Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Attacks; Charlie Hebdo on Newsstands Today; Cockpit Voice Recorder Downloaded; Stocks Are Lower Around the World

Aired January 14, 2015 - 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: Breaking news this morning, al Qaeda in Yemen is now claiming responsibility for the Paris terror attacks. We're live with this new information. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Live in Paris this morning, and yes, the breaking news this morning, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, based out of Yemen. This morning in a video has claimed responsibility for the attack one week ago on the offices of the satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo."

Twelve people were killed here behind me, 10 inside the offices of that magazine, 2 people outside here. And now one week later, AQAP says they were behind the attacks.

A spokesman for the organization, a commander, (inaudible) in a video said when the heroes were assigned, they accepted, they promised, and they fulfilled. He, of course, is talking about Said and Cherif Kouachi.

At least one of those brothers is known to have traveled to Yemen, believed to have met with AQAP and now that organization claiming credit for the attacks.

I want to bring in our Nick Paton Walsh who has seen this video. And Nick, not surprising, perhaps, that AQAP has claimed responsibility, given that we know that these brothers traveled to Yemen, given that we know that they were screaming allegiance to the group as they were carrying out the attack.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. But, of course, obviously with these claims, now investigators have to match up the suggestion of connectivity between this video and the brothers on the street to what investigative leads they have.

But let's deal with what's actually said in this video. It's from the official media wing, so to speak, of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and it's quite specific in breaking down what it considers to be the orders that led to what it refers to as the blessed battle of Paris. Part of a lot of terminology, which I'm sure those in Paris will find disgusting, but often part of the justification these jihadi groups use. It refers to how this particular operation was ordered by Al Zawahiri, who was, I think, many consider now somewhat in the shadows, so to speak.

Continued leader of al Qaeda since the death of Bin Laden, which repeatedly makes references to bin laden, killed in 2011 by U.S. Special Forces. And of course, says that a U.S. citizen known as Anwar Al Awlaki, that he was, in fact, behind operating -- running the operation that led to this particular bloody scene in the streets of Paris.

Now, what's key about this is that Al Awlaki was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2011. This suggestion that he somehow masterminded this operation suggests that potentially the Kouachi brothers, who they refer to here as the men who were assigned and accepted and fulfilled their task and refers to them as heroes.

That the Kouachi brothers, in fact, potentially lay dormant for over three years before they carried out this particular attack. But John, the message goes on to refer to how France has committed crimes in Mali and elsewhere in Maghreb, that's the North African region where the French military has been active too against Islamic radicals.

And effectively says that France is guilty of America's crimes as well. It is a lengthy justification. But above all, it is al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group, which has somewhat fallen out of the Jihadi spotlight in the past year or so, given the rice of ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, in Northern Syria and Iraq.

And now with this video and the attacks in Paris, if they are associated, as the video suggests and the men in the street as they shouted that they were from al Qaeda in Yemen as they carried out their brutal shootings, it would suggest AQAP is trying to push itself back perhaps into the jihadi spotlight.

Curious and perhaps sick rivalry between these two groups for attention and potentially recruits from the Jihadi world here. But a very clear message from this AQAP spokesman that it was AQAP that financed this, organized this, and then, of course, the Kouachi brothers who sat dormant potentially in France, in Paris, for a number of years before they actually carried it out -- John.

BERMAN: Fascinating details there, chilling, and just to be clear, Nick, only claiming credit, AQAP only claiming credit in this video for the attacks at "Charlie Hebdo," the offices of the satirical magazine, not claiming any connection to Amedy Coulibaly, who attacked the kosher supermarket?

WALSH: Well, that is actually what's fascinating, John, really is they refer to Amedy Coulibaly, who attacked the kosher supermarket, yes, but they say his attack was a coincidence in many ways and it was simply good fortune that these things happened at the same time.

Now, that potentially feeds into the rivalry between these radical groups, al Qaeda and ISIS. Remember, Amedy Coulibaly left a lengthy video pledging allegiance to ISIS.

They at times conflict for resources or stretch the battlefield inside Northern Syria. So the fact that they say that Coulibaly's assistance or simultaneous operation was simply good fortune is, I think, an attempt to try and not claim responsibility for it, but simply suggest that there's a kind of cooperation.

We know on the ground, potentially, the Coulibaly brothers as well -- sorry, Coulibaly knew the Kouachi brothers quite well, too -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for this breaking news, referred to on the video now as the blessed battle of Paris. A diabolical phrase if there ever was one. Thanks, Nick.

I want to bring in Frederik Pleitgen, who is with me here in Paris and Fred, today was already a meaningful, tense day in this city because of the release of the new issue of "Charlie Hebdo" with the Prophet Muhammad once again on the cover.

It's been one week since the attacks behind me and even before we got this claim of responsibility from AQAP, there was already an increased security presence on the streets.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was. And this heightens it that much more because it shows that these terrorist organizations also see the significance of this day. The fact that they came out today with this video saying that the prophet has been avenged by these two terrorists is something that certainly is going to put the police here on even higher alert.

The intelligence services on even higher alert as they're scrambling anyway to come to terms with the situation because they thought that they had pretty much taps on most of the terrorists here in this country.

And now it turns out not only did they lose track of these people, but they seemed to have lost track of the entire networks that were behind all of this. Because if we take a look at the attacks that the Kouachi brothers perpetrated, also Amedy Coulibaly perpetrated.

It seems as though there must have been some degree of organization behind that because as we've noticed, they had the AK-47s, hand grenades, a rocket-propelled grenade. Can you imagine driving through France with a rocket-propelled grenade, an RPG.

BERMAN: You don't get that anywhere.

PLEITGEN: It's something that is unthinkable. So they're on heightened alert anyway and on a day like today, it's just that much more. We can see the presence on the streets. We can see the presence pretty much everywhere at all the sites here in Paris. And now to see AQAP come out with this video, it shows that the threat on this particular day is very, very real.

BERMAN: And they are tracing all the different threats here. You have the girlfriend of Amedy Coulibaly, Hayat Boumeddiene, she is believed to be in Syria right now. We learned yesterday there was a man picked up on the border between Bulgaria and Turkey on January 1st.

Sources tell me he was headed to Syria. This is a man that reportedly had contacts with the Kouachi brothers before January 1st and may have some kind of terror connection. It shows you how big this web is getting.

PLEITGEN: It shows you how big this web is getting and that there are contacts between -- I wouldn't say these organizations, but between these people on the ground here that might have nothing to do with the links between the terrorist organizations themselves.

I mean, Nick was just talking about how ISIS and al Qaeda have this rivalry going on. But at the same time, you had Amedy Coulibaly say I was absolutely in sync. He went and he called French media specifically to tell them that.

So there is a degree of cooperation between these people. There seems to be some sort of web between these people and also the fact that French intelligence apparently knew that these people were a threat.

They did have taps on these people and then they sort of lost track of them at some point is something that's very concerning.

BERMAN: It seems like they made an affirmative decision to back off.

PLEITGEN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: Because they did not think they were as great a threat. That seems to be a fateful decision at this moment. Frederick Pleitgen with us here in Paris, thank you so much.

As Fred and I were just discussing, today is an important day because this is the day that the new issue that the "Charlie Hebdo" hits the newsstands, the survivors issue. This was put together by the surviving members of the staff, the ones who were not killed in the brutal attacks one week ago.

They lost ten staff members. They've been working out of really a rival publication, a leftist daily, and they have this new issue, 3 million copies that hit the streets today. On the cover is a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, a cartoon. You can see Muhammad with a tear in his eye.

He has a placard that says "Je Suis Charlie," "I am Charlie." There's also a caption that says "Tu Et Pardonais." "All is forgiven." CNN is not showing the cover, but I just described to you what is on it.

You can see for yourselves the lines that have been at newsstands all across the city. They have been packed. We waited for 45 minutes at one and still could not get an issue. CNN's Phil Black is at a newsstand here in Paris. Good morning, Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. The crowds started lining up outside the newsstands here in Paris before the sun came up, before the newsstands themselves opened. When they eventually did, there were a lot of disappointed people.

We've been watching waves of people come up to newsstands asking for this copy of "Charlie Hebdo," and almost all of them have been disappointed because there simply aren't enough copies to go around. Demand is still well and truly outstripping supply.

What numbers of the edition the newsstands have received, well, they will put aside because some people were forward-thinking enough to reserve copies. No one has been able to simply walk up and receive a copy. They say they will keep coming back.

They are determined to do so because they see this publication, and in particular this edition, as something of a symbol now. A great deal of effort has gone into getting it published today by the remaining staff of "Charlie Hebdo," an extraordinary effort under difficult, logistical and obviously incredibly emotional circumstances.

They have described the process of coming up with the cover image, that image that you described of the Prophet Muhammad as being an extraordinarily emotional one, but one that the people here on the streets very much appreciate.

We've been asking a lot of people what they think of that image and they think the staffs at "Charlie Hebdo" have got the tone, the image, just right. They talk about it being both defiant, both emotional, irreverent, very much in the spirit of this magazine, very much, they say, in the spirit of French civilization.

So the demand for this magazine is extremely high. It appears that the print run has been increased further. They were talking about 3 million. They're now talking about 5 million. We can expect deliveries at the newsstands every day. A lot of people are going to get copies of this publication. They're going to keep coming back, they say, until they do -- John.

BERMAN: Yes, it does seem, Phil, that 3 million simply will not be enough based on the appetite for it that we saw on the streets. Phil Black, our thanks to you.

And I was at the news conference yesterday, Christine, where the surviving members of "Charlie Hebdo" explained the cover. And the cartoonist who drew the cover, the man known as Luz, he talked about how he was inspired, really focused on the tear that was in the Prophet Muhammad's eye on the cover.

And it was so poignant to see him discussing it and perhaps more poignant of all was the fact that the news conference was held in a rival publication's office where they've been working because they can't work at the offices behind me because they have more or less been destroyed.

But there's been an outpouring of support for this magazine, that by the way, I should say that a lot of people here in Paris never read, never even liked and are offended by, but you can be offended by it and still respect the resilience that those surviving staffers have now shown. ROMANS: France has a very long history of satirical journalism. It's part of the French life, part of the journalistic and literary landscape. It's interesting that our reporters across the city are saying they can't get their hands on a copy of it. They've been reserved in advance.

I want to bring us back to this breaking news that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claiming responsibility for the "Charlie Hebdo" attacks, John.

And what strikes me about this is the way AQAP is calling this the blessed battle of Paris, almost trying to elevate this into the terrorist mythology as more PR potentially to try to inspire new attacks or to try to inspire new members, and also saying that France, so close to the United States, France as a state is the party of Satan.

BERMAN: So much of terror, Christine, is propaganda, is the desire to create an atmosphere of fear, and those attacks here in Paris, a pair of attacks, one at the magazine, also the kosher grocery store, and did frighten a lot of people.

It did drive a tremendous amount of media coverage and has now caused an enormous increase in security in this country. So now you see al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claiming credit for it, using that diabolical phrase, the blessed battle of Paris, and giving the sense that in their minds this battle is very much still on.

Now, we have a lot of questions about the claim from AQAP, Christine. Did they come up with this idea way back in 2011 when the Kouachi brothers, we believe, were in Yemen? Was it a specific plan they hatched then? These are some of the questions we need answered over the next few days.

ROMANS: And something investigators will be scouring, no question. John Berman in Paris, thank you for that, John. We're going to continue following the latest in the Paris terror attacks and the investigation and these claims by AQAP all morning long.

But first, new developments this morning, Indonesian officials confirming they have found the fuselage of AirAsia Flight 8501, this as investigators download the audio from the plane's cockpit voice recorder. They are listening to the last moments of that flight. We're live with that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Now to breaking news this morning in the investigation into doomed AirAsia Flight 8501. Indonesian search and rescue officials confirm that the fuselage of Flight 8501 has been found, this on a very busy day in the investigation.

Transportation safety officials say they have now successfully downloaded the cockpit voice recorder. The flight data recorder, that was downloaded Tuesday. Both devices, both of them are key to solving this mystery of what brought that flight down. All of this as families of more than 100 passengers, they are still waiting for word on the recovery of their loved ones. I want to bring in David Molko, he is live for us this morning in Jakarta. He's been following every twist and turn in this investigation -- David.

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. They have found the fuselage of Flight 8501 on day 18 of the search and recovery effort. I'm going to go through some of the information here. There's quite a bit. This is coming from the head of Indonesian search and rescue, the top guy, the guy who has been running the whole operation.

He says the fuselage has been found. He has received a photo of it. He has seen that photo with his own eyes a couple hours ago. He says in the picture you can see -- clearly see the fuselage section, one of the wings of the plane.

There is a large sign down the side of it. It says "Everyone Can." we have checked with AirAsia. This particular aircraft did say down the side "Now Everyone Can Fly." That is their slogan. He is saying this piece of the fuselage is about 30 meters or 100 feet long.

Just for perspective, the length of the full A320, about 120 feet long. So most of that plane -- the distance, a couple other things coming in he said it was found about a half a mile from the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

A remote-operated vehicle from a Singaporean ship is being sent down into the Java Sea to take pictures. Again, Christine, the breaking news here, Flight 8501, the main fuselage has been found. The search and rescue chief here has seen the pictures with his own eyes -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, David Molko with that breaking news from Indonesia this morning. Thank you for that, David.

It's 49 minutes past the hour. A death threat against House Speaker John Boehner, who was arrested and how the suspect allegedly hoped to kill the top Republican in the House?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: An Ohio man is in custody in psychiatric care after threatening to kill House Speaker John Boehner by poisoning his drink. The 44-year-old Michael Robert Hoyt served Boehner while working as a bartender at the speaker's Ohio Country Club for more than five years.

Police say he blamed Boehner for getting him fired back in October. Hoyt also claimed he was Jesus Christ and that Boehner was the devil and responsible for Ebola. He's now facing federal charges for this alleged murder plot.

North Korea is again denying it had anything to do with the devastating hack of Sony Pictures and is challenging the U.S. to provide evidence of its involvement. The FBI has blamed Pyongyang for the cyber-attack which led Sony to cancel the wide release of the movie, "The Interview," before releasing it online and in select theaters.

North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador insists his country was not behind it, and he again called for a joint investigation with the U.S. to get to the bottom of the hack.

President Obama wants to make your internet access broader, faster and cheaper and he'll outline his plan in a speech today in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is designed to increase choice and competition in the U.S. broadband market focusing on efforts to build alternatives to major internet providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T.

Officials say federal agencies will expand grants and loans for these projects and for smaller rural internet companies.

The collapse -- collapse in oil prices driving gas at the pump below a major psychological barrier. We'll get an EARLY START on your money next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning looking kind of ugly out there, folks. Asian stocks, U.S. stock futures are lower. European stocks are recovering after a report showed better than expected industrial production there.

Crude oil, though, sliding, this is the big money story, six-year low. Prices have been tumbling for months and have not found a floor here. That's causing concerns about global growth. If you don't have it already, expect gas prices $2 a gallon or below.

I mean, that's the good side of the oil story. The national average is $2.10. Today it's the lowest in almost six years. Gas prices have been falling for months.

The average will likely fall below $2 a gallon very soon, aout half of U.S. gas stations are already selling gas for 2 bucks or less. Analysts are cutting their forecasts for the year as oil prices keep ticking down.

Big news for the job market, everybody. Job openings are at the highest level in 14 years. There were almost 5 million openings in November, the most since January 2001. That means businesses feel confident enough to add employees and they are looking for workers.

Look at this. There are now fewer than two unemployed people for every job opening. That's the lowest number since early 2008 before the recession. That chart right there shows you an improving job market. It shows you you've only got to beat one other person out for a job to get it. We hope that's going to mean more people will have the work they need in 2015.

All right, breaking news this morning, Al Qaeda in Yemen now claiming responsibility for the Paris terror attacks. "NEW DAY" starts right now.