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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Framework Reached for Iran Nuclear Deal; Obama Touts "Good Deal" with Iran; Kenya Reeling From Terror Attack; Flight Data Recorder Downloaded; Solid Jobs Report Expected. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired April 03, 2015 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Nuclear breakthrough, Iran and world leaders agreeing to the framework of what could turn into an historic deal. This morning, the White House is optimistic, celebrations in the streets of Tehran, but not everyone is happy about the deal. We have team coverage breaking down all the angles of the big story this morning.
And university massacre, terrorists murdering dozens of students in Kenya targeting Christians, and what the country's president is now promising.
And breaking overnight, a sailor reunited with his family after stranded 66 days at sea. How he survived and what's he's saying this morning, up ahead.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. It is 31 minutes past the hour. Well, this morning, negotiators who just completed a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program is taking a well deserve rest before diving back into 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 the negotiations with Iran were, quote, "tough, very intense at times, sometimes emotional and confrontational, but with a seriousness of purpose."
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JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are not basing this on a naive day or trust or some element of good faith. This is based on real steps, real accountability and real measures that have to be implemented, and on accountability if they are not.
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MALVEAUX: For more on the deal, I want to bring in our CNN's Phil Black live from London. Good morning, Phil. Tell us what are the details? What is in this agreement?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just a framework, Suzanne, but some key details, crucially it allows Iran to continue to enrich uranium, but in a much more restricted way for the next 15 years. It continues to allow centrifuges to spin. That's what enriches the uranium, but there will be much fewer of them.
Out of the 19,000 that Iran is allowed to have, only 5,000 will be allowed to be operational. They will only enrich uranium to 3.67 percent enough for civil purposes, not enough for a bomb. Iraq's stockpile, a previously low enrich uranium will be cut dramatically b that 98 percent.
Iran has agreed to a very strict inspections system. What Iran gets is it, well, maintains enrichment system and program. One it says it has the right to do for civilian purposes. It is not closing any of its facilities although some will be repurposed.
Their weaponizing potential will be taken away and of course, what Iran really wants is relief from sanctions because that is crippling its economy. Relief from sanctions will have a really big effect on the quality of life for the people of that country.
That is going to be one of the more difficult issue going forward as the detail is now really thrashed out because Iran wants immediate relief from sanctions. The other side is pushing for something a bit more staged. A step by step is Iran's adherence to the agreement is verified.
A lot of technical details still to be worked out as well. So this framework carries no obligation. Nothing has been signed, but the hope is it is a significant demonstration of the will that exists on both sides to try and lock something in by the next deadline, which is by the end of June.
This morning, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov says the chances of achieving that are very high, but even in the event that the next round of negotiations is successful, they must also be the big job of selling whatever deal that comes out of it to the many doubters that still exists both in the United States, Iran and across Middle East as well -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, Phil. I appreciate that. The Iranians are celebrating the possibility of a deal already leading to the end of sanctions. In the streets, you see there and with selfies of themselves in front of President Obama's speech broadcast for the first time live on Iranian state TV.
President Obama is celebrating the deal as well and his remarks he called a negotiated agreement are best option by far. The White House officials, they are also mindful that the hard work, negotiating a final agreement and selling it to Congress and the public is still up ahead.
Our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, has more on that. [05:35:00] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, President Obama is describing this as an historic deal, but now he has to sell it and he is already starting to call 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.
He went on to argue that the agreement now in place is the only practical way to block Iran from nuclear weapons. Here is what he had to say.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Iran is not going to simply dismantle its program because we demand it to do so. That's not how the world works and that's not what history shows us.
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ACOSTA: Keep in mind, 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. He said in his phone call with the president that this deal will threaten his country's survival -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thanks, Jim. The White House is wasting no time working the phones and trying to sell this deal partly because of a looming fight with Congress. Republican lawmakers 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 is standing firm against the deal saying that it would not block Iran's path to the bomb, but it would pave it.
An emergency meeting of Netanyahu's cabinet is under way at this hour. I want to bring in our CNN's Oren Liebermann live from Jerusalem. So what is his next move, Netanyahu?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN REPORTER: Well, in the short-term, we do expect a statement sometime after this cabinet meeting, which again is going on right now started about a half an hour ago. Netanyahu has been perhaps the most vocal critic internationally of this deal.
He has been speaking out against it in the last few days, weeks and even months and his rhetoric against this deal has only gotten stronger. In a phone call with President Obama, Netanyahu said this deal increases the potential for a quote, "horrific war," horrific war.
Some of the strongest words we've seen Netanyahu used. He has criticized what is in the deal and what's not in the deal. As for what's in the deal, Netanyahu says he wanted to see Iran's nuclear infrastructure dismantled, taken in part, not just limited or changed he says that doesn't happen.
As for what is not in the deal, Netanyahu wanted to see the removal of sanctions tied to Iran pulling back its aggression in the region. Netanyahu's government says that also hasn't happened. So what's Netanyahu going to do?
Well, he is going to side with his allies in Congress and that would be the Republicans. As you mentioned, House Speaker Boehner was here this week, just left a couple of days ago. Senator Mitch McConnell was here earlier this week.
Both of them reassured Netanyahu, especially Boehner who spoke against this deal as well just like Netanyahu. Senator Mitch McConnell promised Netanyahu that if there is a deal, he would work for a required congressional approval of the deal.
That is perhaps where we will see Netanyahu working over the next few days and weeks and months until that June 30th deadline. As of right now, we are waiting for his statement after the meeting. We'll see what he has to say, perhaps his rhetoric getting stronger against this deal -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Oren, we will get back to you as soon you got a statement to read out from that meeting. We appreciate it.
Tentative deal in Iran could have huge implications for oil. I want to bring in our CNN Money correspondent, Alison Kosik, to talk more about that. How does this have a ripple effect?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really could have a ripple effect. Right now, this is a tentative deal. We have seen oil prices did not crash. The reality is the oil is very important to Iran. Sanctions have crippled its ability to sell it on the global market.
Right now, Iran exports 1.3 million barrels a day. Compare that with 2.5 million in 2012. The world has too much oil. Prices have crashed for more than $100 a barrel last summer to less than $50 because of a supply glut.
Adding Iran to the mix that would likely send oil prices lower, but consider this, a lot could go wrong between now and June when the final agreement could be reached. Even if a deal with sanctions is reached, it could take months for that oil from Iran to hit the market.
It could be why we didn't see oil prices fall off the cliff yesterday because this is still a tentative agreement. MALVEAUX: It could affect prices at the pump as well.
KOSIK: Absolutely. We could see gas prices go down if oil prices continue to fall.
MALVEAUX: All right, Alison, thank you. Appreciate that.
Kenya is reeling this morning from its worst terror attack in nearly two decades. We are talking about masked gunmen from the Islamist militant group, Al-Shabaab storming a university in the early morning hours killing at least 147 people in a 15-hour siege.
I want to you listen to this. This is one student describing how fellow students unknowingly ran straight toward the slaughter.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard gunshots while we were sleeping around 5:00. Guys were starting 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.
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[05:40:08] MALVEAUX: Kenya's president ordering 10,000 police recruits to report for emergency training immediately. He is urging everyone in Kenya to keep calm.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a moment for everyone throughout the country to be vigilant as we confront and defeat our enemies.
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MALVEAUX: U.S. says it is offering Kenya assistance fighting al- Shabaab.
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 cargo ship on Thursday 200 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Jordan was hoisted from the ship by the Coast Guard and flown to the hospital, and following his release, he was asked about what did he say to his rescuers?
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LOUIS JORDAN, STRANDED AT SEA FOR 66 DAYS: A lot of gratitude and love and thankfulness. I just patted them on the back and said thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Let me work for you. Let me do something for you. They said no, you just got rescued. You are probably exhausted. They said take a shower.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: He might have needed a shower. All right, Jordan said he survived by eating raw fish and drinking rain water.
This up next, newly discovered internet searches revealing details on what the pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 had been thinking days before he flew his plane into a mountain. We're live with those new developments up next.
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MALVEAUX: Breaking news this morning, we now know what was on the flight data recorder revealing co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz's, actions in the final minutes before the crash.
I want to get the latest from our CNN's Will Ripley live in Dusseldorf, Germany. What are we learning from this new information?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, this information breaking just minutes ago that the initial analysis of the flight data recorder, that charred black box that was found in the French Alps buried about 8 inches into the surface.
It shows that Andreas Lubitz set the plane's auto pilot to 100 feet. That, of course, the descent down towards to the French Alps and then as the plane was going down, he was manually changing the plane's driver settings.
These are the settings that determine the speed of the aircraft and what he was doing, he was increasing the speed of Flight 9525, which explains some of the discrepancies on the radar that were observed.
And also explains why there alarms that were sounding in the cockpit, very loud alarms, they could be heard on the cockpit voice recording, terrifying details, Suzanne, because these alarms are so loud that some of the passengers in the front of the plane would have also been able to hear them.
Including the alarm saying terrain, pull up and the alarm saying that the descent was too rapid and unsafe so this again just continues to help the investigators put this case together that Andreas Lubitz deliberately changed the controls.
Set the auto pilot and brought the plane down and right into the French Alps, an important piece of information and a very chilling piece of information for the families of everybody who was on board the plane.
MALVEAUX: And very consistent with what we've learned before. Thank you. We will get more details on that later this morning. Appreciate it.
The so-called Religious Freedom Laws passing in Indiana and Arkansas, governors fixing this legislation that critics say would have legalized discrimination, but are these fixes enough? That is up next.
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MALVEAUX: This morning, gay rights supporters in Indiana are calling a fix to the state's new Religious Freedom Law a step in the right direction. The original law drew fire from across the country for what critics called legalized discrimination against gays and lesbians.
After days of backlash from celebrities, major corporations and even the NCAA, lawmakers hurriedly passed the new law. Governor Mike Pence who spent days defending the original immediately signed the new bill.
He said in a statement, "I believe resolving this controversy and making clear that every person feels welcome and respected in our state is best for Indiana."
There will be no discrimination under the new Arkansas Religious Freedom Bill. That is what the state's governor said as he signed the legislation into law there. Early in the week, Asa Hutchinson ordered change to more closely mirror federal law.
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GOV. ASA HUTCHINSON (R), ARKANSAS: It protects religious freedom. It establishes a framework for the balancing act that the courts must determine these types of cases and thirdly, I think it recognizes the diversity of our culture and work force.
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MALVEAUX: Critics said the earlier bill opened the door to businesses refusing to serve gay and lesbian customers. Walmart and Hutchinson's son were among those opposed to the bill.
An ISIS-inspired terror plot uncovered in New York City, two women, both U.S. citizens and roommates are under arrest for allegedly planning to build a bomb for a Boston marathon-style terrorist attack. Federal authorities say the women, Noelle Velentzas and Asia Siddiqui were inspired by ISIS and according to one, wanted to make history at home. They are both being held without bail.
An American man with alleged ties to al Qaeda is charged in connection with a plot to kill U.S. citizens overseas. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh was deported from Pakistan to the United States and is charged with providing material support to terrorist. He appeared in federal court in New York on Thursday, but did not enter a plea. The judge ordered him held without bail until a hearing in May.
Today, we will get a highly anticipated March jobs report. What to expect and when your wages will finally start rising. That's up next.
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MALVEAUX: Let's bring in CNN Money correspondent, Alison Kosik, for an EARLY START on your money. Alison, what's the big story today?
KOSIK: Good morning. It is all about jobs today. The market is closed for the Good Friday holiday. It is still going to be one of the action-packed days. The all-important jobs report for March comes out at 8:30 this morning.
CNN Money is expecting employers added 244,000 jobs last month. It is a bit fewer than February. The unemployment rate is expected to stay the same at 5.5 percent. There is a lot to digest in the report. I'll keep a close eye on what wage growth is doing.
It was only 2 percent in February. That is well below the Federal Reserve's target of 3.5 percent. There are a lot of concerns about other areas of the economy. It is very important, Suzanne, to see the momentum build in the labor market.
MALVEAUX: There is already a good sign before the report comes out?
KOSIK: This is the indicator I like to call take this job and shove it. We are finding that more workers are quitting. It is very good news even if it doesn't sound like it. Almost 2.8 million people quit their jobs in January. That's up 17 percent from a year ago. What that means is that people are feeling more confident in the job market to just leave their job and look for another opportunity. Good for them.
MALVEAUX: Good for them and there is another report out about where the money is, like where the high earners list?
KOSIK: Not a big shocker here, where you will find the high earners here in Manhattan. New York county residents were collecting a $97,000 paycheck on average last year. Of course, the cost of living here is also much higher in New York.
When you factor in investment in Teton County, Wyoming, that is where it takes the top spot. That is home to Jackson Hole and a lot of wealthy ski birds. The average income there with investments, $300,000 and to top it off, they get to keep most of it. Wyoming doesn't tax income.
MALVEAUX: So New York, you get taxed.
KOSIK: Yes, of course. We get taxed a lot.
MALVEAUX: All right, OK, nice to see you, Alison. Thanks.
A nuclear break through with Iran, "NEW DAY" starts right now.
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OBAMA: Together with our allies and partners, has reached an historic understanding with Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Diplomacy is the best way for us to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We say this deal is a move in the wrong direction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I also take this opportunity to urge Kenyans to stay calm as we resolve this matter.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Slaughter on the university campus that apparently targeted Christians.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A stunning new revelation in the Germanwings investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He searched the internet for cockpit door security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He did research something that had exactly to do with what's going on here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The governors of Arkansas and Indiana signed fixed versions of these laws.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Protecting religious freedom doesn't mean protecting discrimination.
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ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Friday, April 3rd, 6:00 in the east. Alisyn Camerota is off this morning, but Mich and I are here for you.
A framework for a history-making nuclear pact with Iran now in place, but a final agreement is still months away and not a done deal by any stretch. Negotiators have until the end of June to iron out the details, but there is a lot that can happen between now and then.
[06:00:06] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama wasting no time selling the agreement, calling it a good deal. Yet the landmark pact doing very little to ease that standoff between the president and some in Congress.
