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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

U.S. Launches Airstrike on "Jihadi John"; Kurdish Forces Battle ISIS for Sinjar; Donald Trump: On the Attack. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 13, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. The gloves officially off. That's what Donald Trump says.

[04:30:03] Ninety-five minutes on the stump overnight. You do not want to miss.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It was something.

BERMAN: Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour this morning.

But let's start here, breaking overnight: the United States accelerating the battle against ISIS in an operation targeting one of its most notorious terrorists, a drone strike with this man in the crosshairs. He is known as Jihadi John. He is a British citizen. His real name is Mohammed Emwazi. He appeared in brutal ISIS execution videos.

The Pentagon is still assessing the results of this airstrike. But a U.S. official is confident that the strike killed him. The strike killed Emwazi.

For the very latest, I want to turn to CNN's Nic Robertson in London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, at the moment, we have very few precise details about the strike. Jihadi John or Mohammed Emwazi, we're told, was in a vehicle when it was struck. It was as a result of persistent surveillance. We heard a lot about that over the previous years how drones will maintain surveillance over a particular area at a particular site for a period of time.

The strike took place in the town of Raqqa. Now, this is ISIS headquarters. Jihadi John, of course, we know him because he came to prominence for the brutal beheadings of U.S. journalist James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, U.S. aid worker, two British aid workers, a Japanese journalists, also beheaded by him in brutal fashion, threats to the United States, threats to the British government, to David Cameron, the prime minister here. It was, of course, those brutal headings that really put the United States on the track to begin airstrikes, coalition airstrikes, if you will, inside Syria.

But from the details that we're learning at the moment, a really, potentially preliminary. The Pentagon says they may provide more details as that becomes necessary. The British prime minister's office here, David Cameron's office at 10 Downing Street, say they, like the United States, won't be providing confident at this stage. What his means for ISIS, they lost a prominent figurehead. But having said that, Jihadi John had been out of the headlines for many, many months now.

So, what this will mean to them tactically on the ground is probably very little.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. We have breaking news on another front in the battle against ISIS. Kurdish Peshmerga forces, they are trumpeting as they fight to retake the Iraqi city of Sinjar from ISIS. They now say they have entered the city from all directions and up to 7,500 troops have reclaimed more than 60 square miles of territory. This is with the help of more than 250 airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition across northern Iraq in the last month.

Commanders say they are going up against only about 600 ISIS fighters in Sinjar. But ISIS dug in behind land mines and booby traps.

We have our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh embedded with the Peshmerga forces. He joins us live by phone.

And, Nick, you have been inside Sinjar now to see it for yourself.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Remarkable devastation inside Sinjar, John. But first of all, let me explain how we got there in the first place. Earlier on today, we saw a large numbers of Peshmerga arrived to the north of this city and there appears to be also be making similar movement to the west as well. Hundreds of them on foot moving in towards the city center. Intense gunfire and clashes they moved in on ISIS positions, and also, too, at one point, some loud blast.

This city has been riddled with explosive devices by ISIS. Literally, everywhere you look, there is some suggestion you could be near a mine of some description. That is, of course, massively slowed the process of Peshmerga. But they do now appear to be closer toward the city center.

There is minimal gun fire at this stage. I heard one loud sustained burst. I don't know if it is celebratory or if ISIS is fighting back. They clearly are still somewhere inside the city. In fact, one commander we spoke to said they're all around, but there has been a brutal fight. One Canadian volunteer I spoke to there I called Jason, he in fact describes how he's seeing Kurdish fighters as he tried to treat them, he's a medic, died in front of him. This has been a brutal battle, John. In the moments and days ahead,

the key question is, how can you get people back who actually live there? You have to clear the mines, you have to rebuild the city. But this is a Yazidi population, displaced, brutalized, many of them killed, quite where it goes next, also (INAUDIBLE). The question is how many ISIS fighters are still hiding out in the dense urban sprawl here, John.

BERMAN: If the Kurds you are with manage to retake the city, as you say, do you have a sense, Nick, of what is next? Is this their ultimate goal, or do they want to keep moving, keep pushing these ISIS forces?

[04:35:07] WALSH: These movements appear to be well-planned and at times carefully coordinated with U.S. Special Forces to help bring in air strikes around as well. So, any further moves at all will take planning and some time. But the strategic point of this time, to taking the town is to fully take it and control the highway that runs between Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. The key points of the key cities for ISIS.

The key question is how quickly can they assemble forces to move on those cities, and also, how easily can they hold Sinjar? They moved in in large numbers. ISIS have been known to be able to come back. There is definitely going to be intense fighting in the weeks ahead as ISIS learns the supply route means to them. At the moment, the coalition has yet to determine the movement narrative which is for the last year, it seems (INAUDIBLE) is one rare victory of Sinjar in a period of time. So much (INAUDIBLE) than many have thought -- John.

BERMAN: Very important questions from Nick Paton Walsh imbedded with Kurdish troops in this operation in Sinjar. What is next? One thing is clear, this is a carefully coordinated operation with the coalition, the U.S.-led coalition involved at least from the air.

Our thanks to Nick.

ROMANS: All right. The U.S. and its collation allies are also stepping up airstrikes on oil fields controlled by ISIS in eastern Syria. That is according to "The New York Times", which reports the goal is to choke off the terror group's main source of revenue.

And there's new information about two deadly suicide bombings that killed more than 40 people and wounded more than 200 others in southern Beirut. One would-be bomber who survived the attack tells investigators he was sent by ISIS.

I want to go live to Beirut and bring in CNN's Ian Lee for us this morning.

Ian, it looks like -- are you in Beirut or Cairo, Ian? I can't tell right there where you are. But give us an update -- you're in Cairo. Yes, sorry about that. Give us an update on what we know right now.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, this would-be bomber, this attacker is going to provide most likely a lot of information that is desperately needed. Of course, they have cordoned off the area, investigators are looking for clues. But this person won't be able to provide the information like how the attackers were able to get into Lebanon, who helped them, how were able to get these weapons and then get to the target.

This is an area in southern Beirut that does have military checkpoints. It does checkpoints from the militant group Hezbollah who is a Shiite group that is backed by Iran fighting in Syria against ISIS. But this attack was a dastardly attack against a civilian population. These were people shopping and going about their business and going home during rush hour when the attack took place.

So, this would-be bomber will able to provide information to hopefully prevent something like this from happening again and all the factions within Lebanon have come out and condemn this attack today. And Lebanon is a country that is officially in a state of mourning.

ROMANS: A state of mourning. Such a dangerous situation.

Thank you so much for that.

All right. Thirty-eight minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money this morning.

Could there be a bounce in stocks today? Pretty rotten day for stocks yesterday. They're lower right now in Europe and in Asia at the moment. But really, the whole story here is what happens today. Will there be a bounce in the U.S.?

Because yesterday, the Dow dropped more than 250 points, as the consensus grows the Fed will interest rates by the end of the year. The S&P 500 now once again down for the year.

All right. Imagine being hounded by debt collectors for a small parking fine that has spiraled into hundreds of dollars, or being stalked and harangued by debt collectors over unpaid student loans, or bridge tolls. And these debt collectors are sent by the government.

Earlier this year, CNN Money investigation exposed high fees and scary threats of collectors hired by government agents. Now, after seeing the reporting, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker trying to stop those practices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), NEW JERSEY: We cannot have this where you have folks who on $10 fine are suddenly being harassed, they're getting penalties and fees on top of that. So, the $10 bill might turn into $110 bill, which is something my bill limits and they might end up in jail as a result of that. So, this is not the country we should be where we have a modern day debtor's prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Booker's legislation will protect consumers at the federal level and study practices on the state and local level. But clearly, some of those unpaid debts are very, very small and the amount effort expanded to get them and the amount of trouble it puts you in financially to take a hard look at that.

[04:40:02] BERMAN: All right. Big political news overnight. Donald Trump on the stump. Ninety-five minutes, this rambling speech targeting Ben Carson in ways you have not heard before. What's going on here? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Big political news overnight: Donald Trump unplugged, unstrained, talking about his current, biggest rival. In an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Trump compared Ben Carson's self-described pathologically temper to the incurable sickness of a child molester.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I haven't seen it, I know it's in the book, that he's got a pathological temper or temperament. That's big problem because you don't cure that. That's like -- you know, I could say, they'd say you don't cure a child molester. You don't cure these people.

[04:45:02] You don't cure a child molester.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: This was just one of the stunning statements from Trump overnight. A 95-minute rambling Iowa rally. He used a swear word in it, vowing to bomb the heck out of ISIS, but he didn't say heck.

Trump even asked if anyone in the crowd had a knife to help him demonstrate why he had doubts Carson's story about trying to stab someone. He says he doubts it could have happened as described. Look at him, he's showing his belt right there.

Let's get more from CNN's Athena Jones with Trump on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, John and Christine.

One of the first things Trump said when he took the stage here in Ft. Dodge is that the gloves are off. And that was more than true when it comes to Ben Carson. He spent several minutes hitting Ben Carson, raising doubts some of the stories Carson has told about his violent past. Take a listen.

TRUMP: He took the knife and went after a friend and he lunged -- he lunged that knife into the stomach of his friend. But lo and behold, it hit the belt. It hit the belt. And the knife broke.

How stupid are the people of Iowa? How stupid are the people of the country to believe this crap? JONES: So, some of the toughest and most animated remarks we've heard

from Trump about Ben Carson, one of his top rivals. He also spent time slamming his other rivals both within and outside of his party, blasting Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio and calling -- saying of Hillary Clinton, that the only thing she has going for her is the woman card.

I can tell you the audience here seemed to really eat it up -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Athena Jones for us in Iowa right now.

The Carson campaign, it responded to Trump's statements, called them rambling. A top adviser to Ben Carson, Armstrong William, told CNN that Mr. Trump has resentment when he sees Dr. Carson rise. He lashes out like he did tonight.

ROMANS: President Obama is also weighing in on Donald Trump's plan to ploy a deportation force to get some 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the country. In an ABC interview, the president questioned the cost and the wisdom and the morality of such a move, sounding very much like one of Trump's GOP rival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Imagine the images on the screen flashed around the world as we were dragging parents away from their children and putting them in what, detention centers? Nobody thinks that is realistic. But more importantly, that's not who we are as Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So many of President Obama's biggest campaign donors in 2012 are sitting on the sidelines right now, holding on some of their cash. Four of out five people who gave the president's reelection campaign the maximum in 2012 have not donated to a candidate yet this year. This is according to "The Wall Street Journal" analysis through October 1st. Many contributors say the emergence of big money super PACs make them feel like their donations don't matter anymore. It also might be a way to see the ultimate nominee materialize before they dump their money in.

ROMANS: OK. New trouble this morning for the Secret Service. An agent assigned to the White House arrested in a child sex sting. The agent, 37-year-old Lee Robert Moore accused of sending naked pictures of himself to whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but who instead was an undercover detective. He also allegedly asked to meet in person for sex with that child, which he thought was a child. Moore turned himself in this week. He faces up to ten years in jail if convicted.

BERMAN: Defense Secretary Ash Carter has fired his top military aide. Carter announced that his senior military assistant, Lieutenant General Ron Lewis, was removed following allegations of misconduct. Details of the allegations is still not known. Lewis has been Carter's right hand man, providing analysis on military issues, attending high level meetings and traveling with him on overseas missions.

ROMANS: All right. Forty-nine minutes past the hour. Having a baby?

BERMAN: No.

ROMANS: Take four months off. We will give you 1,000 bucks. The companies leading the charge for better parental leave benefits.

BERMAN: I'm just saying, I'm not.

ROMANS: You're out of that business.

BERMAN: I'm out, I'm done.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:53:40] ROMANS: The University of Missouri has a new interim president. He is 68-year-old Michael Middleton, one of the first black students to graduate from the university's law school. He has been involved with the college for some 30 years and says he is ready to tackle the racial tensions that led to the resignation of the university's president and chancellor.

The racial unrest on Missouri's campus is now a very big topic on the campaign trail. Listen to the Republican candidates weighing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Freedom of speech on campuses seems to be under assault at some of the supposedly finest institutions in this country. In the case of Missouri, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what it is that got the president fired, what exactly did he do or say that was the reason why he should have resigned.

DR. BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People are so frightened of the politically correct police that they're willing to do things that are irrational to appease them.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Kids were taught that, you know, if anything offends their sensibilities, that they should stand up and say, oh, don't talk to me about that. They are called trigger warnings now. This doesn't help our young people.

TRUMP: I think the two people that resigned are weak, ineffective people. I think when they resigned, they set something in motion that's going to be a disaster.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think anyone can look objectively at where we are and say we are better off than seven years ago on the issue of race in America with Barack Obama as president.

[04:55:05] In fact, I think he's made it worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both siding with Missouri's students. Sanders tweeting, "It's time to address structural racism on college campuses."

BERMAN: A pregnant wife of an Indianapolis pastor shot and killed in a suspected home invasion. Police say 28-year-old Amanda Blackburn's body was discovered Tuesday morning by her husband, Pastor Davey Blackburn of the Resonate Church. She died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Her 1-year-old son left unharmed in his crib.

Hours earlier, a neighbor's home was burglarized. Authorities are not saying whether the two incidents are connected. They have no suspects and no solid leads.

ROMANS: Prosecutors want former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle to spent 12 1/2 years behind bars, followed by a lifetime of supervised provision. This is the maximum punishment he faces when he is sentence next week. Fogle has already agreed to plead guilty to the position of child pornography and traveling across state lines to engage in sex with a minor.

Fifty-six minutes past the hour.

Heavy rain and possible flooding in the northwest today. Let's get to meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Christine and John.

That's right. The flooding potential across the Pacific Northwest today and through the weekend is very high. You can see why. This is the latest radar coming out of the region. Lighting up just like the Fourth of July, although the calendar says it is the middle of November. Very typical fall weather pattern, it's just that these storms continue to batter this region with incessant rainfall. In fact, the National Weather Service issued flood watches west of the Cascades, including the greater Seattle region, you can see that with the shading of green.

We've got this large area of low pressure sitting off the Aleutian Islands. That's helping usher in this constant stream of moisture. It is set to continue through the weekend. That is why we have the flooding potential. High resolution radar imagery showing more rainfall, even into Portland, Oregon.

We could see localized rainfall in excess of 10 inches for portions of Washington state. Something we are going to monitor very closely.

Temperatures today, 57 near the Windy City. Big Apple, you top 48.

Back to you.

ROMANS: All right. We'll take that. Thanks, Derek. Let's get an early start on your money this morning. Futures pointing

higher here. But I've got to tell you. In the past week, the foundation for investors has changed.

The single most important factor in stocks is now not if the Fed is going to raise rates this year, but how much and how quickly after that. That realization slammed the Dow down more than 250 points yesterday, turned the S&P negative for the year. A renewed slump in the oil prices, adding to the glum.

New York Fed President William Dudley said, as long as the economy stays on course, the Fed is ready for the first rate hike in almost a decade.

Wal-Mart workers fasting for higher wages. More than 100 current employees plan to fast in the 15 days leading up to Black Friday. The significance here? They say Wal-Mart wages are still too low to be able to feed themselves and their families.

Earlier this year, Walmart raised its minimum wage to $9 an hour. It will raise it to $10 next year. Wal-Mart, of course, citing those wage increases for hurting its profits. That stock is down 34 percent for the year.

If you work at Zillow, being a new parent just got a little more easy. Starting next year, new moms will get 16 weeks of paid leave and a $1,000 Amazon gift card. New dads will get eight weeks of paid leave. They used to get none. And adoptive parents get eight weeks as well.

This is part of the growing trend in the talent wars for tech, Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft all increase parental leave benefits this year.

BERMAN: Interesting development.

ROMANS: I know. Too late for you.

BERMAN: Yes, yes, honey.

EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

ROMANS: Breaking news this morning. The U.S. launching new airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, targeting ISIS executioner Jihadi John and helping Iraqis take back a key town from terrorists. We are breaking all of these new developments down only the way CNN can.

Donald Trump, a 95-minute speech attacking his main competitor in ways you have not heard before.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans.

It is Friday, November 13th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East. Breaking overnight: the United States accelerating its battle against ISIS in an operation targeting one of its most notorious and visible terrorists. A drone strike with this man in the cross-hairs. He is known as Jihadi John, a British citizen. His real name, Mohammed Emwazi.

He appeared in a series of brutal ISIS execution videos. The Pentagon says it is still assessing the results of this airstrike that targeted him. But a U.S. official tells CNN authorities are confident that strike killed Emwazi.

For the very latest, let's turn to CNN's Nic Robertson in London.