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Don Lemon Tonight

U.S. On Heightened Alert for Lone Wolf Strikes; America at War; Airstrikes in Syria Continue; President Obama Prepares For His Big Speech At The U.N.; Airstrikes Prompt Homeland Security To Issue Warning

Aired September 23, 2014 - 23:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alisyn Camerota.

The United States on heightened alert for lone wolf attacks after air strikes over Syria. What you need to know about the terror group Khorasan and its connection to September 11.

LEMON: Plus, America at war. Bombs raining out of the skies over Syria, as U.S. fighter jets along with a coalition of Arab nations strike ISIS targets. Will air strikes make us safer? Or put us in even more danger on the home front?

CAMEROTA: CNN's reporters around the world will join us with the latest along with teams of military and security experts.

LEMON: We want to begin with President Obama tonight, preparing to try to make his case to the world with a big speech at the U.N. tomorrow.

CNN senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, joins us now with the very latest.

Jim, the president is getting ready for a major speech at the U.N. general assembly tomorrow. Give us a preview?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. That is how officials at the White House are describing it. They say the president will be giving a major address here at United Nations where senior administration officials says the president will be talking about this general unease that the world is feeling right now about dangers posed by these relatively new terrorist groups, ISIS and Khorasan. Khorasan, really a group that was unknown to the American people up until about 24 hours ago. That's not the case anymore. And the president will go on to talk in the speech about, the need, importance for building this global coalition to take on these threats.

There is a fair amount in the speech on that topic, I'm told by a senior administration official. And then later in the day, Don, you know, he does have some other important matters on the schedule. He is going to be sitting down for the first time with the new Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi. They will, of course, be talking about the effectiveness of these airstrikes that have been taking place in Iraq. And also, what is taking place in Syria. Because as we know, Don, ISIS really started over in Syria then came into Iraq and started seizing swaths of territory. Haider al-Abadi will want the president to continue the airstrikes. So we are looking for reaction from the president on that tomorrow.

And then later on in the afternoon, the president will be doing something he has done once before, and that is chair a U.N. Security Council meeting. He did this back in 2009 on subject of climate change. This time it will be on the dangers posed by these foreign fighters. People who are -- come from the United States and, western country and then go to these ISIS battlefields and then get battle tested, battle trained. And then, potentially could come back to the homeland, and wreak havoc on the home front.

The president will be talking about that at great length with the U.N. Security Council. What they want out of the Security Council meeting from the U.N. general assembly, Don, is they want a new joint binding resolution passed by the U.S. general assembly that will essentially, you know, hold these countries to come in law enforcement and counterterrorism standards when it comes to tracking, and in some cases preventing the travel of these foreign fighters as you saw in the bulletin that Pam Brown was talking about earlier this evening. They're now concerned about reprisal attacks on the home front because of these airstrikes that have taken place.

Senior administration official have been saying for weeks, Don, that they don't think that ISIS, really, has the capability to conduct these kinds of terrorist attacks on the U.S. home front. But what is so dangerous about Khorasan is that because it is made of veterans from al-Qaeda, that were in Afghanistan and Pakistan and then moved over off to Iraq and Syria, they are concerned that that group and cells from the group could potentially wreak havoc on the home front. So that is why the president will be stressing importance of dealing with that foreign fighter threat at U.N. Security Council tomorrow, Don.

LEMON: Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: All right. Now we want to bring in CNN senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon. She is in Turkey near the border with Syria.

Arwa, tell us what is latest is there.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there has really been a fair amount of apprehension as to what sort of areas the U.S. and its allies are going to be hitting next. We saw, thousands of refugees crossing the border. These were predominantly Syrian Kurds who were fleeing an ISIS advance that began on Friday into northern Syria. They said that they wanted to see more action by the U.S. and its allies to push ISIS out of their various villages. That sentiment being echoed by an activist that we spoke to in Raqqa that was the scene of many of the airstrikes.

But at the same time, there has also been sort of a different kind of sentiment emerging from the provinces of Aleppo and (INAUDIBLE) where airstrikes did take place. But these seem to be targeting other groups such as the Nusra front, which, yes, the U.S. does deem as being a terrorist organization. But it is an organization that is viewed by the vast majority of Syrians that are living under its rule as being the only entity that was able to protect them to a certain degree from the Assad regime and as being one of the only entities that has been fighting and protecting them from ISIS.

So a lot of fears, as to what the next phase of this operation will bring amidst various reports that we have yet to conform of civilian casualties

CAMEROTA: Yes, we can imagine all the apprehension in that region.

Arwa, thank you for the update.

LEMON: And airstrikes on ISIS and the terror group Khorasan may have disrupted their plots. But law enforcement agencies on our shores are warning about the threat of lone wolves, from lone wolves, and they are looking to social media for signs of anyone encouraging any type of violence.

CAMEROTA: Joining us to talk about all this is former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes, former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, Paul Cruickshank, co-author of "Agent Storm, my life inside al- Qaeda and the CIA," and Robert McFadden, former special agent in charge of NCIS.

Bernard, I want to start with you, because I know you are concerned about the lone wolf possibility as we all are. But I don't want to alarm everyone who is listening. At any moment, there is, possible a craze the gunman could do something in the United States. Are we in more danger today because of the airstrikes?

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: I think we are in more danger period because of the communications networks that these guys have. You know, last Saturday, I was on CNN on the "SMERCONISH" show. Within 30 seconds after I went off the air, ISIS and all their sympathizers and supporters began tweeting my comments about shutting their communication networks down going after the facebook accounts, going after twitter accounts. That's how they're going to be able to communicate with that lone wolf with their people here in the United States.

And look, the reality is, we have anywhere, depending on who you take to between, 100 and a thousand Americans that are there. Well, look what they have been doing for the last six months to a year. Brutally, slavishly, murdering, massacring, decapitating kids, murdering people, mass murders. If they come back here and walk into an elementary school or a mall, and they did what they did in (INAUDIBLE) in September of 2004.

LEMON: That's a concern because we know what they have done overseas. And we have seen evidence of it in the videos and we heard from officials what they have done overseas. The concern is that is this going to come here at home? And they are worried about lone wolf. Are we going to get to -- and that's what terrorist about how we imagine, scaring everyone, are we going to a point where everyone is checked before they get on the subway? Just like they are when you get on an airplane? Are we going to come to those sorts of tactics, the tactics that like they have in Israel possibly?

ROBERT MCFADDEN, FORMER SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, NCIS: Well, you just really hit the essence of terrorism, Don, is that impacting our way of life and how we do things. From al-Qaeda's playbook very early on, bin Laden (INAUDIBLE), said that they want to impact our economy. And that would include forcing us into other security measure that wind up slowing down the economy or expensive sort of what did I say for perspective here -- haven't heard anything about any specific threat reporting as a result of either before or right after the strikes.

So what department of Homeland Security, FBI, NYPD are saying there is a prudent and normal after a major U.S. action? Heads-up alert, you see it here in Manhattan. Various force protection postures. Changes in security procedures. And these are good and prudent things.

What is going to have to happen though in the broader society, mentioned in the previous segment by Fran Townsend, it gets down to the individual and neighborhood level. If you look at some actors like Tsarnaev brothers or major Nidal Hasin (ph), there were a number of behaviors.

LEMON: But here is our whole thing. We live in a free and open society. We live in a free and open society. And at some point we may no longer live in a free and open society.

MCFADDEN: Right. Exactly. But the suggestion is not that everyone needs to be in that kind of degree of suspicion. One other example, you had Moner Abusalha, young man from Florida, who went over to Syria, and actually returned for up to two months before he went back to Syria and blew himself up, ended very badly. What happened with the family, the friend, the colleagues, those in his mess getters mosque as to what was going on? One might say well that would mean a family turning in their son to face prosecution, but look how it ended.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

Paul, you are steeped in this stuff. You study it. Are you more concerned today, about Khorasan and ISIS than you have been in past months?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I think there is very real concern about Khorasan, this potential plot against western aviation, a group that may have gotten some of this bomb making technology from AQAP group in Yemen with this master bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri. They tried plots before, tried to bring down American, plots before this group in Yemen. So I think very real concern about this group. Khorasan have they manage to take out the leadership, have they manage to take out the Western opportunists. They were trying to recruit the bomb maker. That is unclear at this point. Could the plot be accelerated? A lot of concern as well from ISIS, could they now prioritize hitting the west. They haven't done that yet.

But also concern about lone wolf plots here in the United States. That's suppose one of ISIS on Sunday called for lone wolf attacks in the United States, in Europe. ISIS had not done that before. And coming from ISIS, who that supporters regard as an Islamic state of sovereign (ph), an Islamic authority. That carries perhaps more weight than coming from al-Qaeda. So a lot of concern there could be lone wolf plots in the days and week as head.

LEMON: Tom Fuentes, as we move forward, you as former FBI assistant director, as we move forward here and we keep hearing about, you know these possible lone actors. And you know, we have been wondering what is the threat following these airstrikes. What happens now the longer that the airstrikes continue?

THOMAS FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, the fab, Don, is that the government can't keep putting out these heightened alerts, you know, constantly because people just get tired of that. I mean, we talk about being war weary. And I think what happened after 9/11, people got terror alert weary and just kept tired of hearing what color it was and there was always some imminent danger that is about to befall off all of us.

And you know, a lot of people across the heartland always had the belief that al-Qaeda wants the big spectacular attack like 9/11. And therefore, we are not in danger if we live out in the Midwest some place. Only if you are in New York City or Washington, D.C., do you really have to worry about al-Qaeda.

Now, the problem is that they never were able to duplicate their big fantastic attack of 9/11. And they started to gradually go to this lone wolf concept which is really, kind of a page out of Hezbollah and Hamas, instead of the big bang, death by 1,000.

LEMON: But Tom, are we susceptible to another 9/11-type?

FUENTES: I don't think so. And I don't think so, Don, because what it took to run 9/11, the international financing that was necessary, the international travel, the micromanagement of it by bin Laden and Sheik Mohamed, picking the hijackers, training the hijackers, deploying them, sustaining them while they were in the United States. I think our security apparatus at such. But that type of international attack by al-Qaeda is a greatly diminished possibility, of coordinated attack with multiple aircraft.

LEMON: All right, hold that thought.

FUENTES: Ones and twos are a possibility team. And if that happens, you know, and I think America has, you know, really a zero tolerance for any terrorist act. So killing two people at a bus stop, like happened commonly in Israel, would not be acceptable in this country.

LEMON: All right, Tom, hang on. Hold that thought. We still have to get to a break. We have a lot more to come including cities across America on high alert tonight. The threat you haven't heard about.

CAMEROTA: Also, the crucial role that Israel is playing being hind the scenes and their owned motive to strike ISIS.

LEMON: And President Obama wanted to end American wars, is he still a reluctant warrior?

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LEMON: Airstrike on ISIS and Syria prompted homeland security to issue a bulletin warning law enforcement agencies to be on heightened alert for lone wolf terror attacks on U.S. soil. So what will it take? What does it mean for hometowns across America?

CNN's Ted Rowlands has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The new security warning about a lone wolf has cities across the U.S. on high alert.

ARNETTE HEINTZE, CEO, HILLARD HEINTZE: I think we have to be aware. I think we need to be attentive.

ROWLANDS: Arnette Heintze spent 20 years with the secret service and now runs a security company in Chicago. He believes the U.S. is more prepared now than ever to respond to a terror threat. But, not an individual bet on making a statement.

HEINTZE: Lone wolves are very difficult to identify. Fortunately, it's when, when our nation sees something and individuals say something that helps identify those individual. They're moving on a, a very ideological path that, that, they believe in.

ROWLANDS: Chicago's old republic building on Michigan Avenue featured in a chilling message posted this summer on twitter, the White House too. Hash tag, a message from ISIS to U.S., a handwritten note in Arabic photographed in front of the republic building, in front of the White House, and image of ISIS flag on a cell phone. The message we are in your state. We are in your city. We are in your streets.

ROSS RICE, FORMER FBI AGENT: In all likelihood came from a sympathizer. And it was probably taken at the direction of someone who is doing their social media. And whether they're going to carry out an attack whether they have the wherewithal to do that, I don't know.

ROWLANDS: On Capitol Hill last week, homeland security secretary, Jeh Johnson addressed threats saying a major concern continues to be airlines and airports.

JEH JOHNSON, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We have taken a number of steps in recent months to address aviation security, for example, you are aware of the enhancements that I directed in July and in August. ROWLANDS: Now the U.S. is taking fight to ISIS. Airstrikes in Syria

and Iraq, designed to prevent the terrorist groups and others from attacking the U.S. at home. But the new warning shows that there is concern that what is happening over there could trigger an attack from someone who is already here.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: All right, we want to bring in our security experts to talk more about this. Former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes, former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, Paul Cruickshank, co- author of "Agent Storm, my life inside al-Qaeda and CIA" and Robert McFadden, former special agent in charge of NCIS.

Bernie, I want to start with you about what we were just talking about in that package, about the aviation threat. Because we have heard that Khorasan is sort of focused on having another aviation catastrophe. And that they have created things such as nonmetallic bombs that can't be detected, explosive clothing, somehow, that can be ignited midair, toothpaste bombs. But the fact that we know about all of this, and that we went after Khorasan doesn't that tell you we are one step ahead of them?

KERIK: Well, it tells you that intelligence community is doing a pretty good job. I mean, they are doing much, much better that it were in September of 2001. And that is where this stuff is coming from. So the more we can capture, the more we can gain, the better off we are going to be.

LEMON: Can we go back to this question about another 9/11 attack?

And Tom Fuentes, I sort of cut you off, when you talk about this al- Fadhli guy, which is part of Khorasan, who was also 9/11 operative. Even with someone like that and you still don't think that a 9/11-type incident is possible now?

FUENTES: No. I was trying to say, Don, the international financing, coordination, command and control that is required for a major coordinated attack, that requires specialized training for many of terrorists involved in it such as how to fly the plane into a building, really, is going to be very difficult for them to pull off.

And that -- you know, one of the key things that I took away when bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, you know, it was by following a currier back to him. Now, this is the guy that had run, you know, the biggest baddest terror organization in years. And he was reduced to trying to run it by carriers. So you can't conduct a global terror attack by pony express in the modern era. You need to be able to have the ability to communicate internationally, finance it internationally.

And I think that that part is much more difficult. And I think that's why now they're willing to settle for the lone wolf and give us that death by a thousand cuts. And the other advantage to that strategy is that, it makes people vulnerable in the heartland. Instead of just New York City or just Washington, D.C., you can be anywhere and the guy next door can turn into a jihadist, and blow up the bus stop or the cafeteria or, you know. And it only kills two, three, four people. How tolerant are we going to be of that? And just like the rest of the FBI last week. The guy in Rochester, New York, who would have expected that?

LEMON: Do you guys agree with that?

CRUICKSHANK: I think we should not underestimate that they would try and launch more major attacks. This will be more difficult for them to do it, United States and other western powers, much more vigilant, than they were before. But they are still going to try and do this. They are still going to try and attack, aviation, perhaps, multiple airliners. We saw that back in 2806. The plot to target up to 10 Trans Atlantic Airliners is from al-Qaeda in Pakistan. It is another al-Qaeda based in Syria with all this potential capability, all these western recruits. I think we are going to see them try this again.

CAMEROTA: Paul, I also want to ask you about some developing news that we got about five hours ago. That the airstrikes last night in Syria killed one of the leaders of al-Nusra where CNN has been able to independently confirm that, but there was a tweet that al-Nusra put out saying that one of their leaders had been killed. Here it is. What do you know about this?

CRUICKSHANK: The Jabhat al-Nusra (INAUDIBLE) as Yousef al-Turki. He is a mid-level commander, not a key leader in the group.

CAMEROTA: So not a big deal.

CRUICKSHANK: Not a huge deal. Obviously, any time you get one of these people, it can make a difference.

CAMEROTA: Why are they publicizing this? They are saying al-Turki was murdered. He was the 6th best sniper in the world.

LEMON: One of the lions of jihad.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Why are they putting right there?

CRUICKSHANK: They want to celebrate him for them. He is a martyr figure. By celebrating his death, they believe he is now in paradise. They are trying to get more.

LEMON: So here's what I want to talk to you. Quite honestly here, when you talk to many counterterrorism officials, when you talk to many military officials, they will tell you and they have told me in person, you know, we think there is an imminent something, will happen very soon within the next year, within the next two years, within the next five years. There is going to be a major event. You guys come here on camera. No one will say that, why is that?

KERIK: OK. I wouldn't say -- I wouldn't say there is not going to be. And I don't think, personally, I don't think there is going to be another airline flying planes into buildings.

LEMON: But I just said a major event.

KERIK: You want a major event.

CAMEROTA: No.

LEMON: No. We don't want a major event. Why do you say that?

KERIK: Four of five lone wolves on the same day, same time around the country, that will be a major, major event that is going to have a major, economic impact. It is going to have a major impact, negative impact on the psyche of this country and, that can be done.

LEMON: That was my point. Maybe it is not the same as a 9/11, but I mean, an event on that scale. No one wants that to happen. But if, when you hear that, from -- and I'm sure you heard that, Paul you, have not heard that?

CRUICKSHANK: Not heard what?

LEMON: You have not heard people say we think within this amount of time there is going to be some sort of event that is going to happen?

CRUICKSHANK: I think there is real concern now with these terrorist groups in Syria. They have some pretty frightening capability. They have western recruits. They have everything they need if they want to pull the trigger to try and get plots through, to try to set them in motion. Obviously, western countries are much more vigilant now. There are a lot more resources. The intelligence agencies are on this every single day. They have got to be better than bad guys here, Don.

CAMEROTA: Very quickly --

MCFADDEN: But Don, back to your question. I mean, from working intelligence, counterterrorism. Capability and intent, very well known, very well established for al-Qaeda, for example. But it is always the timing that is the key piece of the mosaic that is so difficult to get. However, we have come a great way, long way, since 9/11 capabilities, international liaison and all sorts of intelligence.

CAMEROTA: You are right. Our eyes are wide open now. Gentlemen, thanks so much.

LEMON: And I think, of course, for people at home to know that. Thank you, guys. Appreciate your hone honesty here.

When we come right back, are new alliances in the Middle East in wake of the airstrikes on ISIS in Syria and what Israel is doing behind the scenes?

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LEMON: The U.S. is the only western nation in the coalition that is striking ISIS. It is no coincidence that the five others are all Sunni Arab states. But what role is Israel playing in all of these?

We are joined now by Alan Dershowitz who is a renowned lawyer and the author of "Terror Tunnels, Israel's just war against Hamas."

Alan, thank you for joining us. You know, you have learned that Israel provided on the ground intelligence for these strikes. What kind of role is Israel playing behind the scenes?

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, AUTHOR, TERROR TUNNELS: Well, first of all, it has to be behind the scenes because the United States wants to project the impression that it is working with Sunni Arab nations. But of course the United States is doing virtually all of the firing from the air, all of the air power. And Israel is providing not only satellite imaging but also ground intelligence that is absolutely essential. And identifying, the areas where these fighters are hiding out.

Also, Israel is providing logistical support in terms of ISIS is now hiding its fighters among civilians. And Israel, of course, has all the experience in fighting Hamas. In my book, "Terror Tunnels," I talk about Hamas' dead baby strategy, how it uses human shield in order to provoke Israel to attack so it can hold up these unfortunately killed civilians.

ISIS is going to be doing exactly the same thing. And the United States is going to have to tailor its military responses from the air to the reality that there may be some civilian casualties.

LEMON: And Alan, is it possible that Israel is going after ISIS? And Steven Sotloff was an Israeli citizen?

DERSHOWITZ: Well, no. Sotloff was an American citizen who happened also who have Israeli citizenship. But he was an American primarily. And Israel doesn't regard itself at war with ISIS. It wants to stay out of the war. But it always supports the United States.

Israel is America's only reliable ally in the Middle East. Nobody knows where Jordan, Turkey, any of these countries are going to be in five years or two years. But United States can always count on Israel's intelligence support, computer support, technological support, they built the iron dome together. Who knows when tunnels will come into play, in fighting against ISIS.

Everything that has happened in the Middle East to Israel is going to now be faced by the United States. That's why in "Terror Tunnels," I argue that ISIS is to the United States as Hamas is to Israel.

Interestingly enough, the state department disputes that now. They say no, no, no. This is very, very, very different. I think they will learn soon that it is not so different. That you are going to need boots on the ground. You can't destroy armies that are hiding amongst civilians solely from the air because there are constraints. They are going to have to be boots on the ground. I hope they are not American boots. I hope they are the boots of Arab countries, but United States is going to have to learn from Israel. And in my book, "Terror Tunnels," I predicted that all this would be happening and I think it is going to happen. LEMON: Alan. Want to get to this because I think it is important.

You are going to be meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu next week. What are going to talk to him about?

DERSHOWITZ: Well, I meet with him every year when he comes to the United Nations. He is going to be speaking, obviously, about not only the threat that ISIS poses, but I am sure he is going to argue that Iran poses an even greater threat. We ought not to be giving Iran any more permission to develop nuclear weapons in order to recruit into the war against ISIS. ISIS is a one or two year problem. Nuclear armed Iran will be a century long problem. So we have to keep our eye on the prize. And the prize is to make sure that Iran never develops capability of sending nuclear rockets not only to Israel but to Europe, to America's allies in the Middle East and ultimately dirty bombs to the United States.

LEMON: Alan Dershowitz. Thank you.

DERSHOWITZ: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: All right, Don, our next guest says the real problem in Syria is the Assad regime which she said has allowed ISIS to flourish. Mohammed Ghanem is senior political adviser and government relations director for the Syrian American council. He is also a board member of the coalition for a democratic Syria and a fellow at the Syrian center for political and strategic study.

Mr. Ghanem, thanks so much for being here. Before we get to the Assad question, I just want to ask what have your impressions have been for these past 24 hours watching the airstrikes over the Syrian targets?

MOHAMMED GHANEM, SYRIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL: Alisyn, thanks so much for having me. The borders between Syria and Iraq do not exist anymore. ISIS destroyed them. And ISIS moves men and arms back and forth freely. So, taken action against ISIS in Syria and Iraq only would be insufficient. That's why the strikes in Syria are absolutely critical and they are welcome. They are important step forward towards a partnership between the modern Syrian opposition and the American people. So they're welcome. We have advocated for them. And we are happy they are happening provided that the United States of America exercises utmost care so that there is no civilian casualties.

CAMEROTA: OK. But you would like to see the U.S. go even further and target Assad and take out Assad. Now, that sound a lot more complicated than hitting ISIS targets? Obviously, when the U.S. tries to oust some sort of Middle Eastern dictator, things don't always go as planned. So how do you -- what do you recommend?

GHANEM: Well, absolutely. I don't believe, we don't believe that dealing with the symptoms of the problem is sufficient. We also need to deal with the root cause of the issue. The root cause of the problem in Syria is the Assad regime. Keep in mind that the Assad regime in the past supported ISIS predecessor. It was al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Assad allowed al-Qaeda in Iraq to use Syria as a platform for jumping into Iraq. So hundreds of young terrorists took flights to Damascus and, you know, sneaked across the border into Iraq through Syria. And then came 2011, following the, you know, the start of the pro- democracy protest in Syria, protest moment in Syria, Assad emptied presents of radical Islamists in 2011 particularly the Saddam prison. So that prison was emptied so that Assad could resurrect this terrorist bogeyman and scared the west into a ne w partnership with him.

So unless -- if the Assad regime start somehow survives this conflict, I believe that ISIS or terrorist group (ph) would regenerate itself somehow while Assad would observe approvingly. So unless you deal with the root cause of the issue, you will not be able to defeat these terrorists once and for all. So if you don't want to do these strikes, five years or ten years down the road, you need to deal what the Assad regime. You need to take decisive military action against the Assad regime because ISIS and al-Qaeda will flourish against Assad regime.

CAMEROTA: I want to play for you our correspondent, Richard Roth, talked today to the Syrian ambassador to the U.N. who basically denigrated the coalition that the U.S. has helped lead in these airstrikes. And I want to get your reaction. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHER JA'AFARI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: The partners of combating terrorism are Syrian and the Iraqi governments. We are the main concerned parties to be coordinated with. Not Bahrain, not Saudi Arabia, not Qatar, not Turkey. Who are the main funding powers of the ISIS, ISIL, and Jabhat al-Nusra and the other terrorist groups on the ground? So something is lacking clarity in this overall picture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: He doesn't like the coalition because he says that they're the main funders of terrorism. What is your reaction?

GHANEM: Well, this is absolutely ridiculous. ISIS came on to the scene in Syria in April of 2013. What did the Assad regime do a lot then? The Assad regime did absolutely nothing about it. In fact, some concern (ph) intelligence agencies contend that the Assad regime purchased oil from these groups because they were in control of some oil wells in Syria.

So the Assad regime empowered them financially. And the Assad regime bombed the moderate opposition that was embroiled or in a bitter conflict with these areas. The Assad regime bombed Aleppo, the modern opposition in Syria, and left the main stronghold of ISIS in Syria, Raqqa, the international stronghold of -- international headquarters of ISIS at the time, untouched.

So he went after the moderate opposition that was fighting against these -- that was fighting these terrorists then did nothing to take on these terrorists. The Assad, only when western cameras were rolling, following the fall of Mosul, that the Assad regime, you know, initiated a few strikes that were pretty much ineffective against ISIS.

So we are talking about -- and U.S. government said, Assad regime is not an effective ally against terror. Assad is (INAUDIBLE). Assad is in power in Syria. The Syrian will never see stability. So it just, it doesn't add up.

CAMEROTA: Mr. Ghanem, thank you so much for your perspective. Great to talk to you.

GHANEM: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: When we come back, is America at war? How do we define that? And have we been fighting this battle since 9/11? Our experts disagree on that. You will hear from them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Is the United States at war tonight? In the wake of deadly airstrikes on ISIS and Syria, there are different opinions about whether this is actually a war. So let's hear what our experts say.