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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Negotiations Continue Between Kerry and Zarif; Suspect in Custody for Ferguson Shootings; Cold Case with New Arrest; Israeli PM Netanyahu Fighting for His Political Life. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired March 16, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, Secretary of State John Kerry

04:00:13

meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, negotiations over Iran's nuclear program as some Republican senators now regret signing a letter to the Ayatollah.

In custody, an arrest in Ferguson in the shooting of two police officers. New details on how this all went down.

And cold case. Robert Durst under arrest. Could a TV series finale have uncovered the truth behind the real estate heir's past after all these years? Fascinating.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman. Christine Romans on jury duty today. It is Monday, March 16th, 4:00 a.m. in the East.

And new this morning, a critical round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran has begun. Secretary of State John Kerry sat down with the Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif at 3:00 a.m. Eastern to discuss Iran's nuclear program. Sure to be discussed, perhaps even right now, the letter to Iranian leader signed last week by 47 Republican senators, spearheaded by freshman Senator Tom Cotton. Secretary Kerry says the letter was, quote, "absolutely calculated" to interfere with his negotiations. He told CBS News he would not apologize to Zarif for it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm not going to apologize for the -- for an unconstitutional unthought-out action by somebody who's been in the United States Senate for 60-some days. That's just inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson following developmetns for us. Let's bring him in live now. Nic, any sense of how it is going so far this morning?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's hard to tell at the moment, John. Look, they've got about another two weeks to hammer out the framework agreement before they have to put flesh on the bones and get a final agreement by the end of June. So, yes, there's a rush but we are not in that final hurdle. We heard from Secretary Kerry over the weekend saying that he thinks there are still some technical issues, but he does feel, at the moment, this is more about a situation of political judgment. For his part, the Iranian foreign secretary saying that he -- the Iranian foreign minister, rather -- that he believes that this is -- this round of talks is much more about technical issues.

I guess one way we look at this, Sunday, the two were supposed to sit down together, but when Secretary Kerry arrived in Switzerland, it was decided because there had been a meeting of deputies in the talks earlier in the day that a lot of ground had been covered, that there was a lot to discuss, so it was just determined that Kerry and Zarif would separately get briefings from their teams. Which really doesn't speak to a sort of speedy negotiating situation.

A look at today, Zarif expected later today to go to Brussels then to brief the British, the French, and the Germans about how the talks were going. So you don't get a sense at the moment that we're in the final throes of getting to this framework agreement, John.

BERMAN: And Secretary Kerry made some news not exactly on the nuclear negotiations front. When he arrived, he was discussing Syria. And he said he would be willing to sit down and negotiate with Bashar al Assad.

ROBERTSON: On the surface, this sounds like perhaps a change of position. But I think what we've heard from the State Department subsequently is to try and put this in context and say, look, it's been long said there won't be a military solution in Syria, that this will take a degree of political negotiations, that the idea is get President Bashar al-Assad and his team back to the negotiating tables, sort of go back to the Geneva Agreement of 2013.

But I've got to say, you know, I was at the talks in January last year when the same plan was in place and what Secretary Kerry is saying now is we've got to put more pressure on the Syrian side to make an agreement. But back a year ago, it was the Russians who were expected to put pressure on the Syrians. They didn't. And look, we all know where the relationship is with Russia right now, so why to expect them to put more pressure on the Syrians. You know, in terms of talks, it doesn't seem that we're really that much closer.

BERMAN: No, but a full plate for the secretary during this trip. Nic Robertson, covering for us. Thanks so much, Nic.

Breaking overnight, three teenage boys are out on bail in London after they were caught trying to join ISIS. Two 17-year-olds, one 19-year- old, they were stopped by Turkish officials who had been tipped off by British authorities. Turkey deported them back to the U.K. where they were arrested Saturday night.

Want to bring in senior international correspondent Arwa Damon live from Istanbul with the latest. Good morning, Arwa. ARWA DAMON, CNN SENRIO INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And all of this really unfolding on Friday, March 13th, when Turkish authorities say that British authorities contacted them

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with the names of two of those teenagers. They were then stopped at the Sabiha Gokcen airport; that's Istanbul's secondary airport that a lot of budget airlines fly into. And accompanying these two teenagers, whose names authorities had, was it seems this third individual. All of them deported on Saturday, subsequently detained by authorities in the U.K., now released on bail.

Turkey, however, pointing to this and saying, look, when you give us intelligence, when you share the names of these individuals, we can take action. Turkey has been under much scrutiny by Europe, by the United States, for not doing enough to stop the flow of foreign fighters from its borders into Syria. Many of those fighters, of course, are joining ISIS. It is suspected that these three teenagers also were perhaps attempting to join ISIS on the battlefield. But Turkey saying if we do share intelligence and we want to see more of this taking place, we can take measures to prevent individuals like these teenagers and others from reaching the battleground in Syria, John.

BERMAN: Example of what can be done with nations cooperate. Arwa Damon for us in Istanbul, thanks so much.

New developments in the shootings of two police officers during last week's protest in Ferguson, Missouri. 20-year-old Jeffery Williams has been arrested and is now being held on bond, charged with two counts of first degree assault. Officials say they caught him with help from the community and that Williams says he wasn't even trying to hit the two police officers. He claims he was aiming at a demonstrator.

CNN's Stephanie Elam has the latest for us from Ferguson. Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, law enforcement officials say 20-year-old Jeffery Williams is the man who was behind the shooting that left two police officers injured outside the Ferguson police department early Thursday morning. They say Williams says he was in a dispute with somebody else who was out there demonstrating, but accidentally shot the two police officers.

Here's what else they had to say.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The charge is still assault in the first degree -- they're Class A felonies -- for striking the officers. There was a weapon recovered, which has been tied to the shell casings that were recovered there. The weapon recovered from him. And he has acknowledged his participation in firing the shots.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ELAM: Now, while Prosecutor McCulloch says that Williams was a known protester in front of the Ferguson Police Department, one community organizer that I spoke with who has been behind these protests that have been continuing some 200 days in front of the Ferguson Police Department, says not only does he know he wasn't a protester, he also knows Williams because of the religious community in the greater St. Louis County area. He says he went to go speak with Williams since he's been arrested and he said Williams told him that he was shooting at somebody who he said stole from him, one of the demonstrators. Then, this is the rest of the conversation. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told him, why didn't he come to persons like myself who he knew and others to share what was going on, because there were enough law enforcement, there were enough leaders that would able to diffuse whatever was going on. And I thought it just -- it just didn't look good for the community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: Back to the investigation, law enforcement officials say they believe they have the shooter in custody who is behind this, but they're not ruling out he has accomplices. And so the investigation continues. John.

BERMAN: All right, Stephanie Elam for us in Ferguson.

President Obama making insiders chuckle this weekend at the Gridiron Dinner. The gathering of media elite and the politically powerful not open to cameras, but the president was heard predicting he will get more laughs this year not because he's funnier, but because, he said, weed is now legal in D.C. Those are his words. He also marveled at how technically advanced Hillary Clinton has become, joking that he didn't even know you could even get your own server in your home.

On Friday, the president made a visit to wounded veteran Sergeant Cory Remsburg during a stop in Arizona. He has been in contact with this veteran for a long time. Friends and volunteers just finished building Remsburg a new home. The president dropped off a few housewarming gifts, including some White House beer. Very nice.

Three American aid workers exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone are due back in the U.S. today. Over the weekend, eight others were flown home and are being monitored for signs of the disease. The CDC says all 11 workers had contact with an ailing colleague who was just diagnosed with Ebola. That patient is said to be in serious condition at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

So it was opening day at Yankee Stadium, but none of that awful team in pinstripes in sight. No. The New York Football Club shut out, the new soccer team in town, shut out the New England Revolution 2-zip in its Big Apple debut. Or I suppose you say 2-nil in soccer. 43,000 fans turned out to see them. Some Yankee players have expressed concern about permanent damage to the Yankee Stadium field with Major League Soccer playing its home games there. You know what? They are lucky

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there is a game being played on that field with class. Rare to see there.

Stunning video out of Cincinnati. Homes and businesses flooded, roads swamped, trees half submerged in water. Look at that. The Ohio River spilling over its banks because of the heavy rain and melting snow. These rising waters also affecting parts of neighboring Kentucky. Communities in low lying areas hit hardest. The river crested about 67.5 feet as of Sunday night, reaching its highest level since 1997 and is expected to stay above flood stage into Wednesday. Thankfully, no deaths or major injuries to report at this time.

So what is going on with this wet weather? Will it last? Let's go to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for an early look at the weather. Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine and John, good Monday morning to you. Look at the flooding concern along the Mississippi and also the Ohio River Valleys. We know from Cincinnati, points in the tributaries in the Cincinnati area, certainly going to see major flooding. But 63 percent, that's how much snow we had on the ground as of the 1st of March. That number has dwindled down to about 10 percent with all warm air that's been in place much more like late spring as opposed to late winter, what we're experiencing here.

82 in Kansas City. Into the upper 70s in St. Louis. And 81 down in Charleston. How about around 70 degrees in the nation's capital today, but it all goes downhill very quickly. Temps drop like a rock in the coming couple of days as we get another blast of winter here. And this certainly is par for the course when it comes to this time of year as winter tries to reestablish itself. We go from springlike down towards winterlike again, in parts at least. And for the 50s from the 80s in Kansas City while Minneapolis goes from the 60s to the 40s. And even around New York City, enjoy the next couple of days. From 54 down to the upper 30s in the next couple days, guys.

BERMAN: All right, Pedram, thanks. That's the weather. Let's get a look at your money. Alison Kosik here.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And time for an EARLY START on your money.

We're looking at Asian markets. They're higher; we're seeing U.S. stock futures. They are following that lead a little higher this morning as well, but that's coming off a pretty rough week for stocks. All three of the major averages, they posted a third weekly loss in a row. You look at the Dow and the S&P 500 at this point, they've turned negative for the year. A strong dollar is one reason behind the slump. The dollar is actually sitting at a 12-year high versus the euro. And while that's great if you are a U.S. traveler heading to Europe, it's bad news for U.S. multinational companies because a stronger greenback winds up hurting businesses that make a big chunk of profits overseas. It also makes it harder for American companies to compete abroad because European goods wind up being cheaper than American exports. And that's the reason, John, part of the reason at least, we're seeing so much volatility on Wall Street. Because the worry is you're going to see companies get hit hard in their next earnings report because of the stronger dollar.

BERMAN: All you can do is go to Rome or London, and spend your money.

KOSIK: And shop, shop, shop. I'm all for it.

BERMAN: All right, thanks Alison, appreciate it.

An HBO documentary may have given new life to a cold case. What Robert Durst said when he thought the cameras were off. Could this have contributed to his arrest? Stay with us.

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04:06:09

BERMAN: This morning, an attorney for Robert Durst says his client will not fight extradition in California, but will fight murder charges. The 71-year-old Durst, the subject of an HBO documentary, is now accused in the killing of a close friend back in 2000. A cold case, authorities say, that may be tied to the mysterious disappearance of his wife. There is a lot going on here.

CNN's Shasta Darlington has the details.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, real estate heir Robert Durst is behind bars in New Orleans, according to his lawyers in relation to the brutal murder of his very close friend Susan Berman, who was shot execution-style at her home in Los Angeles back in 2000. A law enforcement source told CNN that he is being held on a capital murder charge in relation to the Berman case.

No one has been charged in that case, but recently the district attorney in Los Angeles reopened the investigation. And of course the HBO documentary "The Jinx" has revealed a string of new details about Durst. An eccentric New Yorker from a millionaire family, he has been tied to three investigations in three states, including the disappearance of his wife and the killing and dismemberment of an elderly neighbor.

Listen to what the director said about "The Jinx".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW JARECKI, DIRECTOR, "THE JINX": Bob Durst has been accused of many crimes over years. And that's what makes him, in some ways, the most unusual of all suspects. This isn't a one-time event that people are associating with. They're saying this is a guy for whom murder is an option. I found him very engaging. I would say charming. He is very funny. Yet, you cannot be unaffected by the feeling of shaking Bob's hand and recognizing, while that's happening, that this is a hand he used to dismember a person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: New evidence emerges in the documentary, like this letter written by Durst. They compare it to an anonymous letter presumably written by Berman's murderer to alert police to a cadaver at her house. The handwriting is almost identical, even misspelling the of the word "Beverly". Compelling evidence that we will no doubt hear more about.

Another tip from the law enforcement source who told CNN that the reason the FBI moved in when it did is because they believed Durst was about to flee the country. They tracked him to a New Orleans hotel where he was checked in under a false name. John.

BERMAN: Wow. Shasta Darlington, thanks so much.

Three more teenagers arraigned in Brooklyn for the brutal beating of a 15-year-old girl in a McDonald's last week. Five of the six girls were caught on camera attacking the victim. They are now in custody. Police say several of them have gang affiliations. One of them, a 14- year-old, was caught with her mother in Atlanta trying to board a plane to Jamaica. The victim suffered a concussion and several other injuries.

Caught on video, two Indonesia military jets colliding in mid-air. Wow. They were practicing for an upcoming air show in Malaysia Sunday when they hit each other head on and crashed. Malaysia's official news service is not mentioning anything about deaths or injuries. A witness reports at least one pilot was able to parachute from the jet before it went down.

Big election in Israel tomorrow -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu perhaps on the brink of defeat. We will bring you the latest from the ground in Israel next.

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BERMAN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting for his political life this morning. The Likud Party facing a very stiff challenge from Herzog and the center left Labor Party. Israelis head to the polls tomorrow and Netanyahu is already warning his supporters that he might not win.

I want to bring in Oren Liebermann now, live from Jerusalem. Good morning, Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, John. Everyone here, including Netanyahu, including Isaac Herzog and all the public, know what the final round of polling said that came out just a few days ago. Netanyahu is trailing. He's behind four seats to Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union Party.

In the grand scheme of things, that's not that big of a gap. Btu the problem for Netanyahu is the biggest gap we have seen so far in these elections. Just a couple of weeks ago, this was very close and both parties there, that's Likud and the Zionist Union, were neck and neck. 23, 24 seats apiece. Now we see that gap opening up. Now we see Netanyahu falling behind.

And that is why, last night in Tel Aviv, there was a big right wing rally. Tens of thousands of people in Tel Aviv's central Rabine Square and of course they were all there to see Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made a number of media appearances on TV, giving interviews to local newspapers, and this was the culmination of that, him speaking to right wing followers. And he told them -- first, he talked about security. That of course is his number one issue. Second, he talked about Jerusalem, which here in Israel is always a very sensitive issue. And the final thing he said, his closing thought, was get out and vote. He has just days here, at this point, just hours to close that four-seat gap. And he knows very much how important that gap is in determining who the next prime minister is.

Meanwhile, Isaac Herzog made his own appearance at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest site in the world for Jews. He knows what's at stake here. He's not letting up in these final days. It's a very close election. And with just hours to go here, both candidates will certainly be in the public's eye

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trying to make sure that they're out there getting the votes. It all comes down to tomorrow, John. It will be a very interesting day here in Jerusalem, here in Israel, as we see what those results are.

BERMAN: Yes, fascinating. We also don't have anymore polls. It is not like the United States. They've taken their last public poll. We won't know what happens over the weekend. The question is -- was the momentum already moving so fast against Netanyahu he could slip even more by tomorrow? As you say, we'll wait and see those results.

Oren Liebermann for us, thanks so much.

Aid is now slowly beginning to arrive in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu. First reports reveal that Cyclone Pam inflicted one of the worst disasters ever to hit that region, flattening or damaging virtually every structure. There is concern for more than 80 of the Pacific nation's outlying islands. Eight people are confirmed dead. That number is expected to climb higher. Could be a lot higher. This was a Category Five storm packing 185-mile-per-hour winds when it roared through that nation over the weekend.

So where in the world is Vladimir Putin? It has been 11 days now since the Russian president was seen in public. This has been fueling all kinds of speculation in Russia and around the world about the absence, which is mysterious by Russian standards. Now, the Russian leader has a scheduled meeting today with the leader of Kyrgyzstan. I've got to say, if that doesn't happen, the speculation is going to go bonkers. He did cancel a visit last week to Kazakhstan; that move raised a lot of flags and began this latest round of questions about his whereabouts.

26 minutes after the hour. Back at the bargaining table -- U.S. talks with Iran. This morning, the deadline to get the deal done is eight days away. We're going to have the latest next.

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