moscow. It's NATO's and Washington's way of flexing their muscles at Moscow, essentially telling Russia, look at this alliance, look at this the military might and look at how far it can reach.
We are in Yavoriv, Ukraine, a town that's about ten miles east of Ukraine and the polish border. This is where the exercise is going to take place over the next couple of weeks. NATO says these exercises are designed to promote stability and security in the region. It's to help Ukraine work more effectively with NATO forces.
However, these exercises obviously come at a very sensitive time. About 600 miles east of here, there's a very fragile cease-fire and a conflict where you have pro-Russian rebels on one side and European backed Ukrainian forces on the other. That's why critics of this event, including Moscow, say maybe this is not the best time to hold NATO exercises on Ukrainian soil because it could fuel tensions. Nevertheless, John, these exercises are going to take place in a couple of weeks, within the next couple of weeks. How will they impact the conflict? We'll have to wait and see.
BERMAN: Reza Sayah for us in western Ukraine, as the fighting seems to continue in Eastern Ukraine, a very tense area right now. Thanks so much, Reza.
ROMANS: All right. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, building out to be one might be the largest IPO in history. This is a monster, folks. Should you buy it? John knows what I think about that.
We're going to get an EARLY START on your money next.
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ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money this Monday.
European stocks lower. U.S. stock futures pointing down, as well. Stocks closed lower on Friday, ending five straight weeks of gains. This week, we are waiting on the Fed, the Federal Reserve. The Central Bank will release a statement on its monetary policy after a two-day meeting this week. Economic data has shown the economy is steadily improving. That has investors worry the Fed could raise interest rates sooner than expected and that could potentially derail the stock market rally.
So, what Mrs. Yellen, Janet Yellen, does, is incredibly important this week.
Something is brewing at Heineken.
BERMAN: I get it.
ROMANS: The company rejected a take over bid from SABMiller, the world's second largest brewer. Heineken which also makes Amstel, Tecate, and Dos Equis, wants to stay independent. The brewer is one of the few family-controlled firms left, thanks to major consolidation in recent years. The acquisition would have helped SABMiller compete with rival Anheuser-Busch in Buds beer empire.
All right. Alibaba, have you heard of it? It's expected to be the biggest IPO ever, and it might be getting even bigger.
Reports this morning that Alibaba planning to raise the top of its IPO range from $66 to $70 a share. Demand for the stock has been strong, underwriters may stop taking orders by early this week. It is a Chinese internet company. It's been described as a mix of eBay and Amazon. It has 280 million annual users. It delivered 6.1 million packages in the last year.
An this is what I think about it, folks. An IPO is the first look at companies for investors, right? We spent more time planning for a vacation than our retirement, and a sexy IPO comes along and we all lose our heads. Give it a year, see how it goes, find out how the company is performing and don't rush in after the big money, right? The big money gets in first. The suckers like us get in second. Be careful.
BERMAN: Sage advice.
EARLY START continues right now.
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