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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Israeli Prime Minister Slams Iran Deal; Kenya Names University Terror Attackers; Houthi Rebels Fight for Aden. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 06, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Point/counter point. President Obama and the Israeli prime minister not ready to budge on their positions on the Iranian nuclear deal. What did the president say to try to ease rising concerns in Israel?

Hunted man, officials in Kenya are searching for the man they say masterminded last week's terror attack at the university. How are authorities trying to track him down? A live report from Garissa is minutes away.

A retraction and an apology, "Rolling Stone" in damage control mode after a review finds serious, serious flaws in the publication of an article about an alleged rape at UVA. So how can nobody get fired for a screw-up like this? The school's response minutes away.

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

This morning new perspective from key players in the developing deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, President Obama in an interview with "The New York Times" acknowledging widespread criticism and Israeli reluctance towards this framework hashed out last week in Switzerland.

But the president said he's, quote, "absolutely committed to making sure the Israelis maintain their qualitative military edge over Iran and their Arab neighbors. The president reinforced his argument that this deal is the best way to protect Israeli security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: What I would say to the Israeli people is, however, that there is no formula, there is no option to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon that will be more effective than the diplomatic initiative and framework that we put forward and that's demonstrable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The president's interview was just one part of an all-out lobbying offensive from all sides that included Israel's prime minister slamming that Iran deal on CNN. And a top, Senate Democrat suggesting the prime minister has made his point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: As the prime minister of the one and only Jewish state, when I see a country, a terrorist regime, committed to our destruction and not only to our destruction, having the path, a clear path to the bomb, it's my obligation to speak out as I'm doing now as I'll do in any form.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think what he's had to say. And to be candid with you this can back fire on him. And I wish that he would contain himself because he has put out no real alternative in his speech to the Congress. No real alternative since then, no real alternative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: For more on the Israeli reaction to the Iran nuclear deal -- the developing Iran nuclear deal. Let's bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann live in Jerusalem.

Good morning, Oren. Certainly the air waves in this country filled with conversation point and counterpoint this weekend about that deal.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Conversation bordering on outright argument, Christine. No subtle messages here. Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama coming out on their side of the deal. President Obama, of course supporting this deal and trying to make sure that he can lobby support for it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as we've seen him do over the last few days, weeks and months. Very much coming out against this deal strengthening his rhetoric, increasing his criticism of this deal. He says it's simply not a good deal. His alternative to this deal is a better deal. He says sanctions got the world to this point where the Iranians are willing to come to the table, they're willing to sit down and negotiate about their nuclear infrastructure, their ambitions and their program.

He wants to keep sanctions in place and perhaps even strengthen sanctions so that the Iranians not only are willing to come to the table, but are willing to dismantle their infrastructure. And that's what Benjamin Netanyahu wants to see. He says a nuclear program is one thing but allowing them to keep the facilities, to keep their research and to keep their centrifuges going, all of them, simply is unacceptable to Israel. He says their infrastructure needs to be pulled back and pulled apart.

He also says he'll keep lobbying against this as President Obama keeps lobbying for it. Netanyahu we know, he spoke with Republicans. House Speaker Boehner was here last week. Senator Mitch McConnell is here last week and now he says he's speaking to Democrats as well. So he's exactly sort of doing the opposite of President Obama. He is reaching out to the same people trying to rally support against the deal.

And Christine, there was a very interesting part of that interview on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" where Jim Acosta asked Netanyahu, do you trust President Obama? And Netanyahu hesitated for a second and then said, "I trust Obama to do what he feels is best for America." Netanyahu now saying he will do what's very best or what's in the best interest of Israel. So I think we can very much expect to see this back and forth, this lobbying and anti-lobbying over the next three months.

ROMANS: I think you're absolutely right.

Oren Liebermann for us this morning in Jerusalem. Thanks for that.

[04:35:04] New developments this morning in that terrorist attack on a university in northeastern Kenya that killed 142 students and five security officers. The Kenyan government naming the mastermind of the attack by al-Shabaab militants as Mohamed Mohamud. The Interior Ministry had previously posted a most wanted notice for him, offering a reward equal to $215,000.

The father of another suspect in the Garissa University College attack named by the government spoke to CNN over the weekend. He said his son went missing soon after graduating law school in 2013. The father said he had really given up on his son.

For more now, let's bring in CNN's Christian Purefoy live for us from Garissa.

We're learning more about who may have ordered that attack that killed so many of those students and security officials. What are you learning this morning?

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, as you said, the Interior Ministry of Kenya has named the -- what they're calling the mastermind behind this attack Mohamed Mohamud. They say he is in charge of the militia along the long porous borders of Somalia which is about a four-hour drive from here, along the track.

He's now in control of the militias that come across -- cross border incursions into Kenya to really basically just create havoc. One of the previous attacks that he's associated with have the same modus operandi as the one against this university. It was an attack on a bus on the road down here where they stopped the bus, they got all the passengers off, separated them, Christians and Muslims, and then began to kill the Christians, 28 people died.

So this man, Christine, is an extremely dangerous man. But then they use this term mastermind, you know, I don't think we should forget, this man is just using the most basic means possible to kill as many people as possible -- Christine.

ROMANS: Tell us a little bit about -- I mean, he has been responsible or suspected in other attacks before with similar sort of hallmarks -- the hallmarks of separating out Muslims and Christians. What is the goal here? What is his goal? Is it to inspire terror? Is it to bring Sharia law? What does he want?

PUREFOY: To answer that I think we can take the town of Garissa, you know, where I'm standing right now. Why Garissa? And why is it the center of so many attacks? Not just universities, but also these buses.

It basically lies, Christine, on this long religious fault line, one of the longest in the world between mostly Christians Sub-Saharan Africa and a northern Muslim Africa. And you've got groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia. All along this border and this is where the two meet and often clash.

Now a lot of communities here, lot of religious leaders try and, you know, bridge these differences through dialogue. But these groups like al-Shabaab want to come in and create division and chaos because, Christine, it's where in that chaos that they thrive.

ROMANS: Absolutely. Christian Purefoy, thank you for that this morning from Garissa for us.

Thirty-seven minutes past the hour.

Police in Northern England arrest two teens with suspected links to terror, possibly the youngest terror-related arrests ever in the U.K. Police say a 14-year-old boy and a 16- year-old girl were arrested for, quote, "suspicion of preparing for an act of terrorism." The boy allegedly had suspect activity on a number of his electronic devices. Both are out on bail until May 28.

A bombshell move from "Rolling Stone" magazine following a scathing report from Columbia University School of Journalism slamming the magazine for failing to engage in, quote, "basic, even routine journalistic practice."

"Rolling Stone" now issuing a retraction of a discredited article about a woman who claimed she was gang raped at the University of Virginia. Despite the missteps, "Rolling Stone" publisher Jann Winter has decided not to fire anyone, saying he believes the mistakes were not intentional.

The author of that story, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, now issuing an apology saying, in part, "Reading the Columbia account of the mistakes and misjudgments in my reporting was a brutal and humbling experience. I want to offer my deepest apologies to 'Rolling Stone's' readers, to my 'Rolling Stone' editors and colleagues, to the UVA community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article."

UVA president Teresa Sullivan issuing a fierce response to the Columbia review, saying, "'Rolling Stone's' story did not to combat sexual violence and it damaged serious efforts to address the issue. Irresponsible journalism unjustly damaged the reputations of many innocent individuals and the University of Virginia. Such false depictions reinforce the reluctance of sexual assault victims already feel about reporting their experience lest they be doubted or ignored."

Deans of the Columbia Journalism School will speak today about their investigation. Closing arguments today in the trial of the Boston Marathon bomber.

Insiders say the jury could even get the case before the end of the day. After more than three weeks of testimony, from 96 witnesses, they have to decide if Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was pushed by his older brother into carrying out attack and whether the 21-year-old deserves the death penalty.

[04:40:04] Questions swirling around Hillary Clinton this morning and her all but announced run for president. We are told aides have been instructed to be ready starting today for a campaign rollout. Democratic -- top Democratic activists in Iowa and New Hampshire privately say they have been placed on alert. Clinton will declare soon with the first announcement expected on social media. The Hillary watch picked up steam last week when Clinton's team signed a lease for office space in Brooklyn.

New York City police are on the hunt for a man believed to have fired shots in the parking lot outside a casino in Queens. They say 22- year-old Jaquan Roberts was involved in the Friday night shooting which followed a wild melee inside. Hundreds of people were involved in the fight. Several were hurt. The fight reportedly broke out after people got fed up with the slow service at the bar. Three men are facing are already facing disorderly conduct charges in that incident.

The Justice Department now launching a criminal investigation into the company responsible for spraying a chemical that may have sickened a Delaware family. This happened last month when this family was vacationing at a villa in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We are told Steve Esmond is unable to talk or move. His wife is in occupational therapy. Their teen sons remain in critical condition.

Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Stock futures down quite a bit right now. This is all about a disappointing jobs report on Friday. Wall Street hasn't been able to react yet because the stock market was closed Friday for the long holiday weekend. The economy added just 126,000 jobs in March. That is the smallest gain since the end of 2013.

Now hiring had been a bright spot with cracks showing up elsewhere. Experts have slashed their growth forecast for the first quarter. Corporate earnings likely to disappoint, expected to fall for the first time since late 2012. We'll have to see how the market reacts today to that jobs report.

Thunderstorms possibly disrupting the Masters Tournament practice. Maybe just the beginning of severe weather this week.

For more, let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with an early look at your forecast -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Christine, the national glance today showing -- the northeastern portion of the country is mostly sunny skies today. Temperatures going to remain on the warm side for a couple of days. The concern, though, for this afternoon going to be around Memphis. Thunderstorms around noon to 1:00 p.m. 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. they roll on in through Atlanta, Georgia. Some severe storms possible by later in the week as well but temperatures, you can't beat it.

Mid-70s, close to 80 degrees from Atlanta to Charleston. And the warming trend really continues across the south. Up to 91 degrees in Tallahassee toward the middle portion of this week. Once again, though, severe storms in the picture there.

How about much needed rainfall around the western U.S.? Get up above 4,000 feet. Significant snow accumulations. Perhaps too little, too late but a lot of people certainly will take it. And as we know 70 percent of the water supply for the ground water at least in California comes from the Sierra snow melt. And of course you know what comes out of California. Almond intensified water requirement, 2100 gallons for just a single pound of shelled almond. Beef, even one pound of beef, takes about 1800 gallons of water. And walnut takes significant water as well.

So any of this moisture, as you see here, from about .50 inch in Los Angeles to over an inch of potential areas across the San Joaquin Valley. Going to be good news in the coming days -- Christine.

ROMANS: Pedram, thanks. But yes, amazing. When we look at how much water it takes just to produce one pound of each of those things.

Forty-three minutes past the hour. Deadly battles in Yemen showing no sign of quieting down. An American now among the dead there as forces and rebels battle for control of the major port city. Is Yemen on the brink of collapse? A live report after the break.

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[04:47:20] ROMANS: Lawyers for Aaron Hernandez will begin their first and possibly only day of defense testimony in his murder trial today. The legal team for the former New England Patriot has said it expects to put on its only witnesses Monday, then rest. The prosecution spent more than two months laying his case, accusing Hernandez of shooting and killing Odin Lloyd. Celebrations could begin as soon as tomorrow.

An American family in mourning right now for the first U.S. citizen identified as having been killed in the expanding warfare in Yemen. Jamal al-Labani went to Yemen to bring his pregnant wife and 2-year- old daughter back to California. Instead, he was killed by a mortar strike in the southern city of Aden.

Houthi rebels now battling to take Aden, the last stronghold of troops loyal to President Abu Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. To the north, Saudi-led air strikes pounding Yemen's Houthi -- occupied capital of Sana'a. The fighting there causing widespread blackouts but failing to dislodge those rebels.

For the very latest, let's bring in CNN's Becky Anderson. She joins us again on the phone for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Becky, it looks -- I mean, it's just -- it's just this size of Civil War there. BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (via phone): Well, it's been

12 nights since the Operation Decisive Storm and the humanitarian situation on the ground is being described as dire. Some parts of Aden have been without water and power now for days and one witness this morning in the past hour describing Aden as a ghost town and habitants nowhere to be seen and the city scale destruction he said is clearer by the day.

Now international aid agencies including the Red Cross saying that they are hoping to get in today. The Red Cross itself says it's due to make two emergency flights to carrying stuff and medical supplies in. And this is after days of delays with both sides blaming each other for why these aid agencies can't get in. UNICEF this morning reporting that over a million children can't go to school because of this ongoing conflict.

Now these Saudi-led airstrikes are continuing in an effort to degrade the Houthi rebels on the ground who are ideologically and materially backed, the Saudi certainly, by Iran. But it's not clear that the coalition has made very much progress as you rightly point out either in Sana'a or in Aden. There are still calls briefly for a 24-hour ceasefire in Aden. On the diplomatic front, the U.N. Security Council considering an appeal from Russia for a humanitarian port.

But as you say, as we are reporting, meantime on the ground, absolute chaos. Back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Becky Anderson for us in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thank you for that.

[04:50:03] Edward Snowden answering to a higher power. John Oliver, the late-night comic with some pointed questions for the NSA leaker. And Snowden had fewer pointed answers. We're going to show you some of this pretty interesting interview next.

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ROMANS: NSA leaker Edward Snowden facing some tough questions from "Last Week Tonight's" John Oliver. The HBO political comedy host traveled to Moscow to meet with Snowden and conducted arguably the toughest interview of Snowden since he exposed NSA spy activities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN OLIVER, HOST, HBO'S "LAST WEEK TONIGHT": How many of those documents have you actually read?

EDWARD SNOWDEN, NSA LEAKER: I evaluated all of the documents in the archive.

OLIVER: You've read every single one?

SNOWDEN: Well, I do understand what I turned over.

OLIVER: There's a difference between understanding what's in the documents and reading what's in the documents. SNOWDEN: I recognize the concern.

OLIVER: Well, because when you're handing over thousands of NSA documents, the last thing you want to do is read them. So "The New York Times" took a slide, didn't redact it properly. And in the end it was possible for people to see that something was being used in Mosul on al Qaeda.

SNOWDEN: That is a problem.

OLIVER: Well, that's a (inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Things did eventually get a bit more lighthearted. Oliver showed Snowden video of people being interviewed in Times Square. Most of them had no idea who Edward Snowden is. One person got a little close thinking he was in charge of the Web site WikiLeaks.

[04:55:14] All right. Bill Gates marking a big anniversary for Microsoft. What did he have to say to his employees? We're going to get an EARLY START on your money next.

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ROMANS: All right. Monday, let's get an EARLY START on your money. Most of Europe and Asian markets closed for a holiday. But it looks like a tough start to the week here. U.S. stock futures are lower. This is the first chance to react to Friday's disappointing March jobs report. The economy added only 126,000 jobs. The smallest gains since the end of 2013.

All right. It has been 40 years since Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. To mark that anniversary, Gates sent an e-mail to Microsoft employees that has since gone viral. He said in this e- mail, quote, "Early on, Paul Allen and I set the goal of a computer on every desk in every home. It was a bold idea and a lot of people thought we were out of our minds to imagine it was possible. It is amazing to think about how far computing has come since then. We can all be proud of the role Microsoft played in that revolution."

Seriously in 1995, when he said he wanted to have a computer on every desk, people thought he was crazy. He was right.

"Furious 7" roared through the box office this weekend. It had the largest opening of the year bringing in $143 million. Perspective, the first "Fast and Furious" made about that much in the U.S. total and "Furious 7" made twice as much as "Fifty Shades of Grey," the previous box office winner. It's also the last movie starring actor Paul Walker. "Furious 7" was in production when he was killed in a car crash in 2013.

It is 5:00 in the East, EARLY START continues right now.