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Europe Scrambles to Handle Terror Threats; Troops Ramp Up Security in Belgium; Romney Considers Third Run for President; Dead Al Qaeda Cleric Linked To Two Dozen Terror Plots; Storm Forces Early End To Pope's Mass; Boko Haram's Youngest Victims; Israel Faces Possible War Crimes Probe

Aired January 17, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. It is the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The NEWSROOM starts right now.

Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, countries across Europe are on high alert for potential terror attacks. A western intelligence source tells CNN dozens of terrorists may be poised to strike in France, Germany and Belgium as part of the so-called sleeper cells. In Belgium, troops are out in force. They're guarding potential targets including the Jewish museum in central Brussels. And earlier this week, more than a dozen suspected militants were detained in Belgium, France and Germany, in sweeping anti-terror raids.

And there may be a possible ISIS connection to the terror plots in Europe. A counterterrorism official says ISIS has ordered recruits to return to Europe from Syria's battlegrounds to launch attacks.

We're also learning that one of the gunmen who attacked "Charlie Hebdo" magazine has been buried. Said Kouachi's body was placed in an unmarked grave overnight in his hometown about 80 miles from Paris.

All right. We turn now to our focus on terrorists breeding -- on rather the terrorist breeding ground of Yemen. In a brazen move hours ago the Yemeni president's chief of staff was kidnapped by gunmen -- snatched off the street in central Sana'a. Just a few weeks ago, two Frenchmen were detained for suspected links to al Qaeda. Yemen, of course, is where the orders for last week's deadly attack on the offices of "Charlie Hebdo" originated. And at least one of the brothers who launched the attack had traveled there more than once.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Sana'a getting a rare inside look into that country. Nick, what is the latest?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well at 10:00 this morning the president's chief of staff, this gives you all you need to know about how much of a failing state, how much chaos there is in Yemen, the chief of staff was in central Sana'a here in his convoy and stopped by armed men who abducted him.

Now, of course, that was immediately condemned by the British and U.S. embassies here. And then hours later, a movement here, a tribal, armed series of militia here known as the houthis who in the last few months have swept into the capital city here, set up checkpoints and some residents actually said instilled a sense of order to some degree. They came out and said they were behind the chief of staff's, quote, "detention" saying it was a move made to prevent some sort of in their mind illegal introduction of a new constitution here in Yemen.

The presidential administration keen to put a new constitution in place as part of a peace and transition plan to resolve the violence that has racked this country for years. Advisable (ph) though to understand that if the president's own number two can't travel safely in the capital, then clearly this country's institutions are beyond fragile.

That's the real reason many say al Qaeda have had such a foothold here, they're still here, they claim what they refer to sickly as the blessed attacks in Paris against the "Charlie Hebdo" magazine. People concerned with this abduction -- things are escalating -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So then Nick I wonder for the Yemeni government though since this kind of underscores the holes in their security and sort of lawlessness, is there any I guess clue as to whether the Yemeni government will be asking for outside government help? Do they have that option?

WALSH: I think in many ways it's tough at this late stage for any outsiders to really effectively intervene in a civilian fashion. Of course, military intervention into an extraordinarily messy conflict like this is out of the question for most Western countries who wish well upon the Yemeni government here.

WHITFIELD: All right. We just lost that signal with Nick Paton Walsh there in Yemen. We'll get back to him later on in the afternoon when we can.

All right. Now, let's talk more about the terror threat across Europe. CNN's Phil Black is in Brussels. What security measures are you seeing around town right now as a result of all that's taken place in the last few days?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, what we are seeing are soldiers deployed on the streets of a major European city. The numbers are not huge, but this is really quite an extraordinary event and it makes for some pretty striking images. Here, in the Belgium capital, around 120 soldiers have been deployed to sites that there are fears could be targeted in the event of a terror strike -- Jewish sites and institutions, government sites, sites relating to the European Union. As I say, 120 here, around another 30 soldiers patrolling and guarding Jewish areas in the city of Antwerp, north of Brussels.

150 soldiers in total, not a huge numbers but the authorities here are talking about boosting that number in the coming days. It could go as high as 300. This is all part of an increase in this country's security posture. It's going to be this way for at least a week or so. It's going to be under constant review. What it does show is that despite the raids that have taken place here, in recent days, despite the fact that they believe they have disrupted a significant imminent terror threat they do not believe the threat has entirely passed -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so is there a feeling that these terrorists were, indeed, going to try to infiltrate police stations since uniforms were located? Any more about that?

BLACK: Well, that is the threat they believe they have disrupted. We saw raids across the country, notably in the city of Verviers that was where there was a dramatic shoot-out with police and two terror suspects were killed. It is in that town that the authorities say they found a lot of weaponry, AK-47s, other handguns and explosives but also police uniforms and communications equipment. That physical evidence, they believe, supports their theory that the plot they interrupted was set to attack police officers, either on the streets or in police stations.

In all, some 13 people were arrested here in Belgium, most of them have now been released, but three people remain in custody. They believe they have dented that significant plot which they described as imminent, hours away, they thought, perhaps a couple days, at the most. But certainly imminent, they say.

But they're still being very tight lipped on a lot of other details like who they're holding, who the men were that were killed by officers during those operations. All for investigative reasons, they say, which suggests this operation, this investigation, is still very much ongoing.

WHITFIELD: Phil Black in Brussels, thanks so much.

A western intelligence source is telling CNN that as many as 20 sleeper cells between 120 and 180 people could be ready to strike in France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. I want to talk more about this threat with CNN military analyst Major General James Spider Marks and CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.

All right. Good to see both of you.

Juliette, let me begin with you. When we talk about the sleeper cells and that they all could be ready to carry out their plans at any given time. Help explain how this works in that they may have all received the same kind of training collectively, but will it be up to these individuals to pick the timing in which to carry out their plans?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Exactly. Look, the notion of a sleeper cell is probably not the best way to describe terrorism now. Sleeper cell was a way to describe organizations of terrorists that had gotten training and were waiting for word from their leaders, say bin Laden, to deploy. So that represents a time when there was a hierarchical structure and a leader on top.

Now what is happening is, obviously they're getting trained, money, ammunition abroad, going back to their countries and sort of deciding on their own when they are going to attack. So they're not really sleeper. They're always planning. They get to pick the timing on their own.

Look, first reports sometimes can be also not erroneous, but, you know, whether there's 20 sleeper cells or 40 or maybe just 2, we just can't know because we're really in it right now, we're in the situation right now. And so what law enforcement intelligence agencies can do is begin to connect the dots very quickly to disrupt whatever might be planned in the next, you know, 24, 48 or next couple of weeks.

WHITFIELD: So General Marks, this evolution of terrorism which underscores how much more difficult it is for intel to work, for countries to protect themselves, so how do you see the strategy of trying to thwart these attacks evolving as well, taking a turn?

GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Fredricka, you know, Juliette laid it out quite well. I mean, really the notion of a sleeper cell is inappropriate. There is constant effort on these organizations' part to improve what they understand, their readiness, and their ability to assess the local conditions and upon their own desire, they'll execute a mission.

The real thing in my mind is that the investigation -- the notion of an investigation against these cells might have a horizon is completely wrong. This is really, as we've been discussing over the course of the last few months really, is this is really a new normal.

The notion of Islamic terrorism, radicalized Islam, ready to strike at any moment, is the new normal. We have to accept that, as almost barbarous as we might think it is, an infringement upon liberties so many people have worked so hard to achieve. The halcyon days of putative borders that we've seen over the course of the last 30 years in Europe where freedom of movement, consolidation, creation of the European union, similar commerce, currency, all of those are going to have to be relooked because you have completely porous borders and the ability of folks to move very, very easily.

WHITFIELD: Does this kind of underscore the need to have more sort of undercover terrorists, those who can infiltrate these terror groups?

MARKS: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Pretend to be who they are? Does it seem it's going to be the only way since they're getting very smart about maybe not even using cell phone activity as much, very smart in which to carry out the plans?

MARKS: Yes. Absolutely. Juliette, if you don't mind, let me jump in initially -- absolutely. What that means is we have to be able to embrace what it is we see, unlike what happened in France where there was complete isolation of the Muslim community from the greater French population. Those doors have to be broken wide open. We have to be able to penetrate both overtly and covertly so you can understand what normative behavior is so you can then identify what's aberrant. There has to be penetration. There has to be cooperation and trust.

WHITFIELD: Juliette? KAYYEM: I mean I would agree with that on two -- excuse me, in two

aspects. First is, the long-term effort, obviously, is integration of communities, what is called counter and violent extremism, a challenge for European countries. But I mean if you're looking at the long horizon now, it is really going to be communities that feel invested in the safety and security of their own nations and a majority of Muslims in these countries do so. So part of that is reaching out to those communities.

And then just picking up on what Spider said in terms of he comes from the military background, I come from the homeland security background, we are going to have to accept a certain level of insecurity and risk. The notion that we will always be safe is just -- it's just not true, and so what countries like ours and in Europe also need to brace for, is our response capacity. How do we respond if something happens to protect the most lives possible?

So you're not going to just see this focus on intelligence. You're also going to see a movement towards, you know, response, recovery and, of course, resiliency because, you know, this is the new normal. I mean it is, and we just have to also brace ourselves, however discomforting that may seem.

WHITFIELD: All right. Juliette, General "Spider" Marks -- hold tight. We're going to resume our conversation momentarily as we talk about this terror dragnet sweep across Europe.

The U.S. just released five more detainees from Guantanamo. I'm going to ask them if they think now is the time to release any of the Gitmo detainees.

Also later, Mitt Romney, a little cagey still about whether he's considering another presidential bid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN: Most frequently asked question I get is, what does Ann think about all this? And she believes that people get better with experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. More of what he told members of the RNC last night. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right.

Security has been stepped up across Europe in the wake of the Paris attacks and now a sweeping counter terror operation is under way in Belgium. We're back with CNN military analyst Major General Spider Marks and CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.

Ok. So former CIA director Leon said -- right here on CNN -- that we are entering a more dangerous period in terrorism. What exactly does he mean, beyond the obvious, Juliette?

KAYYEM: Well, I think he means that the capacity to disrupt is more difficult, just given the sort of dispersed, you know, syndicate franchise nature of terrorism as well. And that what we've seen in the last ten days is that it's more organized, more lethal, more capable of killing a lot of people and terrifying large communities.

Look, the solo lone wolf sort of, you know, crazy teenager in Ohio or -- who thinks that they're part of ISIS is disturbing, but it's not a huge threat to most of us because the capable of someone doing something like that is pretty minimal.

What we're facing now is, detection is harder and capability is stronger. It doesn't mean we throw up our hands and put our heads in the sand. It just means let's be aware of what the world looks like now so we can adapt.

WHITFIELD: General, detection harder, so a greater use of drones, perhaps, once suspects or leadership is identified? I mean, what do you see changing if detection becomes that much more difficult?

MARKS: Well, Fredricka, all of this begins with good intelligence and how far upstream can you get before activities start to materialize and before they reach what I would call kind of a tipping point and now they're into execution. All means of intelligence collection are available, but what that really means is a greater degree of intrusion that has to be accepted in terms of what we view our daily lives to be whether we're in the United States or whether we're in Europe or Southeast Asia -- it really doesn't matter. We're all connected and all of those really start with an ability to share transparently among intelligence communities so that we can get ahead of this stuff.

I mean look what happened with Hayat Boumedienne when she travels from France to Turkey. Two members of NATO and different degrees, European Union, Interpol, access to that intelligence, and here's this known terrorist walks through the airport in Turkey and ends up in Syria. I mean that's unfortunate, that's what we're talking about in terms of the difficulty that Juliette described.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Questions were asked. She was noticed however. And it's interesting, because she was noticed, you know, she was questioned, but I guess, you know, authorities feel like their hands are a little bit tied if you're not doing anything wrong, just merely existing, you're merely in transit, you cannot be stopped.

MARKS: Yes. In my view of all of this, is that the intelligence had a good picture, but to your point, Fred, exactly, is that there were some policy issues or some restrictions in terms of what could be done with that intelligence. I'm not talking about legal actions and probable cause. It's not -- but the causality was there in terms of there could have been actions taken for whatever reasons they were not. We got to address that.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about Gitmo and what's taking place there. Listen to what a former NATO supreme allied commander told our Jake Tapper when asked about President Obama transferring detainees out of Guantanamo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: I have great concern about it, Jake, and let's just kind of do the numbers. At one time we had 800 detainees. That was reduced and we got rid of all of the even marginal cases. We're down in the hundred or so range. These are seriously bad actors. I think releasing any of them, given a recidivism rate of probably 20 to 30 percent, is a real risk. This is not the moment to be doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Juliette, I want to talk to you first, even though I know, General, this is one of your colleagues, given your NATO history. But you know, Juliette, given very few of these detainees have -- there have been any real solid markings that they were related to terror activity, is it really dangerous that these would be released?

KAYYEM: Well, look, each of them has gone in individual assessment. So just going back to the Obama administration inheriting Gitmo, it is damned if you do, damned if you don't in this situation. You keep Gitmo open, it is a lightning rod for a lot of the world. You keep -- you close it or remove people, where to and are they going to go back and do bad things.

So this is a world in which there were just essentially no good options. Each of them has gotten an individual assessment and determined that either there's a host country that is willing to take them or that they no longer pose a threat. So I'm not convinced that we should second guess this decision because in the long run Gitmo has to be closed if it does.

WHITFIELD: And General, where are you on that argument?

MARKS: Yes. Gitmo needs to be closed. The concern is, we have to be able to transport these folks back to some place in the -- frankly in the United States, yet we have a congress that's going to say not in my district do I want these bad actors.

The challenge is we give them up to other countries. We've realized the challenges with that. I would challenge the notion that the recidivism rate of these folks is around 20 to 30 percent. What they do is what they did. They're going back. We will see them again.

So that's the challenge. We have to be able to embrace that. That's like when you see a thistle grasp it firmly. We have to be able to grab on to the very nasty hard task and we will have to do something with it and Juliette is right, you've got to close Gitmo.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll have to leave it right there. Thanks so much.

General Spider Marks and Juliette Kkayyem -- always good to see both of you -- appreciate it.

All right. Let's talk politics straight ahead. What is Mitt Romney telling Republican leaders about his plans or lack thereof while in San Diego this weekend? CNN's Mark Preston, he's there.

MARK PRESTON, CNN EXECUTIVE EDITOR FOR POLITICS: Well, Fred, you know, is the third time a charm for Republican presidential nominee in 2012, Mitt Romney? He gave some tantalizing details about his political future. I'll have more after the break. .

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Mitt Romney, he's run twice for president and now why not third time is a charm? He has rocked the GOP by announcing that yes, he just might jump in the race again. Last night at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting in San Diego, he addressed party leaders from across the country, sounding like a man on a mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm giving some serious consideration to the future, but this I know, we can win in 2016 as a party in the house, in the senate, and in the White House. If we communicate a clear vision of where we're taking this country, what we believe in, those principles I've described are among those that we're going to be fighting for and we're going to win.

And I can tell you this as well, regardless of what happens in the primaries and the political process that goes on, Ann Romney and I are going to be fighting for our nominee and make sure we win back the White House because the American people deserve it. And we're going to make it happen.

WHITFIELD: Covering the winter meeting in San Diego a very picturesque San Diego always, our politics executive editor, Mark Preston. All right. Good to see you. Interesting he used a couple of choice words there. He said, you know, "fighting for the nominee, but we'll take it back. I'm not sure if he's including himself in that run for the nomination or if he's really just talking about the GOP as a whole?

PRESTON: Look, Fredricka, he's talking about the GOP as a whole, but there's no question that he envisions himself potentially as that nominee. This is something new, it's only been really bubbled up in the past week or so. Mitt Romney has said over and over and over again that he would never run for the White House again, but apparently he still has the bug.

He's being encouraged by some close advisors, by family members, and he thinks this time, potentially, he could win the White House.

WHITFIELD: And now what are his fellow Republicans saying at this meeting, whether in private or out loud to everybody?

PRESTON: Well, you know, it depends on who you talk to. It's a very mixed reaction. I think there's a lot of intrigue about another Romney candidacy. A lot of people are wondering why he's thinking about doing it, but he does have some loyalists.

Having said that, I think we're hearing from the critics. They tend to be a little bit louder right now. They think that Mitt Romney's ship has sailed and it's time for a new face for the Republican Party. Last night Mitt Romney tried to put a new spin on his message. He talked about poverty, he talked about opportunity for all, and he was very critical of President Obama's foreign policy.

So Mitt Romney certainly testing the waters but he hasn't told us when he's going to make a decision yet, Fred.

WOLF: Interesting, and then, you know, Mitt Romney he's bashing the President about the economy. Might that resonate with the unemployment rate down, stock markets up, the economy overall, say many analysts, is in far better shape than it was just four years ago?

PRESTON: Right. And some people would say that Romney's argument on foreign policy and how the U.S. has addressed the whole issue of terrorism is actually a stronger argument for him to make and the economic argument isn't as strong. But Romney last night really tried to hammer home the idea that his conservative principles could actually make the economy stronger, put even more people back to work and get America going again, to a place where it was perhaps ten years ago.

But last night, mixed reaction to his talk about potentially running. I can't say people weren't totally discounting him, but he certainly has to wave, Fredricka, what the critics would say and would he get the same support he had in 2012 that he would now in a very crowded field for the Republicans presidential nomination.

WHITFIELD: It is going to be an interesting race, indeed. You can see it's got all the markings thus far.

Mark Preston, thanks so much, in beautiful San Diego. Appreciate it -- look, you have the joggers behind you. Do you have your jogging shoes on today, too?

PRESTON: Yes, I'm going to follow them right after this.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Mark. Appreciate it.

All right. Put this on your calendar. Tuesday night, President Obama will deliver his state of the union speech. CNN's coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Be sure to joins us for complete coverage of the President's speech.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Happening right now, why an American born Jihadist is believed to be the inspiration behind the "Charlie Hebdo" attack.

Plus chilling new information about how ISIS and al Qaeda may be competing. And the pope hoping to visit areas of the Philippines devastated by a super typhoon had to cut his visit short and quickly leave the area. We'll tell you why. The "NEWSROOM" continues right now.

Good morning again, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Anti-terror operations in Europe are in full swing two days after a raid by Belgium police foiled an imminent plot Belgian soldiers are now providing extra security for embassies and Jewish sites and officials are on high alert amid reports that as many as 20 sleeper cells could be planning strikes in several European countries.

More than two dozen terror-related arrests in France, Germany, Belgium and the U.K., at least two of the suspects are believed to have links to ISIS.

Meanwhile we're also learning of arrests in Yemen, possibly linked to the terror killings in Paris last week. A Yemeni official briefed on security matters tells CNN two Frenchmen had been detained a few months ago as they tried to leave the country.

They were suspected of offering logistical support to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen has been home base to many American-born Jihadists including Anwar Al-Awlaki.

It is believed that he planned and funded the "Charlie Hebdo" attack. Awlaki died in a U.S. drone strike in 2011. His following and ability to inspire attacks on the west are as strong as ever. Here's CNN's Deborah Feyerick.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is an American inspiring a generation of young men to take up arms and attack the west.

ANWAR AL-AWLAKI: I could not reconcile between living in the U.S. and being a Muslim.

FEYERICK: An American of Yemeni descent whose ideology is arguably more powerful in death than it was in life.

WILLIAM BRANIFF, COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT: He still remains the most important English speaker in al Qaeda's broader associated movement. His ideas outlive him.

FEYERICK: Killed in a drone strike three years ago, Anwar Al-Awlaki appears to not have only planned and inspired the attack, but financed it as well, says one of the gunmen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was sent, me, Cherif Kouachi, by al Qaeda in Yemen. I went there and Sheik Anwar Al Awlaki financed my trip.

FEYERICK: In the last decade, Al Awlaki has been cited in connection with nearly two dozen terror plots, including inspiring the Boston marathon bombers and Fort Hood shooter, instigating the underwear bomber and plotting operationally to take down a U.S.-bound British airliner.

Born in New Mexico, he spent his teen years in Yemen and studied engineering at Colorado State University on a $20,000 U.S. taxpayer grant. In the mid-90s, Al Awlaki moved to San Diego and began preaching at a mosque.

NASSER AL-AWLAKI, ANWAR AL-AWLAKI'S FATHER: Started making sermons and he was an American citizen and his sermons were actually, you know, nothing wrong with them.

FEYERICK: A year before the 9/11 attacks, two of the hijackers showed up at Awlaki's mosque. He fled to Yemen in 2002, never to return. But his words stayed behind. His deceptive polarizing message is that the west is trying to destroy Islam.

AWLAKI: Brothers, that's what they're doing today. They're plotting to kill this religion.

FEYERICK: Preaching that it's incumbent on American and English speaking followers to wage war at home or away in Yemen or Syria. Terror expert William Braniff calls Al Awlaki a salesman with modern appeal.

BRANIFF: Anwar al-Awlaki translated that material, but he also infused it with a lot more emotion and really made it speak to people in a much more sort of personalized and emotional way. Finally, he encouraged do it yourself jihadism, but not only do it yourself propaganda.

FEYERICK: Propaganda that violent jihad will pay off. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So what group is the biggest threat after the Paris attacks, ISIS or al Qaeda? We'll look at their growing rivalry next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A typhoon in the Philippines forced Pope Francis to cut short a huge outdoor mass this morning. Despite blistering winds and drenching rain thousands of worshippers showed up for the service in Tacloban, that is the same area that was devastated by a super typhoon back in 2013.

After the service the pope headed to Manila and that's where he is scheduled to deliver an outdoor mass to more than a million Filipinos there. Pope Francis also made headlines this week after entering the debate over religion and freedom of speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith. One cannot make fun of faith. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN contributor and "Daily Beast" Rome bureau chief, Barbie Nadeau joining me by phone. While the pope was trying to make this point about limits on free speech, he even made, you know, kind of a fake punch to show what he would do if someone were to insult his mother, has this put him in any further into the debate?

BARBIE NADEAU, ROME BUREAU CHIEF (via telephone): Well, I really think it has. I think, you know, we've become so used to this pope saying what he's thinking, speaking offs the cuff, but I don't think yet so far he's ever said anything that he doesn't mean.

I think that he really meant what he said, he didn't think it's right to mock other people's faith. You have to remember that the pope is a frequent target by "Charlie Hebdo." He was, you know, he's often depicted in ways that I suspect he doesn't like, and this is one of the examples I think that he's saying.

You shouldn't be making fun of Catholicism or Islam and what he said I think really rings true to a lot of Catholics as well as Muslims in this particular case. He has caused a little bit of controversy in Italy, much more for his comment about how he would punch someone if they insulted his mother.

Because as most staunch Catholics know you're supposed to turn the other cheek, you're not supposed to actually retaliate. That's been sort of the headlines here in Rome as well.

WHITFIELD: And then let's talk about the pope and his comments about same-sex marriage and what kind of reaction there's been?

NADEAU: Well, that's another, you know, obviously a big topic here in Rome and around the Vatican and what we saw during the Senate on the family a couple months ago, seemed to be a softening on the stance in terms of same-sex marriage and in terms of contraception within heterosexual marriage.

And you know, he said to the Filipino people he was speaking to that, you know, that he really thought marriage is between a man and a woman. That is, of course, a Catholic teaching, something the church is not going to back down on, but we haven't heard the pope so vocal on it, to such a large audience.

I think a lot of people were disappointed, whatever progress they thought was being made in that highly controversial Senate we saw in October, he seemed to be backtracking on that. Of course he's speaking in a very Catholic country, to Catholics, so he's speaking to people who share his views.

WHITFIELD: All right. Barbie Nadeau, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

NADEAU: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, we're also getting chilling new information from counterterrorism officials about how al Qaeda and ISIS are competing and what the consequences could be.

CNN's Brian Todd reports on the dangerous and deadly competition that is emerging.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A chest thumping from one of al Qaeda's most dangerous branches over the "Charlie Hebdo" killings, paying tribute to the Kouachi brothers, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula says its leadership chose the target, planned and paid for the attack.

NASR IBN ALI AL-ANSI, COMMANDER, AL QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA (through translator): When the heroes were assigned they accepted. They promised and fulfilled.

TODD: It's not clear how much of that is bluster, how much of a hand AQAP really had in the slaughter in Paris. What is clear to experts, this group has regained its momentum.

KATHERINE ZIMMERMAN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: AQAP status is reaffirmed at the top if not on top of the global Jihadist movement.

TODD: Now other top story groups are lining up to praise the Paris attack, ISIS and Boko Haram among them.

ABUBAKER SHEKAU, BOKO HARAM LEADER (through translator): We truly rejoiced at what happened in France.

TODD: Now CNN has learned of a chilling new concern among U.S. counterterror officials, that there's fresh, intensified competition among the most dangerous terror groups to one up each other, to take back the spotlight.

ZIMMERMAN: Who can hit hardest, who can show they're fighting the hardest, and who can prove their strategy is successful?

TODD: A competition seen primarily between AQAP and ISIS. For the better part of two years, ISIS seemed to dominate, capturing huge swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq, beheading five westerners on TV. But counterterrorism officials and analysts tell CNN it's AQAP's capabilities to strike outside its neighborhood that concern them.

ZIMMERMAN: AQAP is certainly oriented on attacking the United States and much more so than we've seen come out of ISIS.

TODD: Evidenced by the 2009 underwear bomb attempt on a U.S.-bound airliner and AQAP's plot to place bombs in printer cartridges being flown to the U.S., all the work of its master bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, who's still at large. ISIS isn't letting up releasing a new video that appears to show a boy executing two men. The Paris attack ratchets up the pressure on ISIS.

MATTHEW LEVITT, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: Not only on the ground in Syria and Iraq but for opinion and funding and recruits within the global Jihadi community and attacks abroad. TODD: Who's winning that competition for recruits, the life blood of these groups?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: A U.S. counterterrorism official tells us ISIS is still drawing more foreign fighters than AQAP. The official says Syria is still their destination of choice. And we know that Hayat Boumeddine, the girlfriend of one of the Paris gunmen, likely just arrived in Syria, drawing concern over what she may do next. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And now Nigeria, too, is suffering from terrorism by Islamist group, Boko Haram, displacing close to 10 million people. Next, some of the most desperate victims, children.

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WHITFIELD: Boko Haram's reign of terror in Nigeria has displaced millions of people, tens of thousands in the last two weeks alone in this huge offensive in the town of Bagga, the smallest and most desperate victims, children, many of them now orphaned by the fighting. Senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, has more.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early morning and it's cold. Boko Haram's youngest victims are fending for themselves. Lydia lost her parents a month ago, when Boko Haram attacked her village.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: We are going to mountain, they followed us and they are killing us. They got my mother and my father. Someone is saying they killed my mother and my father.

ROBERTSON: A 180 children crowd into this compound. For now, sanctuary from Boko Haram's daily attacks, like Lydia, many are orphans, witness to what no child should ever see.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Killing people, slaughtering people.

ROBERTSON (on camera): You could see all of this.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes. They killed one person in our house.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Her new friend, Esther, from another village, has a similar story. She continues in her own language. They showed up after church service one Sunday last July, opened fire, killing people. Everyone ran. I don't know what happened to my parents.

Esther is 18, and Lydia 16. They're some of the oldest here, have responsibilities like cooking for the other children. They don't get government handouts, and there is no international aid agency helping them. Both are struggling to understand their changed lives.

Lydia tells me of nightmares, crying, not being able to eat. What is all too clear to them now is they won't be going home any time soon.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Because Boko Haram is killing us, we don't have food to eat. They are slaughtering people.

ROBERTSON: Only God, they say, can help them now. Nic Robertson, CNN, Joss, Nigeria.

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WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. The International Criminal Court has opened an inquiry into the attack on the Palestinian territories including attacks that happened during last year's Gaza war between Israel and Hamas militants.

The move opens the way for a possible war crimes investigation against Israel. Israel calls the inquiry an outrage, and the U.S. says it strongly disagrees with the court's decision.

And this major announcement from the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices have decided they will hear arguments on whether states have the rights to ban same-sex couples from marrying.

Right now, 36 states allow same-sex marriage including the District of Columbia. The justices will hear arguments in April, and issue a ruling possibly by June.

And there has been a big development for football fans in the -- Penn State football fans, Jerry Sandusky, that case. Joe Paterno will soon be the winningest coach in the history of major college football again. It's a decision that has so many fans celebrating, and it has quite a few critics furious.

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WHITFIELD: All right, a stunning 180-degree turn for Penn State, the college could now be able to claim its 111 victories won by the late, Joe Paterno. Paterno's victories were vacated by the NCAA following the Jerry Sandusky abuse scandal.

Coy Wire is joining us now with more on this. Good to see you.

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you too, Fredricka. Thank you very much. Penn State's Board of Trustees unanimously approved a proposed settlement of a lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania State Senator Jay Coreman.

Students at Penn State rallied outside the administration building to celebrate the decision. As part of the deal, Penn State agrees to pay $60 million to help victims of sexual abuse.

In the 112 wins that the NCAA took away from the school will be restored. The 111 of those belonged to Paterno. That means he'll return to the top of the list with 409 victories.

WHITFIELD: And so people have been very outspoken about this case, no matter which way you look at it. But particularly online, folks have said a lot.

WIRE: Absolutely. Some people are loving it and some people are absolutely hating it. Penn State nation, though, did not hold back their elation. Those fans and former players of Penn State took to Twitter. Matt McGloin posted it was only a matter of time, #409.

Now this needs to be placed back where it belongs. And he's talking about the Paterno statue that was removed from outside the stadium after the scandal broke.

State Senator Jake Coreman who filed the original lawsuit tweeted. Today is a victory for due process. Today is a victory for the people of Pennsylvania. Today is a victory for Penn State nation.

Now, not all social media reaction was positive. Les E. said it would have been nice if Penn State had worked as diligently to restore the lives of Sandusky's victims as it did to restore Paterno's wins.

Now Jerry Sandusky was convicted for abusing victims and is serving a 30 to 60-year sentence. The money will be set aside to fight child abuse in Pennsylvania.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, OK, so now let's go from college ball to the NFL and Ray Rice. There is a settlement now. Do we know how much? We know he was asking for over, what, $3 million.

WIRE: That's right.

WHITFIELD: But what's resulted?

WIRE: Yes. Some developments there, the Ravens say that they finally settled their grievance with Ray Rice over back pay. The terms were not disclosed and they probably will not be. But the pro bowl running back wanted more than $3.5 million for wrongful termination from the team.

The Ravens released Ray Rice video of him knocking out his then fiancee in an elevator. It was released publicly in September. And team president, Dick Cass, said in a statement Friday that it's time to turn the page, and move forward. Rice is a free agent and he can sign with any team now, Fredricka.

We also want to do something real fun. We want to also give a shoutout to Muhammad Ali. Happy 73rd birthday, released from the hospital after a urinary tract infection. Happy birthday to you, Champ.

WHITFIELD: All right, the greatest of all time. That's right. Happy birthday to him. Coy, good to see you. Thanks so much.

All right, we have so much more straight ahead from the NEWSROOM, which all begins right now.