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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Gunmen Storm University in Kenya; Iran Nuke Talks Stretch Another Day; Is There A Fight 9525 Video? Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 02, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:10] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: Gunmen storming a University in Kenya. At least 30 injured. Gunshots going off like fireworks. We are live.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, April 2nd, 4:00 a.m. in the East.

We welcome all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

Let's begin with this breaking news this morning: gunmen attacking a university in southeastern Kenya. Two people reported killed, at least 30 people wounded at Garissa University College, four critically -- this is according to the Kenya Red Cross. The U.S. embassy says hostages have been taken and al Shabaab militants have taken responsibility.

Witnesses say there were more than ten of them wearing outfits resembling military fatigues. At last check, the gunmen were in a firefight with police and military troops.

CNN's Soni Methu is live for us now live from Nairobi in Kenya.

Soni, what's the latest?

SONI METHU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you said, the details are still very sketchy. The area is cordoned off. Difficult for anyone to access the place. A lot of people who are coming out of the situation, victims, most of them are in shock and some are being rushed to hospital.

So, the information is still quite sketchy. It has been over five hours now. And as you said rightly, there are hostages. Police are claiming that the attackers are being cornered in one dormitory, but they're still trying to flush them out unsuccessfully, as we speak.

ROMANS: This is still an active situation there at the university, correct?

METHU: Yes, it is indeed. From 5:30 in the morning, we have been hearing, there's been sporadic gunshots. There was a moment where it died down and a few people were saying the situation could be coming to a close. However, the situation is still ongoing and unfolding. We don't know how many confirmed dead other than the two that were confirmed around 9:00 in the morning.

However, a lot of people are saying that the death toll could rise or has already risen. But we have yet to confirm. We are relying on the Red Cross and the police. And the police are being guarded with the information they are willing to give to the media.

ROMANS: So, tell us a little bit about this college, this university. The attack started at 5:00 a.m. So, there presumably would have been teachers, there could have been students. It happened maybe before the bell rang for the day of classes.

But tell us a bit about the university. What do we know?

METHU: Well, this is actually a college until recently when it was upgraded into a university. It's the only high institute of education learning in the area. So, it's quite crowded with people not only from Garissa, but students from other parts of the country who see higher learning in that region could be in the area. There are dormitories.

People suspect around 300 students were in the school when it happened around 5:30 in the morning, as you said. The attackers came in, some people say six and others up to ten, some even say more. They came in and they by started shooting the guard who was at the main gate of the university.

According to the students in the university, there should have been more than one guard at the gate. And soon after, another guard who is supposedly on the compound was also shot dead before the gunmen gained control of the compound. Some of the students who were able to flee earlier on, they ran from the dormitories it was quite early somewhat in their dormitories. Some are said to be praying, especially the Muslims, in the school, but those who are able to flee in the early hours of the morning, they ran to the field and they say the gunmen had the vantage point and shoot the students who are fleeing in the compound.

Then at that point, the police men who are guarding the dormitories were able to come in and were able to at least fight off the attackers for a while, but then again the attackers regained control and accessed the dormitories. At this point, the Kenya defenses forces were called in, and according to those in the ground again, they reported that the response was quite swift and the area was cordoned off.

And since then, the information has been quite sketchy what is coming out. But what we know is Garissa is about 150 kilometers from Somalia and the border is said to be quite porous. The area has been a hot spot when it comes to al Shabaab attacks since 2011 to date.

And what conversation is going on in Kenya is not just anger about this happening again, but the inability to foil these attacks before they happen, despite a lot given earlier.

ROMANS: Thank you so much for that. Excellent reporting for us right there on the ground.

[04:05:02] I want to bring in Robyn Kriel now. She's the East Africa bureau chief for eNCAnews in Nairobi.

Robyn, thanks for joining us.

I want to read just sort of a few of the statements that we've been hearing about from officials and folks who've been putting out tweets and official statements about what is happening there on the ground.

This is from the Kenya Red Cross, "#GarissaAttack. According to CEC Health, 30 casualties taken to the hospital, 4 are very serious. Majority of casualties have gunshot wounds."

Also hearing from the U.S. embassy in Nairobi. "We are saddened and angered by today's terrorist attack at Garissa University. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims."

And here from the interior ministry and, "An inter-agency security team has secured Garissa University and are in the process of flashing out the gunmen. Garissa attack."

Let me ask you a bit about this porous border that Soni was talking about, 150 kilometers from Somalia. Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility. Tell us a little bit about the al Shabaab impact in that area.

ROBYN KRIEL, ENCANEWS EAST AFRICA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, al Shabaab, because of the porousness of that border, we have seen al Shabaab crossing over whenever it feels like, really, into Kenya and conducting attacks of this kind, precise militarily and precise asymmetrical attacks. Very quick, they go in, they leave, they get out, often times with very few of their own being injured in the process.

We have seen this along the coastline and in the attacks in Lamu where 70 people were killed late last year. You saw it in the Westgate attack, even though there were four attackers there and presumably, police tell us they were killed in that attack. But it is the sort of smaller attacks, almost lone wolf to a point.

Sometimes, these military sort of attacks that you think that police can't handle in the border towns such as Garissa. They need to be dealt with by the military because they have been fighting the bush war against the forces in Somalia for many years now. So, they are well-armed, they are extremely dangerous and they do have a very specific plan they would follow.

What I can tell you is that we understand that there have been sorts of rumors of attacks over a number of days. I could say weeks. The U.S. embassy for a long time has been issuing warnings to its citizens and them to avoid going into any public places. The U.K. recently, the high commission, saying that they should not go, that their citizens should not go near the coastline and issuing a warning for around that entire area, really, between the border with Somalia and Kenya. So, it's really been a tenuous time these last few weeks. Also, what we found a notice that was issued on the 26th of March this year to the University of Nairobi, stating that there was a terrorist risks, stating that intelligence reports indicate that the al Shabaab terror group is planning retaliatory attacks and storms in Kenya including a major university.

So, this will be interesting to see how well this particular college is guarded.

ROMANS: Robyn, just quickly, the end goal of al Shabaab, in terms of terror attack on the university, is it an attack against education, is it an attack against Nairobi? What's the point?

KRIEL: So, from what we understand and what we hear is that they are separating once again as you saw in Westgate and as you saw in (INAUDIBLE), that they are separating Muslims from Christians. That's what we are hearing from people who are inside this university. And this is indicative it is indeed a terror attack and they are specifically looking at killing Christians.

Now, again, attacking an educational institution, that again is also leads to the idea that this is a fundamentalist group preaching against -- `preaching Sharia law. It's essentially against education.

ROMANS: Robyn Kriel, thank you so much for that, eNCAnews in East Africa. Thank you so much.

And we'll get back to the top story this morning again.

Also happening this morning, negotiators still struggling to work out a deal curbing Iran's nuclear program, pulling an all-nighter at talks in Switzerland. Their determination to keep talking is one good omen. Word from negotiators is they made significant progress. But there's less optimistic signs as well, including the foreign minister calling negotiations with the West always problematic.

For the very latest, let's bring in global affairs correspondent Elise Labott.

Good morning, Elise.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORREPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. Well, the talks, as you said, went all night, broke up just about a few hours ago. The negotiators went and got some rest and now, they're going to start again very shortly.

[04:10:02] The British and French foreign ministers who have left last night came back overnight. They said -- the French foreign minister said they are in the finish line. But it's always those final yards that are the most problematic.

But as you said, the Iranian foreign minister saying that these negotiations are troublesome. Why? Because Iran is negotiating with six countries, and sometimes, the so-called P5-plus-1 is not united, they have their own interests. The United States has concerns with Congress. So, Iranians were really putting the onus on these negotiating powers to kind of get their act together.

But it's the world powers that are saying, Christine, it's really Iran that needs to make the tough decisions. It seems that they are close, but could be something today. But again, it has been a roller coaster these last few days.

ROMANS: I mean, it really has. I mean, the issue, too, for the United States is Iran's proxies in the Middle East -- there are so many tentacles, different tentacles. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. How do they feel that these other issues in the region, Yemen, for example, and others, how is that complicating matters? Are they just looking at Iran's nuclear program?

LABOTT: Well, certainly, they are mindful of it, and certainly, their Arab allies in the region and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been talking about this, are mindful of it. In the negotiating room, they are really trying to keep that separate. Why? Because Iran does feel it's, you know, the prowess in the region is expanding in the region, and that makes them feel stronger at the negotiation table. They also don't want those other areas to seep into the negotiations because they feel -- Iran might feel it has leverage in that way.

So, they've been really careful, not only with Yemen, but also with the Syrian civil war, with Iraq, not to bring those issues to the negotiating table. They are clear about trying to keep that separate. I think one of the reasons that the United States is adamant that it wants to deal with Iran is because it is hoping that Iran will start cooperating with the U.S., with the West on some of these other areas. But, you know, it's unclear whether the regime really wants that.

ROMANS: Right, very unclear.

All right. Could have a deal. Could fall apart. We'll watch every minute with you.

Elise Labott, thank you so much.

We're following breaking news all morning long. Gunmen storming a university in Kenya. Students attacked. It's being called a terrorist attack. New details ahead.

Plus, happening now, a grim recovery at the search site of Germanwings Flight 9525, as new video claims -- new claims, rather, of a video surface. Were the final moments on board the plane recorded? We're live with new developments, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:54] ROMANS: Returning to our breaking news this morning. At least two people dead, 30 hospitalized with gunshot wounds following an attack on a university in southeastern Kenya. The Red Cross saying at least four of the victims are in serious condition. The U.S. embassy says al Shabaab has taken responsibility and the militants have taken hostages now.

This is an active situation at the university. Some five hours into the siege.

Joining us now is CNN's David McKenzie. He spent years reporting for us from Kenya. I want to bring him in to bring context to the story.

Al Shabaab claiming responsibility. Al Shabaab militants have been known to cross the porous border from Somalia some 150 kilometers away. We're told -- our reporters on the ground, David, they're telling that the reports on the ground are that the al Shabaab militants are separating Muslims and Christians here. Tell us a little bit more about this group.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, this is a group that is drastically reduced in terms of its power, Christine. Used to run large parts of neighboring Somalia. Since Kenya moved in its defense forces into the country in 2011, al Shabaab has promised to strike at Kenya and Kenyan targets. They have done so often. Of course the most infamous the hideous attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in 2013, when more than 60 people were killed.

If you look at what's happening now based on the information I'm seeing, it does appear to be a similar strategy. Go in with several gunmen, perhaps they have suicide vests, it's unclear at this point, and then take over parts of that installation and then hunker down and create maximum panic for the longest period of time.

The Kenyan authorities, the military and the police and military have been roundly criticized with they way they deal with terrorist attacks because of lack of coordination. Now, it must be said, this is not the only attack in recent times in Kenya. There have been several hideous attacks on civilian targets in that region of Kenya.

If you say there is a possibility, they are separating Muslims and Christians, this has been done before. There was a terrible attack on a bus and they pulled people off the public transport. They then tried to get people to recite a part of the Koran. If they couldn't, they were executed on the spot.

Al Shabaab wants to create panic. In Kenya, they want to destabilize the region. And they did have bigger aspirations, but now they are more desperate force that is purely working in ISIS-like terror situation.

ROMANS: ISIS-like terror situations with similar sort of fundamental goals in terms of the kind of religion. They want their brand of politicized religion that they like to follow.

David McKenzie, thank you so much for that. Again, we're still following that story. It's still an active situation, some five hours in. Authorities there on the ground and our reporters on the ground saying there may still be hostages and there still are militants who are cornered there in that university, in the dormitory. We'll continue to follow all of that. Thanks, David.

Eighteen minutes past the hour.

If there truly is an authentic video from inside Germanwings flight 9525 and its final moments, it hasn't surfaced publicly yet. French police believe it doesn't exist at all. And prosecutors say if it does, whoever has it, better surrender it.

Listen to a reporter with the French publication "Paris Match" telling Wolf Blitzer he watched it with his own eyes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIC HELBERT, PARIS MATCH: What is the most impressive in this short video is the sounds and noise. The deep impact is that noise of people screaming and screaming again.

WOLF BLITZER, CNNA ANCHOR: How many times, Frederic, have you actually watched the video?

HELBERT: Maybe about 100 times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Meanwhile, search crews in the French Alps going through the wreckage of Flight 9525.

I want to get the latest from CNN senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He's in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Good morning, Fred.

[04:20:00] FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning. And it seems as though the crews in the French Alps are making a lot better progress now that the access road has been built. They put out that video yesterday where they showed the rescue crew with some larger pieces of the fuselage. Of course, we also know that apparently now they have not been finding human remains over the past 24 hours. However, they are continuing to search.

Meanwhile, however, Christine, Lufthansa is under increasing pressure globally to give more context as to what it actually knew about Andreas Lubitz, of course, the copilot who steered the plane into the side of the mountain. What they knew about his medical record. They, of course, came out two days ago and said he did write an e-mail to his flight school saying that he suffered from a bout of heavy depression.

However, it's unclear when they actually knew that and what they did afterwards. The sort of gist that we're getting from Lufthansa, it's really not much trickling through at this point in time, the gist that we're getting from them is that he said all this, he took time off from pilot training, and then, however, was recertified after medical evaluation and then they said that he was indeed fit to continue his flight training.

Of course, we know that later then, years later, he once again was suffering from mental problems and was seeing several doctors from that, and then at that point did not disclose to the airlines. So, they certainly are under pressure to provide more information as to how that process actually worked at that point in time. Meanwhile, as far as the video is concerned, both the publication

"Bild" of Germany, as well as "Paris Match" are standing by their reporting, saying they did see the video. They don't say they are in possession of it. You're absolutely right, the French authorities are calling all of this into question.

It seems as though, however, we are getting mixed messages from the French prosecutor on all of this. On the one hand, they're saying the reports are unfounded, unwarranted. They question whether this video exists.

However, there was also a statement by French authority that said, yes, they did recover parts of cell phones. However, they say those have not been sent to a lab yet. And they also say at no point were these cell phone videos, if there are any, part of the investigation, Christine.

ROMANS: You would think, though, Fred, if this is an eight or ten- minute ordeal of the flight with the pilot banging on the door trying to get in, someone on that plane, everyone probably had a cell phone, someone -- if not multiple people could have been recording things.

PLEITGEN: Absolutely. I mean, you would think that people would probably do that. I mean, nowadays, with sort of disaster that you have, you almost always have some form of cell phone video. But, of course, the big problem is, I mean, we know that plane plowed into that mountain at a very high speed. Remember that the people who were dealing with this disaster in the early hours said that the plane literally had been obliterated when it did hit the mountain.

And so, the big question is, would any of the SIM cards had survived? I know the theory is also out there that maybe someone got cell phone coverage, as they were going that, might have e-mailed the video. That seems highly unlikely as well.

So, we'll have to see as the investigation goes on, Christine.

ROMANS: It must be so painful for the families to be hearing what that last moment could have been like.

Frederik Pleitgen in Dusseldorf, thank you, Fred.

We're following breaking news all morning long. Gunmen storming a university in Kenya. Students attacked.

Plus, an exclusive journey in the war on ISIS. CNN crews going inside the Iraqi town of Tikrit. Our Arwa Damon was there. Incredible, incredible insight. She joins us live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:27:00] ROMANS: The latest now on the liberation of Tikrit. Iraqi forces taking back the town from ISIS, although ground operations continue to root out insurgents and land mines.

CNN with the only team reporting on the ground in Tikrit when the Iraqis planted their flag in the heart of the town.

I want to go right to Baghdad and bring in CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon.

Arwa, you were there. What did you see in Tikrit?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.

Well, the city really is a maze, a network and web of bombs. We are talking roadside bombs and buildings that have been booby trapped to such a degree that one troops that was there was telling us, when his commander went inside the provincial headquarters, he stepped on a staircase and the staircase exploded. It, too, had been rigged with explosives.

Two senior officers were killed in that incident. Three more wounded. That is when they were trying to replace the ISIS flag with the Iraqi one. That is really what has them going quite slowly through all of the neighborhoods at this stage looking over the Tikrit --

ROMANS: All right. We lost Arwa Damon's shot from Baghdad.

But you're seeing some of those pictures that she and her team took inside Tikrit. She calls it a web, a maze of bombs and booby traps, a town that ISIS basically loaded, loaded with traps before it was forced out finally by the Iraqi army going very, very slowly. Very carefully, the Iraqi army, to try to secure that town raised those flags, the Iraqi flag above that city.

Next stop is Mosul. They want to retake Mosul, next.

We're following breaking news all morning long here. Gunmen storming a university in Kenya. Students attacked. Al Shabaab claims responsibility.

EARLY START continues now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN's breaking news.

ROMANS: All right. Breaking news this morning: Gunmen storm university in Kenya. You have gunmen who say they are from al Shabaab, from nearby Somalia. Storming university in Kenya. Attacks against students here, shots fired, an active situation.

Welcome back. I'm Christine Romans. Welcome back to EARLY START. Twenty-nine minutes past the hour.

We welcome to all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

This morning, let's begin with that breaking news this morning. Gunmen taking hostages at the university campus in southeastern Kenya. The Kenyan Red Cross says at least 30 people wounded at Garissa University College, four very seriously. The militant group al Shabaab claiming responsibility for these attacks. The Red Cross saying the gunmen have taken an unknown number of

hostages, though all 50 have been freed. Kenya's interior ministry tweeting the militants are now cornered in one building.