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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Will Israel Leader Spill Sensitive Details?; Iranian Nuclear Talks Resume; Hillary Clinton E-mails; Iran Backs Iraq Against ISIS; Who Killed Boris Nemtsov?

Aired March 03, 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: In just hours, Israel's prime minister speaking before Congress on why he believes a nuclear deal with Iran would be an historic mistake. Warned by the White House not to reveal sensitive information about the negotiations. But will Benjamin Netanyahu listen?

We have team coverage breaking down our big story this morning.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. Thirty-two minutes past the hour this Tuesday morning. John Berman has the morning off. Nice to see you all this morning.

The White House warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to reveal sensitive details of nuclear talks with Iran when he delivers to information over Iran with his speech this morning. This speech bringing to head a months-long faceoff between the administration and Israel over a signature initiative the White House believes will rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions of Iran, but that Israel views as an existential threat.

A speech with such high drama that it has become the hottest ticket in Washington.

CNN's Michelle Kosinski is at the White House with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.

Right. And so, we are hearing these concerns from lawmakers, from the secretary of state. You know, within the White House that there could be sensitive information revealed by Prime Minister Netanyahu in this big speech before Congress. It seems like that is coming from the Israeli delegation putting out these sorts of teasers that we're going to hear something that we haven't heard before.

There is good reason, though, to believe that, because remember, over the last couple of days leading up to this big speech, they have revealed certain bits of information about the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. Like that it could have something like a ten- year timeframe, at a time when the White House was asked about that specifically, they said, no, no, that's not accurate. But we just heard from President Obama on the negotiations and it does seem like they are going for at least a ten-year timeframe.

The White House, too, issued a kind of warning about revealing sensitive information. Here is the press secretary. Listen.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The release of that information would betray the trust of our allies. And it certainly is inconsistent with the behavior of trusted allies. The fact is and that would be true even if the sources were to claim that they had obtained the information from somewhere else.

KOSINSKI: So, he just said, if the prime minister or the Israelis do reveal sensitive information about the negotiations, that's not the way trusted allies react to each other, calling it a betrayal. Whatever is going to be revealed today, though, it certainly generated a lot of attention. I mean, Congress has set up alternate viewing areas because there is so much demand to hear Netanyahu speak -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Prime Minister Netanyahu previewing this morning's congressional address at a speech Wednesday at the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC. He said he will warn that Iran is, quote, "developing the capacity to make nuclear weapons, lots of them."

But the prime minister also said his speech is not intended to hurt the president politically.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds. I have great respect for both.

Israel and the United States will continue to stand together because America and Israel are more than friends. We're like a family. Now, disagreements in the family are always uncomfortable, but we must always remember that we are family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: We are family, he said.

How this is all playing out in Israel?

I want to bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann. He's live in Israel.

I mean, it looks like from this vantage point, it looks like a very public spat in this family today and everyone wants a front row seat to see it. How is it playing where you are?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Christine, everyone knows how important the strength of the relationship between Israel and America is for the safety and security of Israel. So, that's sort of the background of all this.

From the very beginning, the speech has been criticized from one side and commended from the other. The right which is Netanyahu's Likud Party and Jewish Home and some of the other party on that end of the political spectrum had been very supportive, saying this is the great opportunity to talk to America, to tell Europe about the threat of nuclear Iran would pose to the safety and security of Israel.

On the other hand, on the left, it has been nothing but criticism from the very beginning. Labor Party designed party to run against Netanyahu's Likud Party and other parties on the right have said this is purely a political move. Two weeks to go until the elections.

Netanyahu's strongest issue is safety and security. It is basically Iran and the threat Iran poses to Israel. That's where Netanyahu wants to keep his election focus. The left wants to enlighten everybody and tell everybody that this is a purely political move with Netanyahu trying to focus the election on his stronger issue, keeping it away from his weaker issues like the economy here, which is a very big issue here. Housing prices in the big cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have been very high and soaring lately. It seems as if from a political perspective, Netanyahu wants to focus on safety and security and keep it away from some of the other issues like the economy here -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much for that, Oren, in Jerusalem for us this morning.

While, the White House and Israeli officials maneuvered in Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif were moving ahead with nuclear talks in Switzerland. President Obama says it's unlikely those talks will yield a deal, but if Iran does say yes, it would be, quote, "far more effective than military action or sanctions" at keeping Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, I would say that it is probably still more likely than not that Iran doesn't get to yes. But I think in fairness to them, they have been serious negotiators. They've got their own politics inside Iran. It is more likely that we could get a deal now than perhaps three or five months ago. But there are still some big gaps that have to be filled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Still some big gaps. For the latest, I want to bring in senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He is live for us this morning in Tehran.

Good morning, Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. And, yes, certainly, one thing the president said there is certainly

absolutely right. There certainly are some big political discrepancies here in Iran, about how to move forward with the nuclear issue. Of course, in the one hand, you have the so-called negotiators, the people who want the deal, especially around the President Hassan Rouhani, who are pushing forward with this.

But there are also hard liners in the Iranian parliament who want to stay tough on all of this, who wants to have a very firm stance on all of this, that in between that, you have the Supreme Leader who's sort of balancing things out. He says that he supports the negotiations going on. He also said quite a while ago, that he doesn't expect any deal to happen, but he does also say that he would view a good deal, or at least for Iran a good deal very positively.

Now, counter balance that with the Iranian population, when you talk to people here, many people will tell you that yes, they do want some sort of deal. They obviously want the sanctions to be lifted as fast as possible. Many people here are reeling from the fact there is little investment in the country. Also, that they really don't have much of a lifeline to other economies around the world. So, it is something that weighs very heavily on them.

On the other hand, also majority of Iranians say they believe their country should fundamentally have the right to nuclear technology and develop nuclear technology. It is interesting because there was a Gallup poll that came up quite recently that said there are a substance number of Iranians who also feel that military use of nuclear technology should also be something that is developed. So, there certainly are varying opinions here in this country. The majority of people here, however, want some sort of deal to come through because they want sanctions to be lifted as fast as possible, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Fred Pleitgen for us in Tehran this morning -- thank you so much for that, Fred.

Hillary Clinton may have violated federal rules when she was secretary of state. "The New York Times" reporting Clinton did not have a government e-mail address during her four-years as the secretary of state, using a personal account to conduct all government business. It was only two months ago that the Clinton advisers in an effort to comply with record keeping requirements, they reviewed tens of thousands of pages of her personal emails and decided which ones to turnover to the State Department. A spokesperson says Mrs. Clinton has been complying with the letter and spirit of the rules.

Potential Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush taking Clinton to task, in a tweet he wrote, transparency matters, and called for release of all Mrs. Clinton's unclassified e-mails and then said, hey, you can see mine here, jebbushemails.com.

The latest now on the political fight to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The money runs out at midnight on Friday, and Republicans are running out of options when it comes to reversing the president's immigration reforms. Senate Democrats voting down the only chance they had left on Monday. Pressure mounting now on Speaker Boehner to accept a clean funding bill already passed by the Senate, a move some believe could jeopardize his speakership.

Time now for an early start on your money.

Futures barely moving this morning. But who cares? Yesterday was a huge day for stocks. The NASDAQ topped 5,000 for only the third time in history. The third close above that in history, the first time since 2000.

Look at that. It has taken 15 years to get back here folks. But this isn't the same NASDAQ from the dot-com era. This NASDAQ is much different.

Back then, tech companies were going under because they spent too much money and not a solid business. They didn't make any money. Remember pets.com?

But the now, the companies leading the charge are well-established and they've got a lot of cash in the bank. Apple, for example, has more than $175 billion in cash, the NASDAQ actually late to the record game. The Dow and S&P 500 have been demolishing records for almost two years. Yesterday was no exception. The Dow climbed 156 points to a record high close.

A crucial battle in the war on is. Iraqi forces moving into the key town of Tikrit. We are live with the latest this morning right after the break.

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ROMANS: There is a bloody struggle the raging right now for control of Tikrit, the Iraq city under ISIS control. But Iraq's military staging a major offensive to retake that city. They are getting an assist, not from the U.S., but Iran.

CNN's Ian Lee tracking these developments from Cairo this morning.

And, Ian, explain to our viewers why it is Iran and not the U.S. helping the Iraqi military try to retake this town.

IAN LEE, CNN REPORTER: Christine, when you look at the makeup of the fighting force that will retake the town, you have the Iraqi army, a predominantly Shiite body, you have the ministry of interior forces, you have Sunni tribesmen, fighters, who will be a part of that, but also, you have the Shia militias, including the Badr Brigade is one of the most effective fighting forces against ISIS. But these Shiite militias have a very poor track record when they go in and take towns, Sunni towns, from ISIS. They treat the local inhabitants at times like enemy combatants.

So, the United States is very careful to get drawn into anything that could be seen as sectarian violence. We also know that Iranian -- one of the -- or the commander of the Iran's elite Quds brigade is also in Tikrit, as well to help lead that fight. Again, the U.S. not wanting to be seen as part of any sort of sectarian fight. This is going to be a big test for the Iraqi army on two fronts.

First, can they actually handle ISIS? We saw them dissolve in the face of ISIS last summer. Can they take them on after U.S. training and weapons?

But also, if they are able to take this town, how do they treat the local inhabitants? This is a predominately Sunni city. So, you have a large Shiite force taking the Sunni city. Will they be a reprisal? Will they try to get some sort of revenge against the Sunnis? Or will they welcome the civilians back to their homes and treat them well? That is going to be the true test of taking the city or one of the two tests -- Christine.

ROMANS: Absolutely. Ian Lee for us in Cairo monitoring that offensive on Tikrit. Thank you for that Ian.

Shocking allegations by a Texas nurse in her lawsuit against the hospital where she contracted Ebola. Nina Pham claiming Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital lied when it upgraded her condition to good in order to preserve its reputation. She is accusing the hospital of videotaping her and distributing the footage without her consent and revealing her identity against her wishes.

The suit which seeks unspecified damages claims hospital officials only gave Pham Googled information about Ebola before assigning her to care for a stricken Liberian man.

Seventeen new cases of measles reported in the last week, bringing the national total to 170 measles cases. This outbreak now affecting 17 states and Washington, D.C. Most of the cases linked to Disneyland in California. But three separate outbreaks in Illinois, Nevada and Washington state are not connected to Disneyland.

With measles spreading now, a new study reveals more than 70 percent of pediatricians, 70 percent, admit delaying vaccinations when parents ask them to that even though most of the doctors know that puts the children at risk.

Happening now, a final farewell for an assassinated Russian politician. President Vladimir Putin's strongest critic murdered in front of a crowd. But days later, are there any signs his killer could be found? We are live in Moscow, next.

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ROMANS: Murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov will be buried this morning in a cemetery in southwest Moscow. He was gunned down Friday while walking outside the Kremlin. The 23-year-old Ukrainian model was with him. She said she never saw the shooter. Let's go to Moscow and bring in CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance.

Good morning, Matthew.

What do we know about the model who was walking with Boris Nemtsov when he was murdered? What did she see? Anything helpful for the investigation? MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Apparently

not. I mean, she has been questioned by the Russian investigators and she has given her witness testimony. Something along the lines of we were walking back from a restaurant, her and Boris Nemtsov. She has been his girlfriend for a couple of years, it seems. They were having dinner on a restaurant on Red Square.

And then she said somebody shot Boris Nemtsov in the back. He went soft and fell to the floor. She didn't see the killer. She didn't see the car which the killer made his escape in.

So, yes, the police have questioned her. She has now been handed over to consulate officials from the Ukrainian embassy. She is now, we understand, back in Ukraine. She has left Russia. And there's not much more, I don't think, that she is going to be able to add in terms of clarity to how this killing took place.

ROMANS: And the Kremlin saying this was a provocation to stain the reputation of Vladimir Putin. That's almost sort of blaming the opposition.

CHANCE: Yes, indeed. Many opposition figures have taken offense to that Kremlin line that this killing was staged to make Russia look bad, to make the Russian government look bad. And what opposition figures are saying is no.

The fact this killing could take place in the shadow of the Kremlin of such a high profile figure as Boris Nemtsov, one of the main political opposition leaders in the country, shows just what kind of place Russia has become. So, you know, they object to this Kremlin line that this was about them.

The investigators, I have to say, are following a number of different threads of investigation. One of them is the opposition, they say, could have orchestrated the killing of Boris Nemtsov to attract sympathy to their cause. So, it gives you a sense of the direction in which the Russian police are taking this investigation.

ROMANS: Matthew Chance in Moscow for us. Thank you for that, Matthew.

Fifty-six minutes past the hour. $2 gas is gone, at least for now. What to expect at the pump, next.

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

Stocks are at record highs. The NASDAQ is at its near dot-com bubble high. Look at this, it took 15 years and there it is again -- the NASDAQ above 5,000 for the first time since 2000. It's now just 2.4 percent from its all time, its peak.

Don't worry. This time, it's much different from the dot-com era. The companies leading the charge today are well established. They make money. They have a lot of cash on hand. Apple, for example, has more than $175 billion just sitting there in the bank in cash.

$2 gas is gone at least for now. The national average for a gallon of regular, $2.44 today. Now, that's down more than a dollar from this time last year, but what you've been complaining about are the prices that have been climbing for five weeks now, pushing that average above $2 in all 50 states now. Experts say prices will keep edging higher through March, but we could see - we could see the return of $2 gas by early fall.

EARLY START continues right now.

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