Return to Transcripts main page

EARLY START

MH370 Search: Plane Wreckage Offers New Clues; Former Cop Released on Bail; Taliban Selects New Leader; U.S.: "Jihadi John" Most Likely Alive; House Dems Vow to Uphold Iran Nuke Deal. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired July 31, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:19] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: new information suggesting Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was deliberately taken off course before it crashed as investigators search for more pieces of the plane in the Indian Ocean.

Live team coverage breaking down all the angles on this big story now begins.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alison Kosik. It's Friday, July 31st. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Breaking news this morning: in search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence finding that someone controlling the plane deliberately flew it off course before it disappeared. Two U.S. officials briefed on the assessment say it was prepared months ago and was not intended for public release.

The new analysis put the spotlight back on the two pilots. But Malaysian investigators say there is no evidence of unusual behavior by the pilots or the cabin crew before the flight.

Meantime, on Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean, new debris has washed ashore in addition to the wing component that was found earlier. Remnants of what looks like a suitcase were found Thursday and searchers are out scouring the shoreline for more.

Senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir is on Reunion with the latest -- Nima.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison. The focal point is going to continue today to be that stretch of beach along Saint-Andre. It plays into the broader theory that investigators are working with at the moment that perhaps a wider counter current is responsible for bringing debris from the initial search site across the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Australia.

And what they're going to be looking for is to see if that theory bears out. If it does, they will expect to see more. But what we're hearing from officials here is although perhaps in

private, they are growing more confident and at the very least, this is debris from the Boeing 777, no one wants to be responsible for bringing anymore grief to those families. Nobody wants to give false hope. So, the focal point from here on in, as they look to see if there's anything else that they can intercept anything washing up on shoreline is going to be getting this evidence to the investigators in the south of France and trying to get analysis of that as quickly as possible, Alison.

KOSIK: And with this debris washing up, I'm imagining, obviously, the search has certainly intensified around Reunion Island. Explain how that is going and how more debris could be nearby.

ELBAGIR: Given that debris has washed up on Reunion Island, the question poses itself is what about Madagascar? What about further along that coast? If you are dealing with counter currents, then you're going to be looking at that movement and where the current eventually washes up. So, that's now pull people looking more closely at the southeastern coast of Africa.

But for now, everyone we have been speaking to says although this is the first time in a long time that they feel that there could be something very tangible here, Alison, what they don't want to do is go down that road again, of massive sea searches, getting the families' hopes up before they have something really, really concrete, to bounce this all of off.

KOSIK: And they are waiting for that answer hopefully coming soon. Nima Elbagir on Reunion, thanks so much.

MARQUEZ: And this morning, the airplane flaperon found on the shore of Reunion Island on the flight to France for analysis at the office of the BEA, that's the agency charged with investigating civil aviation accidents. They are looking for anything that would confirm the component came from MH370, anything that points to possible cause of the airliners disappearance and anything that might help find the rest of the plane, the flaperon was torn from.

For more, let's bring in senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. He is live in France.

When do we expect that part to arrive, Fred?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miguel.

We expect the part to arrive here Sunday morning. What's going to happen is it's going to be on the flight to Paris and arrive there later today or early Saturday morning and then it has to be brought down here to where I am to the south of France which is Toulouse.

I'm standing in front of what's called the DEA, which is an aeronautical lab here. And what they're specialized is looking at these aeronautical parts, looking at airplane parts, the electronics, but also, of course, the structural outside parts of airplanes, the aerodynamics of these parts and then assessing what could have happened to these parts in accident investigation.

[04:05:04] This lab, for instance that I'm standing in front of which is part of the French defense ministry, was also involved in the investigation to that Air France flight, that crashed a couple years ago. These are the premier specialists and they will look carefully. As I said, the part will most likely arrive on Sunday. Unclear how long it will take to determine whether or not this is part of a 777, what part this is of the 777 and, of course, trying to find out what might have happened to the part.

There will be a lot of analysis taking place on parts of that debris that will be coming in here. But there is also analysis taking place as to what might have caused the aircraft that part is from to crash. Could it be an explosion? Could it have been something else? These are all things that the scientists here are going to be working on, Miguel.

MARQUEZ: Never so much hope and fear of what that part might tell us. Thank you very much, Fred.

KOSIK: And this morning, the families of 239 passengers and crew on MH370 are reacting with caution and skepticism to officials who say they are increasingly confident that the flaperon is indeed from the missing jet. After repeatedly having their hopes raised and dashed, some say they want 100 percent certainty the part came from MH370.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH BAJC, PARTNER PHILIP WOOD WAS ON MH370: You know, we lived for 16 months in the state of limbo with absolutely no concrete information, and in fact, a lot of misdirection by the officials. We have become very suspicious of anything that can't be proven through a third party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Let's bring in CNN's Will Ripley for more on the reaction from MH370 families.

Will, you know, you can only imagine what these families are going through, 16 months of hearing nothing and, all of a sudden, this. Is it a mix of relief? What are families saying?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, we have been speaking to some of them today here in Beijing, Alison. As you know, more than 150 of the 239 people on the plane were Chinese. And the one characteristic that all the family members that we're seeing a share is that they look they've just been beaten. I mean, emotionally, they have -- this is bringing a lot of them back to the pain of early March of last year.

The way that they are processing the news is different on who you speak to. Some are very angry and still quite emotional and grief- stricken. Some are still holding on to hope that through some sort of a miracle that these people may be alive or they may be able to see their loved ones again. And we spoke to one woman. Her only child was on the plane, her

daughter. And she said, every day, what keeps me going is the thought that I might see her again and I just can't accept that fact can be taken away from me.

And the skepticism, of course, comes from the fact that, yes, almost 17 months on, they still haven't seen tangible piece of the plane. And they say even if this debris is from MH370, they want to know where are the people. Were the people on the plane that went down? Those are the questions that they're asking, and until they see remains or tangible proof, they will still not have that closure.

Can you imagine, some 500 days, still not knowing and just living every day wondering what happened?

KOSIK: No, I cannot imagine.

One question for you, Will, though. You know one issue during this investigation has been the lack of information coming from officials to families. Are we seeing more information go directly to the families now that possibly parts of the plane may have been found?

RIPLEY: We had some families tell us they have communicated occasionally with Malaysian Airlines. But we had others say that they had felt completely cut off. The Chinese government has discouraged families' attempts to get together, to have information. Public gatherings are kind of discouraged here in China, as it is.

So, families have tried to protest to raise attention to their plight. And the government has actually broken up those protests. And so, they don't have a hotline anymore. They don't have a support center opened here in Beijing anymore.

So, there are many who really feel like they're having to go through this all by themselves without information coming to them through official channels. They're hoping that will change. They're hoping they'll get some sort of official word, but it hasn't happened yet.

KOSIK: All right. Making an agonizing situation even more difficult.

Will Ripley, thanks for that.

MARQUEZ: And we should know within a few days if the flaperon is from MH370, but we still don't know where the debris came from.

Tom Foreman explains what evidence will float the ocean's surface and what is likely to be on the ocean floor -- Tom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miguel, Alison, think about the nature of an airplane. It is a tough durable craft that has to survive in very difficult circumstances. Accordingly, many parts are lightweight and they will float.

[04:10:01] Let's start with the wings and the tail. They are made of composite materials. They're very lightweight, and even if they're torn into pieces, big sections can float and they can float for a very long time.

Underneath the plane, down in the cargo hold, people may check things that also will float if that gets torn open and flown free. Move in to the cabin of the plane, you get even more. Think about the speeches you heard about floating seat cushions. Well, there will be hundreds of those on a plane like this.

Plus, all the things that passengers bring on board. Water bottles, and toiletry kits, maybe little packets of cookies or chips, all sorts of things that if they contain enough air could pop to the surface and stay there for a very long time. So, they have reason to keep looking for these if they found one piece.

What won't float? Well, things like the engines. These are incredibly important to investigations. They tell you if you still had fuel, if you went in under power or not under power. And there's no way they are on top of the water. There will be thousands of pounds.

Same can be said for the voice and data recorders. No way that these can be on top of the waves. Instead, in all likelihood, if investigators are accurate, they are still somewhere on the bottom of the floor of the Indian Ocean, a place that is treacherous with hills and valleys and darkness and tremendous pressure where so far these things have not been tracked down -- Miguel, Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Thanks, Tom.

We will cover the latest for the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 all morning.

KOSIK: But, first, the police officer accused of the traffic stop murder appears in court as new video in the case is released. That coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: New information this morning on the search for Malaysia Airline 370. A U.S. intelligence assessment concluding that someone in the cockpit deliberately flew MH370 off course before the plane disappeared. On the same Indian Ocean island where part of the wing washed ashore, new debris has been found.

[04:15:03] Part of a suitcase was found Thursday, and crews are searching the shoreline for more debris. Meantime, that wing component is being flown to France where investigators will try to confirm whether it came from MH370.

MARQUEZ: And a former University of Cincinnati police officer released from jail after posting bond. Ray Tensing spending 27 hours behind bars under suicide watch before his father bailed him out. He is facing murder charges for shooting a black motorist in the head during a traffic stop earlier this month.

Tensing claimed he fired at Samuel DuBose after getting knocked to the ground and dragged by his car. But this new video from Tensing's body camera contradicts that story. Listen to Tensing seconds after the shooting giving his version of what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER RAY TENSING: Tried to run me over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You OK?

TENSING: I guess.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

TENSING: (INAUDIBLE) gunshot wound to the head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Now, for more on this video evidence in the case and reaction from DuBose's family, here's CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miguel, Alison, to date, three body cam videos have been released. None of them appear to show Tensing being dragged by DuBose's car.

Even so, Tensing's attorney says one of those body cam videos is significant. It shows Tensing on the ground. Tensing attorney says that is evidence enough that something has happened. But Dubose's family could not disagree more. They say what they see on those tapes is very clear to them.

TERINA DUBOSE ALLEN, VICTIM'S SISTER: There's a camera angle. That's not going to show him putting his hands up and say, what are you doing?

Go ahead and I would ask his attorney to get those angles and show me the angles that show where my brother did not beg for his life. Put his hands up where he ever dragged the police officer.

STEW MATTHEWS, TENSING'S ATTORNEY: You can tell he was moved at least 20 to 25 feet from the scene of the traffic stop and he is getting up in the street. That tends to corroborate what he said happened. He was getting dragged.

CARROLL: Tensing's bail set at $1 million. Late Thursday, he was out on bond. DuBose's family says that any of the University of Cincinnati police officers who corroborated his story should also be held accountable.

I can tell you that two University of Cincinnati police officers are now on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation -- Miguel, Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: OK, Jason, thanks for that.

Breaking news: the Taliban naming a new leader. Mullah Akhtar Mansoor appointed to the position after a meeting of top Taliban officials. He is a long time deputy to Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, whose death was just confirmed by Taliban officials. Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government on hold now during the transition of power.

MARQUEZ: U.S. intelligence officials say recent indications suggest Jihadi John is alive and well and hiding likely in Syria. The hooded ISIS executioner hasn't been seen in months after appearing in several brutal beheading videos. The U.S.-led coalition has been trying to track him down. It's believed he is transferred to a lower profile position by ISIS to keep him out of the spotlight.

KOSIK: A Pentagon program to train Syrian rebels to fight against ISIS is hitting all kinds of snags. Finding volunteer recruits has been a challenge. Most of them have been rejected for being too extreme and many who pass the screening process have deserted. Only a tiny group of fighters remain. And now, one of their leaders has been kidnapped near the Syria/Turkey border not by ISIS but by an extremist group affiliated with al Qaeda.

MARQUEZ: Democrats in the House of Representatives are lining up behind the Iran nuclear deal. Increasing numbers of the House Democrats promising to back President Obama and the Iran deal against Republican opposition. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi even calling it a diplomatic master piece. But lobbying efforts are ramping up and proponents are feeling pressure.

Speaking to liberal groups by phone overnight, President Obama said he can tell when his supporters are getting squishy and encourages them to speak up in support.

KOSIK: Time for an early start on your money.

Looks like a calm end of the week for stocks. Stocks in China down about 1 percent. That's nothing compared to the huge swings we have been seeing. European stocks are up and U.S. stock futures are barely moving at the moment.

Stocks finished yesterday basically unchanged because investors got a good but not great sign. The economy is picking up momentum. GDP grew 2.3 percent in the second quarter. Wall Street was expecting higher, but it was a huge improvement from the growth at the beginning of the year.

[04:20:03] And oil prices, we're keeping an eye on those. Still falling this morning. Crude oil down 1 percent right now near $48 a barrel. The global supply glut is getting worse. And global demand is weakening.

Miguel, of course, good news for drivers, not so good news for energy companies.

MARQUEZ: I'm going to get a car just so I can have cheap gas.

KOSIK: I want you to fill up my tank of gas, and since you enjoy it so much.

MARQUEZ: Of course, of course. Every morning, every morning.

A dangerous heat wave not loosening its grip on the country. Let's bring in meteorologist Derek Van Dam that it will soon -- Derek.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Alison and Miguel.

Did you feel the drop in humidity in the Big Apple? That's the big question on -- well, at least my mind for you, because there was a cold front that moved through the East Coast of the United States. Temperatures did not drop all that much, but certainly the humidity levels did.

Here's our daytime highs through the rest of the weekend. We should hover right around the 90-degree mark, but you'll feel considerably cooler because we don't have that humidity factor to work with.

Still across the Southeast, it's very humid, but we've had some relief across the New England coastline, from Boston to the nation's capital. It's all the dividing line between the stationary boundary that's also producing a few shower and thunderstorms this weekend, especially across the Florida panhandle. Along the western half of the United States, we start to see our temperatures rise again.

Very hot conditions along the Pacific Northwest, that includes Seattle and Portland. Take a look at the daytime highs. Breaking the 100- degree mark across Oregon. Seattle will top the mid-90s.

Back to you.

KOSIK: OK. Happening now: investigators examining pieces of the plane in the Indian Ocean. Has missing Flight MH370 been found? How experts will make that determination, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:25:25] KOSIK: The possible discovery of possible debris from MH370 prompting many questions. Chief among them, what exactly is the flaperon that washed up and can it help solve the mystery of what happened to the jetliner?

CNN's Nick Valencia has an up close look with an aviation expert.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miguel and Alison, this is Universal Asset Management. They know a lot about aviation, a lot about the Boeing 777. Their resident expert joining us here now, senior vice president Michael Kenney.

We've heard a lot about the flaperon. What is it? What does it do? Where is it on the plane?

MICHAEL KENNEY, SVP, UNIVERSAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: The flaperon is located right between these two larger structures. These are called the flaps. The flaperon is a flight surface that controls lift at low speeds, as well as maneuverability of the aircraft.

VALENCIA: And we brought one down here to get a closer look. This is exactly what would be on a Boeing 777. Something you pointed out, this data plate gives information specifically about where this piece could have come from. But it's gone. Where could it have gone?

KENNEY: Yes. Any component is going to have a data plate that identifies part number and serial number. It's held on by adhesive. So, over time, if it's sat in a substance such as water, it could wear away and remove from the component.

VALENCIA: And you've been following this since the very beginning. You saw something that stood out to you about the damage. What is this side of the -- on the flaperon?

KENNEY: The component is held on to the aircraft by two actuators or linkages. On the pictures that we've seen coming out of Reunion, both of those links have been removed.

VALENCIA: These mounting points right here?

KENNEY: These mounting points have been forcibly removed, as well as on the aft section of the component, there's a lot of tearing where that piece which is most external to the aircraft would have been removed.

VALENCIA: Again, this is a replica, this flaperon, but it's something like this that wash up right off the coast of Madagascar that could provide investigators a link to finding out exactly what happened to MH370 -- Miguel, Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE0

MARQUEZ: Thanks to Nick.

And was missing Malaysia Airline Flight 370 intentionally steered off course before it crashed? New information this morning coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)