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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Investigators Probe Shooters' Motives; Vigils Across the San Bernardino Area; The Politics of Mass Shootings; Is the UK ISIS' Next Target? Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired December 04, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:30:26] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: New information on what could have motivated the shooters in the California office party attack. Their stockpile weapons, they are tie to terrorists and what those who knew them are now saying as the community mourns the loss of 14 lives.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to see you today. I'm John Berman. 30 minutes past the hour. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world.

We do have new information this morning on the mass shootings in Southern California that killed 14, injured 21. Law enforcement scouring the home and rented car of Syed Rizwan Farook. They've uncovered well over 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a dozen pipe bombs. Police have also recovered two smashed cell phones and a computer with a missing hard drive. We're also learning new details about the married shooters. Authorities say the man met his wife Tashfeen Malik two years ago during a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. He was devout, he attended services at the local Islamic there twice a day.

And law enforcement officials tell CNN, it appears he became radicalized. He'd been in touch with at least one person the FBI suspected of terrorism.

For the latest, let's get to CNN's John Vause in San Bernardino.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John and Christine, well officials continue to search for that motive, a reason why, it's been a night of sadness here in San Bernardino. Hundreds turned out for memorial services. They gathered at a sporting stadium in where there was a candlelight vigil. Services were also held at the largest mosque in the county. And the coroner has now officially named all of the victims. They range in age from 26 to 60.

And most of the victims had some kind of personal connection to Syed Rizwan Farook. 12 of the 14 who were killed and 18 of the 21 who were wounded worked with him at the county office here as well. And officials say this killing spree could have been so much worse because Farook and his wife had this massive cache of ammunition, thousands of rounds of ammunition. Still, for the first responders, the first police officer who arrived on the scene, he described what was essentially carnage inside that conference center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. MIKE MADDEN, SAN BERNARDINO POLICE DEPT: It was unspeakable, the carnage that we were seeing, the number of people who were injured and unfortunately already dead. And the pure panic on the face of those individuals that were still in need and needing to be safe. We asked -- we got as many people out as quickly as we could.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Sources also say they believe Farook became radicalized. He had contacts with a number of people under investigation by the FBI the links to international terrorism. John, Christine.

ROMANS: Thanks John for that. Survivors of the massacre have told police that Rizwan Farook may have been set off by some kind of argument. They say he left angry and potentially came back later with his wife guns blazing. So far it's unclear what that fight, if there was one, was about. The widow of one victim who died in the attack said her husband could have been involved. She tells CNN's Gary Tuchman, her husband was an outspoken conservative Jew who was openly critical of Muslims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've been open about this is what your husband about, what do you said about Muslims in the past?

JENNIFER THALASINOS, WIDOW OF VICTIM NICHOLAS THALASINOS: Yes.

TUCHMAN: What has he said?

THALASINOS: He's was just, he's very upset about what ISIS has been doing and the radicalized Muslims, al Qaeda, the whole situation. He's upset about the fact the majority of the Muslims, you know, it's like they won't come out and do something about it. It's like...

TUCHMAN: So do you think he talked to Farook about that?

THALASINOS: He might have.

TUCHMAN: And do you have any knowledge at all from anyone you've talked to, what happened at the function yesterday with Farook?

THALASINOS: No, I just -- I know that supposedly there was an argument and very easily could have been an argument with my husband. I wouldn't be surprised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: County Health employees who worked with the shooter for years say the attack came as a complete surprise to them. They say he was well liked, and mild mannered. Co-workers even threw him a baby shower. Now they're shocked and angry they say. Patrick Bacari shared a cubicle with shooter for three years. He says "His life may have been saved simply because he had to go to the bathroom."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK BACARI, SHARED CUBICLE WITH SHOOTER RIZWAN FAROOK: They were giving us a 15-minute break. So, I went to the rest room. And while I was in the rest room, I finished, I was going to dry my hands, and that's when the attack started.

[05:35:01] And I thought somebody booby trapped the towel dispenser because I was being pummeled as I was pulling the towels out of the dispenser. So I looked back in the mirror, I could see I was bleeding on my temple, my nose and there's other little fragments. They hit me all over the place. And so there's short of tiny unless they start to fester, they'll probably remain there.

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ROMANS: Over 9,000 of people attending memorials across the Sand Bernardino area like this one at a stadium. Also at churches, schools and mosques. We're learning more this morning about the victims, many who lived through the horrific experience now sharing their stories of survival.

More now from CNN's Dan Simon in San Bernardino.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, you still have a number of people at area hospitals. Two people in critical condition, but the others are either in fair or stable condition which is pretty remarkable considering what some of these people had to go through. Take the example of 24-year-old Kevin Ortiz. He was shot five times. And I spoke to his aunt who told me exactly what he had to go through.

(BEGIN VDEO CLIP)

ROSA ORTIZ, KEVIN ORTIZ'S AUNT: He was sitting down with several of his co-workers, and there was a break. And several people stepped out into the hallway. He heard gunfire but wasn't sure if it was gunfire. He assumed it was a drill of some kind. The doors opened, and he saw two masked people dressed in black. And he still thought it was a drill. He felt his first shot on his leg but said he felt more like if someone just threw something at him. It wasn't really sharp pain immediately until a few seconds later. And then he ended up sustaining another shot on the shoulder. So his reaction then, this is real. Let me get under the table. So he got under the table and, according to Kevin, the gunman came back and shot him again.

SIMON: How many times was he shot?

ORTIZ: Five times.

SIMON: He was shot five times?

ORTIZ: Five times. SIMON: Did he think he was going to die?

ORTIZ: Absolutely. That was one of his thoughts that he shared with us. He was able to make two phone calls, one to his wife and one to his father. And to both of them, he said he had been shot, but he was going to be OK and that he loved them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: And we've heard several other stories like that. People who after being shot were able to pick up their cell phone and call loved ones, making what they thought might be goodbye messages. Obviously there's going to be many surgeries over the next several days but hopefully many recoveries. John and Christine, back to you.

ROMANS: OK, and Simon, thanks for that. And what they're telling us about what it was like in that room, you know, pieces of the ceiling falling down, the fire alarm blaring, the sprinklers going off and really pieces of walls and chairs flying around. They've got scars to heal but they've got a lot more than just scars, they've got some terrible memories there.

BERMAN: These shootings now very much at the center of the political debate now in the race for 2016. What the candidates are saying needs to be done. That's next.

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[05:42:19] BERMAN: The San Bernardino massacre at the center of the presidential campaign. Now virtually all the Republican candidates raising the issue at a forum yesterday. Virtually all critical of how the President now handling it.

Joining us is the Managing Editor for Content at CNN Politics, Steven Sloan. Steven, thanks so much for being with us.

First, I want to play what the President said inside the Oval Office yesterday. He made a statement about the shootings. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: At this point, this is now an FBI investigation. That's been done in cooperation and consultation with local law enforcement. It is possible that this was terrorist related. But we don't know. It's also possible that this was workplace related.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: And it's possible this was terrorist related. That is the kind of language that doesn't go far enough for some Republican candidates. Listen to what Donald Trump said yesterday this candidate for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDITATE: We had another event which probably was -- to the one yesterday, probably was related. It always happens. But probably was. When I heard about it, I figured maybe not, but it turns out probably was related. Radical Islamic terrorism and I'll tell you what. We have a President that refuses to use the term. He refuses to say it. There's something going on with him that we don't know about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So the President did say it's very possible it's terrorism. But he does not use the language radical Islamic terrorism. Why is that distinction important to Donald Trump and frankly other Republican candidates?

STEVEN SLOAN, CNN POLITICS, MANAGING EDITOR FOR CONTENT: Well, you know, this is part of their strategy from Republicans to make sure to try to paint the President as disconnected from one of the big issues of our time right now, which is, obviously, terrorism and the crises in the Middle East.

And so this is -- so Republicans are really pressing not only the President but the Democratic front-runner to succeed him, Hillary Clinton, to engage in this discussion about -- what they call radical Islamic terror and so far, the President and secretary Clinton have avoided doing that.

ROMANS: Listen to what Ted Cruz had to say because he is really sharp language, I think, to illustrate where he thinks we are and how he doesn't think the Obama administration understands the scope of this.

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TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This horrific murder underscores that we are at a time of war. Whether or not the current administration realizes it or is willing to acknowledge it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:45:04] ROMANS: Are we going to be hearing more of this from Republicans like Ted Cruz that the President still beholden to a narrative from months ago that al-Qaeda was on its heels and the U.S. was winning, the west was winning against radical Islamic terrorism?

SLOAN: Without a doubt, Republicans are beginning to see this as a foreign policy election, and they are looking at the events of the past few days and you know, and of course the Paris terror attacks as feeding into their narrative that they are stronger and better positioned to be commander in chief than not only Obama has been over the past seven or eight years, and what Hillary Clinton and other democrats might be after 2016.

BERMAN: So, Steven, you're in humor for a second because CNN/ORC, we have a new poll coming out in 14 minutes and 20 seconds.

SLOAN: Set your watches.

BERMAN: We cannot tell you what the poll says. Trust me. You're going to lot of see it because it's pretty surprising. However, what we can say is what polls up until this point instead of that last week which is that, what happened in Paris for instance the terror attack. The new focus on terror and national security, it seems to be helping Donald Trump. Donald Trump increased his standing in polls we have seen leading up to 13 minutes from now.

Why do you think that is, and how do think he can exploit that going forward, particularly with these new concerns about possibly domestic terrorism as well?

SLOAN: Well, this is something that Donald Trump himself talks about. He said yesterday, you know, look, my numbers go up when these things happen because people feel like I will protect them. And so this is, you know, and so we'll look at these numbers here in a few minutes and of course the numbers that will come out over the next few weeks and see if that really comes to play.

But, I think this is, we'll see how, if voters really gravitate toward Republicans and Trump specifically as these incidents in California and, of course, across the world settle in.

BERMAN: And we shouldn't let it pass also, we've played that sound from Donald Trump. At the end there, he made the statement, there's something going on with this president. We don't know what it is. That seems to be an illusion of the types of things that he's talked about for years the virtue to be something else. Who knows what he was referring to? What we do know though is it doesn't seem to hurt him at least in the polls in this Republican race so far.

SLOAN: And that's what those striking about Trump's candidacy. We've gone from a series of controversies way back in the summer, if you remember when he talked about John McCain really being a war hero. You know, up until comments just this week where he talked about maybe killing families of terrorists. And throughout all of his comments, nothing has really wounded him. And in fact, it's helped him.

ROMANS: All right, CNN Sloan thanks about it. And Bill O'Reilly is actually really pressing Donald Trump about what exactly how would he kill families of terrorists. And Donald Trump, I think kind of backed away a little bit from that. But really certainly some interesting rhetoric on the campaign trail in, you know, with Trump, no questions.

Steven Sloan nice to see you this morning. Thank you.

SLOAN: Good to be here.

ROMANS: We'll take a look on what's coming on up on "NEW DAY". Chris Cuomo joins us now from San Bernardino. Chris, you were able to interview the attorneys for the shooter.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Yes, for the family of the shooter. A key distinction yet not as much of a distinction as people might imagine. This one up being a very important interview. It was long. We covered a lot of topics. The obvious is the same question that the investigators have right now which is who knew? What did those closest to him, his family, see and not see? Know and not know? And how are they responding to this. That was the main line for the attorneys.

But there was more that came out of it, their observations about this case. Why they aren't ready to see it as terror, why they aren't ready to completely accept what has been accepted by investigators. So we go through it and it's important for this. We're also going through all the new information as you have this morning. We're going to put more meat on the bones of what investigators know now and where the investigation is taking them because of it.

BERMAN: All right, Chris. Looking forward to that again. The interview with the attorneys of the family. I just read the transcript of it. I know its coming up very, very revealing. Frankly, surprising in some ways what they're not willing to accept at this point. So we look forward to seeing that at all.

Right, about 11 minutes to the hour right now. A warning that ISIS could be ready to strike again. What city does it have in its sights now? New intelligence. That's coming up next.

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[05:53:52] BERMAN: European intelligence suggests the United Kingdom could be the next target for ISIS. And ISIS could now be planning an attack. This intelligence suggests that British ISIS fighters have been instructed by senior ISIS operators to attack. The question is when, how, where?

Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen is live in London with more. Good morning Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John and the British government certainly taking this all very seriously. One of the interesting things that British Prime Minister David Cameron said only yesterday is since November. So since around about the time of the Paris attacks, there have been no less than seven foiled terror plots here in the United Kingdom.

At this certain point in time right now, they believe the fact that Britain has just voted to also conduct air strikes in Syria and has already carried out those air strike out could also compound those concerns as well. And as you said, they believe or senior European intelligence source believes and tells CNN and apparently ISIS operatives, senior operatives in Syria or Iraq have told British ISIS fighters to come back here in Britain and conduct attacks.

Now, what they've don't know is how imminent those attacks are but certainly from looking here on the streets, you can tell these clearly take this very seriously. There's an increased police presence on the streets just two days ago. There was a police exercise which they did for the media as well to show people that they are ready for anything to happened, John.

BERMAN: All right, Frederik Pleitgen for us in London, taking this new intelligence very, very, very seriously. Appreciate it Fred.

ROMANS: All right, new in just last few minutes German lawmakers have voted to ramp up the country's military operations against ISIS in Syria. The german constitution bars most combat operations on foreign soil. So air strikes are out but the country can expand its military support role. Specifically Germany will be helping with aerial reconnaissance and refueling.

BERMAN: All branches of the U.S. military will soon be gender neutral in the historic load (ph). Defense Secretary Ash Carter is opening all jobs in combat units to women, no exceptions. Prior to this order, some 10 percent of military positions were still closed to women. The services must have a plan in place by April 1st.

ROMANS: All right 55 minutes past the hour. Let's get an early start on your money this morning. U.S. stocks look upbeat right now. Futures do. European shares do are lower and Asian stocks have fell sharply in this global sell-off this morning after the European central bank failed to deliver more dramatic stimulus measures than expected. Of essence (ph) stocks tumbling in the U.S. the Dow look at that dropped 252 points yesterday. The S&P had its worst day since September. And a lot more to keep investors busy today most importantly the jobs report, the November jobs report due out at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

This is the last report before the Fed decides whether to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. CNN money predicts 192,000 jobs added down from a very, very strong October when 271,000 were added, then employment rate likely to stay the same at five percent at the seven-year low. The Fed sheet (ph) Janet Yellen yesterday suggested the central bank is ready to raise interest rates because the U.S. economy is strong. But she emphasized that increases will come slowly in the coming months and of course, interest rate hikes are something that everyone will feel. Every borrower will feel.

Another huge decision to watch today. In Vienna, OPEC members meeting about whether to cut oil productions to boost oil prices. The cartel is likely to keep output steady that because the leader Saudi Arabia wants to put pressure on American oil producers. Saudi Arabia mean to say wants to keep its market share, but smaller players like Venezuela and Algeria they desperately want to hit the brakes on production so that oil prices can move higher. They rely on those oil prices to run their economies.

BERMAN: Saudi Arabia generally gets what it wants, though, inside OPEC.

All right new information this morning about the shooters who killed 14 people in California. A new dramatic interview with the attorney for the families of the shooters, "New Day" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After hearing the gunfire, she dropped to the floor. She was shot one time in her lower back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got the telephone call. I immediately broke down and went into hysterics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The deadliest mass shooting since Newtown, Connecticut.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seventy six rounds, killing 14 people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation was surreal. It was unspeakable. The carnage that we were seeing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least one of the San Bernardino shooters may have been radicalized.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've never seen a terrorist go to their workplace and kill their colleagues.

FARHAN KHAN, SUSPECT SYED FAROOK'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: Why would need do something like this? I have absolutely no idea. I'm in shock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe every citizen here should be armed.

OBAMA: We're going to have to -- I think search ourselves as a society to make it harder, not impossible, but harder for individuals to get access to weapons.

COUMO: To our viewers across the United States and around the world, you are watching "New Day." Alisyn and Michaela are in New York. We're in San Bernardino, California. There's a lot of new information that morning -- this morning that makes this far less of a mystery for investigators, yet no less troubling.

The headline is this "Law enforcement sources say the male shoot was apparently radicalized." Their basis? They say he was in touch with terrorist suspects subjects overseas. But officials point out there could have been other factors in the attack as well. This is still very open investigation, and authorities are revealing also that they have recovered two smashed cell phones in a garbage can near the massacre scene. And a computer at the shooter's home was missing its hard drive.

Investigators also finding an arsenal of weapons and pipe bombs inside the shooter's home suggesting more carnage certainly could have been planned.

Let's begin our coverage with Victor Blackwell. He is live in Redlands, California, outside that home. Victor.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Chris we're just a few feet from there front door. The windows and doors now aborted up this defective bomb factory here. As we getting to we getting to details about the electronics recovered from inside this home and from crime scenes as we're getting details as well about the carnage these two left in their wake.

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BLACKWELL: More clues unearthed but still no clear motive.

[06:00:02] Among the latest discoveries, two smashed cell phones though have belong to shooters Syed Riswan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik. Then phone hidden behind the trash bin near one of the crime scenes. Also found a computer with the missing hard drive...