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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Terror Threat against U.S. Targets; Refugees Flock at Turkish Border; British Prime Minister Seeks Authority to Bomb ISIS

Aired September 26, 2014 - 05:30   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: New help could be just minutes away in the war against ISIS. Britain voting on whether to conduct airstrikes in Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition increasing strikes on the terrorists. That as refugees pour out of Syria to the Turkish border. Now, though, they may have nowhere to go. We have live team coverage ahead.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Terror threats here at home. Americans assured this morning their subways are safe after a strange, ominous warning from Iraq's prime minister. The FBI still does have one big concern this morning.

BERMAN: Breaking overnight. Protesters on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, yet again. New arrests following an apology from the town's police chief to Michael Brown's family.

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 past the hour this Friday morning.

Terror alerts jangling nerves here at home. Thursday federal, state and local officials scrambling to reassure Americans that the subway systems are safe to ride in New York and in Paris after getting blindsided Thursday by a warning from Iraq's new prime minister.

This warning that ISIS plans a terror attack on American and French mass transit. But while officials say they're confident the subways are safe for now, there is an al Qaeda cell in Syria that -- may still be a danger.

The head of the FBI says there is no indication the airstrikes this week disrupted Khorasan's plans to attack in the U.S.

CNN's Jim Acosta has more from the White House.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, this all got started when the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters gathered at the United Nations that Baghdad Intelligence Services had information about what he described as an imminent terror plot aimed at subway systems in both the U.S. and in France.

That obviously sparked a lot of concern inside the Obama administration. But senior administration officials said all day long that they had no credible evidence of any such of plot. And then late in the day, a top State Department official, Brett McGurk, he actually went back to the Iraqi prime minister, went back to Haider al-Abadi, talked to him and the Iraqi prime minister told Brett McGurk that he was only speaking in general terms, that this was not an actual imminent terror plot posed by ISIS against these subway systems.

That obviously is going to be reassuring to people in New York City. The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, went out in front of the cameras to reassure New Yorkers that it was perfectly safe to ride the subway system there.

But it is important to point out what senior administration officials have been telling us for weeks, and that is that they don't believe that ISIS has the capability to carry out terror attacks on the U.S. homeland. They are much more concerned about this new terror group Khorasan, which is comprised of former al Qaeda members. They say, and so does the FBI director, that that group is capable of carrying out terror attacks. It's something they'll be watching for -- John and Christine.

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BERMAN: Our thanks to Jim for that report.

Airstrikes against ISIS on Thursday focused on cutting off the Islamic terror group's income from oil sales. The Pentagon says that U.S.-led airstrikes hit mobile refineries in a remote area of eastern Syria. In Iraq, French warplanes hit four ISIS warehouses near Fallujah.

No relief in sight, unfortunately, for the hundreds of thousands of Kurdish refugees making the dangerous trip through the Syrian Desert. They are fleeing in advance of ISIS troops. Now when they arrive at the border between Turkey and Syria, they find themselves trapped in a sort of no man's land. Turkey says it is prepared to accept more refugees, but they do say resources are stretched thin.

CNN's Phil Black is live right now on that border with Syria -- Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, forgive me. Some audio problems this morning. I think that you're speaking to me now.

So what I'd like to show you here is what is this latest wave of refugees to come through and cross from the Syrian border. The gates opened at this crossing point just in the last hour. And this is the result. These several hundred people stumbled through carrying what they can. Their belongings stuffed into sacks, wrapped up in blankets. They are tired, they are exhausted, they are given the basics. Some water, some biscuits, to eat, and medical attention for those who need it.

And what goes on in this holding area here, this is where they are processed effectively. They are given those basic needs, while the men line up to register them formally to enter Turkey as refugees.

So this really is quite striking for yet another day to be seeing so many people coming through. Those we've spoken to tell us that they've decided to make this move because the noise of war, ISIS, its fighters, its weapons, were coming very close to their homes and villages.

So what this means is that in other parts of Syria and in Iraq where coalition airstrikes have got ISIS recoiling, seeking shelter, trying to adjust their operations, just across the border in the north of Syria, through this Kurdish region, ISIS is still on the advance. They are still fighting to take territory in this mostly ethnic Kurdish region.

The local fighters said they are slowing them down, but they are outgunned and outnumbered. There have not been, they say, any coalition airstrikes against the ISIS forces in this region. But the people here tell us that is what they desperately want -- John.

BERMAN: People want some kind of peace just to live their lives. Millions of people in Syria caught in the middle now of this conflict which has been raging for years.

Phil Black on the Turkey-Syria border. Thank you so much.

ROMANS: Intelligence officials in the U.S. and Britain believe they have now identified the masked man who speaks in the ISIS beheading videos, although they decline to name him.

We want to go right to David Cameron, the prime minister of Britain. He is speaking right now about this vote that they will be having about whether to join the U.S. in airstrikes in Iraq.

Let's listen.

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: President Obama has called this network of death.

Mr. Speaker, there is no more serious an issue than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm's way to protect our country. And I want to set out today why I believe that is necessary.

If we are to do this, then there is a series of questions which must be answered. Is this in our national interests? In particular, is there a direct threat to the British people? Is there a comprehensive plan for dealing with this threat? Is the military element necessary? Is it necessary for us to take part in military action? Is it legal for us to take part?

Will we be doing so with the support of local partners? And will doing this add up to a moral justification for putting the lives of British servicemen and women on the line? And above all, do we have a clear idea of what a successful outcome will look like and are we convinced that our strategy can take us there?

I want to address each of these questions head on. First, our national interest. Is there a threat to the British

people? The answer is yes. ISIL has already murdered one British hostage and is threatening the lives of two more. The first ISIL inspired terrorist act in Europe have already taken place with, for instance, the attack on the Jewish museum in Brussels. Security services have disrupted six other known plots in Europe as well as foiling a terrorist attack in Australia aimed at civilians, including British and American tourists.

ISIL is a terrorist organization unlike those we have dealt with before. The brutality is staggering. Beheadings, crucifixions, the gouging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All these things belong to the Dark Ages. But it is not just the brutality. It is backed by billions of dollars and has captured an arsenal of the most modern weapons.

In the space of a few months, ISIL has taken control of territory which is greater than the size of Britain and is making millions selling oil to the Assad regime. It has already attacked Lebanon and boasts of its designs right up to the Turkish border. This is not a threat on the far side of the world.

Left unchecked, we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a NATO member with a declared and proven determination to attack our country and our people. This is not the stuff of fantasy. It is happening in front of us and we need to face up to it.

Next, is there a clear comprehensive plan? Yes. It starts at home with tough uncompromising action to prevent attacks and hunt down those who are planning them. As the House knows, we are introducing new powers. This includes strengthening our ability to seize passports and to stop suspects from traveling. It includes stripping British nationality from dual nationals. And ensuring that airlines comply with our no-fly lists.

And in all of this, we are being clear about the cause of the terrorist threat we face. As I've said before, that means defeating the poisonous ideology of Islamistic extremism by tackling all forms of extremis not just the violent extremism. So we are banning preachers of hate, prescribing organizations that incite terrorism, and stopping people from inciting hatred in our schools, universities and prisons.

Now of course some will say that any action you take will further radicalize young people. I have to say this is a cancer of despair. The threat of radicalization is already here. Young people have left our country to go and fight with these extremists. We must take action at home but we must also have a comprehensive strategy to defeat these extremists abroad.

This --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A question on the strategy, Mr. Speaker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two questions is now put to himself. How long will this war last and when will mission creep start?

CAMERON: Well, let me answer that very directly. This is going to be a mission that will not me answer that. This is a mission that will not just take months, but years. But I believe we have to be prepared for that commitment. And the reason for that is, I think, quite rightly, America, Britain and others, are not contemplating putting combat troops on the ground. There will be troops on the ground, but they will be Iraqi troops. They will be Kurdish troops. And we should be supporting them in all the ways that I will describe.

In terms of -- in terms of mission creep, I would address very directly later in my speech, while we are discussing what is happening in Iraq today and only that, and that is the motion in terms of the order of paper.

Let me give way to the honorable lady and then to my honorable friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very grateful for the prime minister for giving way.

He said on a number of occasions in this House that we face that long- term generational struggle and the priority is to fight this poisonous ideology. Will he commit now to working with the mainstream, moderate Muslim community in this country, who think these atrocities are carried out in the name of their religion and utterly reject them and have a practical program to make this happen?

CROWD: Hear, hear.

CAMERON: I absolutely commit to doing that. And we have to do that not just in Britain but right around the world. And we should be very clear that the cause of this problem is the poisonous narrative of Islamist extremism. Wherever there are broken states, conflicts, civil wars, we see this problem arise. Whether it is Boko Haram in Nigeria, or whether it is al Qaeda in the Yemen or whether it is ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

And we need Muslims to reclaim their religion from these extremists. And that is happening in our country and happening around the world. It was notable that President Obama in his speech to the United Nations singled out Muslims in Britain who were saying this is not being done in my name. And we should praise those people, too.

Let me give way to my honorable friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The prime minister placed his trust in the Iraqi Army. The problem is, having caused this mess in Iraq, we armed the Iraqi Army, they ran away and ISIL now has their arms. Is this seriously contended that by airstrikes alone we can actually rollback ISIL or is this just your politics?

CAMERON: To be absolutely direct, I am not claiming that by airstrikes alone we can rollback this problem. What this problem requires is a comprehensive strategy, including a well-formed Iraqi government and well-formed Iraqi armed forces because they in the end will be the ones who have to defeat this on the ground. But where I -- hold on.

Where I disagree with my honorable friend, in the cause of how this came about, I would say that the two most principal causes of this problem, as I said, the background of Islamist extremism, but the two principal causes are the fact that in Syria, Assad has been butchering his own people and acting as a recruiting sergeant to the extremist. And secondly, in Iraq, with the Maliki government, we had a government that did not represent all the people of Iraq.

I thought in one of the most powerful interventions I've heard and make, Ban Ki-Moon got it spot on when he said that look, missiles can kill terrorists. But it is good governance that will kill terrorism and we should have thought front and back of mind as we debate this afternoon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hear, hear, hear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grateful to the prime minister. Does he agree that the Iraqi government needs a political strategy to win over Sunnis and Kurds in their country? And is he satisfied that they now know how to do it and will get have full diplomatic support?

CAMERON: Well, in answer to the first part of this question, yes. It is absolutely essential. I think there's a lot more that needs to be done.

I met with prime minister -- President Abadi in New York and discussed this very directly with him. We need to make sure that the government in Iraq is not just supporting the Shia community, but is bringing together Shia, Sunni and Kurds in a united country with armed forces that are -- that are respected by every part of that community. That hasn't -- that hasn't happened yet. It is happening.

And I think that President Obama was absolutely right to delay this action until we had an Iraqi government with whom we can work as a good partner.

But what I'm going to do is make a little bit of progress with my speech and then I will take several more interventions.

So, as I've said, we have to take action at home and abroad and as we take action abroad, it must involve using all our resources at our disposal. That means humanitarian efforts, which Britain is already leading, to help those displaced by ISIL's onslaught. It means diplomatic efforts to engage the widest possible coalition of countries in the region as part of this international effort.

At the United Nations, we're leading the process of condemning ISIL, disrupting the flow of finance to ISIL and forging a global consensus about preventing the movement of foreign fighters.

Vitally, and as I've just been saying, the strategy also involves political efforts to support the creation of a new and genuinely inclusive government in Iraq and to bring about a transition of power in Syria that can lead to a new representative and accountable government in Damascus that it, too, can take the fight to ISIL. But yes, as one part of this comprehensive strategy, I do believe our

military have an indispensable role to play. And in a moment or two, I will turn to why. But let me take an intervention from the honorable gentleman first.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thank the prime minister very much for giving way.

Could you say more about this vital area of trying to change the nature of government in Syria and Iran's potential role in doing that?

CAMERON: Well, to be frank, what Syria needs is what Iraq needs, which is an inclusive democratic government that represents all of its people. Now we have had our strategy in terms of that, backing the moderate Syrian opposition, the Syrian National Council, and working with others. But yes I do think Iran has a role to play.

I met with President Rouhani in New York to discuss this and other issues. And Iran can play a role in helping to bring about better government in both Syria and in Iraq. But, you know, the jury is still out as to whether they will play that role. But we should certainly be encouraging them to do that.

I'll give way to my right, honorable friend, and then my honorable friend, and then I'll make some progress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very grateful (INAUDIBLE). We are all very -- also very grateful for the recall and the opportunity to discuss this in this manner today.

CROWD: Hear, hear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And my right honorable friend has mentioned Syria and he's also mentioned that on the ground fighting ISIL as the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army. Also fighting on the ground is the Free Syrian Army. Now given that last week, the United States Congress voted to support the Free Syrian Army overtly with weapons.

Given that they are conducting a ground war, which we are not prepared to do, would the prime -- would my right honorable can say whether or not we are looking again at whether we can give military hardware to the Free Syrian Army because they have the people, they just don't have the weaponry to take on either Assad and ISIL together because they have been doing that for the past year and need our help.

CAMERON: Well, as my right honorable friend knows, what we have done is support the Syrian National Coalition, support the Free Syrian Army with advice, with training, with mentoring and with nonlethal equipment. And I'm not proposing a change to that today. But let me address very directly this issue of ISIL in Syria. I'm very clear, ISIL needs to be destroyed in Syria as well as Iraq.

And we support the action that the United States and five Arab states have taken in Syria. And I do believe there's a strong case for us to do more in Syria. But I did not want to bring a motion to the House today which there wasn't consensus for. I think it is better if our country can proceed on the basis of consensus. And of course, in this House, and I'm sure we'll hear this in the debate today, there are many concerns about doing more in Syria. And I understand that.

I don't believe there is a legal barrier because I think the legal advice is clear that were we to act or others to act, there is a legal basis. But it is true to say that the Syrian situation is more complicated than the Iraqi situation. It's more complicated because of the presence of the brutal dictator Assad. It's more complicated because of the state of the civil war.

But we should be clear, we have a clear strategy for dealing with Syria. Backing the official opposition, building it up as a counterpoint to Assad and working for a transition. Because as I've said in the end, what Syria needs is what Iraq needs, which is a government that can represent all of its people.

Let me give way to the honorable gentleman, my honorable friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for giving way. But does he accept that without the Iraqi army being able to take and hold ground? It was a real risk that airstrikes alone were not just proven effective, but could become counterproductive especially if civilian casualties mount and especially is ISIL actually uses the fact they've withstood the might of the West and still held its ground and spins that story which it has so far managed to do.

CAMERON: Well, I would disagree with my honorable friend. On this basis that the air action that's already taken place by the Americans and to a degree by the French. Has already made a difference. Lives have been saved. Christians, Yazidis and other minorities who otherwise would be butchered has been saved by that action.

Now if my honorable friend is saying, do we need a better Iraqi army, that is more capable on the ground, yes, of course, we do. But the truth is, because we, quite rightly, I'm not prepared to put our own combat troops on the ground, we should be working with the Iraqis. Working with the Kurds so they become more effective. But we can't wait for that and allow minorities and others to be butchered and for the risk to our own country to increase without taking action.

Let me make some progress on why I believe military action is necessary before taking further interventions.

Frankly, without it, I don't believe there is a realistic prospect of degrading and defeating ISIL. And we should be frank that there already is a military conflict taking place. ISIL has taken territory. They're butchering people in Iraq. Iraqi, including Kurdish security forces are already fighting ISIL.

We have to decide if we're going to support them. And I believe that we should. If we are to beat these terrorists, it is vital with the international community does more to build the capability of the legitimate authority fighting extremism. And along with our European partners as has been discussed in this House, we are playing our role and supplying equipment directly to the Kurdish forces. We're strengthening the resilience of military forces in Lebanon and Jordan. And our tornado and civilians aircraft have already been helping with

intelligence gathering and logistics to support American attacks on ISIS in Iraq. But to be frank, and this is vitally important for the House to understand, the Iraqi government want more direct assistance. Earlier this week, the Iraqi prime minister wrote to the United Nations Security Council requesting military assistance to support its actions.

And when I met Prime Minister Abadi in New York on Wednesday, he reiterated that request to me. In Iraq, the real work of destroying ISIL will be for the Iraqi Security Forces. But they need our military help. And it is in our interests and theirs to give it.

Give way to the former defense minister.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we have problem in Iraq that we need to recognize. It is not just political and it's not just capability. There needs to be a will from the Iraqi army to defend the Sunni areas of the country. Now in his talk with the new government, has he seen that change? It actually means that our airstrikes who've been supported in a country that has the will to defend all of its own people.

CAMERON: The right honorable gentleman is absolutely right. And that is the conversation we are having with the Iraqi government. There is no doubt in my mind that this Iraqi prime minister is a change from the previous regime. They understand this point. But frankly, we should be tough in our interactions with them. They want our help. They want more training. They want more expertise.

They want our counterterrorism expertise to help them defend against these appalling car bombs in Baghdad. We should give them that help. But we should be saying, as we give them that help, this is conditional on you defending and protecting all of your people. And that must include the Sunnis in Iraq as well.

Let me give way to my honorable friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thank you my right honorable friend for giving way.

The Kurdish president is on record as saying they do not want British servicemen and women on the ground fighting the fight for them. What they need is better equipment and training and the air support.

Did Prime Minister Abadi deliver the similar message to our prime minister and what is this situation vis-a-vis the Sunni tribes? Because they need to play a role in this and they need to take the fight to ISIL as well.

CAMERON: Well, my honorable friend is absolutely spot on. The Iraqi prime minister was very frank in his requests from me. He said very clearly, in New York, we need your help to drive these people out of our country and indeed out of the world.

And so he is very, very frank about that. We are supplying equipment to the Kurds. We can do more to help the Iraqi Security Forces. As for the Sunni tribes, yes, of course. We need them to help, but they need to see that they can be part of a successful Iraq. And that's why the involvement of other Arab countries are so important. And there are particularly countries that may be out to encourage the Sunni tribes to take -- to take the step.

Let me give way to my old friend at the right then I'll make some progress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: grateful To our prime minister, I'm glad he seems to accept that airstrikes alone cannot hope to be successful unless they are in close coordination with credible ground forces. The only ground forces he's mentioned so those of the Kurds and the Iraqis. What are the other Arab states proposing to do because surely those ground forces have to be Sunni Muslim ground forces and we need other Arab countries to supply them.

CAMERON: I think my honorable friend makes an important point. We should tread carefully here. We are proposing to act at the request of the legitimate Iraqi government. That government is supposed to represent all of its country. Shia, Sunni and Kurds. That country should be doing that rather than relying on other countries to provide Sunni forces in order to deliver that effect.

And so I think it's very important that we keep the pressure because it's the Iraqi government that should be representing all of its people rather than getting proxies to do it for it.

Let me just specifically -- I will give way. I'll take more interventions, I promise. But I want to answer this question, which is whether it is necessary speaking for Britain to take part in this international action. Should we just leave it to others? I don't believe think that is the right answer.

The coalition needs our help. In particular with the vital work being done in terms of airstrikes. Britain has unique assets that no other coalition ally can contribute.

ROMANS: You're watching the British Prime Minister David Cameron appearing in front of Parliament right now. He's seeking the authorization for British warplanes to conduct airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.

We're going to get back into that when we come back from the break.

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