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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Egypt Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS; Terror in Copenhagen; Northeast Snow & Arctic Cold; Fragile Truce in Ukraine
Aired February 16, 2015 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight: Egypt attacking ISIS targets after the militant group beheaded Egyptian Christians in a vicious, vicious new video. Will ISIS' barbaric actions encourage more countries now to join the fight?
Denmark on edge after the country's worst case of terrorism in years. Was the man who went to a shooting spree in Copenhagen inspired by the "Charlie Hebdo" attacks in France?
Deep freeze. The brutal winter getting worse, with arctic temperatures, as more misery piles on the Northeast and now, oh now the South, is bracing for snow. That's a nice way to start the week.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. John Berman is off this Monday morning. It's 30 minutes past the hour.
Let's get started with breaking news: Egypt launching air strikes against targets in Libya following the release of a video claiming to show the mass beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians who are kidnapped in Libya. Egypt's president had vowed to avenge those murders.
Could Egypt have more military plans against ISIS in the works now?
CNN's Ian Lee is live for us in Cairo for us.
And make no mistake, ISIS kidnapping and killing 21 Christians. It is almost a scene out of a holy war.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it is, Christine. The video, it's is very graphic. And unlike other ISIS videos we've seen, they do not cutaway. They show every graphic detail. The production quality high and similar to what we have seen in Iraq and Syria.
And in this video, there's a message. Warning to the Christian community here in Egypt and European Union. Libya is on Europe's door step. The government announced they would take measures that they deemed necessary and early this morning, under the cover the darkness, F-16s took off from Egyptian air bases. We're told by the military that they struck weapons depots and warehouses.
Local media in Libya reported that happened in the city of Derna. This is the city that ISIS controls and has a long history of militancy. But this video, what it really shows is that ISIS in Libya has a very firm presence. Last month, they attacked a hotel in Tripoli, killing people. This is a group that is expanding. It is taking advantage of the security and political void that is in Libya right now after the 2011 uprising that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi, the leader of Libya that backed by the West.
For Egypt, this now is very worrying. They are sandwiched between ISIS and the Sinai Peninsula that has killed hundreds of security personnel and now they have this going on in Libya as well. We will be watching to see if Egypt continues the air strikes in the hours that follow -- Christine.
ROMANS: You know, for so long now, Ian, after the past several weeks, there has been discussion about whether ISIS is a political movement or a religious movement. And from time to time, people say, you know, don't call it radical Islamist organization because, quite frankly, these are political motives and terror motives and not necessarily wrapped in Islam.
But when you look at this group, singling out and killing Christians, the religious narrative is undeniable.
LEE: That's right. This is a group that uses -- I would not necessarily call it a religious group. It is a group that uses religion to achieve its political objectives. It has been condemned by Islamic scholars all over the world. I talked to the grand mufti of Egypt. This is the person that is arguably the head of Islamic scholarship for Sunni Islam in the world. And he had strong words condemning ISIS as well.
But this is a group that appeals to younger people, disenfranchised people, here in Egypt, after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi. His supporters, some of them, disenfranchised with the new government, not believing that democrat process is the way to go or believing what they need to do is join groups like ISIS. We have seen Egyptians go to Iraq and Syria. Libya has also had a lot of fighters go to Iraq and Syria, and they are bringing back these skills that they learn, these hard-core fighters which are going to prove difficult to root out -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Ian Lee, what a great way to put it -- thank you so much for that this morning. We'll check in with you again soon.
The White House, by the way, condemning those beheadings. In a statement, the White House says, quote, "The wanton killing of innocents is just the most recent of the many vicious acts perpetrated by ISIL-affiliated terrorists against people of the region, which only further galvanizes the international community to unite against ISIL."
The U.S.-led coalition stepping up the aerial bombardment of targets of ISIS, following the terrorist attack last week, targeting an Iraqi base which is home to U.S. troops. There is concern the battlefield will widen. ISIS militants are said to be gaining ground in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.
CNN's Phil Black live in Irbil, Iraq, with the latest details of that, and tell us then about the expanding reach of this group. PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are
certainly concerns, Christine. There are efforts underway to curtail it. Some 1,400 Iraqi soldiers have graduated from basically intermediate training with the helped of U.S. military personnel. This is all part of the ongoing efforts to train and rebuild the Iraqi military, ahead of new operations, offensive against ISIS, especially north of the country.
The Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says the plan to retake Mosul just west of where I am standing has plans to begin within months. But, ultimately, it will depend upon the situation on the ground and training and rebuilding efforts.
Meanwhile, in the west of the country, Anbar province, as you touched, it is a very different situation because that is where ISIS continues to gain ground, where last week, it claimed the city of al Baghdadi, and from there launched attacks against the Ayn al-Asad air base where some 300 military personnel are currently based. So far, Iraqi military efforts to try and retake al Baghdadi have made little progress. And the Sunni tribesmen and fighters who are helping the Iraqi military there have appealed for greater assistance from the international community to help stop the ISIS advance.
In the capital Baghdad, the Iraqi government is now also facing a political crisis tied into the long running sectarian tensions in this country. The major Sunni political blocs have suspended their involvement. They're boycotting parliament and government after a senior Sunni tribal leader found murdered, his body dumped under a bridge in Baghdad. The Sunnis believe the Shiite militia are responsible and the Shiite-led government isn't doing enough to stop them. The prime minister says whoever did this was trying to distract Iraq from its efforts against the real enemy, ISIS, and has promised to punish them -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Phil Black for us in Iraq. Thank you for that, Phil.
Thirty-seven minutes past the hour.
Kayla Mueller's boyfriend speaking out for the first time, describing efforts to free her. Omar Alkhani told "The Associated Press" he was face-to-face with her in a detention cell in Syria. He says he saw Mueller's face for just a few seconds when guards uncovered to show it was, in fact, the 26-year-old aid worker. Alkhani says he posed as her husband, assuming, hoping captors would free her if she were married. But she denied being his wife.
New developments overnight in Denmark. Two men charged as accomplices in the deadly Copenhagen attacks, pleading not guilty in court. The alleged gunman known to police killed in the shootout of the two attacks. One of those attacks at a speech forum, the other, hours later, at a synagogue.
CNN's Karl Penhaul live in Copenhagen for us this morning.
And this is a man, the deceased, killed by police, the suspect of both of these attacks, someone well known to police. He had been a convicted criminal. Not just a petty thief, but a violent criminal. But there were no traces until now that he was inspired by terrorists.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Christine. In fact, in the last few moments, "Reuters" news agency named the 22- year-old gunman as Omar Abdul Hamid El-Hussein. Because of his violent past, in fact, police say he had just been released from prison after stabbing a commuter on one of Copenhagen's commuter trains. They also say that in the past, he had convictions for violating gun laws here in Denmark and was a member of one of the Muslim gangs that roamed certain neighborhoods here in Copenhagen.
But certainly nothing to indicate he would head to Syria or Iraq to train with the extremist factions there. But let me set you the scene where we are now. This is outside the Krudttonden cafe where the first attack took place mid afternoon on Saturday.
The BBC obtained an audio recording of the moment the gunman burst on scene. Let's take a listen to that.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do we still say but when we --
(GUNSHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: No mistake there, you can quite clearly hear the sound of automatic weapons fire opening up. You can see the result of that on the front of that cafe that is now guarded by armed police. It is still very much a crime scene.
But across the window, we counted at least 24 bullet holes there. Now, in new developments this morning, police have said that they have charged two men that they arrested yesterday. Initially, police said that they believe that the 22-year-old gunman who was a Danish man but of Arab was acting alone, but now police charged two men with helping him of obtaining the automatic weapons. They say these two helped the gunman conceal himself for hours between the attack on the coffee shop here and the time that he attacked the Jewish synagogue -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Thank you so much for that, Karl Penhaul in Copenhagen where again, "Reuters" reporting the name of the suspect. Two others have appeared in court and they pleaded not guilty this morning.
Forty minutes past the hour.
The French government condemning the desecration of hundreds of Jewish graves at a cemetery in eastern France. The gravestones were defaced with swastikas and Nazi slogans. France's prime minister says every effort will be made to catch the perpetrators what he called an ignoble and anti-Semitic act and an insult to memory.
Meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a mass immigration from Europe to Israel. His comments following the fatal shooting of the Jewish guard at a Copenhagen synagogue over the weekend. They echoed similar remarks he made last month. He invited France's Jews to move to Israel after the attack on the kosher supermarket in Paris. Netanyahu's message to European Jews: Israel is your home.
Here in the U.S., the fourth winter storm to hit the Northeast in less than three weeks. That's right, number four. Dumping as much as 2 more feet of snow in parts of New England. Boston getting another 16 inches. That city has had its snowiest month on record.
Look at that 45.5 inches of snow in one month. While people dig out, there's bitter cold to deal with it. Wind chills down as low as 20 below zero in many places.
Now, the Southeast and the Deep South bracing for a real taste of winter. Let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for an early look at your weather.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Christine.
Yes, the Northeast, you know what has been happening. In fact, this morning in Boston, at one point, dropped down to minus 3. The coldest single temperature Boston has seen in 11 years occurring this morning in wind-chill, minus 30 across the region. Some 60 million people under wind chill advisories and warnings.
But the South, parts of it, Deep South, around the I-10 corridor, not in on the cold air just yet. Wait until you see what happens come Tuesday afternoon. New Orleans making it up to 76 degrees. Here comes the next storm system in line, and a wintry mess in the forecast.
We have every color on the radar spectrum you can think of. From white to snowfall around Tulsa to the South in Little Rock, getting some ice accumulations and Memphis also in on the region where the I- 40 corridor is the most dangerous places in the country today when it comes to travel. In fact, ice accumulations could exceed half an inch across this region by the afternoon hours, enough to bring down power lines, also bring down trees.
It's certainly worth noting, if you are traveling across parts of the I-40 corridor. Storm system eventually pushes up the Eastern Seaboard, Christine. It departs Tuesday morning in Washington, Baltimore, Philly, New York and yes, Boston could potentially get on an additional snow shares, hard to tell at this point how much, but it looks like another round of the white stuff coming your way later on into the week -- Christine.
ROMANS: Yes, Pedram just said Boston could get more this week.
So, let's switch from weather to money. An early start on your money this morning. Investors getting are break after another record run. The stock market is closed today for the Presidents Day holiday. The S&P at a record high. The Dow closed Friday at its highest level this year. And, wow, a really good run you had for stocks. It will be closed today.
It's going to be a messy Monday for air travelers. Winter weather helped cancel more than 2,000 flights on Sunday. That's according to Flight Aware. So far, 341 flights are canceled for today.
Boston's Logan Airport, Nashville International, and LaGuardia here in New York City are posting the most cancellations. There will also be significant delays today as airports de-ice planes in the frigid temperatures here in the Northeast. I was coming in this morning and the dashboard read zero degrees in New York City.
Forty-four minutes past the hour.
Will the ceasefire hold? All eyes on Ukraine this morning where a shaky truce -- that shaky truce is holding between rebels and government forces. But there are reports of fighting in certain region. So, the question is, can this truce last?
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ROMANS: Welcome back.
It may be the first real crack in the fragile Ukraine cease-fire. Reports of battling with security forces and pro-Russian separatists after the cease-fire went into effect at midnight on Sunday.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen live for us this morning in Mariupol, Ukraine.
Fred, what's the latest? It's holding, but it's tenuous.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's tenuous. It's more than fragile. And certainly at this point in time, Christine, it looks like things could go either way. You're absolutely right. There have been infringements on the cease-fire. In fact, the Ukrainian military said there have been over 100 infringements by what they say are pro-Russian separatists, most of them happening around where I am right now, in the Mariupol region. There's a town outside of Mariupol where apparently, there's mortar fire going on right now.
There's also a town north of here called Debaltseve, where apparently there is artillery fire going on there as well. Five Ukrainian forces have been killed in the past 24 hours. Right now, at this point, both sides are accusing each other of not sticking to the cease-fire. The pro-Russian separatists are saying that the Ukrainians are moving artillery into the area of the frontline. And again, the Ukrainians are saying the pro-Russian separatists are also amassing forces in certain places.
What's supposed to be happening today, Christine, is that heavy weapons are supposed to start pulling out (AUDIO GAP)
ROMANS: We are losing Fred Pleitgen's shot. He is reporting from Mariupol about this fragile truce in Ukraine. Fred reporting the cease-fire could go either way. Announced this weekend and already in danger.
Forty-nine minutes past the hour.
The standoff over Homeland Security funding, the House Speaker John Boehner says he is not to blame. Find out who he says is at fault if the money runs out and why he won't rule out the possibility of a shutdown.
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ROMANS: One of the nation's largest and most critical government agencies could be forced to shutdown at the end of the month. That's because the House Speaker John Boehner said he is prepared to allow funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapse.
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CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: And what if the Department of Homeland Security funding runs out?
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, then, Senate Democrats should be to blame. Very simple.
WALLACE: And you're prepared to let that happen?
BOEHNER: Certainly. The House has acted. We've done our job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The House has passed legislation extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Funding tied to a bill blocking, blocking the president's actions on immigration. Something Democrats are not onboard with.
Transportation officials in Hawaii say seven people were hurt when turbulence hit a united airlines flight from Newark to Honolulu. Most of the people hurt were members of the crew. A teenage girl passenger was also taken to the hospital with a head injury. This happened Saturday when parts of Hawaii were under a high wind warning.
Breaking news overnight: Dulles Airport outside Washington, arrivals and departures slow down after a pipe burst in the control tower. Workers had to evacuate for a brief period. No planes were leaving Dulles. The tower has now reopened, we can tell you. Officials say they are working to restore full operations. It's not clear yet why that pipe burst.
Conan O'Brien breaking the late night embargo. He's reportedly been shooting material in Havana for an episode of his late night show that's scheduled on March 4th. Conan is the first late night host to film in Cuba since the U.S. embargo took effect in 1962. People with a certain page will remember Jack Parr famously interviewed Fidel Castro for the tonight show.
"Fifty shades of green", one movie dominates the weekend box office, smashing Valentine's Day record. Details when we get an early start on your money, next.
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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money.
The stock market is closed for the Presidents Day holiday. But take a look at this -- the Dow and S&P are at the highest levels for the year. Look at the year to date moves so far for stocks. Check out your 401(k). These are the gains for 2015, the Dow at more than 1 percent. NASDAQ, the big winner, up 3.3 percent. S&P 500, up just about 2 percent for the year.
Fifty shades of green, "Fifty Shades of Grey" set a record at box office this weekend. The thriller brought in $81.6 million over three days, the biggest opening weekend ever on a combined Valentine's Day, Presidents Day weekend. The $80 million total crushed the previous record holder. That was the 2010 rom-com "Valentine's Day." Remember that one?
"Fifty Shades" also broke the Valentine's Day record. It was a few million dollars shy of posting the best February opening of all time. That belongs to "Passion of the Christ", a very different kind of movie, which hit theaters in 2004.
All right, it's top of the hour. EARLY START continues right now.
