Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Statement from Family of Alan Henning; U.S. Investigating ISIS Militant in Video; 2 White House Security Incidents; Hunt for Alleged Cop Killer Intensifies; ISIS At The Forefront; Alan Henning's Family Pleads for His Life; POI Identified in College Girl's Disappearance

Aired September 20, 2014 - 19:00   ET

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

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello. I'm Ana Cabrera. Thanks for joining me.

Tonight, a new disturbing ISIS video showing the moments before a mass killing. But it is the voice in this video that has U.S. Intelligence officials most concerned, what could be an American voice. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're here with the soldiers of Bashar. You can see them now digging their own graves in the very place where they were stationed. They said that we abandoned the fronts and stopped fighting the Kufar to turn our guns towards the Muslims. They lied! Malahi. We are the harshest towards the Kufar! And the flames of war are only beginning to intensify.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Right now, U.S. Authorities are running vocal and facial recognition to try to identify this ISIS militant who appears to be in a position of power. Now, this information coming from CNN's justice correspondent, Pamela Brown.

Meanwhile, the battle against ISIS rages on in northern Syria. Hundreds of Kurdish fighters from Turkey have arrived to help fight the terrorists who have recently taken over about 60 Kurdish villages.

And another new development, ISIS has just released 49 hostages, including diplomats, who have been held captive since being abducted at the Turkish consulate in Mosul in June. It's not clear just yet what the conditions of this hostage release were, but the Turkish government says it was in direct contact with ISIS.

And now, I want to read you a new statement we just got from the family of British citizen, Alan Henning. He is, of course, the aide worker held hostage currently by ISIS, which has threatened to execute him as they have three other Westerners.

The family's statement is as follows, and I quote, "I am Barbara Henning, the wife of Alan Henning. Allen was taken prisoner last December and is being held by the Islamic State." She goes on to say, "Alan is a peaceful, selfless man who left his family and his job as a taxi driver in the U.K. to drive in a convoy all the way to Syria with his Muslim colleagues and friends to help those most in need. When he was taken, he was driving an ambulance full of food and water to be handed out to anyone in need."

She says, "His purpose for being there was no more and no less. This was an act of sheer compassion. I cannot see how it could assist any state's cause to allow the world to see a man like Alan dying.

I have been trying to communicate with the Islamic State and the people holding Alan. I have sent some really important messages, but they have not been responded to. I pray that the people holding Alan respond to my messages and contact me before it is too late.

When they hear this message, I implore the people of the Islamic State to see it in their hearts to release my husband, Alan Henning."

Again, that message from the wife of Alan Henning. He also has two young children.

Joining me now is Shadi Hamid, a fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for Middle East Policy and author of the book "Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in the New Middle East."

Also with me here is Lieutenant Colonel Frank Francona, a CNN military analyst.

Shadi, let's start with the last plea we just read for Henning's wife. Would ISIS be gaining anything at this point by another execution?

SHADI HAMID, FELLOW, BROOKINGS INST. CTR. FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY: So, you know, I think so far we -- you know, are they really a rational actor? It may seem to us there isn't much for them to benefit. But there is almost a kind of blood lust here. And they want to essentially terrorize Western populations. They want to instill fear in the hearts of their opponents.

So, I think this is very deliberate and why -- there is no reason to think the beheadings are going to stop.

It is ironic the people they had beheaded are people who are devoting themselves to helping the Syrian people and promoting awareness about their plight. But I don't think ISIS cares too much about that.

So, right now, I think it's pretty unlikely to expect ISIS to move in a different direction.

CABRERA: What do you think, Colonel?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. I think there is no reason to think they're going to stop. They believe this tactic works for them and it does terrify their opponents, not just here in the United States or in Europe, but also those in Iraq and Syria in the areas they're trying to control. CABRERA: I want to talk a little bit about that new propaganda video

we also showed at the top of the hour here, the one with the man who has the North American accent. How significant is it? I mean, we're seeing these videos and their messages evolve.

FRANCONA: Well, I think it's more important that the guy is from North America, if he's an American. I don't know that he holds a particular position of power in the organization. I think he's been singled out because he's an American.

We know that when these -- when people show up when they go to is and as recruits they're separated. The ones that have no education, they usually just give them basic rudimentary training and send them off to fight. But it's the ones with an education or those from the West that can be exploited for propaganda purposes.

And this guy that has the North American accent, he's being exploited. He's being exploited because he's an American and he's exploited for that accent.

CABRERA: Speaking of recruiting, you know, we're hearing more and more about the power of is' recruitment abilities.

Shadi, what is the motivation for educated western men and women to fight alongside ISIS?

HAMID: So, if you look at the background of some of the Westerners who joined ISIS, they come from troubled backgrounds, they have -- they have struggled to define their identity, and this is especially an issue in Europe where Muslim minorities aren't well integrated into society. There is discrimination. There is a kind of glass ceiling in terms of getting ahead in society.

So, I think ISIS preys on those vulnerable individuals.

But there is also a kind of ideological component too. That the idea for at least a minority of religious Muslims to be fighting and dying for a cause, in this case the Islamic State, that does have some resonance.

And I think also, ISIS is now trying to portray itself strategically as fighting the U.S., and that's also appealing. I mean, anti- American sentiment is rampant, not just in the Middle East, but also among Muslim minorities in Europe.

So when they're trying to kind of goad the U.S. into intervening more, that could actually benefit their propaganda, because they can say we're fighting the American enemy.

CABRERA: Did the U.S., Colonel, underestimate this motivation?

FRANCONA: I think there was a lot of underestimated. They underestimated the willingness of ISIS to fight and die. I mean, they are taking horrendous casualties, but they continue to fight. And they go on. I think on the other side of that, if we look what happened in Iraq as

the Iraqi army basically threw down their arms and left, it was -- we overestimated the Iraqi army, because we failed to realize how bad the leadership of the Iraqi army had atrophied in our absence.

After 2011, the leadership of the Iraqi army was replaced by basically a Nouri al Maliki/Shia cronies. And the leadership was gone. When you've got poor leadership, I don't care how good your troops are, you're going to fail.

CABRERA: I want to go back to just the kind of blanket ISIS, their name, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. They want to go by Islamic State -- so that first word, Islamic -- you know, what does religion at this point play into it?

Shadi, I know you've done a lot of research in this area. I mean, we're hearing from other Muslims saying this is not what our religion is all about.

HAMID: Yes, I mean, sure. The vast majority of Muslims don't agree with ISIS' ideology whatsoever. But for ISIS themselves, they are, in fact, motivated by a kind of religious inspiration. They feel that they're doing God's work.

So, we don't have to agree with it. But I think it's very important to recognize that they believe that they're observing a very literalist interpretation of God's law. And they're also in a way trying to do a kind of historical reenactment, going back to the seventh century and kind of portraying themselves as successors to the prophet and his companions.

So, you can talk about the Islamic State without talking about Islam. And I think that if we try to put the religious aspect to the side, then we're not fully understanding our enemy, and what motivates them.

CABRERA: All right. Shadi Hamid, as well as Rick Francona, Colonel, thank you so much for being here with us.

Coming up, two security incidents at the White House. This is just in the last 24 hours, two incidents. One of the men arrested made it all the way inside the White House. Why did Secret Service let it happen? We'll discuss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: New information now about two security incidents at the White House this weekend.

Today, the Secret Service says 19-year-old Kevin Carr drove toward a barricade, even after police tried to him to stop. He was arrested when he refused to leave the scene. And last night a man identified now as Omar Gonzalez jumped the fence and actually made it inside the president's house before he was apprehended.

The Secret Service just released a statement in the past hour on that more serious incident, the first one, saying, "Although last night the officers showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject, the location of Gonzalez's arrest is not acceptable."

And then we also received this from the White House, "The president has full confidence in the Secret Service and is grateful to the men and women who day in and day out protect himself, his family and the White House."

I'm joined now by law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes.

Tom, does the White House need to be worried?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST (via telephone): Well, it's a good question, Ana. I think that, you know, in terms of the judgment they use, I would say no. And I know it's a terrible thing that somebody jumped over the fence and managed to get to the front door.

But, you know, certainly, the White House security people could have shot him dead long before he got to that door and used their judgment that it just didn't quite look like an attack. It may be looked like a deranged person. They would be able to see if the person had a backpack on or some other bulky clothing that might be an explosive device or something.

So, I think that -- and the other concern would be if they start shooting at a running subject like that, the bullets would be going, you know, into the tourists that are out on the sidewalk surrounding the White House. So, I think they used the right judgment, the right amount of restraint.

The question is, of course, you know, how athletic is this guy? Maybe we should get him on our Olympic team if he's able to jump over that fence. But I think that, you know, in terms of being able to prevent any violence at the White House, they used the right amount of force to prevent it.

CABRERA: You know all joking aside, obviously the secret service has to be a little bit nervous that it came to him getting inside the White House. Do you think that some protocols maybe need to be changed?

FUENTES: Well, as I just said, I mean, I think that the nervousness is that if they were really more concerned, they would have killed him. I mean, frankly. They wouldn't have allowed him to get to the front door or in the front door.

And I think that they were looking at the whole circumstance of this guy coming at them and running across the lawn and just used their judgment that it didn't need to be anymore. Now, yes, somebody needs to go back and look at whether that fence is the right size and the right shape, and whether it should have a curved, you know, point at the top, curved back and make it hard to climb over. You know, and that actually out of all of the issues, that would be fairly easily taken care of, and whether they need more people patrolling that perimeter fence out near the sidewalk where all the tourists are, you know, so that if somebody starts to go up that fence and it takes them a little longer to get over it, that an officer can grab them before they actually get over the fence.

So I think there's several counter measures that they could add to increase security. But in terms of this guy -- and I think the other question would be what they might have done if the president and first family had not left. They had already --

CABRERA: Right.

FUENTES: They were airborne as of about five minutes earlier to leave the area. What if they were still in the residence, still in the building or they were having a steak dinner at the White House or, you know, something along those lines. So, there's certainly a number of scenarios that -- where things could have been different and worse.

But, you know, again, they used their judgment, and fortunately it turned out to be the right way to handle it.

CABRERA: Definitely. Tom Fuentes, thanks for your insight.

A search for a suspended cop killer in Pennsylvania intensifies. Hundreds of law enforcement officers are combing the woods there. We will have the latest on the search, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Right now, hundreds of officers are combing the woods for a suspected cop killer in Pennsylvania. Eric Frein is a survivalist, possibly hold up somewhere in the Pocono mountains. People are telling people in Price and Barrett Townships to stay inside, stay away from windows. Residents are essentially on lockdown and have been now for almost 24 hours.

Authorities still very concerned for the safety of this community. Frein is believed to have ambushed and gunned down this Pennsylvania state police officer, Byron Dickson last week. Another officer also seriously injured.

I want to bring back our Alexandra Field, who's been covering the story in eastern Pennsylvania.

Alexandra, what are you hearing on the manhunt tonight?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A long night ahead, Ana, for everyone in this community. They have been on high alert for days now, tensions still running high as everyone continues to wait for word that officers have found their suspect. So, as night falls here, people are again going inside, being told to lock their doors, stay away from their windows. We saw hundreds of law enforcement officers out here today, continuing to comb this very heavily wooded area.

It is near to the Frein family home where that Eric shared with his parents. This is the area that has been the subject of search for days now, 300 to 400 different law enforcement officers from a number of different agencies working together to try and find a suspect who they have said is likely armed and dangerous at this point. It's the reason so many people are hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution to this manhunt which has now stretched for an entire week.

Again, officers were out there searching all day long at this point. They will have to continue that search. A lot of people hoping they will wake up to news that the suspect has finally been apprehended, Ana.

CABRERA: Do you still feel that same sense of urgency that we were hearing and feeling last night? We even heard of shots fired last night in an incident, but yet somehow, he's still on the run.

FIELD: Yes, I think this got very real for people here last night. This is when they were first told to sort of shelter in place, lock the door, stay away from windows. I think that's when people sort of started to really very much recognize the immediate danger of this situation.

And I think that's only sort of grown as the hours pass now. Look, they know that nightfall is pretty much here and that's where we have seen activity the last two nights. Last night with officers believing they had the suspect surrounded in an area, but again not detaining him the night before that was when there was a report that he had been spotted.

So, this is about that time when we have seen some movement on other nights and I think that really resonates with people who live here and I think everyone is really going to be heeding the advice and the warnings they have been given by law enforcement officers for trying to keep everyone safe at this point.

CABRERA: All right. Alexandra Field, thanks for that.

Hundreds of volunteers headed out into the Virginia woods today, looking for a missing college student, Hannah Graham. Yesterday, police searched the apartment of a so-called person of interest in this case. They believe it is the same man who was seen with his arm around Graham early Saturday morning last Saturday. That was when she went missing.

Police searched his car, they searched his apartment. But they still say there wasn't enough evidence to make an arrest. Graham's parents say their 18-year-old daughter would not have just disappeared on her own.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE POLICE DEPT: They want to know what happened to their little girl. That's all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Police are offering a $50,000 reward for any information that could lead them to the University of Virginia student.

As the U.S. continues its campaign against ISIS in Iraq, could the president soon give the go ahead to launch airstrikes against ISIS in Syria? We'll talk about it, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: President Obama heads to the United Nations next week and no issue looms larger than ISIS. He will make a speech to the General Assembly and will carry special session of the Security Council.

CNN's Erin McPike has a review.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Kerry making a case that the United Nations the fight against ISIS can't wait.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We must not miss this moment.

MCPIKE: President Obama takes the same world stage this week, but the White House is avoiding questions about when he might give the go ahead for airstrikes against ISIS inside Syria.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Both the president and his national security team, including the military commanders are prepared to conduct airstrikes in Syria.

MCPIKE: But answers like that have patience on both sides of the aisle wearing thin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If this plan doesn't work, what is the alternative? What does it look like in the Middle East then?

CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, we always have plan Bs and Cs, that's what the military does, as well as anybody in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The amendment is adopted.

MCPIKE: Part of the plan now stamped with congressional approval could take a year, arming and training some 5,000 members of the Free Syrian Army at bases in Saudi Arabia.

SUSAN RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This will be a process that takes months. And I think that's been indicated. This is not going to happen overnight.

MCPIKE: It's not just that time line making lawmakers nervous.

REP. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D), ILLINOIS: We don't know who they are. I'm not comfortable with the vetting process. And I don't know how long this commitment is.

MCPIKE: The Syrian rebels are the boots on the ground the president hopes will take the fight to is, a force estimated at six times larger with roughly 30,000 extremist fighters. And the Pentagon is pushing back on reports commanders are skeptical that plan can work, without at least the possibility of U.S. Combat troops, something the president has ruled out. REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Everybody is in

alignment about the strategy. Everybody is in alignment about the objectives and how to achieve them.

MCPIKE: Erin McPike, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: With the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, one of the ways of combating them is by having agents on the inside.

Meet Morten Storm, he was former European-biker-turned-militant- Islamist-turned-insider-CIA-double-agent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Morten Storm, for half a decade he says he moved back and forth between two worlds and two identities, when one misplaced sentence could have cost him his life.

UNDENTIFIED MALE: You don't know what angle he's playing.

ROBERTSON: Traveling between atheism, hard line Islam, English and Arabic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In one minute, he's 007. On the other side, he's now part of the militant circle.

ROBERTSON: Between being an agent for Western intelligence and a sworn member of al Qaeda, Storm says he was a double agent, so trusted by al Qaeda terror leaders, he even fixed one of up with a blonde European wife.

A unique powerful weapon in the war on terror, who says he got results.

MORTEN STORM: I have been responsible of 30 kills.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Thirty terrorists killed.

(voice-over): In a race against time, trying to bring down the most dangerous terrorists, before they can launch their next attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Watch "DOUBLE AGENT: INSIDE AL QAEDA FOR THE CIA". That's tonight at 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

ISIS grabbing all the headlines right now, but make no mistake -- al Qaeda is still out there, and still a major threat. Ahead, is that terror group growing while our focus is elsewhere?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Amid the highly publicized beheadings of journalists and aid workers and personal taunts even aimed at President Obama, ISIS is still at the very much the forefront of the national conversation. But with all eyes on ISIS, Al Qaeda appears eager to get back into the limelight.

CNN's Pam Brown explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAM BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Its newer, even smaller bombs than the ones in these toothpaste tubes that have U.S. officials so concerned. An American intelligence official said publicly the government is worried about a terrorist cell in Syria known as Khorasan saying it's working with Al Qaeda bomb makers to target U.S. flights, the same bomb makers, including Ibrahim Al Asiri behind the failed 2009 underwear bomb on a Detroit-bound plane and the bomb hidden in a printer cartridge on a cargo plane in 2010.

JAMES CLAPPER, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: This Khorasan group, they call, which I guess is out there is potentially yet another threat to the homeland.

BROWN: U.S. officials say Khorasan is made up of Al Qaeda fighters who were fighting in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. The worry is they're now in Syria, working to recruit European and American-born fighters who can use their passports to smuggle bombs on to U.S.-bound airplanes.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: One of the operatives who has moved from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region to Syria is a Saudi operative called Abdul Rahman Al-Jahani (ph). He's an experienced fighter, he was part of Al Qaeda's Imam structure in the Afghanistan- Pakistan border region and a year or so ago he moved to Syria and according to the United States Intelligence Services, he's involved in plotting attacks against western targets.

BROWN: Wednesday, U.S. officials hinted at those same concerns, telling Congress, Al-Qaeda affiliates are intent on targeting U.S. flights.

MATTHEW OLSEN, DIRECTION, NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: Over the past five years, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula sought on three times to take down an airplane bound for the United States.

BROWN: And U.S. officials say there is fierce competition between Al Qaeda and ISIS to be known as the biggest, baddest Jihadi organization.

CRUICKSHANK: That would be a very, very worrying scenario indeed if these two groups start to try and outdo each other to launch attacks back in the west. For Al Qaeda, it would be a way to restore its relevance when ISIS is grabbing all the headlines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: I want to bring in Lt. Col. Rick Francona back with me as well as Josh Roggin, who is joining us on the phone, CNN political analyst and correspondent for "The Daily Beast." Colonel, how concerned should we be about Al Qaeda right now?

LT. CO. RICK FRANCONA: Well, Al Qaeda has not forgotten their stated goal of going after American aviation. They have been trying to do this for years. They've been developing new tactics and new techniques. And they haven't been successful but that doesn't mean they stopped trying.

Now they see a threat from ISIS. They see themselves being eclipsed. (INAUDIBLE) wants to make himself relevant again so he has renewed the push. We are seeing this renewed effort to develop some sort of device that they can get on to an airliner. That's why you're seeing this increased security at American airports.

CABRERA: They want to reclaim their territory as the terrorist organization.

FRANCONA: (INAUDIBLE) recruitment. Because everybody now is going to ISIS because ISIS has this reputation of being the true Islamic fighters. And when someone is disaffected and they decide they're going to join an organization, you go with who you believe are going to be the winners.

CABRERA: I want to talk more about that with you, Josh. You know, officials believe this group, the Khorasan, who is part of Al Qaeda, is extraordinarily dangerous because of their technical bomb making experience and their access to a huge pool of potential fighters with American passports. But can they successfully recruit American jihadists?

JOSH ROGGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. Well, the problem here is that when an American uses his passport to go into Turkey and then travel over the border into Syria, there is no way to know which group he enters. And it's well-known that ISIS has about 100 Americans in the organization. But the Al-Nusra Brigade which is the Al Qaeda branch in Syria may have Americans working there too. We just can't tell.

People talk about three sides of the Syrian war, ISIS, moderate rebels and the Al Qaeda team. But actually there a lot (INAUDIBLE) and the Al-Nusra brigade, again the Al Qaeda's branch in Syria has been a player in Syria and will continue to be a player in Syria. They have links to AQ, AT which is in Yemen, which is where a lot of - most serious bomb plots are plotted and they have financial links to Al Qaeda and Pakistan.

They are a force to be reckoned with. As we get more involved with Syria and as the president shifts U.S. attention toward Syria, we have to be mindful that it's not just about ISIS and the moderate rebels in the Assad regime, there is also an Al Qaeda branch there and they will be a part of this whether we like it or not.

CABRERA: Colonel, are there really any moderate Syrian rebels to arm? What about the president's plan that that's how we're going to fight ISIS?

FRANCONA: Yes. The administration is staking its efforts in Syria on the Free Syrian Army. Now, if you looked at the hierarchy of Syrian rebels, they are probably the moderate ones and that's on a scale, of course. But they're not islamist. There are different ethnicities and religions inside, there are Christians involved in the Free Syrian Army. But the Free Syrian Army has told us they're not interested in participating in the war against ISIS. They're interested in overthrowing Bashar al Assad. Now - we can try and work with them to overthrow Bashar. But they're going to demand something from us.

CABRERA: And Josh, go ahead. I understand you have a different opinion.

ROGGIN: Yes. Of course ISIS is an enemy of the Free Syrian Army, and ISIS has been fighting the Free Syrian Army viciously, and the Syrian Army has been fighting back for well over a year in places like Aleppo, in Raqqa, in the eastern city of (INAUDIBLE). There is very little U.S. or international support. So it's not correct to say that the FSA is not interested in fighting ISIS.

In fact, they have been dying on the battlefield in battles with ISIS for a long time. The problem is that they believe and have said as much that the only real way to eliminate terrorism in Syria is to topple the Assad regime. That Assad is a magnet for terrorists. They believe it's foolish to go after ISIS only and not at the same time go after the Assad regime.

The Obama administration does not want to go after the Assad regime. Their plan does not include that, and they believe that would be a political diplomatic and legal quagmire. And they might be right about that. So we just have to go in knowing that whoever we choose to arm, they're going to fight with groups that we don't like. They are going to fight whoever is killing them. And we can't predict exactly what's going to happen. It's a risky endeavor. The problem is doing nothing has not worked so far.

CABRERA: Is the plan too shortsighted, Colonel?

FRANCONA: I think so. I don't think that the Free Syrian Army - I don't think training 5,000 of the Free Syrian Army in Saudi Arabia taking a year is going to work, unless we're hoping we set up this initial cadre and they go back to Syria and then train their own fighters. But the numbers just aren't there. And as Josh says, they have been fighting ISIS, but it looks to me like most of the time when you see ISIS taking - trying to take over an area, that's when you'll see the Free Syrian Army trying to defend their territory. But I don't really see the Free Syrian Army going after ISIS right now. They're trying to focus on going after the regime.

CABRERA: You know, Josh, I'm interested to hear your perspective, because I know you've been talking with people within the Free Syrian Army. They have been battered and bruised over the past couple of years trying to fight the Assad regime and ISIS has been able to even take over a larger swath. So is the Free Syrian Army capable of being effective on behalf of the U.S. and this international coalition as boots on the ground?

ROGGIN: Yes, it's a great question. The bottom line here is that the Free Syrian Army - and I do talk to commanders on the ground on a regular basis, always say the same thing. They say the Syrian people don't want ISIS. They don't want Al Qaeda. But at the same time, they want to survive. So if you're a fighter on the ground in Syria, you're probably going to go whichever group has the guns and the money.

And the argument is, if we give the Free Syrian Army whatever it is, the guns and the money, the fighters will come back to that. And that will probably have the biggest effect. So the colonel is right. Arming and training 5,000 people is not going to solve the problem. But the Obama administration is arguing that it can be one piece of a comprehensive strategy that includes air strikes, that includes pushing Bashar Al Assad, includes pushing the Iranians and then it includes giving the Free Syrian Army salaries, money, helping them with local governance, putting in a team on the ground from Arab countries around the world that can show the Syrian people that the world is interested in their survival, in their dignity and in their road to democracy.

That is a huge and difficult and risky effort. It's more difficult the longer we wait to do it. There is no guarantee of success. The Free Syrian Army is not perfect. They're flawed. They are racked by (INAUDIBLE). They are the only game in town. It's - other than them, our choices are the terrorists or the Assad regime and either of those choices is possible.

CABRERA: All right.

FRANCONA: That's a lot of moving parts.

CABRERA: A lot of moving parts. And we wish we had the crystal ball to know what's going to happen here. Colonel Rick Francona and Josh Roggin, thanks to both of you.

Coming up, the family of Alan Henning, the British hostage of ISIS, has an emotional message for Henning's captors. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: The family of Alan Henning, this British aid worker who is held hostage by ISIS currently, has released a new statement tonight pleading for his release. ISIS, of course, has threatened to execute him just as they have three other westerners. The family's statement was written by Henning's wife. I'm going to read it to you.

It says, "Alan was taken prisoner last December and is being held by the Islamic state. Alan is a peaceful, selfless man who left his family and his job as a taxi driver in the U.K. to drive a convoy all the way to Syria with his Muslim colleagues and friends to help those most in need." She goes on to say, "I cannot see how it could assist any state's cause to allow the world to see a man like Alan dying. I have been trying to communicate with the Islamic state and the people holding Alan. I pray that the people holding Alan respond to my messages and contact me before it is too late. And when they hear this message, I implore the people of the Islamic state to see it in their hearts to release my husband, Alan Henning." Here's what we know about this British hostage, Alan Henning. 47-year- old Henning is a former taxi driver from Northern England. He's the father of two children. Kidnapped on his fourth trip to the war-torn country of Syria. It was on Christmas day last year Henning was sitting in a cafe sharing a laugh with friends before they headed out on a journey. They were going in Turkey, and then going in on a volunteer trip to deliver aid to Syria.

I want to bring in correspondent Karl Penhaul in London. I know Karl you spoke with an aid worker who worked with Henning in Syria. What did that aid worker tell you?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, in fact, we spent the whole day in the town of a (INAUDIBLE), that's a hard scrabble blue collar town in Northern England and that is where Henning has the modest home that he shares with his two teenage children and his wife.

Down on the street, nobody really was in the mood for talking. At the taxicab company where he worked, nobody wanted to talk either, both out of respect for Alan Henning and also to make sure they didn't say anything that could provoke perhaps the hostage takers. But there are on lamp posts, on street signs and on some of the trees in that neighborhood yellow ribbons, well wishers who are hoping against hope that Alan Henning will come home safe and sound.

We also talked to a doctor, Dr. (INAUDIBLE). She was one of the female doctors on the aid convoy. She rode in the same van as Alan Henning as they headed from Britain through to Syria. And she has a plea. She made a plea through CNN directly to ISIS. Let's listen to what she has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a message for ISIS. As your sister in Islam, I would implore you and beg of you, please spare the life of this innocent man. He is not part of your struggle. He is not to blame for the actions of western government that you fight. He is not responsible for the killing of innocent civilians. He only came to help our innocent Syrian brothers and sisters and children.

The ones that you fight to protect. He came as our brother in humanity. As our friend and under the protection of our Muslim brothers on the convoy. He was in our care and he's our eamona. Please do not make him pay for the actions of western foreign policy. This is not his crime. And killing him will not change this. It will only undermine you and your cause.

Please let him go. And release him back to us. And to his family, his friends and his children who are waiting for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: Now his family and friends say that Alan Henning could have done like most people, simply hand in a donation and sit in the comfort of his own home. But he decided not to do that. He decided to use his driving skills to take ambulances to where they were most need, to help civilians caught up in the crossfire of Syria's war. And his family and friends are now saying that Alan Henning cannot be left to die in the deserts of Syria. He must come home. Ana?

CABRERA: Karl, it's so interesting that we have seen such a huge response to the kidnapping and this video of Alan Henning, in particular. We have talked about the three other western hostages, James Foley, and Steven Sotloff and David Haines and all of their deaths so tragic. What is it about Alan Henning that has sparked this additional sense of desperation when we hear from the woman you spoke to, who we just heard from. We know that there were at least 100 Muslim cleric and leaders in a letter pleading for his release.

Three imams who went on and made a video, posted to (INAUDIBLE) to plea for his release. What is it about Alan Henning?

PENHAUL: I think there are two issues here. I think issue one is the fact that he is the only non-Muslim on this 50-vehicle convoy heading from Britain to Syria. Muslim friends from his hometown invited him along. We, ourselves, know as journalists, when a Muslim invites you into their home, when there's a conflict going on, then you go in on their trust. That is their bond. That is their guarantee.

So the Muslims who are on this convoy persuaded Alan to join them saying we have this bond of trust, we took him in. And, now, ISIS must allow us to respect and carry through on that bond of trust; otherwise, all Muslims will look bad. So they feel very strongly that they took Alan Henning in and they must be allowed to bring Alan Henning out. The other thing is well, I think that it's galvanizing the British public behind Alan Henning is also the fact that he's a working class lad. He's a working class man that spent most of his life driving that taxi cab.

He lives in a terrorist (ph) home, that is a very modest home in a working class town in northern England. He's just a regular guy next door. He's done nothing wrong, of course, he has no part in shaping British foreign policy. He only wanted to do good. He wanted to help people. In fact, he was so moved by the suffering in Syria, he put a tattoo on his arm. Aid for Syria. And then went on on four occasions to spend Christmas, holiday times and family time away from all of that doing his bit. And that's why they say he should come home, Ana?

CABRERA: It is such a sad situation right now. Karl Penhaul, thanks so much for that report.

Coming up, two security incidents at the White House in just 24 hours. One of the men arrested made it all the way inside. How could that happen?

Plus, police have now identified a person of interest in the case of a missing University of Virginia student. The details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Welcome back. We have new developments in the case of the missing college student, Hannah Graham. A person of interest has been identified. The 18-year-old Graham disappeared last week. And, in Charlottesville, Virginia, she was last seen in a surveillance video with a man following behind her. Joining me on the phone now, our Jean Casarez, who has been out there in Charlottesville, covering this. Jean, what are you hearing? What's the latest?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Charlottesville Police Department have now confirmed the name of the person that they say is in the surveillance video that is following and then joins Hannah. One of the last people to see her. And his name is Jesse Matthew. And this is who police are confirming at this point, is in that surveillance video.

Now we heard yesterday from the press conference that they have executed already a search warrant on his car and on the apartment that he was living in. They said yesterday when they were executing a search warrant on his car, that they actually saw him, spoke a little bit with him. They said they would like to talk with him a little bit again. But they also confirmed yesterday in that press conference that they believe that he followed Hannah in the mall, went up to her, put his arm around her. They went into a local restaurant right there. He purchased alcohol. They were gone in 15 minutes and they believe she got in his car. And this comes from Charlottesville Police Department. But once again, they are confirming that they say the name of that person is Jesse Matthew.

CABRERA: Do we know his side of the story? Obviously, he's a person of interest. But he hasn't been arrested and police are now saying he's the person in this video and perhaps the last person to see Hannah. Why does he tell them he was with her?

CASAREZ: Well, police - it appeared as thought they had some small talk when they saw him, when they were executing that search warrant but they also say in the same breath that they do not have probable cause to arrest him, to detain him, nothing at all. And so what they are asking the public for last night, was that anyone that saw them together, they wanted to see the demeanor between the two.

CABRERA: All right, Jean Casarez, thanks for that. Keep us updated. We also have new information about two different security incidents at the White House this weekend. In fact, just the past day, today, the Secret Service has 19-year-old Kevin Carr drove through a barricade even after police tried to get him to stop. He was arrested when he refused to leave the scene. And then, last night, a man identified as Omar Gonzales jumped the fence and actually made it inside the White House before he was apprehended.

I'm joined on the phone now by CNN correspondent Erin McPike. Erin, we're learning now that that fence jumper has been charged?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I can tell you that he had on him a (INAUDIBLE) serrated knife just 3 1/2 inch folding knife. He had a dangerous or deadly weapon. And that goes along with his charge. The incident was last night. And what we're hearing now is if charged, punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Now, he did appear today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and will be having a hearing on Monday before the U.S. District Court for these fees.

So, again, this is a charge - for as much as we heard this morning, the Secret Service did not believe he was armed. He didn't appear to be carrying anything. And as we've seen on the videos of the secret service combing through the grass, the bushes, looking for anything that he might have dropped. Again, they didn't think he was armed. And, today, we have now learned he was carrying a deadly weapon, a knife, along with him into the White House last night. Ana.

CABRERA: Erin, I want to read something that we just got from the criminal complaint as we're looking over this. It says that after this man was apprehended, Gonzalez, Omar Gonzalez told United States Secret Service agent (INAUDIBLE) that he was concerned that the atmosphere was collapsing and needed to get information to the president of the United States so that he could get the word out to the people.

So, clearly, this person wasn't in his right mind. I know he was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation of some sort. Anymore information about who this individual is? And whether Secret Service is tracking him or anything?

MCPIKE: Well, you know, it's that he was known to Secret Service. He has never been arrested by Secret Service before. But a 42-year-old from Texas and, you know, what we have heard from Secret Service is that they believe he was mentally disturbed.

But, again, they did know of him before. Now, I also want to tell you of a couple of other developments. We've gotten a statement from the Secret Service in the last couple of hours. And they are Julia Pierson, the director, has ordered a review of last night's incident as well as a review of all of the protocols and they are stepping up security outside the White House. Ana.

CABRERA: All right, Erin McPike. Thanks. We'll wait to see what the specific steps are. But we do appreciate you keeping us apprise and thank goodness that everything is OK at the White House and nobody was injured. The first family wasn't even inside at the time.

Thank you for staying with us for the last several hours. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York, "Double Agent: Inside Al-Qaeda for the CIA" is next. Good night.