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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Texas Attacker Tweeted with ISIS; Huge Bounties for Top ISIS Leaders; Poll: 48 Percent Say Clinton is Trustworthy; Kerry Meeting with Djibouti Officials. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired May 06, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Developing this morning, new information about those two gunmen shot dead by police as they tried to attack a contest in Texas -- a contest to draw a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed. The White House is saying the FBI is still investigation.

[04:30:00] It's too soon to link ISIS to that attack. The counterterror officials are probing the online activity of the gunmen Nadir Soofi and Elton Simpson to see if is really did have a hand in this plot.

CNN Justice correspondent Pamela Brown has the latest from Phoenix.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John and Christine, officials I've been speaking it say it appears right now, ISIS is being opportunistic and claiming responsibility for this attack, but what is clear here according to officials is that this was more than just aspirational, that this is really reflective of the concern among law enforcement of ISIS fighters reaching into the U.S. through social media, identifying targets and finding people to recruit. In fact, one of the gunmen, Elton Simpson, had been in touch with terrorists overseas. In fact, that is a big reason why the FBI reopened an investigation into him.

And just weeks before the attack, we've learned that Simpson was tweeting with the terrorists in Somalia, who is aligned with al Qaeda. And in that tweet, he said, "When will they ever learn?" talking about the upcoming event in Texas. And in response the terrorist said, "The brothers from 'Charlie Hebdo' did their part. It is time for their brothers in the U.S. to do theirs."

We are also learning about the investigation and the timeline. We've learned from law enforcement officials that there were two long guns and four handguns found in the suspects' car. And it appears that those weapons were bought legally.

Also, officials say that the suspects drove from here, from their home in Phoenix, to Texas to carry out that attack.

There's still a lot of unanswered questions here, but one of the big looming questions is, how did someone who was under investigation by the FBI make it all the way to Texas to carry out an attack? Also, officials want to know who their associates are, if there's anyone else in the United States who communicated with the gunmen who were in their group and who may want to do something similar -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Our thanks to Pamela Brown for that report.

The family of one of the gunman is now speaking out. Nadir Soofi's grandmother says the other gunman, Soofi's roommate, Elton Simpson, must have convinced Soofi to participate in that attack. Now, Soofi's Pakistani father who raised as a Muslim, we should say. His mother's side, his grandmother says Soofi was not discriminated against for his religion and that he was, quote, "a good boy, real responsible and respectful."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Did he have a problem with how things are going in the United States? Did he feel like Muslim people were persecuted?

SHIRLEY DROMGOOOLE, NADIR SOOFI'S GRANDMOTHER: No, I don't think so because he wasn't persecuted. Whoever he was with talked had him into it.

REPORTER: That's how you feel about it?

DROMGOOOLE: Yes. There's no other way it would have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It's still unknown whether ISIS had direct involvement in that Texas attack. It only took a tweet from one of the gunman pledging allegiance to ISIS leader for ISIS to claim responsibility for the attack. That's the same tactic ISIS has previously used to claim, quote, "wins" in Tunisia, Libya and Sydney.

The U.S. putting a price tag on that success. The State Department now offering multimillion dollar bounties for information on four top ISIS fighters. They're they are on your screen.

For the latest on this, I want to bring in CNN's Nick Paton Walsh live from Beirut.

Good morning, Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, we have known about Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the ISIS leader, having a $10 million price on his head, for the information about his whereabouts. But just after this claim from ISIS about the Texas attacks came out yesterday, they put out four new rewards for what they seem to believe are four key leaders within ISIS. Now the most amount of money, $7 million, offered for a man that isn't

that openly heard in the public eye, Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli. Now, he has been part of extremist circles since 2004 when he joined al Qaeda. He's been to Afghanistan, Pakistan, worked in al Qaeda in Iraq, under leader Zarqawi during the Iraqi insurgency but then clearly has risen in the ranks of ISIS.

Then, of course, two other figures, $5 million off for information of whereabouts of which, both better known more in the public eye, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, ISIS's spokesperson, often the public voice of that network, and a man more commonly known as Omar al-Shishani, Omar the Chechen, Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili. Now, he's a Georgian national who joined the Syrian rebel movement quite early on, rose in extremist ranks and became a key figure in ISIS.

And fourth and finally, Tariq al-Harzi, a leader in the Syrian-Iraqi border area, $3 million for him.

So this perhaps a window on to the key leaders that the U.S. wants to try and neutralize, and also coming at a time when little has been heard for Abu Bakr al Baghdadi for quite some awhile. But the key question investigators will be asking frankly to establish I think almost the old fashioned terror network model, any of these key leaders know about Garland before it happened, and at this stage, there's no evidence of that.

[04:35:06] Back to you, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Nick, thank you for that so much.

BERMAN: Senate Republicans narrowly passing a budget plan that would eliminate the deficit by the year 2024. The nonbinding measure calls for the dismantling of Obamacare. It features deep cuts to education funding, infrastructure and other domestic programs. Those cuts equal to about $5.3 trillion over the next 10 years.

The budget proposal will not be sent to the president. Instead, it just serves as a blueprint for the Republican's economic platform. They would actually have to pass budget measures inside the Senate which they have shown no predilection.

Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz the only two Republicans to vote against it because they didn't think it went far enough.

ROMANS: All right. The Senate is taking one step closer to taking up a bill that gives Congress a power to review any nuclear deal with Iran. Some Republicans call for the measure to include new sanctions against the Iranians, and Senator Marco Rubio wants to require Iran's leaders to publicly acknowledge Israel's right to exist.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell is using procedural measures to try to squash those proposals. A vote is now expected Thursday. Nuclear talks with Iran resume next week in Vienna.

BERMAN: Congress is not the only hurdle for the U.S. team negotiating with Iran. The U.S. and Europe are trying to ensure Russia and China will not veto the automatic restoration of a U.N. sanctions against Iran if the Iranians violate the agreement. Moscow and Beijing have a history of opposing automatic measures. It has become a sticking point in these talks.

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton taking a stand, a strong stand in a favor of a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The former secretary of state meeting with young people at a high school in Las Vegas where 70 percent of the students are Hispanic. She told them hardworking immigrants who contribute to the economy, quote, "should not be thrown away."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for you and for your families across our country. I will fight to stop partisan attacks on the executive actions that would put Dreamers, including those with us today, at risk of deportation. And if Congress continues to refuse to act, as president, I would do everything possible under the law to go even further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Point and counterpoint, Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina is slamming Clinton's call for a full path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The former head of Hewlett-Packard insists it is not fair to immigrants who played by the rules.

And she had choice words for the former secretary of state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unfortunately, I think she's pandering. I think we need to start with some basics, you know? We need to secure the border. It hasn't been secured under George W. Bush or Barack Obama. It needs to be secured, because the problem just keeps getting worse if we don't secure it. By the way, we should secure the northern border as well as the southern border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton seems to be holding her own when it comes to the issue of honesty and trustworthiness. Take a look at this. A "New York Times"/CBS poll, a plurality of Americans, 48 percent, believe the Democratic front runner has those traits, honest and trustworthy. Those numbers are up in the last six weeks despite what some consider a scandal over her use of private email servers during her last days as secretary of state.

Marco Rubio came out on top when voters were asked which Republican candidate they were most open to, followed by Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee.

BERMAN: A ferry service from Florida to Cuba is one step closer to becoming reality. The Treasury Department has granted licenses to several companies to begin transporting passengers and goods between Florida and Havana. The Cuban governor not commenting and it's not clear when the ferries might become operational if the Cuban government is on board.

Ferries between the two countries ended with the revolution back in '50s.

You know, it's like a ten-hour trip. One of the things I read said they're considering overnight ferry from Miami to Havana.

ROMANS: An overnight ferry.

BERMAN: You get on board in Miami at night, you wake up in Havana.

ROMANS: All right.

Time for an early start on your money this morning.

Oil prices are rising. U.S. crude oil back above 60 bucks a barrel. That's the highest price so far this year. Prices have collapsed since last summer. Look at that -- they were down to $45 earlier this year because of a supply glut and weak demand. But that may be over. Evidence now that production is slowing in the U.S.

So, does that mean the end to cheap gas prices? The average gallon of regular is $2.64. That's up a quarter from a month ago. So, yes, if oil prices keep climbing, so do gas prices. But remember, gas is still $1 cheaper than this time last year.

One thing that's interesting is Saudi Arabia has been raising prices that it charges customers for oil. So, part of this has to do with Saudi Arabia trying to raise the price. So, it's been really interesting in the last six months or so.

Thirty-nine minutes past the hour.

Baltimore's top cop surprised and in the dark when six of his officers were charged in Freddie Gray's death. What else he told CNN as one of the accused, one of those cops challenges the allegations. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:13:33] BERMAN: All right. Important comments this morning from a man in the middle of so much of the controversy in Baltimore. After the death of Freddie Gray and all the unrest that engulfed that city, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts tell CNN that police must acknowledge that they are, in his words, part of the problem.

He says he was surprised by the charges brought against the officers involved in Gray's arrest.

Let's get more from CNN'S Evan Perez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: John, in this first interview since protests broke out here in Baltimore and six officers were arrested, the Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts says he learned of the charges just moments before we did.

ANTHONY BATTS, BALTIMORE POLICE COMMISSIONER: I found out that the state attorney was going on and what she was going to present probably about 10 minutes before she went on. She gave me a phone call and told me what she was about to do and that she was going on live. She told me what the charges were.

PEREZ: What were you first words out of your mouth when you heard that?

BATTS: I don't want to get into that so much. I can say that I was probably surprised, you know, by the information that I heard.

I think that the state's attorney was very focused on being independent in this particular investigation. She didn't want to be seen connected to the police organization. So, the communication was limited as compared to what I'm used to.

PEREZ: And, John, Commissioner says that one of his top priorities now is improving his relationship between his department and the community and the reputation of his officers.

[04:45:03] BATTS: There is a lack of trust within this community, period, bottom line. And that's going to take healing. That's going to take us acknowledging as a police department -- not just here in Baltimore -- but law enforcement as a whole, that we have been part of the problem. Out of trying to be part of the solution, we have become part of the problem.

And when we acknowledge that and understand, we can start to heal. The community needs to hear that. The community needs to hear from us that we see that we haven't been part of the solution and that we have to now evolve.

PEREZ: And, John, while it's clear that the commissioner has to rebuild trust with this community, it's left to be seen how the state prosecutor and the police rebuild the trust that they need to work together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Evan Perez, thanks so much.

So, of the six Baltimore police officers facing those charges in the death of Freddie Gray is challenging the prosecutor in court. Officer Edward Nero claimed the knife Gray was carrying when he was arrested was illegal. Contrary to what Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby has said. His lawyers are demanding to see the knife.

Mosby responded in a statement saying, quote, "The evidence we have collected cannot ethically be disclosed, relayed or released to the public before trial. As I previously indicated, I strongly condemn anyone in law enforcement with access to trial evidence who has or continues to leak information prior to the resolution of the case. These unethical disclosures are only damaging our ability to conduct a fair and impartial process for all parties involved."

It should be noted: she said publicly in her statement that it was not a switchblade and the knife was legal.

ROMANS: That's why some of the charges are for false imprisonment.

BERMAN: There was no cause to arrest, you know, Freddie Gray to begin with, so says the state's attorney.

ROMANS: They didn't know he had the knife, legal or illegal, until after they apprehended him. I mean --

BERMAN: They ran after him because he started running, which the Supreme Court has said is actually within their bounds. The issue is once they caught up with him, they arrested him, they say because he was carrying a knife. They say that was illegal.

ROMANS: Hmm.

In a visit to Baltimore, the nation's new attorney general, Loretta Lynch, met with members of the Gray family, as well as police, community leaders and city officials including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who stressed the need for action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE (D), BALTIMORE, MD: We cannot afford to fail. I believe that the relationship between the police and the community is like a marriage, and separation is not an option. Divorce is not an option. We have to figure out how we're going to make this marriage work, make it healthy, and make it thrive so our city can thrive.

LORETTA LYNCH, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: What I heard here today is how all of the people in Baltimore, every group that I have mentioned, and certainly everyone with whom I was privileged to meet, is committed to making that better. And by that, I mean both community and police alike.

I was able to meet with Mr. Gray's family this morning. It was a privilege to do so to, and just to express my condolences to them and for their loss. So, and, of course, our hearts do go out to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Justice Department is investigating the arrest of Freddie Gray and his fatal injury, of course, while in police custody.

BERMAN: The FBI reportedly flew surveillance planes over the scene of the Baltimore riots. Officials tell "The Washington Post" that Baltimore police requested the flights from the FBI for aerial support using infrared technology to monitor movements in the city. The ACLU is questioning whether that surveillance operation was legal. The FBI is not commenting.

ROMANS: All right. Secretary of State John Kerry tackling terrorism in eastern Africa, making a surprise historic visit to Somalia. We're live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning, Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting the West African nation -- no, sorry, it's East Africa, of Djibouti, after a one-day trip to Somalia -- a trip that may have the first American secretary of state to visit Somalia. It was a high security event kept secret until Secretary Kerry was actually on the ground there.

Even so, John Kerry praised the improving security situation in Somalia.

CNN's Africa correspondent Robyn Kriel is in Kenya for us with the latest -- Robyn.

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was kept secret until the very last minute. And there were some questions. He was only on the ground for about three and a half hours, there was some questions over whether his visit was symbolic or whether it will have some real impact.

And I guess to those monitoring these events for the past few months, I can't say that we have seen incremental changes coming from the State Department towards U.S.-Somalia relations, towards improving them. They have a new ambassador who if she gets confirmed will begin -- she'll be the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since 1991.

And it's really a change from -- you know, the horrific images of Black Hawk down, soldiers being dragged through the streets of Bakara Market in Mogadishu, to suddenly having a very, very high profile visit like John Kerry's. He spoke to Somali leaders, the president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, and basically said we're here for you, we're here with you through this peace-building process, and we're working with the African Union to make Somalia safe.

BERMAN: And, of course, there's a key U.S. base in Djibouti. Will the secretary be visiting?

KRIEL: Yes, Camp Lemonnier is really the only permanent base, U.S. base, military base on the continent. It is a key base, as you say. It's been there for about ten years, and there's all sorts of things going on at this base. It was kept quite secret for a while, but they have become more open about the goings on at this base.

We got to visit it last year and some of the things going on there, they have special operations launched out of there, helping Uganda and countries in East Africa, trying and find Joseph Kony from the Lord's Resistance Army. They are also launching operations into Somalia. They also have the East African response force which will be the military force that will respond if a Benghazi type situation happens to a U.S. installation or embassy in East Africa.

And they also are looking very strategically at the entire Horn, including Yemen.

I want to read a quote from the commander of the Horn of Africa Task Force, General Wayne Grigsby.

[04:55:02] He says, "We sit here. We're able to help our east African partners and to neutralize violent extremists, but also looking north into the Arabian Peninsula." That same strategic location. Obviously, Yemen a crucial period with so many refugees and the fighting going on there at the moment.

BERMAN: Robyn Kriel, live for us in Kenya this morning -- thanks so much, Robyn.

ROMANS: All right. Fifty-five minutes past the hour. Is retirement, as we know it, a thing of the past?

BERMAN: Oh, no.

ROMANS: I know. The harsh reality about how long we may have to work. Come back, I'll tell you about that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an early start on your money this Wednesday morning.

U.S. stock futures are higher, a reversal from yesterday when the Dow fell 142 points. The NASDAQ, it lost 1.6 percent. Why? Well, the trade deficit is at a six-year high -- thanks to a strengthening dollar, and oil prices are climbing above $60 a barrel right now for the first time since December.

Oil prices collapsed because of oversupply. But they've been creeping up steadily since March.

Sheryl Sandberg posting a moving tribute to her husband, her late husband, on Facebook. Last night after a memorial service, the Facebook executive called Dave Goldberg her rock. She said, quote, "We had 11 truly joyful years of the deepest love, happiest marriage, and truest partnership that I could imagine." The 47-year-old CEO of Survey Monkey died Friday after falling on the treadmill while on vacation in Mexico.

Just a sad story. We wish Sheryl Sandberg and her family only the best.

[05:00:03] All right. Traditional retirement may be a thing of the past. According to a new study, 82 percent of people aged 60 and older said they plan on working past the age of 65. 52 percent of that group plans to work while in retirement. The positive thing here though millennials are actually saving for retirement. The study found 67 percent of workers in their 20s have stashed away some money already, and that is really important because, for millennials, time is the most important factor in how they're going to end up in the end, in building wealth and prosperity. SO time is on their side; that's the magic ingredient for them. So good to see that millennials are saving, saving, saving. Bad to see you're going to have to work until you're 112, but other than that.

BERMAN: EARLY START continues right now