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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

U.S. Intel: ISIS Likely Planted Bomb on MetroJet; Trump Versus Rubio; Officer Committed "The Ultimate Betrayal". Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 05, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, our own Elise Labott is hearing from her sources that it is possible someone at the airport at Sharm el-Sheikh may have been involved in trying to get a bomb onboard the aircraft.

[04:30:08] Where it stands now is it's not absolute. It's not a final assessment. But the U.S. intelligence community increasingly believes it may have been a bomb that brought down the airplane killing all 224 souls on board. A U.S. official telling me and I quote, "There is a definite feeling it was an explosive device planted in luggage or somewhere on the plane."

The U.S. has been monitoring ISIS communications. They believe it is possible it was either ISIS or an ISIS affiliate behind all of this. They had been worried about the security situation in Sinai for months as militants increasingly moved in. After the attack, they began to see these ISIS online claims, these online communications that are not part of the public claims of responsibility. Think of it as ISIS chatter, if you will, that the U.S. intelligence community is monitoring.

We've now seen the U.K., Ireland respond by cutting their air flights to Sharm el-Sheikh. A lot of concern about security at the airport there. But it must be said that the Egyptian government right now is still saying that the airport is safe -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Barbara, this morning, the possibility that a bomb brought down this flight is creating special concern in the United Kingdom where Sharm el-Sheikh is a popular tourist destination. There are approximately 20,000 British subjects in the region right now, so many stranded because Britain and Ireland have suspended all flights to and from the airport there.

U.K. officials say the report was driven by a report from British experts who found problems with security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

Let's bring in CNN's Max Foster in London.

Max, big day in London today, dealing with this incident. MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there are going to

be, especially all the latest intelligence at a meeting here, an emergency meeting chair by the prime minister in the coming hours, and President Sisi of Egypt visits here. It was a longer planned event. It wasn't just sort of planned for today, but it's going to be incredibly awkward, because the Egyptians feel if the Brits were premature on this. They should have waited for the outcome of the investigation.

The Brits saying they could not wait for the outcome of the investigation because they felt British lives are at risk, and it all, as you say, rotates around the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh and whether or not it is secure. What they are trying to do, they've got a team on the ground, is work and feel comfortable that everything going on to the planes at Sharm el-Sheikh has been screened properly before the flights to restart. There should have been three and a half thousand people traveling back from Sharm el-Sheikh to the U.K. today, just sort of expresses what a popular tourist it is for Brits, but also how much, how many Brits have been inconvenienced by this.

But the prime minister would be wanting to hear from the Egyptian president, how he can secure British lives at the Egyptian airport before he allows those flights to restart. But the foreign did say actually, Christine, that he wants to get flights up and running by tomorrow. So, it does seem optimistic that they can deal with the security concerns.

ROMANS: All right. Max Foster, thank you for that.

Egypt is insisting that the airport at Sharm el-Sheikh is still safe this morning. I want to bring now, senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman. He is live in Cairo.

And, Ben, from your experience, your vast experience in Egypt and region, what is security like at Sharm el-Sheikh international?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think if you speak to anybody who has traveled there frequently, they'll say it's relaxed. You don't get the feeling that security is very high unlike many other airports in this part of the world. It's normally an exclusively tourist destination and many of the people going there expect things to be relaxed. The searches are not particularly intrusive. There is not much in the way of questioning of people who are getting on flights.

And in terms of the security measures in place behind the scenes that you would not normally see, it is difficult to say. There is this British delegation of aviation experts or airport security experts there trying to determine how safe the airport is. Obviously, now that the eyes of the world are upon that airport, security is going to be very tight.

But going forward, the question is the worry of the Egyptian officials is that the impact on the tourism industry. Certainly Sharm el-Sheikh is wholly dependent on tourists from Russia, from the U.K., from elsewhere in Europe, and news that somehow this airport is not safe. [04:35:01] And certainly, keep in mind that 224 people died in that Russian aircraft for reasons that aren't all together clear, this is going to have an impact on tourism to Egypt and Egyptian officials are concerned about that -- John.

ROMANS: Absolutely. All right. Ben Wedeman, thank you.

So interesting that Egyptian officials are in the U.K. right now and on a three-day visit and this is happening. Just remarkable --

BERMAN: And you see the competing interests.

And now, also, we have breaking news from Russia. Russia grounding a fleet of airplanes while safety checks are conducted. Why are they doing this? Does this mean they don't believe it is not a terrorist attack? We are live with that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Breaking news this morning: Russia is grounding MetroJet Airbus 321 fleet in the wake of the crash the airliner, the same model in the Sinai Peninsula.

International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in St. Petersburg.

Nic, lay out exactly what has been grounded here and why?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, MetroJet has two other A321 aircraft, other than the one that crashed in Egypt. Those have both been grounded now by Russian aviation authorities. I guess that's going to leave some people, particularly the executives at MetroJet scratching their heads a little bit.

Earlier this week, those two A321 aircraft were inspected. They were cleared for flight for service again. And at the same time today, you have Russia announcing that it be sending additional, more sophisticated ground-to-air missile systems to Syria in case of aircraft being hijacked there.

[04:40:11] So, on the one hand, you have Russia acting as if it perceived an increased terrorist threat in the Middle East by sending these missile systems to Syria, and on the other hand, you have it sort of pointing in the direction of some kind of airline or aircraft or aircraft operation problem of MetroJet.

So, the impression it creates is one where the waters are being muddied rather than clarified. We've heard absolutely nothing from Russian officials, neither from the Kremlin nor the foreign ministry about the reports that there's a possibility that a bomb may have been put onboard the aircraft.

What when we continue to hear from officials here, that Egypt leads the investigation and that everyone must wait for Egypt to conclude that. They have the responsibility in this regard. The Kremlin is on this strangely silent -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Nic Robertson for us.

Again, there may be competing interests here, to be sure. Egypt wants a sense that Sharm el-Sheikh is safe. Russia wants a sense that its airlines are safe. We will wait and see what the investigation yields.

ROMANS: All right. Donald Trump back on top of the new poll. But Donald Trump who is lashing out at a new competitor who is quickly gaining ground. We've got that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:45:08] BERMAN: Candidates both Republican and Democrat now converging on New Hampshire to officially file for that state's crucial first in the nation's primary. Donald Trump was first in line when the filing began. He used the time to go after one of his rivals, Marco Rubio, on his personal finances. Senator Rubio is now moving up in the polls and he's also returning fire.

Let's get more now from CNN's Dana Bash in Nashua.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, it is always busy here in New Hampshire this time of year in an election year, but especially right now because it is filing time for these candidates to actually get on the ballot for the first in the nation primary.

Later today, Marco Rubio is going to sign his name and make sure that he is going to be there.

And yesterday, it was Donald Trump. Of course, as he tends to do, came with a lot of fanfare. It was a big event. And he signed it.

But then he also took a couple of shots at some of the opponents who seem to be giving him more and more of a run for his money. Marco Rubio is one of them. That is where Trump decided to hit him the hardest on questions about finances from way back when Marco Rubio was in the statehouse credit card -- credit card that he used.

Here's what Donald Trump said about that.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Marco Rubio has a disaster on his finances. He has a disaster on his credit cards. When you check his credit cards, take a look at what he's done with the Republican Party when he had access. What he had to put back in and whether or not something should have happened.

BASH: As for Rubio, he insists this is a non-issue, that he is going to release the credit card statements from back when he was in the statehouse to prove that he did not use the Republican Party's credit card or money. He paid everything that he spent on his personal expenses himself. And he had this to say to me in response to Donald Trump. SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's Donald being

Donald. He doesn't -- whenever there is a bad poll, he kind of gets weird and does these sorts of thing. He doesn't know what he is talking about.

The bottom line, people need to understand is this was an American Express card. If there were personal expenses on there, I paid them directly to American Express at the time. If there were political, the Republican Party paid them.

BASH: And there's a pretty good reason for Donald Trump to be setting his sights on Marco Rubio more than he has in the past, particularly here in New Hampshire because Rubio is climbing pretty big in the polls here. He went from just 2 percent a couple months ago to 11 percent which puts him third.

And New Hampshire is such a key place for so many of these players. Donald Trump really wants to remain on top and continues to push the others down.

It is still a long three or four months until the first in the nation primary here -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Dana, thank you for that, Dana.

A national poll shows Trump and Ben Carson again dominating the Republican field. The FOX News poll has Trump leading Carson by three points, 26 percent to 23 percent. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are next tied with 11 percent. Then, there's a drop off to Bush, Kasich, Paul, Huckabee and Fiorina.

And with just 2 percent, Chris Christie. Because of his poor showing at the polls, the New Jersey governor could be relegated to the undercard during the next GOP debate on Tuesday. The debate sponsor, Fox Business Network, is expected to announce the lineups tonight.

BERMAN: And another big question is, will Bobby Jindal and George Pataki, will they even make the undercard debate? So, there could be a reshuffling of debate performance this year and appearances.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, she's in a two-day visit to southern California. She is raising money, appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." That show will air tonight. She is also doing three big fundraisers, including one hosted by Christine Romans' favorite performer, Christina Aguilera.

Filmmaker Rob Reiner, this is "Final Tap", holds a fundraiser for Clinton at his home today. Also with "Princess Bride".

ROMANS: That's right.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: "The American President". ROMANS: Wow. Are you a Rob Reiner fan? Apparently.

BERMAN: I like him up until the "American President". He kind of fell off.

ROMANS: You watch a lot of movies in your spare time?

BERMAN: Some movies.

ROMANS: Former President George H.W. Bush, Bush 41, reportedly blasting some key figures in his son's administration, specifically Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. The comment is a part of a new biography being published next week. According to "The New York Time", he says, Cheney as vice president, built his own empire, asserted too much hard influence in the White House. As for Rumsfeld, the defense secretary, the elder Bush said he was arrogant and served the president badly.

"The Times" says the book's author Jon Meacham asked of both Cheney and Rumsfeld for comment. Cheney admitted he was much harder line after 9/11 than before. Rumsfeld declined to comment.

All right. Time for an early start on your money this morning, less than five hours before the opening bell. Stocks indecisive, too soon to tell.

But Facebook shares climbing to an all-time high before the bell. Facebook's earnings simply wowed Wall Street. Revenue up 41 percent compared to last year, 1.6 billion people now use Facebook.

[04:50:04] And get this, John, 90 percent of users on Facebook are now on mobile, 80 percent of ad revenue now comes from mobile. That's a win for a company once criticized for having no mobile strategy. Facebook shareholders, you will be happy.

Whole Foods, you will not. Shares are down before the bell. The health food giant reported same-store sales are negative last quarter. Sales shrunk last quarter. The numbers are not expected to look better next year.

You know, it is a tough year for Whole Foods. Mainstream chains are now offering more natural and organic products and at cheaper prices sometimes. The stock Whole Food shares are down 40 percent this year.

BERMAN: "Stand By Me" is another Rob Reiner film.

ROMANS: Wow.

BERMAN: Yes, it's a very good one.

All right. The White House says Iran's revolutionary guard has been on a hacking spree in recent weeks, targeting e-mails and social media accounts of administration. U.S. journalists and academics have also reportedly been hit. The attacks are believed to be connected to the recent arrest of the Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi. Namazi's friends and associates say the Iranian confiscated his computer when they raided and ransacked his family's home in Tehran.

ROMANS: All right. Women still make less than men for the same job. Just how big is that gap? Brand new numbers overnight. I'm going to show you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:55:16] BERMAN: A stunning twist in the shooting death of a veteran Illinois police officer when the body of Lieutenant Joe Gliniewicz was found in September, there was a huge manhunt for his alleged killers. But now, investigators say Gliniewicz pulled off a carefully staged suicide. They're now accusing him of committing the ultimate betrayal. This story really fascinating and just frankly nuts.

Let's get more from CNN's Rosa Flores.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, Illinois investigators making a shocking revelation, saying that Lieutenant Gliniewicz was no hometown hero. He was a con artist that lived a secret life, that he made his suicide look like a homicide to investigators to distract them.

So, how did he do that? Investigators believe that he planted evidence on the scene to distract them. Things like leaving pepper spray. Then, a few feet away, dropping a baton and then other objects.

And the distraction did work. It took authorities two months to determine this was indeed a suicide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no winners here. Gliniewicz committed the ultimate betrayal, to the citizens her served, and the entire law enforcement community. The facts of his actions proved he behaved for years in a manner completely contrary to the image he portrayed.

FLORES: So, what was the motive here? Investigators believe that authorities were zeroing in on Gliniewicz for alleged criminal activity that spanned seven years, and that Gliniewicz was using the Explorers Program, which is a mentorship program for teens, to launder money. Now, those monies were in the thousands of dollars and were used to pay his mortgage, to access adult web sites among other things.

Now, as for his family, they are asking for privacy and as you know, there was pouring of support emotionally and financially for that family. And CNN has learned that at least one organization who gave that family $15,000 is asking for their money back -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Rosa Flores, thanks for that. Let's get an early start on your money this morning. Stocks falling

on comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen. Yellen told Congress a December rate hike is still very much alive. A live possibility in December where her words.

It's the Fed's last chance this year to hike rates for the first time in almost a decade. Concerns about the global economy still linger, but Yellen said she sees improvements in the job market and consumer spending, plus cheap oil prices that had been keeping inflation low are only temporary.

The details of the Trans Pacific Partnership, the TPP, finally out in the open. The big question this morning, will it actually boost American exports and jobs? The U.S. reached a deal on October 5th, with 11 other countries. Critics complain about the secrecy surrounding the agreement.

The White House says the deal will increase U.S. exports and protect American workers and add jobs. But many worry it will be good for businesses, bad for workers. Congress must still approve the agreement.

Kraft Heinz closing several plants in the next two years. About 2,600 workers will lose their jobs in this downsize. The company, the same company, this is the first sort of merger move we've seen of these two companies put together and use the savings to install, quote, "state of the art production lines" and these other facilities. A union president in Wisconsin said the news was a surprise to him.

There is no industry where women earn as much as men. That's according to data from pay scale. Married men with children earn the highest overall salaries and single moms have the lowest. Men's salaries tend to keep rising until they reach age 50 to 55. Women's salaries plateau much earlier. More education doesn't mean more equality. In fact, PhD holders have the biggest pay gap among men and women.

Interesting, right?

BERMAN: Interesting. I didn't know that.

ROMANS: Yes, really interesting. I'll put that report out so you can see it, everybody.

BERMAN: Excellent.

EARLY START continues right now.

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BERMAN: The possibility, even the likelihood of a bomb onboard. U.S. intelligence now believes ISIS likely brought down a Russian jetliner killing 224 people. This morning, flights shutdown. Thousands stranded. We have live coverage breaking down all the developments.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman. ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, November 5th. It is

5:00 a.m. in the East.

Breaking overnight, brand new information on the crash of a Russian jet in the Sinai desert. Several U.S. officials tell CNN new intelligence suggests the plane was most likely was brought down by a bomb planted by ISIS or one of its affiliates.