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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

President Obama to Address the United Nations; Five Arab Allies Participating; Parents of Missing American Speak Out

Aired September 24, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Global pitch. A day after airstrikes in Syria, President Obama goes before the United Nations rallying them to join the fight against ISIS. Can the president convince the world it's time to wipe out the terror group?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Lone wolf warning. After the strikes against ISIS and also that al Qaeda cell, law enforcement officials are being warned to remain vigilant and be on alert for possible lone wolf attacks. Just how serious is this threat?

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour.

The breaking story this hour, President Obama will be at the United Nations this morning giving a crucial speech addressing worldwide concern over these emerging threats from new terror groups like ISIS and Khorasan, justifying the ongoing military response from the U.S. and Arab allies including some 200 airstrikes against targets in Syria on Tuesday. He'll discuss new worries that these Islamic militant groups are training or inspiring Westerners to launch terror attacks in Europe or America.

We have complete coverage. First, CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta is in New York with a preview of president's long day ahead.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, later this morning, the president will give a major address here at the United Nations where a senior administration official says Mr. Obama will talk about the general unease that the world is feeling right now because of the dangers posed by these new terror groups, ISIS and Khorasan.

The president will also go on to talk about the importance of building global coalitions, to take on these threats.

Later on in the day, the president will sit down with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. They'll, of course, talk about the airstrikes that had been taking place in his country, and also next door in Syria. Mr. Abadi has already told CNN he'd like to see more of those airstrikes in the weeks to come. And then later on in the afternoon, the president will do something

he's only done once before, and that is to chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Before, he did it on the subject of climate change. This time around, it will be on the subject of foreign fighters. The president wants to talk about the dangers posed by those foreign fighters -- Americans and Westerners who go down to Iraq and Syria, train with ISIS and other terror groups and then come back to the United States, with potential there of wreaking havoc on the home front -- John and Christine.

BERMAN: Our thanks to Jim Acosta.

Now we are learning more this morning about the air campaign against ISIS and also one other dangerous militant group in Syria. Pentagon officials say the airstrikes against ISIS involving the U.S. and five Arab allies began at about 8:30 Monday evening -- 8:30 p.m. Monday evening. That's Eastern Time.

In all, nearly 200 bombs and missiles were dropped. Most of them were precision guided. We're also learning a little bit more now about who did what in Tuesday's airstrikes.

CNN's Becky Anderson is standing by live right now in the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.

And Becky, you know, that nation took part. That nation dropped bombs in these attacks.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it did. It did. It is officially confirmed as have Saudi and Bahrain here in the GCC, and then Jordan as well, that they all participated in these airstrikes. Qatar, the fifth nation, providing support.

It is quite unusual that you have heard the voices from this region as loudly as you have heard them. There is a groundswell of support, I think it would be fair to say, for this campaign which may be a U.S.- led coalition, but in this region, people stepping up and standing up to the plate and saying this needs to be an Arab nation effectively.

And that is the reason why you are seeing what are, you know, old allies of the U.S. stepping up and saying we need to fight this scourge that is ISIS. They say that the ideology of this group is nothing like that which they would respect out of Islam.

This is a Sunni Muslim region. Fighting a group that fights in the name of Sunni Islam. But that hasn't stopped these governments from getting involved. And the UAE Foreign Minister, who very rarely speaks, spoke at the U.N. yesterday, says this is the first of the UAE's mission. Watch out for more from those delegations from here, after the U.N. in New York.

I'm sure that Jim will be across them. They are huge, these delegations, and rightly so, because this is an incredibly important time. And again if you talk to people here, they'll tell you that ISIS is one thing. Around the region there are other roiling problems not least the rise of political Islam which is what's cost a rift between countries here and in Qatar of late. And something that is still sort of bandaged over may still come to the fore once again.

You've got Libya roiling at present. A very, very dangerous time in this region. And the Arab allies stepping up to the plate -- John.

BERMAN: Interesting to see if that effort is sustained over weeks and months if these airstrikes do continue.

Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. Huge numbers of Kurdish refugees are fleeing ISIS fighters this morning. As many as 200,000 in just the last few days. This is according to a Syrian human rights group. They're jamming into the border area between Syria and Turkey, but Turkey has slowed the flow it's allowing into its territory, closing several border crossings.

These are live pictures you're seeing of the situation right now. One of these crossings where we also have CNN's Phil Black for us this morning.

And Phil, we're seeing the Islamic state fighters, they are advancing on the Syrian town of Kobani. You've got advances throughout the region where refugees are fleeing their homes with just whatever they can carry and they're heading to where you are.

What's the situation?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, where I'm standing now it is in a metal pen that I'm surrounded by the lucky few. You mentioned those people that are fleeing ISIS, well, this is just some of them. Just a few hundred of the refugees that have approached the Syrian-Turkish border. And just in the last half hour or so, these lucky few have been allowed to enter Turkey.

They are lucky but they have had lived through really a truly horrific experience. When you talk to these people, they'll tell you they have been sitting, gathering at that fence on the Syrian side of the border for at least a week. Some say eight days, some say nine days or more. In these incredibly hot, dry, dusty, very difficult conditions.

Whole families with small children, they've carried what they possibly can, as you can see, and they've been there waiting, hungry, thirsty, waiting for the chance to be guaranteed some measure of safety and security.

And as I say, these are the lucky ones that have been granted that safety and that security. They've been allowed to cross the border into Turkey.

Turkey is keeping this border very closely regulated. They're only letting in, really, a few people a day, a few small groups opening the border for a small period of time, and so we're seeing these small numbers come in. On the other side of the border, much bigger crowds still waiting for the opportunity that these people have.

But when you talk to them here, what they tell you is they just dream of the day they will get the opportunity to go home. And they don't know when that will be -- Christine.

ROMANS: What a monumental humanitarian crisis. The Turkish government trying to keep foreign fighters out, keep foreign fighters from using its border to go back and forth into Syria, at the same time with the humanitarian crisis of people who want to get in, fleeing those same fighters.

Phil Black, thank you so much.

BERMAN: We know much more this morning about that shadowy terror network called Khorasan that U.S. forces hit separately in Tuesday's airstrikes. The White House says the group was al Qaeda veterans was plotting an attack against the United States and possibly Europe. Officials say the plan involved a bomb designed to pass undetected through airport security.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN that the attack that Khorasan was planning was well along in development and imminent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We know that they were very close to the end game in their planning. We don't know exactly where the attack that they were planning would take place. That's why we said we think it was either in Europe or the homeland. So there's some information that we probably didn't have all the way down to the exact detail.

That said, we know they were close. We know that they had a very serious intent to conduct an attack on Western targets. And that drove a lot of the urgency last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Well, officials believe Tuesday's airstrikes have at least temporarily disrupted attacks in the U.S. organized by ISIS and Khorasan.

Officials are warning this morning the air campaign may spark attacks by homegrown violent extremists. A bulletin sent Tuesday by the FBI and Homeland Security urging law enforcement agencies to stay vigilant, to keep an eye on social media for anyone encouraging violence in reprisal for U.S. military action in Syria.

BERMAN: It is life in prison for Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Suleiman Abu Gaith. He was sentenced in New York Federal Court on Tuesday. The 48-year-old was convicted back in March of conspiring to kill Americans and provide material support to terrorists.

Prosecutors say that Abu Gaith acted as a spokesman for al Qaeda following the attacks of September 11th, 2011.

ROMANS: Thirty-eight minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START of "Your Money." European stocks mostly lower right now. Asian shares ending the day mixed. U.S. stock futures pointing higher this morning. If that holds, stocks could reverse some of this week's big losses. Last week, the Dow hit an all-time high. This week, it's down more than 200 points so far. Starting to get talk again about a true correction, a 10 percent drop. We haven't had one in a couple of years. Is now the time?

Concerns about growth in China and Europe weighing on markets and those airstrikes -- U.S. airstrikes in Syria adding another layer of uncertainty.

Another factor sending stocks lower, the Alibaba hype is over. At least for now. The stocks fell again yesterday, John, to $87 a share. Now down 12 percent from its high during Friday's debut.

BERMAN: That hype lasted all like what, three days?

ROMANS: It's early. It's early.

BERMAN: Easy come, easy go.

ROMANS: Give it a year so you know how the company performs.

BERMAN: Coming up, the police are now much more interested in the man they have described as a person of interest in the disappearance of a University of Virginia student. That investigation ramping up. We'll have the details ahead.

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ROMANS: The man described as a person of interest in the disappearance of Hannah Graham now officially a suspect. Police in Charlottesville, Virginia, issuing an arrest warrant for 32-year-old Jesse Matthew. He's charged with abduction with intent to defile in the case of the University of Virginia student who went missing 11 days ago.

Police believe Matthew was last -- the last person to see Hannah Graham. A restaurant surveillance tape shows him walking behind her following her that night.

BERMAN: In northeast Pennsylvania the manhunt goes on for suspected cop killer Eric Frein. Schools in the Pocono Mountain District have reopened for the first time since last week.

Frein is a survivalist. He's been at large now for nearly two weeks. Police believe he may be hiding in some kind of bunker that he built before the deadly ambush. They say they do think they are closing in on him.

ROMANS: The annual Clinton Global Initiative will wrap up today in New York City. Tuesday, CNN's Fareed Zakaria moderated a panel on the deadly Ebola virus. He had the opportunity to ask Chelsea Clinton about her decision to keep the gender of her baby a mystery.

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CHELSEA CLINTON, CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE: There are so few mysteries in life, Fareed, in which any answer is a happy one. And so my husband and I decided that we would enjoy this mystery for the nine-plus months that we were granted. And we are eager to find out what God will have given us.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: But isn't it strange that the doctors around you know, but you don't know?

CLINTON: No, I think the doctors around me know lots of things that I don't know.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Just like the rest of us. Just like the rest of us.

ROMANS: I know, but you found out the gender --

BERMAN: I was having twins. I couldn't possibly handle any more surprises.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: You can see the full panel this Sunday on "FAREED ZAKARIA, GPS" at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

And President Bill Clinton will be interviewed by CNN's Erin Burnett in a special town hall. You can see excerpts tonight on "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" and at 9:00 p.m. the complete interview airs "PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: A CNN SPECIAL TOWN HALL WITH ERIN BURNETT."

BERMAN: A whole lot to talk about right now.

We want to get to Indra Petersons with a look at our forecast.

Good morning, Indra.

ROMANS: Good morning, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. Definitely some areas we're looking at showers today. Very easy to see if you take a look at the map, but in case you can't see the swirls we marked them for you. Pacific Northwest, Midwest light showers and really going to be tracking the system, kind of making its way up the Eastern Seaboard over the next several days.

Pacific Northwest, this looks good. Pretty good rainmaker here but keep in mind, it also would mean more wind whether we're already dealing with red flag concerns and fire danger so will heighten that ahead of the rain, kind of making its way in.

In the East Coast, watching this low. Bringing some good amounts of rain here especially if you kind of think about it, we're all coming off the coast here as it makes its way up the coastline you'll see it move into the mid-Atlantic and northeast into tomorrow. So there will be a flooding threat likely. Anywhere from even two to four inches, especially, if you talked about

up through Boston. The other side of this, keep in mind, is going to be some strong winds. As the system makes its way, and you're going to feel -- look at these 40 to even 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts that are going to be making their way in as we make our way into the evening hours, of course, the low shifts to the north, we'll talk about that wind shifting up as well.

But that's not it, of course. You have the wind, you have the rain. Temperatures also have to go down at the same time so yes, fall I would say is officially here on the second day of fall, folks.

ROMANS: Feels like summer was just a couple of days ago.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Well done. Well done.

ROMANS: Thanks, Indra.

Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY" today. Chris Cuomo joins us now.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": How are you? Good morning to you. We're going to be looking at worldwide reaction to U.S.-led airstrikes on ISIS in Syria. Already a reports damage coming in. But curiously, not a lot of noise tonight. What does that mean about the mission? Has it shifted? Is it about assessment? We're going to give you the latest on that. And of course it all comes ahead of the president's address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Is this his moment? What does he need to accomplish? Usually the general assembly is about talking the talk. He actually needs specific things to get done, especially where this coalition is involved.

So how are we going to figure this out? It's not enough just to know what's going on. You have to hear from the mind that helped shape these decisions and we have them today.

Secretary of State John Kerry is going to be giving an interview with Christiane Amanpour. His -- one of his predecessors, Madeleine Albright, you know her name very well. She's going to be on the show explaining the situation from her perspective. And that is well worthwhile. And we have the press secretary from the White House who will be on as well.

On the military side we have General Wesley Clark and our other top military experts. So it will be all about the voices, John and Christine, great voices such as yourself, helping explain the situation to the viewers.

BERMAN: It's like a newsmaker all-star team today coming up on "NEW DAY." CUOMO: It is indeed. Well said, John Berman.

ROMANS: All right. Eat your Wheaties, Chris. We'll see you in 15 minutes. Thanks.

BERMAN: All right. Coming up, an American believed kidnapped in Syria two years ago. He vanished without a trace. No word from his captors. His parents are now speaking out to CNN, desperate for information.

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ROMANS: The parents of an American journalist kidnapped in Syria say they are fed up with the way the U.S. government is handling their son's situation. 33-year-old Austin Tice was abducted from a Damascus suburb in 2012. Since then, his parents have waited for word, a vigil they call excruciating and they say their interactions with the U.S. State Department have not made it any easier.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Houston with the story.

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ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family of Austin Tice lives here in the city of Houston, Texas, and this is where they've stood vigil, trying to get their son back for more than two years. But the Tice family now says they have grown increasingly frustrated with the U.S. government's response in handling their son's hostage situation. They say this is a process that's broken. They say they're frustrated with way the U.S. government has kept information they believe to be vital to her son's case close to the vest and haven't brought in to his parents who share that information.

We sat down with them for an extensive interview to talk about this very issue.

(On camera): You've been told the U.S. government has various pieces of information that you think would benefit you?

DEBRA TICE, MOTHER OF AUSTIN TICE: Absolutely, we've been told that.

MARC TICE, FATHER OF AUSTIN TICE: Yes.

D. TICE: We can't share this information with you because you do not have clearance.

M. TICE: We don't know what the information is, but you know, we don't want to be treated or feel like we're being treated as a security risk.

D. TICE: To our own child. This is my son and my personality says the mother bear will find the cub, and I'm looking for my cub.

LAVANDERA: Marc and Debra Tice hope that by speaking out publicly about their frustrations that it will help them in their efforts to get their son back home safely -- John and Christine. ROMANS: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you for that, Ed.

The White House and State Department did not response to CNN's request for comment on the Tice case on Tuesday.

Coming up, you know that iPhone 6 Plus you waited for in line. Well one feature you didn't know was there, getting people bent out of shape. We'll get an early start on "your money" next.

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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on "Your Money" this Wednesday. Europe teen stocks are lower right now. Asian shares ending the day mixed. At this hour, U.S. stock futures looking higher. Looks like stocks could reverse some of this week's losses if this trend holds.

The Dow has fallen more than 200 points so far this week. Coming down from last week's record highs. The drop in fuel and talk a concern that a true correction needs to be in the works. We haven't seen one, a 10 percent drop in stocks since 2011, long overdue.

The top place where new college grads want to work is -- Google. Google topped CNN Money's list again this year. The best place is to work for young grads. It's known for innovation, from glass to self driving cars. Plus there are a lot of employee perks like free food, cool offices. The rest of the top five so-called big four.

The four largest audit firms that include Ernst & Young, PriceWatersCooper's, KPMG and Deloitte.

The iPhone 6 Plus has a hidden feature. It's bendable. Reports this morning that Plus users are finding small bends after keeping the phones in their pockets. The phone is thinner than previous versions, obviously, much larger. The advice online to avoid this problem. Take your phone out of your pocket before sitting and maybe you need to invest in a case for the phone.

We want to say good-bye to our international viewers. "NEW DAY" starts right now.