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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Serious White House Breach; ISIS Closing in on Kobani; Protesters Hang on in Hong Kong; New ISIS Hostage Video Mocks Airstrikes

Aired September 30, 2014 - 05:30   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Armed, dangerous and much deeper into the White House than we knew. Frankly than we were told.

Shocking new details about the fence jumping intruder arrested in the president's home. This as the head of the Secret Service is expected to be grilled in front of Congress this morning.

Is the president and his family, are they being kept safe?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: ISIS fighters gaining new ground in Iraq and Syria. Moving closer to key cities. Local residents fearing their town will be lost. This as ISIS releases new propaganda, video of a British hostage this morning.

Live team coverage ahead.

BERMAN: Pro-democracy protesters taking over the streets of Hong Kong demanding change from their government.

We will take you live to the heart of these protests.

ROMANS: Those pictures are remarkable.

BERMAN: Really stunning. And those protests will only get bigger within a few days.

ROMANS: Yes.

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

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 31 minutes past the hour.

Let's begin with the Secret Service. The director of the Secret Service already facing a tough congressional oversight this morning and it just got a whole lot tougher.

We now know that the man who jumped the White House fence earlier this month made it much farther into the White House than had been previously reported.

CNN's Jim Acosta has that story for us this morning from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Omar Gonzalez made it much farther inside the White House than previously acknowledged by the Secret Service.

According to congressional and law enforcement sources, once Gonzalez entered the White House, he managed to get through a Secret Service officer at the North Portico door, went past the stairs, leading to the first family residence, and then ran into the East Room before he was tackled just as he was trying to head into the Green Room.

No shots were fired inside or outside the White House. And according to a memo that will be used by lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee at a hearing later on this morning, there were multiple lapses that allowed Gonzalez to make it that far. One of them being a failure to use what's called the crash button, that would have instantly locked down the White House. The question, of course, is, why that button was not used?

And this new information runs counter to what the Secret Service initially said on the night of the fence jumping incident, when a spokesman told reporters that Gonzalez was apprehended just inside the North Portico door.

The director of the Secret Service, Julia Pierson, is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee later on this morning. According to White House officials, the president has confidence in her leadership -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Thanks, Jim, for that report.

This morning residents of the Syrian city of Kobani are terrified and pleading for help. That as ISIS closes in. Islamic militant fighters are less than two miles now from that Kurdish town near the border with Turkey. U.S.-led forces have intensified airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, but officials in Kobani say it is not enough. They need more help or that city will fall.

Standing by live at the border right now, CNN's Phil Black.

Good morning, Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

Yes, when we speak to everyone around here on this side of the border here in Turkey, just across the border in Syria in that city of Kobani, which you can see behind me, we are asked where is the international coalition. Where are the airstrikes? Why aren't they getting involved in the battle that is raging just across the border there?

You can see Kobani, it is being approached from all sides -- the west, the south and the east -- by ISIS. We are standing to the east. And it is from this direction in recent days that we have watched ISIS approach. And we have seen firsthand, very clearly, the fact that ISIS fighters really outgunning their opponents.

They have much heavier weaponry than the Kurdish fighters who are desperately trying to resist them. And they have moved so close to the city now. ISIS was shelling Kobani directly yesterday. As many as 20 times according to people within the city that we spoken to. They believed that has killed a number of civilians, at least three. And there are now real concerns for those who remain behind in that city.

Well, most have fled, some 200,000 from the city in the surrounding region across the border here in Turkey to seek shelter. There are still thousands behind. And there are real concerns about what should happen to them in the event that ISIS makes its last final push. A final lurch to take this city.

We heard some fighting this morning, distantly. Some shelling. We think coming from the south. It is otherwise peaceful for the moment. But here on the ground, there is every sense that there's little standing between ISIS and its goal. That they're at the gates and they're in a position to take Kobani -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Phil Black for us on the border where you can practically see that city as it fights for survival against ISIS.

Our thanks to Phil.

Meanwhile, ISIS released a new propaganda video overnight featuring British hostage John Cantlie.

We'll go live to London with that, tell you what's on that video in about 15 minutes.

ROMANS: We're following breaking news this morning. Police in Baghdad are confirming claims by ISIS that the Islamic militant group has carried out several attacks on Iraqi army patrols and checkpoints in the southern outskirts of the city. At least eight Iraqi soldiers are reported killed.

Officials characterized the attack as a hit-and-run. They say Iraqi Security Forces do remain in control of the area.

BERMAN: Meanwhile, Syria's foreign minister is slamming the United States and the West for the way they are conducting the war on ISIS. Telling the United Nations General Assembly that Western governments ignored Syria's warning about ISIS for years. And these countries now need to coordinate airstrikes against ISIS with the Syrian government. Now the White House is refusing to do that.

Syria's foreign minister went on to say that the U.S. is making a mistake by not targeting other extremist groups in the region along with ISIS. Those groups obviously fighting the Syrian government.

BERMAN: The cost of this war is climbing. According to research from the strategic and budgetary assessment, U.S. military operations have already cost between $780 million and $930 million in the last two months. The cost going forward depends on duration and intensity. But the think-tank estimates the lower intensity campaign will cost as much as $320 million a month.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the U.S. is spending up to $10 million a day. He's likely to request more money.

Time for an EARLY START on your money this morning. Asian stocks ended the day mostly lower. Pro-democracy protests continue in Hong Kong. European stock are up right now. U.S. stock futures are pointing higher as well.

BERMAN: The first Clinton grandchild is waking up this morning. Waking up. Falling asleep. Waking up. Falling asleep.

ROMANS: Crying. Eating. Crying.

BERMAN: But the important thing is she will be in her new home. That is her right there. That little bundle of stuff right there.

Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky leaving the hospital on Monday along with her mother and father and a couple of other people who may be recognizable and standing behind them. Baby Charlotte will be busy over the next few day, I am sure, writing, transcribing memoirs, things like that. No, she will be meeting aunts and uncles on her father's side of the family. She has 18 first cousins.

ROMANS: That's awesome.

BERMAN: To meet in between napping and eating and napping.

ROMANS: Very bullish on babies. Babies are cool. Babies are cool. Best of luck to them. Best wishes for them in their sleepless nights.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: Start saving in a 529 for college right now.

BERMAN: Right. They're late if they haven't started already. They're late.

ROMANS: Right.

BERMAN: Thirty-seven minutes after the hour.

Happening right now, thousands of protesters taking over the streets of Hong Kong demanding big changes. We are live with the very latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Another day and night of protests in Hong Kong as demonstrators worry about an eventual crackdown. Thousands of people jammed into the heart of Hong Kong. They are demonstrating against a move to allow only Beijing approved candidates in the upcoming election for Hong Kong chief executive.

Violence flared on Sunday after the ranks of largely student-led protests there began to grow, growing over the weekend. Standing by live in the middle of all this action is CNN's Andrew

Stevens.

Andrew, it's just remarkable the number of people there, how young they are. I mean, some of these people were never -- these people protesting for democracy weren't even born, you know, before Tiananmen Square. The other big famous -- you know, famous pro-democracy protest in China.

Hong Kong, a different case because Hong Kong has more rights than mainland China. But still to see so many people turning out just remarkable.

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL: I think this really is a watershed moment to the young -- for the youth of Hong Kong, Christine, in so many ways. So many people turning out here. Tens of thousands. And they are led without a doubt by the students.

As you say, 1999, 25 years ago, these students obviously know about Tiananmen Square. What happened there every year. There is a vigil here in Hong Kong. It's a topic that people discussed frequently and widely. And now they are caught up in their own democratic struggle, if you like. Not nearly on the same level. Given, as you point out, Hong Kong does already enjoy so many freedoms.

It is -- it operates here in China under one country, two systems. And the system that Hong Kong has is that it has its own mini constitution which guarantees a freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, a lot of rights that just don't exist in China.

So these students have come out and they are mostly students to make sure that that democracy call is heard. The bottom line, the reason for this protest is that Beijing ruled quite recently that yes, Hong Kong will be able to vote. Universal suffrage for the next leader of Hong Kong in 2017, but Beijing reserves the right to approve who the candidates for the leadership will be. And that is what they're protesting against at the moment.

It's interesting, we've just been listening to a few of the student leaders down there. They remained defiant. They bring the chant out to basically fire C.Y. Leung, the head of the Hong Kong administration here. A widely reviled man, particularly among the students here. And he is the person they want to see go so they can unlock this standoff, if you like.

But by the same token Beijing is not backing down one inch and no one really expects it to. It is not going to give in to street protests in Hong Kong. Particularly given the fact that they say these protests are illegal.

So you have a standoff. It's very difficult to see where it goes from here. But right at the moment, the momentum, these gains and gains, Christine, every day more and more people are coming. Tomorrow is a public holiday. Again, this crowd as you see here, and just remember, this is one of three key spots in Hong Kong. This is the biggest site. But there are two others. Tomorrow will be a public holiday. Expect a lot more people to come

out. What the police will do to try -- to try and keep the crowds in order, very difficult to ascertain at the moment. But the students here have constantly been challenging each other on the loud speakers to each other to stay peaceful, respect the law. Don't give the police any sort of opportunity to -- to come in and become heavy handed with the students here -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Andrew Stevens, remarkable, remarkable what's happening there on the streets of Hong Kong. We'll check in with you again. Thank you.

BERMAN: And the key, yes, those protests will grow because the way the week is laid out here. It'd be interesting to see how the Chinese authorities respond.

All right. Let's get a look at what's going to happen with the weather today, tomorrow and ahead. Indra Petersons is here with that.

ROMANS: Hi, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Things are changing. But not in Florida. Because that's where it's been raining and it is still raining right now. We're talking about even more showers on the way.

Just take a look at the last 24 hours. I mean five inches out towards Georgia. And look at Florida. All of the heavy amounts of rain means continuing flooding concerns as more rain continues to be in the forecast today. But eventually by tomorrow, it finally kicks out of here and we'll start to see the amount of showers at least go down.

The other story we're going to be watching across the country today is going to be a system that's going to produce a couple of light showers kind of making its in the mid-Atlantic and the northeast today. And then a couple of other systems that eventually will start to cruise across the country, bringing a severe weather threat right along with it.

So this is where I'm going to take it day by day for you. There is the light showers again kind of making their way in the mid-Atlantic and northeast today. Here is the system that we're actually going to be watching. Severe weather threat today out towards the Dakotas. But it's this low down here that's eventually going to pick up speed here into the Midwest. Think like Omaha tomorrow.

That is where we're going to be looking at that severe weather threat. Light showers making their way in the Midwest as well as cooler air. But it's really when we get into Thursday, that's going to be our concern. Really anywhere from the Midwest all the way down to the south. We're going to be talking about a severe weather threat around St. Louis.

Keep pointing out Chicago because we know they do not want any more delays but of course that's exactly what they have potential to see as another system in Chicago this time of year. Of course it's going to keep happening. They got like another day or two before it gets there.

BERMAN: Trouble on top of trouble out there.

PETERSONS: Yes.

ROMANS: Thanks, Indra.

BERMAN: Thanks, Indra. Appreciate it.

ROMANS: Well, let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us now for that.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Good morning, John, Christine. How are you both?

The Secret Service, as you know, is under fire this morning. There are new and embarrassing details about how far the man in the circle on your screen got inside the White House. First it was that he got through the fence. Then it was actually he opened door. You will not believe how far he got in, this Omar Gonzalez. We're going to tell you about that.

We're also going to speak with a former Secret Service agent about the repeated security lapses. And what does this mean as we now have this big hearing with the head of the Secret Service and lawmakers.

Plus, even as the U.S. builds a coalition to fight terror, the militants are forming one of their own. Their reports that ISIS and another terror group, the al-Nusra Front, linked with al Qaeda. That they may be joining forces to fight against the coalition. How does this change the dynamic as ISIS inches closer to key areas in Iraq and Syria. We're going to ask the Pentagon spokesman. Can't get closer to the truth than what he should be able to tell us.

Also, we're going to be asking the question, guys, as I bring it back to you. What do you think of this? Too provocative? The Secret Service. Right? We've been having these questions about them all along. Do we need the Secret Service or should there be a change in who protects the president?

BERMAN: You need high quality near impervious protection of the chief executive. You know, the Secret Service has done much of that for a long, long time. Hopefully it can be improved to do the job it needs to do.

CUOMO: I agree with you. I believe I'm going to look up impervious and then I'll get back to you when I see what I means.

BERMAN: Chris Cuomo, we'll see you in a few minutes.

ROMANS: All right. New video this morning, 48 minutes past the hour.

New video this morning of a British journalist held hostage by ISIS. We're live in London next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: ISIS has posted a new video this morning featuring hostage John Cantlie. Like the two earlier propaganda videos showing him, this one the British photojournalist speaking directly into the camera. There are no guards in view. He reads from a script apparently under duress. He is mocking President Obama's new strategy for defeating ISIS.

CNN's Atika Shubert is live in London with the latest on this video.

And, Atika, when we first saw John Cantlie, he had said that there would be a series of these videos, sort of a new propaganda strategy from ISIS. A different strategy.

What are we learning about this one?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. That's exactly what this is. A different tact for ISIS to disseminate their propaganda. And what they're doing is they're using John Cantlie, who is a British journalist, and he is sort of talking to the camera as though he's a newscaster. Analyzing President Obama's 9/11 speech. And he analyzes it from the point of view of ISIS.

Now he seems to be in good health. He's reading a script that clearly he is under duress. He is being held hostage. But appears to possibly have been written by him.

So this is a new tactic by ISIS in getting their message out there. But either way, they are still using a hostage coercing him to deliver this message. And so there should be no mistake about this being ISIS propaganda.

ROMANS: Yes. Definitely. I mean, you see the clothes he is wearing, the fact that he is a captive. I mean, he has been a captive now for two years. It must be -- we can only imagine how terrifying it must be for him. I mean, these hostages have been through mock executions. They've been through all kinds of different, you know, torture in some cases. We know that Jim Foley was tortured in some cases.

What do we know -- will there be more of these? Does he say in this video that there will be more on these?

SHUBERT: He does say that there will be more of these. And it's likely to be a series. We don't know how long this is going to go on for. I think a lot of it depends on what kind of pressure ISIS comes under.

We don't know where these videos are made, where they are filmed, where they're put together. But clearly with the airstrikes hitting ISIS, it will put pressure on them about getting these messages out there.

So we're just waiting to see what happens next. But yes, it is very distressing, especially as you can imagine, for the family of John Cantlie, to see these videos coming out now quite regularly and him promising to have more of these videos to come.

ROMANS: All right. Atika Shubert, thank you so much for that. Atika in London for us this morning.

Fifty-four minutes past the hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning.

Asian stocks ended their day lower. Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong hanging on the Hang Seng. European shares higher right now. U.S. stock futures pointing up for the last day of September. It has not been the best month for stocks. September. The Dow has dropped slightly. The S&P 500 down about 1.3 percent. The Nasdaq down 1.6 percent thanks to falling tech stocks.

The U.S. has 27 new billionaires. A lot of disrupters and tech entrepreneurs adding their names to the billionaire list this year. The newly minted super rich include the founder of WhatsApp, the CEO of Uber and the founder of GoPro.

Familiar faces still top the richest list. Bill Gates is number one for the 21st year in a row, $81 billion. And Warren Buffet is the second richest in the country.

Fifty-eight minutes past the hour. "NEW DAY" starts right now.