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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Terror Threat Across Europe; D.C. Attack Plot Suspect in Court Today; Divers Examine AirAsia Fuselage

Aired January 16, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: terror alert across Europe. Intelligence source telling CNN as many as 20 jihadist sleeper cells are operating throughout the continent. Some threats being described as imminent. This as we learn new information about the terror raids in Belgium and their ties to the Paris attacks. We are live breaking down all the information overnight.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm John Berman. Live in Paris this morning.

We do want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world.

And breaking news this morning: every hour we learn more, new information about the terror threat spanning at least four European countries. A Western intelligence source tells CNN the threat involves as many as 20 sleeper cells.

Police in Belgium seem to shatter at least one of those cells in a raid on Thursday in the city of Verviers. This raid killed two suspects, wounded another. Authorities captured that suspect. He is now in custody.

And Belgium officials say this raid you are looking at is just one of several across the country. It foiled what they called a major imminent terror attack.

As of now, officials in Belgium say there is not any apparent link with this cell here and attacks that happened here behind me in Paris. But the intelligence source says that the Paris attacks perhaps did lead to information that sped up the timing of the Belgium operation.

I want to get more on this now. Let's go to Verviers, that city where this raid took place. I'm joined by journalist Chris Burns.

Chris, what's the latest?

CHRIS BURNS, JOURNALIST: Well, John, here I am in Brussels actually, in front of the federal police headquarters. This newspaper is among those saying that the jihadists were targeting the police. They planned to attack some kind of police establishment. Could it have been here?

Well, you can see very high security here. We have two commandos with submachine guns out in front here. That is part of the threat level raised to three out of four here. They have increased police security at not only police stations, but other institutions, other buildings and what is quite more disturbing is a report this morning, yet to be confirmed.

But newspaper quoting judicial officials that one of the attacks was going to be aimed at a high profile individual here in Belgium. And that they planned, the attackers planned to behead that person. Now, we cannot confirm that. That is what we are seeing quoting officials from a newspaper here.

As you were talking about, the net is being cast very wide. Reports here is saying as many as seven countries involved in searches in the past 24 hours, including Europe, but also in Yemen. We saw round ups in Paris. Ten people arrested in Paris overnight. In Berlin, two people arrested.

Over there, reports say there is a connection to Dagestan and Chechens over there linked to Syria. These are people coming back from Syria after fighting for ISIS and taking the fight here on European soil.

So, this is something that officials are trying to prevent. They have increased their searches. We hope to find more at the top of the hour. Next hour, there will be a press conference by the prosecutor's office -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Chris Burns in Brussels. We await that information.

Chris just reported there that there are reports that police were targets there, very much a fear here in France as well. Security officials say police could be targeted. In this country, three officers were killed last week. More information on the possibility of terror cells, as many as 20 threatening Europe.

A Western intelligence source tells CNN the threat involves 20 sleeper cells, between 120 to 180 people in total. The source says that agencies believe that these groups are ready to strike in France, Germany, Belgium, perhaps the Netherlands.

The source says that new information pointed to an imminent threat to Belgium. That is what we heard from Belgium officials overnight. Also possibly an imminent threat in the Netherlands as well.

This information fits with new threats and reported ISIS video that just surfaced online. French speaking jihadists say -- go on to threaten more terror operations, quote, "everywhere in Europe and also in America."

Now, CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of this video. There has been more breaking news here in France. Just over the last

hour, CNN confirmed 12 people have been detained, mostly south of Paris, about 12 miles, in connection with last week's attacks here, people believe to have provided some kind of logistical support to Amedy Coulibaly.

And I should also say, we are just getting information now that many French media web sites are down, perhaps have been hacked. So, this battle against terror on the streets and online as well.

I want to bring in CNN's Isa Soares. She joins us now live from the Paris bureau.

A very wide investigation at this point, Isa.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, good morning, John.

Europeans waking up to the fact there could be as many as 20 sleeper cells active within Europe. They are already on edge and now indeed high alert. Western intelligence source telling CNN there could be 20 sleeper cells active within the continent, and that's about 140 to 180 people. They are ready to strike across the continent, from Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium and indeed, France.

Western intelligence source saying the imminent threat is in Belgium and possibly to the Netherlands. Now, these are people, men believe to have gone, European men believed to have gone to ISIS, to fight there, to train there and then coming back already radicalized and then setting up, preparing for any sort of attack across the continent.

We heard in the last 12 hours or so, there are believed to be about 3,000 Europeans who have left to go to Syria and fight there and then return. Of those, let me break it down for you, 500 reportedly we have been told have returned, 250 going to the U.K., 200 to Belgium, and 70 to France.

In light of this and in light everything that has happened in Belgium and indeed in Paris, authorities chasing any lead possible and chasing links to any of the terror cells.

Let me break down what we know in Paris in the last few hours. Paris prosecutor telling CNN that 12 people have been detained and are still in custody. They are linked and possibly they say have some sort of logistical support to Coulibaly. Coulibaly was the terrorist that killed four people at the kosher store.

This is what we know. The 12 people were detained across four parts of Paris, mostly the suburbs of Paris.

We have learned according to "Le Monde", that Hayat Boumeddiene, this is the woman -- this is a partner of Coulibaly who is on the run and believed to be in Syria, she is believed to be between four to five months pregnant. This is according to "Le Monde".

Also, in the last few minutes, just breaking right here on CNN, we have basically heard that several Web sites, Parisian Web sites, are actually down. CNN has confirmed this.

The Web sites are (INAUDIBLE) basically Web sites for news, but also investigative web sites. They crashed and they obviously appear to create a hacking attempt. We are trying to chase that line.

But this comes off the back of the fact that French cyber defense security saying up to 19,000 cyber attacks happened in France last week.

This is France. Let's turn our attention to Germany. Several developments happening overnight and indeed in the early hours of this morning.

We have heard that two arrests taking place in Germany, 11 raids happening across several apartments in Germany. Two of these men reportedly having some links to Syria. One believed to have been in Syria in May and coming back here. No reports of whether there was an attack that was imminent. Nevertheless, authorities taking this very seriously.

One of those men is reportedly alleged to have been involved in a recruitment ring with Chechen jihadists. So, that is the message that you're getting, the picture that we're getting from Germany.

And all of this happening, John, as we report new ISIS video has been published. Three French speaking jihadists saying they will wage more war on France. It says we are going to come to Europe and there will be more operations across Europe.

CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the video. But nevertheless, it is very, very unnerving, given developments we've been seen in Brussels, given developments we've seen here in Paris and now words from Berlin, too.

So, you're starting to get a picture of the connectivity of all these terror cells and the money and indeed, the weapons, John.

BERMAN: Isa Soares for us in Paris, an enormous amount of information and also enormous amount of anti-terror activity going on not just France, but in other countries all across Europe. Isa, our thanks to you.

And, of course, all of this happening as this country is in mourning. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, he is in Paris right now, visiting for meetings with the French leader and foreign minister. They will discuss the fight against terror, the fight against this extremist violence. Just moments ago, the secretary of state was here behind me.

He laid a wreath at this ongoing growing memorial for "Charlie Hebdo" the satirical magazine where 10 people were killed inside, two people killed outside just a little more than a week ago. You can see this happening just moments ago right behind us here.

The secretary did not take questions. We tried to ask him about his visit here. He will speak in just a little bit, which we will take live when that happens. The secretary also visited the kosher market where four French Jews were killed.

This solemn moment you are seeing here occurring as there is so much activity in France and across Europe, in terror investigations, terror raids in Belgium.

I'm joined now by Fabrice Magnier. Fabrice is a terror expert here in France.

And, Fabrice, we have been reporting all morning, an intelligence source tells CNN, as many as 20 terror cells are now operational, what we're calling sleeper cells across Europe, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium with as many as 150 people involved.

Does that number seem realistic to you?

FABRICE MAGNIER, COUNTER TERROR EXPERT: That number is realistic and maybe we have much terror cell in Europe and in France. It is not a surprise, actually, because, you know, all jihadists are coming back from conflict areas. They spent months over there killing people, beheading people, children, women, playing with ads like this, you know?

So, those guys only know violence and terror. And they are ready to strike. They are ready to fight. They want to fight our democracy. They want to fight Christians. They want to fight everything they feel against Islam, which is not Islam. You know what I mean.

So, we will face more and more spreading out like this in Europe. So, I think we will be much more networks in the coming months in Europe.

BERMAN: Fabrice, we are just getting information over the last several minutes this all kinds of French media Web sites are down. Apparently, some kind of hacking is going on this morning. But in fact, there have been cyber attacks, as many as thousands of them over the last several days.

We've spoken about this. You say in this country they have never seen this kind of cyber activity before.

MAGNIER: Yes, that's true. It's brand new for us now. I think we have to understand now that everything in the war ongoing -- I mean, war about information, about communication. This is a new challenge we have to face, to be much more ready to face this new ongoing war.

One more time it is a race against the clock, I think. And our politicians now have to take the measures to strike those guys at the source.

BERMAN: And that's the battle online. Let's get back to the battle on the streets. The news from the prosecutor's office, that they have detained 12 people involved or connected somehow to these attacks in Paris, 12 people believed to have specific contacts with Amedy Coulibaly. The man behind the kosher supermarket attacks.

What do you suspect that these individuals did to help? MAGNIER: When we speak about the network, we think about home bases.

And those guys maybe provided logistics like cars or equipment or like weapons, bulletproof jackets, goggles, and telephones, explosives, maybe let's say information about the targets, maybe just one view of potential targets. It is not just about weapons to facilitate their job, to add them to be ready. A number of 10 or 12 is quite significant for me and makes sense.

BERMAN: Is it a lot?

MAGNIER: No, it is average necessary to be a cell to be effective.

BERMAN: That number seems like a cell to you.

Fabrice Magnier, thank you so much for being with us. We'll talk to you again in a little bit. A lot going on here this morning not just in Paris but, frankly, Christine, all across Europe.

ROMANS: That's right, John.

We are monitoring the details as the French publications are down. The Web sites are down because of a hack attack this morning. So, you got that angle here as well, even the Anonymous -- the hack group Anonymous has said it will go after Islamic Web sites. You have other hackers who are going after French media Web sites. We'll continue to monitor that this morning.

Thanks, John, in Paris.

Happening in just hours, the terror suspect accused of plotting an attack on Capitol Hill heading to court. New information we are learning about the suspect and case against Christopher Cornell.

Plus, breaking news: U.S. troops now set to train Syrian rebels to fight ISIS. Details next.

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ROMANS: Breaking overnight, the Pentagon sending about 400 troops to train moderate Syrian rebels in the fight against ISIS. Defense officials say beginning sometime this spring, trainers will work out of sites in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. In addition to the trainers, the U.S. will also send about -- some hundreds of additional military personnel. They'll provide security and other support at those training sites.

In court later today, the Ohio gunman arrested by the FBI on Thursday for plotting a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. We know a lot more this morning about 20-year-old Christopher Cornell, what brought him to the attention of the authorities and what his parents are saying in his defense.

CNN's Alexandra Field is in Cincinnati with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, Christopher Cornell, he is the man accused in that plot to bomb the Capitol and shoot victims as they fled from the buildings. His name is known to the country now, but it was known around his community before that.

Local authorities are now telling us that he was the lone demonstrator, the sole protestor at the 9/11 memorial event back in 2013. Authorities say that he caused a disturbance, but wasn't arrested at the time. He was apparently holding a sign that said "9/11 is an inside job."

Today, he is facing serious charges, accused of attempting to kill a U.S. government officer. He will appear in court later today for a detention hearing.

But his parents are coming to his defense saying their 20-year-old son raised here in Cincinnati didn't have the ability or resources to pull off the kind of attack that he is accused of. Instead, they believe their son was coerced.

JOHN CORNELL, FATHER OF CAPITOL TERROR SUSPECT: Chris has never been out of Cincinnati. I believe he was coerced into a lot of this stuff. I believe that the so-called snitch filled his head with a lot of stuff.

FIELD: Investigators had been following Cornell for months ever since an informant tipped them off to some Twitter activity in which Cornell was allegedly discussing jihad.

But they didn't take action until he walking out of this Cincinnati gun store. This is where they say he bought two assault rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition.

Because law enforcement officials were tracking Cornell's moves, they say that lawmakers were never in danger. Following his detention hearing later today, he will be back in court next week for pre-trial hearings -- Christine.

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ROMANS: All right, Alexandra, thank you so much for that.

Fifty minutes past the hour.

Happening now: divers examining the wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 at the bottom of the Java Sea. Families of those on board desperate for the return of their loved ones bodies. We are live with the delicate operation after the break.

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ROMANS: Now to the latest in the search for AirAsia Flight 8501. Right now, divers are examining the plane's fuselage which was discovered Wednesday at the bottom of the Java Sea. Now, most of the 162 passengers and crew they are still missing and officials hope their bodies are inside that fuselage. CNN's David Molko live in Jakarta with more.

Delicate operation, isn't it?

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A delicate operation, a sensitive operation, Christine. Divers in the water for a second day, and search officials hoping they will have better luck than they did on Thursday. Under water visibility, under water currents, limiting them from getting close to the fuselage.

Not a lot of communication coming from the search zone this afternoon. That could be a good sign. That could mean divers are actually able to get close or get inside.

But, Christine, we have been talking about it for the past two and a half weeks here. The weather really deciding the pace of the search.

In some sense, it is extraordinary that search officials have been able to find what they have in last 20 days: two black boxes, the tail section of the plane, now the fuselage.

We know from earlier last week when divers were down with the tail trying to rig up ropes and straps and slings to raise it to the surface, they described conditions down there. They said they were fluttering like flags hanging on to the ropes.

You know, I've talking to salvage experts as well, trying to get a better idea if raising this section, about 100 feet long, or 30 meters is more complicated, they say it's pretty straight forward as long as conditions cooperate. So, if the under water currents cooperate, if visibility is good, if conditions on the surface are good, it could be a day's work to rig it up using those straps, slings and potentially giant air bags, and then a few more hours to bring it to surface.

Christine, this is a big if. It is still monsoon season. Conditions can change quickly. And what that means is that this may not happen very fast. For families who are still waiting and have been waiting for the past 20 years, that is not what they want to hear -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. David Molko in Jakarta, thank you, David.

Terror threat across Europe this morning. Investigators warning of up to 20 jihadist sleeper cells plotting attacks. We are live breaking all of this down, next.

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