Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama Touts Good Deal with Iran; University Massacre: Kenya in Mourning; Indiana Lawmakers Fix Religious Freedom Law; Germanwings Co- Pilot's Final Days; NCAA President Address Controversial Law. Aired 5- 5:30a ET

Aired April 03, 2015 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: For our viewers around the world, "CNN NEWSROOM" is next.

For our viewers here in the United States, EARLY START continues now.

(MUSIC)

MALVEAUX: Nuclear breakthrough: Iran and world leaders reaching a detailed nuclear outline after months of tense negotiations, but not everyone is celebrating the progress. We got live team coverage breaking down the deal and reaction to it this morning.

And university massacre. Dozens murdered by terrorists. Kenya now in mourning. Its leaders are figuring out what comes next.

And breaking overnight. Stranded at sea for more than 66 days and now reunited with his family. How this sailor managed to stay alive, up ahead.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. It's Friday, April 3rd, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

This morning, negotiators who just completed a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program are now taking a well-deserved rest before diving back in to work. That is because the landmark agreement reached Thursday at the end of marathon talks in Switzerland is only the framework for a final agreement.

But even this outline, more detailed than expected, marks a significant step toward the goal of blocking Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry telling CNN negotiations with Iran were, quote, "tough, very intense at times, sometimes emotional and confrontational, but with a seriousness of purpose."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We're not basing this on a naivete or trust or some element of good faith. This is based on real steps, real accountability, real measures that have to be implemented and on accountability if they're not. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: For more on the deal, I want to bring in CNN's Phil Black live in London.

Good morning, Phil. What is the sense of what the details are? What's in this thing?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Suzanne.

Just a framework, but the important detail in it. Crucially, Iran still gets to enrich uranium, but in a much more restricted way for the next 15 years. It can keep centrifuges spinning, but the number is significantly reduced. They have around 19,000. Only around 5,000 will be allowed to stay operational.

And they will only enrich uranium to 3.67 percent. It is enough for civilian purposes, not enough for a bomb.

And they have agreed to crucially significant inspection system, as well as cutting back its stockpile of low enriched uranium by about 98 percent.

Now, what Iran gets in return, is it maintains the uranium program for civil purposes, which it says it has always had the right to do so. It won't have to close any facilities although some will be repurposed. Their weaponizing potential is being taken away. What Iran really wants is relief from sanctions. That will have a dramatic transformative effect on its economy and raise the quality of life for its people.

That's going to be one of the more difficult issues going forward, because Iran wants that to happen all at once, as soon as the final deal is reached, while the rest of the world is pushing for a stage by stage, step by step sanctions relief whereby sanctions relief as Iran is verified to be in adherence with whatever the final deal looks like.

So, it's really just setting the stage now. This is the framework. It's not obligatory. Nothing has been signed. But the hope is it is a demonstration of will by both sides as they now enter the final negotiations that something more concrete can be achieved by the next deadline which is the end of June -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Phil, thank you so much.

Iranians celebrating the possibility of a deal, leading to the end of sanctions. They were in the streets and with selfies of themselves in front of President Obama's speech broadcast for the first time live on Iranian state TV.

President Obama celebrating the deal as well, in his remarks, he called the negotiated agreement our best option by far. But White House officials, they're also mindful that the hard work negotiating a final agreement and selling it to the Congress and public is still ahead. Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, President Obama is describing this as historic deal, but now, he has to sell it, and he's already starting to cause skeptical Republicans and even some nervous Democrats to buy into this agreement.

In the Rose Garden, at the White House, the president insisted the Iranians will have no choice but to comply with this deal, saying if Iran cheats, the world will know it.

[04:05:03] He went on to argue that the agreement now in place is the only practical way to block Iran from nuclear weapons. Here's what he had to say.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran is not going to simply dismantle its program because we demand it to do so. That's not how the world works. That's not what history shows us.

ACOSTA: This is only the framework agreement that was due March 31st. The technical details of the deal still have to be worked out by June 30th. If Iran starts playing games, the White House says Tehran could face more sanctions with military options also on the table. The president and top White House officials will now start working the phones over the next several days. He's already spoken with Saudi Arabia's king and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his phone call with the president that this deal will threaten his country's survival -- Suzanne.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Thanks, Jim.

Well, the White House wasting no time working the phones trying to sell this deal, partly because of a looming fight with Congress. Republican lawmakers, they are undaunted in their plans to introduce legislation giving Congress a vote on any final agreement. House Speaker John Boehner reiterating his concern that Tehran's nuclear program poses a threat to Israel which he visited earlier this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing firm against the deal, saying that it would not block Iran's path to the bomb, it would pave it. An emergency meeting of Netanyahu's cabinet is set to start right about now.

I want to bring in our CNN's Oren Liebermann just live in Jerusalem for the very latest.

So, what is the next step here for Netanyahu?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Netanyahu, as you mentioned, stepped in this cabinet meeting, this emergency cabinet, of course, just one day after the deal announced. Netanyahu has perhaps been the biggest critic internationally of this deal and in the past few days, especially, he increased the strength of his rhetoric in the conversation he had with Obama. That was not a friendly conversation, a glowing endorsement of the deal, when Netanyahu said the deal would increase the risk for a, quote, "horrific war" in the Middle East.

So, Netanyahu just as he has been over the past few weeks is very much against the deal. He criticized what is in the deal and what's not in the deal. He's criticized for not scaling back and dismantles the nuclear infrastructure. He wanted to see those facilities taken part.

Instead, he says that Iran can still do research, they still have centrifuges and they still have underground facilities.

He also says one of the biggest things he wanted to see was the lifting of sanctions linked to Iran pulling back aggression in the region. Netanyahu's government says that's not there either.

What we do expect him to do next? Well, we have seen him especially this week with Boehner here and Senator Mitch McConnell, working with Republicans. Republicans were saying they'll push for required congressional approval of the deal. That perhaps is where we will see Netanyahu pushing the hardest, working with Republicans to lobby against this deal. He knows at this point he can't prevent or stop a deal, he will try to push harder against it and see if it is limiting to Iran and more favorable to what he sees as Israel security.

Suzanne, we do expect a statement from this cabinet meeting, coming out of this meeting. We'll have that to you as soon as we hear.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll get right back to you when you get the statement. We'll put them live. Thank you, Oren. Appreciate it.

Well, the tentative deal with Iran could have huge implications for oil.

I want to bring in our CNN Money correspondent Alison Kosik to break that down for us.

How would that happen?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

The operative word here is tentative. This is a tentative deal. It's probably why we did not see oil prices crash yesterday. But the reality is Iran's economy is very dependent on oil.

But sanctions have crippled the ability to sell in global markets. Right now, Iran exports 1.3 million barrels a day. You compare that to 2.5 million barrels in 2012. But the world has too much oil, prices have crashed from more than $100 a barrel last summer to less than $50 because of a supply glut happening. Adding Iran to the mix, that would likely send prices lower.

But a lot could go wrong between now and June. And even if a deal with sanctions relief is reached. It could take months for Iranian oil to hit the market and it could be why we did not see the knee jerk reaction happen on Wall Street yesterday. MALVEAUX: OK. We'll see what happens. Thank you, Alison.

Appreciate it.

KOSIK: Got it.

MALVEAUX: Well, Kenya reeling this morning from its worst terror attack in nearly two decades. Masked gunmen from the Islamic militant group al Shabaab storming a university in the early morning hours, killing at least 147 people in a 15-hour siege.

I want you to listen to this. This is one student describing how classmates unknowingly ran straight toward the slaughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard some gunshots while we were sleeping. So, it was around 5:00. And guys started jumping up and down running for their lives. But, it's unfortunate that where they were going to is where the gunshots were coming from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Kenya's president ordering 10,000 troops to report for training immediately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UHURU KENYATTA, PRESIDENT OF KENYA: This is a moment for everyone throughout the country to be vigilant as we confront and defeat our enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The U.S. says it is offering Kenya assistance fighting al Shabaab.

The situation in Yemen is dire, not getting any better anytime soon. That grim warning from a U.S. counterterrorism official after al Qaeda fighters staged a jail break, freeing 270 inmates from a Yemeni prison.

[05:10:05] About a third of those prisoners have direct links to al Qaeda. And one of the escapees is a top operative. Counterterrorism officials are increasingly concerned about the growing instability in Yemen now that all U.S. Special Forces have been evacuated from that country.

And this, remarkable survival story. A missing sailor, 37-year-old Louis Jordan, rescued after 66 days stranded at sea in a disabled boat. He was spotted by a passing cargo ship on Thursday, some 200 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Jordan was hoisted from the ship by the Coast Guard, medevaced to a hospital.

Following his release, Jordan talked about the moment he first saw his rescuers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS JORDAN, STRANDED AT SEA FOR 66 DAYS: I waved my hands real slowly. And that's the signal. I'm in distress. Help me.

And I blew my whistles. I had three whistles. They never heard them. I took my smoke signal and put out some orange smoke. They never saw it.

I put out my flag that symbols on it saying rescue me. I turn my American flag upside down and put that up that says "rescue me".

All they saw was this. So, I -- the whole time I was out there waving my arms, and they eventually saw it. They saw me on the front of the boat waving my arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Amazing story. Unbelievable. Jordan says he survived by eating raw fish and drinking rain water. Incredible.

Disturbing new information on the Germanwings pilot who deliberately flew himself and 149 others into a mountain. What his Internet searches in the days leading up to the crash are now revealing. We are live with new information on that investigation up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:36] MALVEAUX: New details in the Germanwings crash. Investigators say it is becoming clear that copilot Andreas Lubitz was afraid of losing his pilot's license because of his health issues in the days before he deliberately crashed flight 9525 into the French Alps. New evidence revealing he searched the Internet in his final days for cockpit door security and suicide.

I want to get the latest from CNN's Will Ripley live in Dusseldorf, Germany.

So, tell us more about these internet searches. What does it reveal?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Investigators seized a tablet from the apartment of Andreas Lubitz, and as they've been going through all the evidence that they gathered, they looked in the Internet browser search history and that where they found a week before the crash, even the day before, searches about methods to commit suicide and perhaps more troubling, cockpit door security measures.

So, the suspicion here on the ground is that Andreas Lubitz was planning to do this. He was looking for ways to make sure the cockpit door could be secured and that he could remain inside to carry out the mass murder, essentially, of 149 people. That is why European government officials with close knowledge of the investigation is telling us they now do consider this premeditated murder, even though legally, they're still calling it a manslaughter case at this point.

What's unclear, Suzanne, is the motive. We know that Andreas Lubitz was suffering very severe and deteriorating psychological problems. He had a severe depressive episode late last year. He had been seeing -- doctor shopping, seeing as many as six doctors trying to get help. He had vision problems, he had sleep problems. All of them diagnosed as being psychosomatic, made worse by his mental state.

There was no clear motive why -- why he flew this plane and all of the innocent people into the French Alps because he did not leave a note, he didn't leave any other evidence behind. Another piece of evidence seized is the flight data recorder, the black box, it was charred, it was burned, it was buried eight inches into the ground, the crash site. That will answer a lot of key technical questions in this case.

So, the answers are coming together, but the big question, Suzanne, does remain unanswered and that is, why did Andreas Lubitz do this?

MALVEAUX: So many people want to know the answer to that question.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

The head of the NCAA joining the debate now over Indiana's religious freedom law, calling the issue more important than the final four on the eve of the big games.

Andy Scholes has the bleacher report next.

And, are you ready for retirement? According to the Ameriprise report, the number one regret that people have is not planning how they're going to spend their time more. It is not just the case for one former jingle writer. Well, he is fulfilling a life long dream for his second act.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN BECK: Singing is in my blood. When I was a little boy, my mother and dad and I sang. We had a trio. We sang barbershop without a bass. I loved it then. I love it now.

My name is Brian Beck. I sing radio jingles. Now I'm retired and sing in a barbershop quartet.

I was a jingle writer for 30 years. The jingle business started about 1955.

That was CJOR. That was in Toronto. That was pretty good stuff. We were pretty good back then, you know? It was like heaven. Go to work, sing, get paid for it. What could be better?

You've got to plan ahead. That's all there is to it. We didn't have any pension. We didn't have any 401(k)s.

It was just -- we were all independent contractors. So, we wound up saving 10 percent of everything. Kind of saw the writing on the wall.

My wife said, you know, I'd like to move to Colorado. At some point, the jingle business was winding down. Perfect time to retire, so let's do it. We did it. Saturday Evening Post is the name of the group.

[05:20:01] We just reformed about six months ago. That was back in the day. If you move here, you want to name of the group. We just reformed about six months ago. That was back in the day. If you move here, you want to sing bass in our quartet and I said, well, yes.

Each member has to be at least 55. I can't of skew up the age, so we have a comfortable total.

And we are the current 2015 International Seniors Quartet Champions. There are quartets that form and bond stronger than brothers. And I think Saturday Evening Post is one of those.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Indiana's controversial religious freedom law threatens to overshadow college basketball's biggest weekend.

Andy Scholes is live in Indianapolis, site of the Final Four, with this morning's bleacher report -- Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Suzanne.

You know, the topic of discussion surrounding the Final Four continues to be the reaction from the teams and the NCAA regarding the religious freedom law.

Now, the NCAA has its headquarters just down the street from where we're standing right here in downtown Indianapolis. They were one of the first to speak out against the new law when it was signed by the governor. NCAA president Mark Emmert says, you know, they are not happy that this debate is overshadowing this week's festivities here in Indianapolis.

But he said this bill is more important than the basketball tournament.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:25:00] DR. MARK EMMERT, NCAA PRESIDENT: So, we came out fairly early in the process and we were hopeful that it could instigate some change. And while we don't want to overplay the role that we had in it, we were pleased that they -- the legislative bodies and governor and others decided to respond appropriately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now all four of the coaches involved in the final four released a joint statement on the religious freedom law before arriving here in Indy.

And yesterday, CNN's Rachel Nichols sat down with all four of the coaches and they further discussed the issue. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS: Have you seen the power of sports affect social change at these moments?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, DUKE HEAD COACH: Well, I think our sport has done the most over the years, especially as far as race relations in that we are playing in shorts. You see are you white, are you African- American, are you Asian, are you -- you know, who are you? All of a sudden, you are working together, you're sweating together, you're hugging together, and you're talking and you're loving and you're fighting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: You can hear more from Rachel's interview with Coach K and other three coaches on "All Access at the Final Four. That is tomorrow at 2:30 eastern here on CNN. The Final Four game tips off tomorrow tonight at 6:00 Eastern on our sister station TBS. That's Michigan State taking on Duke. That game will be followed by undefeated Kentucky taking on Wisconsin in a rematch from last year's Final Four.

And, Suzanne, the big story on the court here in Indianapolis is, will Kentucky be able to run the table and win two games this weekend and complete a perfect 40-0 season? A lot of people are looking forward to see if the Wildcats can, in fact, make history. The first team to go undefeated since the Hoosiers did it back in 1976.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll be watching, Andy. Thanks. Appreciate it.

Nuclear breakthrough: Iran and world leaders reaching a framework agreement for a nuclear deal. The concessions each side made and why not everyone is celebrating. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)