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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Obama's Oval Office Address On ISIS; GOP Candidates Blast Obama's Address; The Radicalization Of Syed Farook; Tashfeen Malik Dedicated Massacre To ISIS; Jimmy Carter Cancer-Free. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired December 07, 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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[05:32:02] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's nice to see today. I'm John Berman. It's 31 minutes past the hour right now. This morning, President Obama is trying to reassure the American public that he has a plan to fight ISIS.

In a rare oval office address that aides say he wrote largely himself. The president tries to calm public jitters over terrorism. This of course in the wake in the attacks in San Bernardino, California, the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since September 11th.

Let's get the latest right now from White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, as expected, there were no major policy proposals in the president's oval office address. This was more about reassuring the American people that President Obama has the correct strategy for dealing with ISIS.

The president described the recent attack in California as a terrorist attack. Here's more what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what ISIL wants.

ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death. They account for a tiny fraction of a more than a billion Muslims around the world including patriotic Muslim-Americans who reject the hateful ideology.

Moreover, the vast majority of terrorist victims around the world are Muslim. If we are to succeed in defeating terrorism, we must enlist Muslim communities as allies rather than push them away. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The president went on to say the violence in California underlines a major threat facing the country from self-radicalized terrorists, who draw their inspiration from ISIS.

So the president is recommending that law enforcement and social media companies work together more closely to be on the lookout for extremists who were online and talking about potential attacks on the U.S. homeland.

As for possible congressional action the president asked lawmakers to give him a new authorization to use military force ISIS, something he's done before.

Mr. Obama wants to beef up the nation's gun laws. He's demanding that people on the no-fly list be barred from buying firearms, a proposal that's opposed by the NRA.

As for what the president can do on his own, the White House is planning to hold a summit later this month on going after the financing of ISIS. He is also vowing to intensify airstrikes targeting ISIS in Syria along with the British, who have just joined that part of the entire ISIS campaign -- John and Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Jim Acosta, thanks for that. Joining us now to talk about the president's address and the Republican candidates' response to it is Steven Sloan, CNN Politics managing editor for content.

Good morning, again. It's nice to see you so bright and early this morning. So the president last night, you know, the president trying to calm a nation's fears about terrorism, home grown terrorism.

He talked a bit about taking a hard look at visa programs. Do you think he gave anything new or different or comprehensive in terms of fighting ISIS at home?

STEVEN SLOAN, CNN POLITICS, MANAGING EDITOR FOR CONTENT: He really didn't and that wasn't the intent of the speech. The speech was really designed to reassure Americans that look, you know, I've got this and I know a lot of the media attention is focused on the campaign. I'm still in the White House and I'm in control of the situation.

The proposals that the president put forth were things he discussed before authorizing military force and gun control measures so nothing new that really kind of moved the ball forward.

BERMAN: It is interesting. He is trying to tell the American people I've got this. The recent polling says the American people are not so sure. After the Paris attacks before what happened in California but after Paris, our CNN pollsters asked the American people do you approve of how the president is handling ISIS, 33 percent approve, 64 percent disapprove. [05:35:06]Another very interesting number here, we asked do you think the United States should send ground troops to fight ISIS inside Syria. On that number, 53 percent said yes send ground troops and 45 percent said no. Ground troops in Syria, last night, Steven, the president said he is not doing it.

SLOAN: Exactly. This really raises the question of whether the president and the public are in different places here. As you say, the president specifically said he did not want to do ground troops, and this is where the American people seem to be wanting to go. So, it raises the questions of how the president will handle this going forward.

ROMANS: Let's talk about the Republicans and what they had to say. No surprise. They all said the president doesn't get it on the fight against ISIS. He won't talk about a war against radical Islam. Listen to Senator Marco Rubio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He announced nothing new other than we need gun control. It would have done nothing to prevent the attack in California. We need to prevent people on the no fly list from buying weapons.

There are people that work for DHS that re on the no-fly list. By the way, these individuals conducted this attack would not have been prevented from accessing their weapons.

The cynicism tonight has spent a significant amount of time talking about discrimination against Muslims. Where is there widespread evidence that we have a problem in America where discrimination against Muslims and the refusal to call this for what it is a war on radical Islam?

BERMAN: And Donald Trump kind of echoing that last comment, Donald Trump tweeting during the president's speech, saying, "Obama refused. He just can't say it that we are at war with radical Islamic terrorists. And Donald Trump is also saying, "Is that all there is? We need a new president fast." What do you make of it?

SLOAN: Well, I mean, as you said, Christine, this is not really a surprise that Republicans and the president are in different places here. But it does demonstrate how deep that gap is between Republicans and Democrats going into this election year and how foreign policy is really animate this race.

And Republicans are all trying to position themselves to say they are in best position to be commander-in-chief. The one interesting thing, we have not heard from Hillary Clinton yet after the speech.

We've heard from virtually every Republican. We've heard from Bernie Sanders, but we haven't from Hillary Clinton yet. That is one we will be watching for.

BERMAN: There is an op-ed in the "New York Times" about Hillary Clinton on fighting Wall Street.

ROMANS: Different subject completely.

BERMAN: Talking about Wall Street and not ISIS, very interesting. Yes, Steven?

SLOAN: John, I think this really shows she is trying to figure out her grounding here. She doesn't want to distance herself from a president that she served under and she is close with. As our polling indicates is pursuing policies that the American public is not quite there with. She is navigating that as we speak it seems.

ROMANS: She was secretary of state during a period in which ISIS was strengthening. No question. You have her input on this is very relevant. No question.

SLOAN: Absolutely. It will be a question that she will get over and over again. She talked about it a little bit yesterday before the president's address saying that this is really the nexus between terrorism and technology.

We need high tech companies to work with the government and make sure that these videos can't be posted. You can't look to the internet to become self-radicalized as the couple in California apparently did. On the questions of ground troops, that is what she will be pressed on going forward.

BERMAN: As far as Republicans go, you will hear from them next week. The Republican debate here on CNN. That is December 15th, Tuesday night. Do not miss it. Steven Sloan, thank you so much.

ROMANS: The president as Steven mentioned is calling on the tech community to help fight ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I will urge high tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorist to use technology to escape from justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now he didn't elaborate on that line, but many think it's a reference to the ongoing battle over encryption. Right now, it is easier than ever for two people to have a private conversation from opposite sides of the globe.

WhatsApp and Telegram both encrypt text. Wicker sends self- destructing messages even Facetime is encrypted making that as even more difficult for law enforcement. The phones themselves are also encrypted. And you know, tech companies have fought government efforts to change that in the name of privacy.

BERMAN: New information about this morning about the woman in the California terror attacks. CNN travels to the town she was born in looking for clues. That's next.

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[05:44:05]

ROMANS: New details this morning about the radicalization of San Bernardino shooting suspect, Syed Rizwan Farook. Farook's father telling reporters his son had expressed support for ISIS and he was fixated on Israel and its destruction.

The FBI is investigating contacts Farook had with other suspected radicals before he and his wife embarked on their bloody rampage. We get more this morning from CNN's Kyung Lah in San Bernardino.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, the father of Syed Farook has been speaking to reporters on and off. He stopped to speak to reporters from his doorstep saying that his son was growing more conservative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All Pakistanis coming from the major cities are liberal people and he was moving forward conservative.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was going towards what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His views were conservative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: The father detailed much more in an interview with the Italian newspaper saying that his son shared the ideology of al-Baghdadi to create an Islamic State and was fixated on Israel.

[05:45:10]A relative in Pakistan tells CNN that they were increasingly becoming concerned about the shift in character of Farook. Throughout the weekend, there was no official news from the authorities.

We are expecting that to change later today when the FBI hold a news conference. Also, Farook's coworkers who were targeted during the shooting will return to work this morning -- John, Christine.

BERMAN: All right, Kyung, thanks so much. We are learning more about Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, the Pakistani-born woman who helped killed 14 people. Investigators are now digging into her past. They are going to her home in Pakistani, also trying to find her days as a pharmacy student at a university there.

CNN's Sophia Saifi joins us now live as she makes her way to Malik's ancestral village in Pakistan. What are you learning this morning?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: John, we spent the entire morning at the (inaudible) university in the town of Mosan (ph) and we learned that she attended the university between the years of 2007 and 2012.

We know that she was studying pharmacy and that he was completely shocked that an alum of his university could have committed such an unthinkable act. We then went and spoke to one of her professors, who taught her pharmacy while she was at university. The professor confirmed that she did cover her face, but that was not unusual compared to the other students at the university.

We were there. There was a vibrant mix of students there. You saw people with heads uncovered and lots of girls with faces covered with the burka and going around doing their day-to-day activities.

She was a very quiet student. She was a high achiever. She didn't really stand out. The word ordinary was repeated while we were speaking to both the spokesperson and the professor -- John.

BERMAN: What can you tell us about the history at the university and the region in terms of having your reputation for fostering radicals?

SAIFI: Well, the university itself responded in the 1970s by a liberal government, which wasn't far at that time. We were there and it has a very vibrant community with sports clubs and students from all sorts of backgrounds. It does not have a history of any sort of radicalization or having radical students.

The region, however, where we are right now, does have a history of having harboring militant groups. The situation with that is the militant groups are largely local based.

Terrorist activities have been directed toward Pakistanis themselves and not in a more Islamic way. If this is confirmed that she did have links to a militant organization here, it would be the first time that such an incident occurs on a large international scale -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Sophia Saifi for us in Pakistan, thank you so much.

ROMANS: All right, let's take a look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Michaela Pereira joins us this Monday morning. Hello.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: I didn't know it is Monday. I got bad information on that. Thanks so much, guys. We are talking about the president addressing the nation about the war on ISIS promising not to let up.

However, there are voices panning the speech for lack of new ideas even after a new intelligence report suggested ISIS is expanding. We are going to get the full spectrum of reaction including from New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and presidential hopeful, Rand Paul.

This coming on the heels of that terror attack in San Bernardino, California. New details emerging about those attackers including the male shooter trying to reach out to terror groups overseas. We will hear from his father about what he has to say about his son.

We have more on that on "NEW DAY" coming on Monday. Thanks, guys.

ROMANS: It's nice see you, Michaela. We'll see you very shortly.

Oil prices are plunging. That is some good news at the gas pump. I have that for you next.

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[05:53:55]

BERMAN: The Justice Department reportedly set to launch an investigation into the Chicago Police Department. This expands the ongoing civil rights probe into the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

This comes after the news that police report from the McDonald shooting differs starkly from what is seen on this dash cam video. McDonald was shot 16 times by Officer Jason Van Dyke. The federal investigation in the Chicago Police Department will be similar to the extensive one than in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri.

ROMANS: New details in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by a Cleveland police officer last year. An expert hired by the Rice family alleges the boy's hands were in his pocket and he was not reaching for the toy gun he was carrying when he was shot and killed by Officer Timothy Loehmann.

The experts study enhanced video of the shooting. Now other experts have called the police shooting a, quote, "Clearly objectively reasonable." A grand jury has been hearing evidence in the Tamir Rice case since October.

BERMAN: Former President Jimmy Carter with some big news about his health. He revealed it to his parishioners at his Georgia church over the weekend. His prayers appeared to have been answered. Let's get more from CNN's Nick Valencia.

[05:55:07]NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Jimmy Carter says he is cancer free. The former U.S. president made the stunning announcement at the start of Sunday school church service in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

After hearing the news, parishioners in attendance erupted into applause the unexpected announcement by the 91-year-old. It was just this summer that President Carter announced that he diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo a procedure in August to remove a small mass from his liver.

But doctors did say that the cancer was also found in his brain melanoma included four spots about 2 millimeters in diameter. President Carter did start to undergo radiation treatment as well as an experimental drug.

He mentioned drug in a statement he released to the media, which said, "My most recent MRI brain scan did not reveal any signs of the original cancer spots or any new ones. I will continue to receive regular three-week immunotherapy treatment.

We did speak to one of the leaders of the church who said that they had been praying for this announcement, but did not expect it to come. They called it a miracle -- John and Christine. ROMANS: Certainly great news for him. We wish him well. All right, let's get an EARLY START on your money. European stocks climbing. U.S. stock futures are higher after Friday's big rally. The Dow gained 370 points after that solid jobs report.

The economy has now added 12 million jobs since the recession paving the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next week. Uncertainly about the fed's timing has held markets back for months. The Dow is barely up for the year. The S&P 500 up just about 1.6 percent for the year.

Oil prices falling this morning, oil below $40 a barrel after OPEC failed to agree on an output target Friday. That leaves production near record highs, pumping oil around the world and prices stay low. It is a standoff among global energy producers.

Here in the U.S., overall production has barely declined. Some analysts say it could actually rise next year. It is great news for drivers. The national average for a gallon of regular is $2.03 this morning.

Hillary Clinton is pushing her big plans for Wall Street. In a "New York Times" op-ed this morning, Clinton, if elected, she will keep current financial reform and fight for tougher new rules. Her plan is impose fees for risky behavior and give the government more tools to break up big banks.

Plus she wants to tax some high-frequency trading. She also wrote, quote, "Executives need to be held more accountable. No one should be too big to jail. Clinton accused Republican candidates of forgetting the financial crisis and the devastation it caused.

But rivals in her own party like Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley, they want much bigger changes. You know, in the last debate, she was actually criticized for saying she went to Wall Street in 2007 and said cut this out. Her critics say she is not tough enough.

BERMAN: Interesting that she came out with this this morning. Everyone is talking about ISIS today, but this may have been the worse while before the president's speech last night came up.

President Obama in the speech in the oval office vowing to destroy ISIS. "NEW DAY" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: This was an act of terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the oval office, setting the president does not choose very often.

OBAMA: We will destroy ISIL.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I applaud him for the rhetoric.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He basically just explained what he is doing now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His head's in the clouds if he thinks this current strategy is going to succeed.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": In touch with people being investigated by the FBI for international terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Facebook a pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His father says I cannot forgive myself. Maybe if I had been at home, I would have found out and stopped him.

BERMAN: The Justice Department reportedly set to launch an investigation into the Chicago Police Department.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did it take 13 months?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The accounts of other officers and the sergeant don't match the video.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, December 7th, 6:00 in the east. Did you see the big speech last night? We'll tell you about it. President Obama attempting to reassure the American people after last week's deadly terror attack in San Bernardino.

The president using a rare primetime oval office address to acknowledge the terror threat has evolved and vowing to overcome it.

BERMAN: But it is what the president did not say that has critics pouncing this morning. Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump tweeting, is that all there is? We need a new president fast.

Let's get more from CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Joe Johns. He is live at the White House. Good morning, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. A relatively short Sunday night address from the president of the United States confirming that the attack in San Bernardino was an act of terror and in the process, firing up the president's critics who say the administration isn't doing enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it.

JOHNS (voice-over): President Obama speaking passionately to millions in a rare oval office address late Sunday strongly condemning ISIS and calling Wednesday's mass shooting in San Bernardino a terrorist attack.