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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
New ISIS Video Threatens Hostages; Belgian Terror Cell Linked to ISIS; State of the Union Preview; Fighting Escalates Around Donetsk Airport
Aired January 20, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The breaking news this morning: a chilling new threat from ISIS releasing a new video overnight. That as the manhunt in Europe intensifies for the leaders of the operational terror cell.
Live coverage starts now.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman. It is Tuesday, January 20th. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East. Christine Romans is off this morning.
We do have breaking news: a disturbing new ISIS video threatening new hostages. This time, it appears to be an attempt to extort $200 million from the Japanese government.
Joining us now live with the latest is CNN's Will Ripley.
Good morning, Will.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, it is a difficult situation, right now, as you can imagine for the families of Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa, now the latest captives to appear in a horrible ISIS video. Standing in between the two of them, the executioner whose voice is familiar now to the world and believed to be responsible for the killing of so many people from so many countries.
This especially will create shockwaves, John, for the people of Japan, a pacifist country that has a military that only engages in self defense in a country that just two days ago pledged $200 million U.S. in support to fight ISIS. But the prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, stressing it was nonmilitary support, not combat operations. And yet, now, it appears that two Japanese lives are in a very grave danger.
Listen to the portion of the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the prime minister of Japan, although you are more than 8,500 kilometers away from the Islamic State, you willingly have volunteered to take part in this crusade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: Officially, John, Japan has never paid money for the release of hostages. Again, that is officially. There have been speculation that perhaps deals under the table. But a figure like US$200 million to be pulled together in three days is not going to happen, John, which means people in Japan are bracing for the worst right now.
BERMAN: What do we know about these men, Will, and what they were doing in the war zone?
RIPLEY: Kenji Goto Jogo was a journalist who was there covering the conflict. According to his Twitter account which last had some posts in October. He had filed reports for some major news organizations.
Haruna Yukawa, his back story is a bit more unclear. But he claims to be the owner of a private web site, the owner of a military security company, though it's not clear what if any security background he has. Both men believed to be captured around sometime in October.
BERMAN: And ISIS with that terrorist there speaking in a British accent demanding $200 million for the hostages. Our hearts go out to that family or those families.
Will Ripley, covering this for us from Beijing, thanks so much.
Happening this morning, authorities are searching for the man they say is the ringleader of the terror cell raided by police in Belgium last week. A man they say is linked to ISIS. A senior Belgian counterterrorism official tells CNN the man's name is Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and that he dropped off the radar in Greece.
Breaking this morning, some 200 German police officers raided 13 locations in three metro areas overnight. This is part of an investigation into two alleged Islamists arrested on Friday.
Let's go to senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joining us from Paris on the latest on these hunts in several different countries.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
I mean, what we understand from the Germans at the moment while this is a wide ranging sweep of arrests, it wasn't to sort of handoff an imminent threat. These were investigations following two arrests of two Islamists late last week by German authorities. This is a follow- up on that, they say.
What we are understanding here in France from French authorities of the nine people that they had arrested, or still had under arrest from late last week, five of them had been released today. The other four appearing early this morning before a magistrate. They will continue to be held for questions. They are all young men in their 20s.
And in Belgium, authorities there waiting for the extradition of a man arrested in the past couple of days by Greek authorities who the Belgians believe have connections to the Islamic groups there in Belgium. So, in Europe at the moment, still a very fluid picture, arrests continuing and filtering by authorities of the people arrested -- John.
BERMAN: That is interesting. You have these four men facing court situations in France. You have arrests and raids in Germany. You have Belgians looking for people in that county, including arrests in Greece. A great deal of activity.
Nic, any sense it is being coordinated at the international level?
ROBERTSON: Well, the European foreign ministers met in Belgium yesterday. This was an opportunity for them to discuss that cooperation. The analysis is it needs to improve. Not just with European allies internally. You have the example here of the Kouachi brothers and the investigation into them now has thrown up facts even in France, mistakes were made and information not shared properly, analysis and thoroughness of investigations of them of the two brothers. Not carried out to a high standard.
So, it's not just an improvement and cooperation across Europe, but an internally an examination of how things can be done better in the light of what's now being realized as a significant failings, John.
BERMAN: These nations collectively and individually looking and thinking they need to raise their game in the anti-terrorism front.
Nic Robertson for us in France, thanks so much.
You heard Nic mentioning European officials scrambling this morning to ramp up counterterror efforts, close loopholes in the wake of the recent terror attacks, and the arrest across that continent. European foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels. They floated a variety of ideas for tracking or restricting movements of suspected terrorists. Many of those ideas are already in practice here in the United States.
Let's go to senior international correspondent Ivan Watson in Brussels now.
Good morning, Ivan.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
That is right. Europe's top diplomats emerged from a meeting here last night, calling for more cooperation within Europe and with the Middle East when it comes to battling the threat of terrorism. One of the measures that they said they would repeat request from the European parliament was to share more information about passengers and flight lists. That is a motion, a strategy, that has been blocked in the European parliament in the past to protect privacy. But the diplomats saying they're going to raise that motion again. And take a listen to the foreign policy chief also calling for more
outreach to Arab-speaking citizens in Europe and abroad. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEDERICA MOGHERINI, EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: I think we need to improve our capacity to speak Arabic and read Arabic and explain our policies, and to listen to the messages that are coming from the Arab world.
(END VIDEO CLIP
WATSON: Meanwhile, the manhunt continues, John, for suspected jihadi cell, home grown here in Belgium. There have been a number of arrests over the course of the last week. A senior Belgian counterterrorism professional tells CNN that the suspected ringleader is a Belgian- Moroccan Abdelhamid Abaaoud. He was last tracked somewhere in Greece.
Now, over the course of the last weekend, Greek police arrested an individual there. Belgium has requested his extradition. But he is not believed to be Abaaoud. The counterterrorism official tells us it's an Algerian man. Whether or not he is extradited quickly here depends on what his defense will be in Greece. It could take weeks if he refuses extradition.
And in the meantime, we are also hearing more and more about the suspects that were arrested here. Many of them, Belgian citizens born here of North African descent and from one particular neighborhood in the city here in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the capital of Europe. It's become a recruiting ground apparently for terrorists -- John.
BERMAN: Interesting.
All right. Ivan Watson for us in Brussels thanks so much, Ivan.
New this morning, protests turning deadly. Demonstrators in the West African nation of Niger furious at the latest edition of the French magazine "Charlie Hebdo." They took the streets. At least 10 people have died, with nearly four dozen churches set on fire. Many hotels and bars were also burned to the ground. The Niger government has declared three days of mourning for the victims of the violence there.
In Yemen now, with tenuous ceasefire, it appears to be holding this morning after fighting Monday around the presidential palace broke an earlier truce. The U.S.-backed government in the capital of Sana'a says the fighting is part of an effort by the Shiite Houthi insurgents to grab power. Now, if those rebels succeed, that could be a problematic development for Western officials, A power vacuum in Yemen, it already does benefit al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula which has been using Yemen as a base of operations.
Happening today: President Obama delivers his State of Union Address tonight in primetime. He does, though, facing a very new political environment. For the first time, he faces a Congress completely under Republican control. But a resurgence in the economy and slight bump in poll numbers are bringing a fresh wave of determination from the White House.
CNN's Jim Acosta has a preview of the president's speech -- Jim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John, even though the White House has already shared much of what will be in the president's State of the Union Address over the last couple weeks, a senior official told me there are still some surprises in store. The White House says the theme of the speech will be middle class economics and address will be filled with pitches from the president like those tax breaks he is proposing.
Now, those credits, plus the free community college idea Mr. Obama has already talked about, they add up to well over $200 billion. The president would pay for that with new taxes on the rich and fees on big banks that come to more than $300 billion.
We are also learning more about the president's State of the Union message and the White House announced Alan Gross, the American who was freed from a Cuban prison as part of the deal to normalize relations between the countries, he will be in the first lady's box. So, expect the president to defend his policy in Cuba once again.
White House officials say the president is feeling embolden with the economy and the low gas prices and those executive actions on immigration and Cuba that have performed well in the polls. The president's approval ratings are ticking up, and with those numbers, it's no surprise the president will be taking his State of the Union message on the road to red states for events in Idaho and Kansas later on this week -- John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Jim Acosta at the White House -- thanks so much.
So, Harry Reid, now Senate minority leader, plans to return to work today. Senator Reid is closely being monitored by doctors. The 75- year-old suffered four broken ribs and several broken bones around his right eye last month. He had an accident exercising. It was a bad one.
His schedule has not been set. He is not expected to attend tonight's State of the Union Address. The senator admits it is possible he may lose vision in his eye.
Senate Republicans are forging ahead with a bill to begin construction of the Keystone oil pipeline. They could begin voting on amendments to the measure by this afternoon. The battle over the $8 billion pipeline could drag on into February. The president has already promised to veto this bill.
All right. Let's talk about money. Alison Kosik here with the an early look. Hey.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Come take a trip around the globe with me. Take a look at stocks. Asian stocks are showing gains overnight. Markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Japan are all closing -- are all moving higher at the moment.
Futures in the U.S., we're seeing them pointing higher as well as stocks get ready for a shorter trading week. U.S. markets were closed yesterday fro the MLK holiday.
And it looks like Federal Reserve officials are on track to start raising short-term interest rates later this year. Now, no big moves are expected at least until June. You look at short-term rates, they have been near zero since late 2008. Now, long-term rates could see the reverse effect and wind up going down over new investor worries about weak global growth and falling oil prices.
Google is looking to get in on SpaceX action. It is close to investing $1 billion in the rocket maker. The investment would value SpaceX at more than $10 billion. But at this point, it is not clear what kind of stake Google would have in the company.
Now, this move would wind up being Google's latest to spread Web access via satellites to remote areas around the world. You know, it is interesting to think so many people do not have access to the Internet. So, this would fill that avoid.
BERMAN: You know, I just want a good connection in my town. I don't care about the space station. But I hope they have a good Internet connection.
KOSIK: I still have buffering, buffering.
(LAUGHTER)
BERMAN: All right. Alison Kosik, thanks so much.
Thirteen minutes after the hour.
Happening now: Dozens dead as fighting intensifies in Ukraine. Russia is again accused of fueling this fight. We are live with developments overnight right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: This morning, the battle for Eastern Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase. The prime minister of Ukraine claims that Russia has, quote, "transferred military forces and equipment into his country." The prime minister lists a number of tanks and rocket systems that he says are not sold at local street markets in Donetsk. This follows a recent escalation in the fighting between Ukrainian and rebel troops around the airport in Donetsk.
I want to get more from Moscow, where our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance joins us.
Good morning, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
That is right. A serious deterioration in the security situation around Donetsk. That has been deployed by the international community to assess the situation there. It comes after several days of fierce fighting between government forces from Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels that control large areas of Eastern Ukraine.
Much of the fighting as you mentioned, although spreading into the areas, much of the fighting has been focused on Donetsk airport. Now, this is a relatively new transport hub. It doesn't look at now. It's absolutely devastated.
There were stunning some images that were broadcast a day or so ago from an aerial drone which showed the extent of the devastation. But this was a gleaming symbol of European Ukraine, a modern Ukraine. It's in utter devastation.
It's also very strategically important, which is why the fighting is taking place around it. It's got an airstrip that's still potentially functioning and both the rebels and the government forces want to keep hold of it. And so, we are seeing a lot of fighting around that area right now, and that fighting is spreading out into other areas. Both sides, I have to say at this point, accusing each other of violating the truce that was brokered back in September, both sides saying they won't back down until the other one does. And so, it's a very dangerous situation, John.
BERMAN: A lot of concern, Matthew, it seems on both sides of the situation is swirling out of control.
Matthew Chance for us in Moscow -- thank you so much.
Eighteen minutes after the hour.
A formal indictment for Christopher Cornell, a man accused of plotting a terror attack at the capitol, that could come as early as tomorrow. The 20-year-old Cornell is being held without bond after his arrest last week. He's been on the FBI radar for months. His plot to detonate bombs at a capital was thwarted with the help of an informant.
Jury selection begins today in the trial of James Holmes. He is charged in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre that left 12 people dead, 58 wounded. Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The process of seating a jury, it will be a lengthy one. Prosecutors estimate there are 9,000 prospective jurors in the suburban Denver County.
Breaking overnight: a deadly bridge collapse stretching down a portion of I-75 in Cincinnati. Shutting it down independently. The bridge gave out last night. Not clear what caused it to happen. A construction worker is dead and truck driver suffered injuries.
According to the Cincinnati fire department, that information is. We are told that a recovery operation has been launched. We'll keep you updated on any developments.
A day of protests, some of them turning violent on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In Seattle, 64 arrested and a police officer suffer a leg injury as protesters disrupted highway traffic chanting "black lives matter". In San Mateo, California, 68 demonstrators detained by police after snarling traffic for two hours on a bridge there. And in New York, hundreds of protesters took part in a Dream for Justice march, taking to the streets in Harlem, chanting "racist cops have to go".
Snow is in the forecast for the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley today. Let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for an early look at our weather.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good Tuesday morning, John. And welcome back.
Yes, let's talk about what's happening here across the Great Lakes and the Upper Midwest, because snow showers certainly prevalent this morning. Really not way in the much of significant accumulation, and the coldest time of the morning at this hour, generally in the low 30s. Few spots in Green Bay, down to 23 degrees. It feels colder after the NFC championship, a loss there on Sunday. But it's certainly going to be a nuisance snowmaker caused that region.
And the South, really, is the big story. Extreme warmth taking place here, well above average after a cold start to much of the southeast here. Sixty-four in Atlanta, upper 60s in Dallas. Charleston at 67 degrees.
But over the next couple of days, we are following this disturbance that piece and that separates here and pushes off towards the Northeast. The big weather maker relatively speaking from Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night down from the I-95 corridors of New York, down to Philly, could get some significant accumulation in spots.
Now, depending on the trek, at most, maybe two inches around Philly, maybe an inch around New York City. That amount could be higher depending on what the storm system does over the next 24 hours. But that is the weather maker we are tracking for you here over the next couple days, John.
BERMAN: All right. Our thanks to Pedram Javaheri for that.
Twenty-one minutes after the hour.
Thousands protesting the mysterious death of a prosecutor found dead after accusing his government of covering up a deadly terror attack. This is a fascinating, intriguing and disturbing --
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BERMAN: It sounds like the plot of a spy novel. And that is what is making some people in Argentina suspicious. Just hours before he was set to testify about claims of a high level cover up in a terrorism investigation, a controversial prosecutor was found dead in his apartment under circumstances that suggested a suicide. Now, this is a development that sparked huge protests across Argentina.
CNN international correspondent Shasta Darlington has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just last week, special prosecutor Alberto Nisman accused the president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, of covering up Iran's role in the bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires 20 years ago. Well, now, he has now turned up dead. In fact, it was the federal agents appointed to protect him who found his body in his apartment on Sunday afternoon, just hours before he was scheduled to appear before a committee in Congress to talk about these allegations.
They found his body in his bathroom. In fact, his body was kind of blocking the door. They had to push it open. Next to him was a.22- caliber shotgun and the shell casing. This is prompted some criminal analysts to say this could be evidence of suicide.
But a lot of opposition leaders and lawmakers are not buying that. The timing is too suspicious. Many of them were having conversations with Nisman as recently as Saturday about the testimony that he would give. They're saying they want a thorough investigation.
Now, the agents only found his body after making numerous calls that Nisman didn't answer. They went to his door. He didn't answer. They then went and picked up his mother together, they forced their way into the apartment and that's when they found the body.
Nisman was, in fact, appointed to investigate the bombing of this Jewish center a decade ago. He has been doing it ever since then. In 2013, he came out and said he believed and had proof that Iran and Hezbollah worked together to organize the bombing. Iran has denied any involvement.
It was last week that he said that he believed the Argentine president was trying to cover up the Iran involvement. This was an event which is important in Argentina's history. It really marked relations back in 1994 when in the attack, 80 people died in the attack and 300 were injured. Of course, the investigation will turn from that bombing to this mysterious death.
We are waiting for the results of the autopsy and phone-tappings, as well as camera footage. Hoping to get those in the next few days, John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Shasta Darlington, covering that story for us. Pope Francis makes it official. His trip to the United States this
fall will include stops in New York and Washington, D.C., along with the previously announced visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. Vatican organizers say the pontiff's itinerary is still being worked out, but could include appearances at the White House, Ground Zero, and an address to the U.N. General Assembly. This will be his first trip to the United States as pope.
A new terror threat this morning from ISIS, warning they will kill hostages if their demands are not met. We are live after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
