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Iran Nuclear Deal: Obama's New Task; Markets Await Greek Vote; New Video Captures "El Chapo" Escape. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired July 15, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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[04:00:36] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Selling the Iran nuclear deal to Congress and the world. Today, President Obama begins making his case that this deal will make the world more hopeful, not more dangerous.

Live team coverage breaking down all of the controversy begins right now.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START this morning. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, July 15th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East. Nice to see you, everybody.

Happening now, reaction coming from around the world over this nuclear deal with Iran. Praise and criticism now that we know what is in the 109-page agreement. Presidents Obama and Rouhani of Iran emphasizing the deal's advantages for their people as Iranians celebrate in the streets.

While concerns also mounting specifically over the last few years of the 15-year deal when Iran would be allowed to conduct more advanced nuclear research and eventually produce all of the nuclear fuel it wants.

For the latest, let's bring in senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Vienna.

Good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Christine. The reason people would worry about that research and development is because what this agreement does, it limits the number of centrifuges that Iran has and can operate. But it also says this have to be the old style, phase one type centrifuges which means they are unreliable, which means they're slow in producing enriched uranium, they break down often, which means there is sort of a guarantee built into that, that Iran cannot make this quick breakout to make a bomb.

But, over time, as it is able in later years to use its research and development, it can make more sophisticated, more efficient centrifuges and therefore the time to get a bomb is much more shorter.

What we've heard from the Saudis is they support the efforts to get an agreement with Iran, but for them, it is all about the robustness of the inspection program. President Obama calling the Saudi king to talk to him about this, calling the crowned prince in the United Arab Emirates, calling the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

What we know about the robustness of the inspection program, if the IAEA inspectors running into a problem when they want to go to a site, they have 14 days, the Iranians have 14 days to answer any problems about that. If they don't -- if it escalates to a commission, the commission has seven days and if that commission cannot come up with an answer, then within three days, sanctions snap back on. That's the kind of language very likely that President Obama and supporters of the agreement are going to try to tell the Saudis, the Israelis, et cetera -- Christine.

ROMANS: Nic, certainly both countries telling it to their people as a way toward peace, a more hopeful future, a less dangerous future. There will be criticism, though. Both countries have internal politics that we will keep hearing people's complaints, critics complaints about this deal for the weeks to come.

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. And you can start picking apart the interpretations and the pieces of the agreement very quickly and easily, because it was designed -- it wasn't everything for everyone and there were flaws in it for both sides, but the language was designed, if you will, to be, you know, to get over those hurdles.

You have the Iranian president yesterday telling his people that sanctions are lifted for good, yet if you look at the precise wording, sanctions can be snapped back on. However, after eight years, if Iran complies, then the sanctions go way for good. That's the kind of language they were looking for, that's what they're emphasizing. It's the snap-back part of the sanctions that is being emphasized by President Obama and Secretary Kerry.

ROMANS: Sure. Just looking at sort of the fact sheets from each delegation. Yesterday, you could see the emphasis from each, from the United States and from Iran when you looked at the fact sheets were on different points of this agreement for obvious reasons.

All right. Nic, thank you for that.

Now, this morning, the White House well into its campaign to sell this Iran deal. The president determined to win over the American public, skeptical Democrats, and frankly fiercely opposed Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: And that's why the deal that we have out there, in my view, from what I know about it, thus far, is unacceptable.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: It would aim at the best deal acceptable to Iran, rather than one that might actually end Iran's nuclear program.

(END VIDEO CLIP) [04:05:06] ROMANS: Opponents in Congress have two months to review and debate the deal and try to stop it with a veto.

Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine, there's a full-court press here at the White House in selling this nuclear deal with Iran. Later today, President Obama will defend the agreement at a news conference here at the White House. That will be just after Vice President Joe Biden spends the morning briefing House Democrats on this deal.

The president's global pitch has already begun. He's made calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaders in Europe, Saudi Arabia's king and leaders in Congress. Lawmakers up on Capitol Hill have 60 days to review and block this deal, but the White House is taking comfort in in the fact much of that time is spent in the lawmakers' August recess and pushing a likely showdown to September and a showdown the president says he is ready for.

OBAMA: I'm confident that this deal will meet the national security interests of the United States and our allies. So, I will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal.

ACOSTA: But the big question comes down to this, do the deals opponents in Congress have the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto? One White House official told me they don't believe the opposition will be able to clear that hurdle. That means the president as he likes to say, he will live long enough to see whether or not this deal fails. It's all but certain he'll have that chance -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Jim Acosta.

Now, some of the most opposition is coming from Israeli. Just hours after the agreement was signed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a historic mistake and said on Israeli TV that the lifting of economic sanctions would provide Iran with a dangerous jackpot, hundreds of billions of dollars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This cash bonanza will fuel Iran's terrorism worldwide, its aggression in the region, and its efforts to destroy Israeli, which are ongoing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The Obama administration quick to respond. Secretary of State John Kerry calling the Israeli prime minister's comments way over the top.

Joining us now from Jerusalem, CNN's Erin McLaughlin with the latest on reaction in Israel and around the Middle East.

And, Erin, I dare say before there was even an official word, Erin, you already had the Israeli government coming out strong saying the Obama administration was making a terrible, terrible mistake.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): That's right, Christine. And that rhetoric continues. While President Obama has bowed to veto any legislation that would negate this agreement, some Israeli official say they will do what they can to stop the lifting of the sanctions. And we see them very vocally stating their case , calling on lawmakers to quash this deal.

We are also hearing from voices inside other key U.S. allies in the region, express their reservations. A source inside Saudi Arabia called this agreement, quote, a monumental historic miscalculation. The source told CNN that the deal will be met with hostility because of the way it was done, the source calling it, quote, "a charade", goes on to say that there will be a strong Saudi response over the medium term.

Also worth noting that an official Saudi statement was more toned down saying the kingdom has always been in favor of an agreement, but must include a strict inspection regime. Now, this gives you an idea of what some key U.S. allies are thinking. Yesterday, President Obama made a series of phone calls to leaders of countries in the region, including Israeli and Saudi Arabia, to try and explain and to sell this deal.

But judging from the rhetoric coming from these countries, it will be a tough task.

ROMANS: All right. Erin McLaughlin on the phone for us this morning from Jerusalem -- thank you, Erin.

Oil prices rebounding overnight, as investors realize it would take months for Iran to ramp up oil exports. U.S. crude prices tumbled 2 percent on initial news of the deal. Iran has the fourth biggest oil reserves in the world, but it's been blocked from world market by those sanctions. A deal could change that adding, as much as 1 billion barrels of crude per day to the world market. Right now, prices are up 4 percent, about $53 a barrel.

Turning to world stock markets, Chinese stocks lower this morning despite a report of strong economic growth.

In Europe, stocks opened lower while U.S. futures are flat. Those markets awaiting a vote in Greece today that could secure the country another bailout. The Greek parliament will vote on new reform measures. The new bailout proposals include a more severe austerity than those rejected by Greek voters on July 5th. The Greek prime minister defending the $95 billion deal Tuesday to his people, saying it is necessary to avoid exiting the euro.

President Obama pushing for major criminal justice reforms. He made an impassionate plea for new legislation in a speech to the NAACP Tuesday, citing the plight of too many low level criminals paying too high a price for their offenses.

[04:10:00] And the president says current laws have a disproportionate affect on blacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, detained. African-Americans are more likely to be arrested. They are more likely to be sentenced to more time for the same crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The remarks coming on the heels of the president commuting the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders. On Thursday, he'll go where no sitting president has gone before, visiting a federal prison in Oklahoma to talk more about reforming criminal justice policy.

All right. Breathtaking new video capturing the moment one of the world's most dangerous, most notorious drug lord slipped away from his prison cell. Details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Just released surveillance video shows the very moment when Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman escaped from his prison cell. Here he is. You can see El Chapo nervously pacing back and forth in his cell before entering, moving over to sort of the bathroom stall that is actually the area where his shower is. The drug lord then leans forwards. Seconds later, he is gone.

Also new this morning, law enforcement telling CNN relatives and close associates of El Chapo maybe plotting to break him out of prison.

We get more on the escape and the search now -- the search for this kingpin -- from CNN correspondent Nick Valencia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: New images show by all accounts, the magnificent feat of architecture and engineering, complete with a ventilation system, lighting, and a modified motorcycle presumably used to dig through that tunnel.

La secretaria de goverbacion, which is equivalent to the interior minister here in Mexico, said that it is likely that El Chapo had help from inside that prison.

[04:15:03] We know that more than 30 prison guards have been taken into custody, questioned as part of this investigation. The head of the Altiplano prison has also been fired.

Now, we were able to get into that prison. We were to go through official channels to get access but we were denied so we essentially just knocked on the front door. They took our ID, escorted us to another room where we handed over our belongings. And then we passed through a metal detector.

Now, as we gone through that first perimeter, we were met by a federal police van. That van took us to a second perimeter, where we were met by the director, the current director of the Altiplano prison, and he was furious we were able to get to that part of the prison. He asked what organization we were with. We told him that we were with CNN, he told us not on the list and turned us away and escorting us back with heavily federal police and military.

Now, if we were as a news organization were able to get that far into that type of prison, you could only imagine the type of access and ease at which El Chapo operated, a man with incredible influence and money. If authorities here in Mexico know anything about his whereabouts, they are not making it public -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Donald Trump surging to the top of the crowded Republican presidential field in a new poll. In the "USA Today"/Suffolk University poll, 17 percent say Trump is their first choice for the GOP nomination. Jeb Bush is second at 14 percent, Scott Walker comes in third at 8.

The news for Trump not as optimistic in a head-to-head match with Hillary Clinton. He trails the presumed Democratic nominee by 17 points.

In an interview Tuesday with CNN's Dana Bash, Trump tried to set America straight on why he is running for president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A new poll just came out saying that 40 percent of Republican voters think that you're just doing this for publicity.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's what I don't understand.

BASH: How do you change their minds?

TRUMP: Well, I think it's a great thing for me.

BASH: Why?

TRUMP: Because a lot of those people want to vote for me, but they think I'm doing it for publicity. The fact is, that was one I was very surprised.

Why would I be doing this? I take abuse from everybody and I'm doing this for fun? This isn't fun.

I want to make America great again. Those 40 percent are people that would vote for me, that's the thing I like about it. Remember, before I announce, everyone is saying he's never going to announce. I announce. Then he said, he's never going to send and sign the form that I did two weeks -- I sign it.

Now, over the next couple of days, I'm putting in my financials which will show an unbelievable company.

BASH: Can you give me a teaser on that?

TRUMP: No, I can't, but you'll see it tomorrow or the next day. But it's an unbelievable company, far greater and I built that. I built that. And that's what this country needs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Trump is expected to make the financial disclosures to the Federal Election Commission today.

Meantime, the brother of a San Francisco woman killed by an undocumented immigrant is blasting Donald Trump for using his sister's death to punctuate his political message about painting immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as criminals. Brad Steinle tells CNN Trump hasn't called the family to personally express his condolences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD STEINLE, BROTHER OF WOMAN KILLED BY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: He talks about Kate Steinle like he knows her. I've never heard a word from his campaign manager, never heard a word from him. It's disconcerting and, you know, I don't want to be affiliated with someone who doesn't have the ability to reach out and ask about Kate and ask about our political views and what we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Asked about Trump's plans to keep undocumented immigrants out by building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, Steinle called it not rational and, quote, "not common sense".

All right. Millions are bracing for severe storms today across the South, following an outbreak of deadly flash flooding on Tuesday. In Johnson County, Kentucky, two people were killed, at least six remain missing. Official say flash floods there destroyed about 150 houses, damaged several hundred more. Kentucky's governor declaring a state of emergency.

Cleanup under way in Northern Minnesota's Brainerd Lake's area after a huge thunderstorms downed trees and broke up docks at some of the region's resort.

This is the scene in Michigan after a twister touched down early Tuesday. Trees uprooted and crops damaged. You can see some damage to the homes. One woman takes us through the harrowing experience.

(BEGIN VIDSEOI CLIP)

ROBIN VAUGHN, HOMEOWNER: The house started moaning really loudly. Then my ears popped. And I've never seen a tornado or it was very dark out, so I basically just said, we need to get downstairs and started running down the stairs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: More of that severe weather now moving into the Southeast. For the latest forecast, let's get to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Christine.

Wild overnight conditions across the Southeast, where a talented meteorologist and weather producer Jeb Jones capturing incredible image coming out of the Atlanta skyline with the thunderstorms that roared through the region.

But how about this? Look at the wind reports stretching across parts of the eastern half of the country, 326 of them causing damage across the region, and 36 large hail reports and another four reports of tornadoes as well. But that line right there, a squall line pushing through the greater Atlanta area, significant damage in a few spots because of these straight line winds.

[04:20:03] And also lightning strikes occurred and causing house fires over southern suburbs of Atlanta over the last several hours. But rainfall and lots of it has been the problem. Look at the perspective here when it comes to what occurred for the past couple of days. Eastern portions of Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, southern Indiana and also to Ohio, upwards of six inches of rainfall over the past three days over this region, tremendous rainfall, of course.

Again, it's humid and it's very, very hot across the region as well. We think another funnel future will scoop on by the next several hours. This has sparked additional thunderstorms and potential for flooding still exists over the region. Across the I-95 corridor, I think between, say, 7:00 a.m. and noon from Philly towards New York, we'll begin to see some of the wet weather push through as well -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thank you for that.

The American league winning the all-star game for a third straight year. The 6-3 win over the National League means they will have home field advantage in the World Series. Mike Trout the first player in 38 years to lead off with a home run in the all-star game. Trout is also the first player ever to win the all star MVP two years in a row.

A miraculous survival, a 16-year-old girl braving days alone in the woods following a deadly plane crash. New developments on just how she survived, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Breaking overnight: search crews locating the wreckage of a small plane that crashed in the wilderness in Washington state last weekend. Look, imagine trying to find that plane in that terrain.

[04:25:01] They're going to try to reach the site this morning. This young woman, 16-year-old Autumn Veatch, she survived the crash,

she spent two harrowing days in the woods and is now out of the hospital and back home.

We get more on her ordeal from CNN correspondent Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, we've learned that the young woman at the center of all this, 16-year-old Autumn Veatch, has been given a clean bill of health by her doctors and is going to be headed him, which is simply amazing.

This is a young woman who is in a plane crash and she only had to spend only one night in the hospital. Some of the details are quite amazing. Her doctor and her friends credited her determination and will to survive this ordeal. She didn't have any food up there, she had very little you water. At one point, she tried to take a sip of water from the creek but apparently didn't want to drink too much because she was afraid she was going to get sick.

This all happened on Saturday when the plane she was in with her step- grandparents went down in this remote part of Washington. At one point, Autumn tried to save her step-grand parents by reaching into the plane and trying to pull them out but she got burned on her hand.

Then, for about 24 hours, she tried to make it down to safety and she followed the streams and eventual made it to the highway and was brought here to the hospital and now we know she is headed home -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Dan Simon, thank you for that, Dan.

The Iran nuclear deal has been signed but the fight far from over. President Obama selling the agreement to Congress and the world leaders today. The details in the deal that are causing so much controversy, we break those down ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Celebration and anger, following a nuclear deal with Iran.