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Senate Vote on Controversial Keystone Pipeline; Terrorist Details Plot to Attack Air Force One; Three Israeli-American Rabbis Killed in Ax Attack; Ferguson on Edge, Awaiting Grand Jury; Clues in New ISIS Beheading Tapes
Aired November 18, 2014 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. President Obama is one senate vote away from a confrontation with Congress over the Keystone oil pipeline.
Just ahead of a runoff election, Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana says she now has the 60 votes needed to push the controversial pipeline forward. A vote could come as early as tonight. The bill, which passed the House last week, would take construction out of the hands of the Obama administration. Completion of the pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast is waiting for a review that has lasted six years.
Chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins us now with more. Good morning.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
This is really high drama because it is political but it's also personal. As you mentioned, Mary Landrieu is in a runoff still to keep her seat. She's behind in the polls and she is trying to get this passed after it has been stuck for years because most of her Democratic colleagues oppose it, not to mention the President has so far. So she has been appealing to her fellow Democrats who might look at her and say, you know what? I could easily be you, to say please come over and vote and be the 60th vote because -- or 59 senators who are publicly saying that they support it.
Who is that 60th vote? We don't know, but she told me and others in the hallway yesterday that she has 60 votes so that is going to be the drama today trying to figure out who it is. She actually told us she could from more than 60.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Still, if that bill passes the Senate and it's already passed the House and goes to the President's desk, he could veto it, right?
BASH: Absolutely. And he has not said what he's going to do on this because the whole reason this has been stuck in the Senate is because the Democratic leadership has been in agreement with the President that it's not time yet for the Keystone Pipeline to be approved certainly not to be done in a way that goes around the White House. So the President has not said but the House Speaker made his sentiment very clear just this morning. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: A Keystone Pipeline veto would send the signal that this president has no interest in listening to the American people. Vetoing an overwhelmingly popular bill would be a clear indication that he doesn't care about the American people's priorities. It would be equivalent of calling the American people stupid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: There, a not so subtle allusion, Carol, of course, to the controversy over the academic Jonathan Gruber who was one of the intellectual fathers of Obamacare now in multiple videos that have surfaced saying that the American people are stupid -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ok. We'll check back. Dana Bash reporting live from for us morning -- thank you.
From an attack on Air Force One to claims members of the Saudi royal family financed the September 11 attacks, the man considered the 20th hijacker, Zacarias Moussaoui, is speaking out from behind bars and he's getting the attention of the Secret Service. Deborah Feyerick has more for you.
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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From his cell in a maximum security prison in Colorado, terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui is making new allegations and reviving old accusations against a handful of Saudi royals -- accusations that over the last decade have been discredited.
In a four-page handwritten letter, the 46-year-old Frenchman claims Saudi embassy officials were involved in a plot to shoot down Air Force One to assassinate Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton during a trip to the United Kingdom. He says he discussed the plot several months ago with a Secret Service agent. CNN has reached out to the agency for confirmation.
JONATHAN SCHENZER, TREASURY DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATOR: This is a new plot that I think Moussaoui is making headlines with and he's certainly got everyone's attention. It's unclear how serious this plot was.
FEYERICK: And there's the lingering question of Saudi Arabia. Moussaoui is reviving old claims he made a dozen years ago that a specific Saudi prince and princess and others were involved in financing 9/11.
SCHENZER: I think there was a significant effort in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to work with the Saudis to curb their terror finance problem and I think it was widely recognized that it was a problem. FEYERICK: In his letter, Moussaoui claims the same time he was taking
flying lessons in Norman, Oklahoma he met both the prince and princess we who quote, "gave me money", unquote with other funds directed to the 9/11 hijackers. The Saudi government is being sued by some 9/11 families and recent court papers filed on the Saudis' behalf stressed that the 9/11 commission in 2004 found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded either al Qaeda or the hijackers.
Zacarias Moussaoui is often depicted as the missing 20th hijacker, but shortly after a jury sentenced him to life in prison in 2006, 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden denied Moussaoui was part of the hijacking plot and Moussaoui's court-appointed trial lawyers at the time portrayed him as a paranoid schizophrenic casting doubt on the credibility of his claims.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The terror attack in Israel hits home. Two Palestinian men charged into a Jerusalem synagogue and swing knives and axes on helpless worshippers. Four rabbis killed, three of them holding dual U.S. citizenship. The FBI is launching an investigation into the attack. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to make a statement about this attack at 12:30 Eastern time.
We also have some grisly video of the aftermath of that attack and I want to warn you, what you're about to see is graphic. We're about to take you inside that synagogue where the attack happened.
As you can see, it is a grisly site. In addition to the four people killed, at least six other worshippers were wounded. Both of the Palestinian men who carried out this attack were killed. Today's attack in Jerusalem is the deadliest in six and a half years when a man with an automatic weapon killed eight seminary students in March of 2008.
So let's talk about this because it could have some dangerous ramifications. Joining me now is Bob Baer, CNN's national security analyst. Good morning, Bob.
BOB BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I should mention you're also a former C.I.A. operative. How is this attack different from recent attacks within Israel, within Jerusalem?
BAER: Well, I think we've long anticipated a third intifada was coming along. There's been these attacks with cars and now knives and hatchets and what we have to look at, even though the organizations are not connected, it's an ISIL-like attack, a lashing out using common weapons, beheadings and the rest of it.
So I think that there's this virus of Sunni-Islam sweeping across the Middle East has finally arrived in Israel. I think the Israelis are very worried this could spread.
COSTELLO: And it's becoming perhaps no longer a conflict about land and who has a right to land but about religion -- fair?
BAER: Absolutely. And, of course, in Iraq it's between the Shia and the Sunni and the Christians. And here it's about between Jews and Arabs and they're just saying that, you know, in order to purify and take back Jerusalem and Israel you have to kill as many Israelis as you can.
Now, how widespread this virus has gone I can't tell you but the Israelis have been very worried about it.
COSTELLO: What should the Israelis do?
BAER: You know, they've built a wall separating the West Bank from Israel proper but it's not -- it's not completely safe, especially in Jerusalem. You may see the Israelis moving hard on the Arabs in east Jerusalem, more settlements. I just don't think this government, Bibi Netanyahu, is going to let this go in any way and I think they're going to react very quickly.
COSTELLO: Of course, the United States has come out and condemned these attacks. What could the United States do to help?
BAER: I think the United States has done everything we can. John Kerry has pushed for a peace treaty between Arabs and the Israelis. There's been no headway on that. We're sort of at loggerheads and I just don't see an easy solution to this. Netanyahu is going to say, look, we've got terrorism problems we have to react very strongly. It's very difficult for the United States to say anything or any pressure points.
COSTELLO: Bob Baer, thanks for your insight as always. I appreciate it.
I'm back in a minute.
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COSTELLO: The Reverend Jamal Bryant has been on the front lines of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri even getting arrested last month with some of his fellow faith leaders during what he says was a peaceful demonstration. He also says the police gave no warning and should have communicated with protesters instead of arresting them.
Reverend Bryant joins me from Ferguson. Good morning, sir.
REV. JAMAL BRYANT, EMPOWERMENT TEMPLE CHURCH: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning. I was just wondering what you thought of Governor Nixon's ordering a state of emergency and the activation of the National Guard. Is that the right move?
BRYANT: I think that the governor's really inciting an environment of fear and emotional abuse. He's talking about the responsibility of citizens but never gave a word to police officers not to incite provocation or to even be excessive in their force. And I think that in order for the community to abide peaceably it's got to be on both sides.
COSTELLO: I talked to a state senator earlier who says the federal government should take over security responsibilities in Ferguson. Do you agree?
BRYANT: I think that the Ferguson police department has shown itself derelict in really being judicious in handling it for the last 94 days plus. This community has been in terror of the police department and they have really dropped the ball numerous times. I think that what has really not been cited for this community is how it is that they have given themselves over to due process, even waiting for a grand jury that they believe in a system that has repeatedly let them down.
COSTELLO: The police are sort of in a tight spot, though. The FBI released a bulletin today saying they expect outside protesters who are carrying knives and guns and who plan to commit acts of violence against police.
BRYANT: I think it's a demonstration really of pent-up rage and anger. I think the NFL set a good standard for us today by talking about Mr. Adrian -- had to, in fact, look at what he did to a child. What the African-American is saying, what have you been doing to our children?
It's not just Ferguson but Ferguson for the hip-hop generation is our Selma. This is the birthing place of our new civil rights movement and so there are a lot of emotions, there's a lot of anger and there's a lot of questions. I'm right here on the main thoroughfare where most of the marching and protesting has been taking place and over the last couple of days it's been somber and quiet, reflective as we're thinking about will the American system actually step up this time? They didn't for Trayvon Martin. We're praying that they're going to do so this time for Michael Brown.
COSTELLO: Do you think violence break out when this grand jury decision comes down?
BRYANT: I think that you're going to see a lot of emotions. You're going to hear a lot of protests. It is my prayer a lot of people here in the community, churches, grassroots organizations have been working tirelessly doing seminars on non-violent training. And so I think you're going to hear a lot of emotion. How it plays itself out, we can only pray for the best.
COSTELLO: Reverend Jamal Bryant, thanks so much. I appreciate you being with me this morning.
BRYANT: Thank you.
COSTELLO: I'm back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Finding hope amid the heart break. As the parents of Peter Kassig grieve over his cold-blooded murder at the hands of ISIS, investigators pore over the cruel and taunting video released by the terror group. They're searching for clues in that tape and others that could reveal more than ISIS intended. CNN's Brian Todd joins us live from Washington with more. Good morning.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This morning, western intelligence officials are looking closely at this video, sharing some information with us. There is a lot to go over because of all the differences between this and the previous beheading videos.
A U.S. intelligence official tells me one similarity. They believe the masked ISIS militant in the latest release is the same person shown in previous execution videos. Now, we have to warn you, some viewers might find some images in this story disturbing.
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TODD: The video, like the others before it, is grotesque and disturbing, the beheading by ISIS of American Peter Kassig is presided over by a militant we've come to know as "Jihadi John".
JIHADI JOHN, ISIS MEMBER: This is Peter Edward Kassig, a U.S. citizen of your country.
TODD: But there are strong differences between this video and those depicting the killings of Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff, British Citizens Alan Henning and Davis Hanes. This time no orange jump suit, no buildup to the killing.
AKI PERITZ, FORMER C.I.A. OFFICER: They unfortunately show the head of the victim but they don't have him give a speech. They don't actually show his execution and they don't let you know that there's another hostage to be murdered.
TODD: But a U.S. Intelligence official tells CNN they believe ISIS does have additional hostages. So why is this video different? Aki Peritz, who analyzed ever beheading video during the Iraq war for the C.I.A. says the depictions of Kassig suggests this video might have been hastily put together.
PERITZ: Things, chances are, went wrong with this execution. Maybe the victim couldn't actually give a good speech therefore they couldn't use it. Maybe they accidentally killed him during the production process and they didn't want to show it. The victim could have resisted prior to actually shooting this and they might have murdered him then.
TODD: The video has a horrific feature not seen before -- ISIS shows the man intelligence sources believe is Jihadi John and others in detail too graphic to show here beheading more than a dozen men. The militants claim they're Syrian pilots. It's the first time Jihadi John is seen apparently killing someone.
HARAS RAFIQ, THE QUILLIAM FOUNDATION: It was also a sign of desperation because ISIL really are suffering. They're a bit like an animal sort of caged into a corner where they have no response to the air strikes. The air strikes and the coalition-led effort is really hurting them.
TODD: After the beheadings, the faces of the killers are brazenly shown. Analysts say there's a message there, too.
RAFIQ: They were trying to show that this was almost a United Nations of jihadis. This was jihadis that were carrying out these beheadings from different places around the world.
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TODD: And in the portion of the video depicting Kassig's death, another point of difference. Unlike in previous beheading videos, the militants don't seem to try to hide where they are. They show distinct buildings, roads and fields and they label the place Dabiq, that's a town in Syria, very symbolic where the Ottoman Empire won a historic battle, opening the region up to Muslim conquest -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Brian Todd reporting live from Washington. Thanks so much.
I'm back in a minute.
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COSTELLO: An Australian TV anchor made a fashion statement though he doesn't think anybody caught it. The popular morning show co-host wore this very same suit for an entire year. No one noticed. CNN's Jeanne Moos has more.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Why would a co-host best known for being the opposite of a grumpy cat --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the cat.
MOOS: Why would he wear the same suit for a year while hosting Australia's "Today Show"?
The Web site "Girt Nation" made a montage of Karl Stefanovic's wardrobe dysfunction. Though he did change his shirts and ties, his co-workers raised a minor stink.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have been stinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does stink a little bit. Get that thing dry cleaned a couple of times.
MOOS: But the stink he wanted to raise was to show that female anchors are judged more harshly than men.
After wearing the same suit for a year, Stefanovic told Fairfax Media, "no one has noticed, no one gives a (EXPLETIVE DELETED)." He started the experiment around the same time his co-host Lisa Wilkinson gave a speech quoting a mean e-mail from someone named Angela.
LISA WILKINSON, HOST, "TODAY": Today's outfit is particularly jarring and awful. Get some style.
MOOS: To which Lisa responded --
WILKINSON: Dear Angela, did I mention I'm not a model? And finally, I must never clash with Karl's ties or suits or the couch.
MOOS: Another Australian morning show host got this letter. "Dare I say, did you obtain your clothes from charity shops?"
Maybe men are nondescript in their suits while we jump out at you and then you jump all over us.
(on camera): I personally live in mortal fear of leaving one of these things exposed so you'd be hung up on my hanger ribbon rather than listening to what I say.
BURNETT: You talk about gossip.
MOOS (voice-over): Erin discusses the Mideast, she discusses the economy, but she's fashion road kill to the viewer who is seeing red over that tight red dress, not appropriate for the news.
Most women in media recall a memorable insult.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CEO, STARFISH MEDIA GROUP: They couldn't hear me because my bangs were in the way.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "LEGAL VIEW": I think when you're just off pregnancy and someone calls you a heifer on the air, it kind of stinks.
MOOS: But men aren't immune.
Take Larry King's contribution to Kimmel's mean tweets.
LARRY: Did you know that if you skinned Larry King and ironed out his leather, you could make enough coats to give one to every poor child in America.
MOOS: This is one business that requires thick but not wrinkled skin.
Jeanne Moos --
BANFIELD: -- to a heifer.
MOOS: -- CNN --
WILKINSON: Get some style.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.
"@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" starts now.
