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Terror Group's Video Calls For Attacks On Shopping Malls In U.S., Canada and the U.K; Republicans Tie Funding Measures To Legislation In Effort To Undo Some Of Obama's Executive Actions On Immigration; Western U.S. Gets Round Of Ice And Snow; Hours Away from the Oscars; Daytona 500 Safety Concerns

Aired February 22, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: If anyone is planning to go to the mall of America today, they have to be particularly careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson responding today to a terror group video calling for attacks on shopping malls in the United States, Canada and the U.K.

Plus Minnesota's battle as a recruiting ground for jihadis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we are still losing them. Is it terrorists in Midwest here in the United States? It is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a concern that the minorities of (INAUDIBLE) do come back, that become involved in terrorism are also the most dangerous terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And all of that snow and ice is making for dangerous conditions from the Rockies to the east coast, more bitter cold. NEWSROOM starts right now.

Hello, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Homeland security Chief Jeh Johnson is reacting to new video today which he says reflects a quote "new age of terrorist attacks." The interview aired this morning on CNN's "State Of The Union." Here was what Jeh Johnson told Gloria Borger. And you will see some of the video released by the Al-Qaeda linked terror group al-Shabab running on the right side of the screen as he talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: I'm very concerned about the serious potential threat of independent actors here in the United States. We've seen this now in Europe. We've seen this in Canada.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: But specifically against the mall of America?

JOHNSON: Anytime a terrorist organization calls for an attack on a specific place, we've got to take that seriously. And so through our intelligence bulletins, through working with state and local law enforcement, through working with the FBI, we take this kind of thing seriously.

BORGER: And I just want to read you one more thing on this. This is a statement from the mall of America today.

Mall of America is aware of the threatening video that was released, which included a mention and images of the mall. We take any potential threat seriously and respond appropriately. We have implemented extra security precautions, some may be noticeable to guests and others won't.

What are you telling Americans who might be planning a trip to the mall this Sunday?

JOHNSON: What we're telling the public in general is you've got to be vigilant. We just revamped our, if you see something, say something campaign at the super bowl last month. And so, public engagement, public awareness is critical. Americans should still feel that they are free to associate, they are free to go to public gatherings, but it's critical that we have public awareness and public participation in our efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: This latest terror video calls for attacks like the one carried out at the Westgate mall in Kenya back in September of 2013 which killed more than 60 people. What's different about this propaganda video is that it names specific malls like mall of America and west Edmonton Mall in Canada.

And not long after Johnson's interview aired, FBI counterintelligence officials further clarified the threat saying this quote "there's no doubt that al-Shabab would like to carry out an attack on a U.S. mall, but they are in a pretty weakened state. The bigger danger is their ability to inspire home-grown violent extremists inside the U.S. who might see the propaganda and decide to act, end quote.

However, the mall of America and the West Edmonton mall in Alberta, Canada, both mentioned in the video, say that they have implemented extra security precautions. Secretary Johnson commented on all of this once again at the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C.

CNN's Erin McPike is at that meeting, where she caught up with the secretary, following his earlier comments.

So Erin, what is he saying now?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, first let me give you just a little bit more context.

U.S. law enforcement officials are pointing out despite this video, this is no specific credible threat to the United States. But in his comments to the nation governors this morning, Johnson said the very idea that even when these frightening calls to action pop up, there is still not a specific credible threat. He says that kind of statement is becoming less relevant, because they can't predict when individuals, these lone wolves who are inspired by these calls, will act on them.

So with that in mind and his advice to Americans going to the Minnesota mall today, to be particularly careful, I asked him to clarify. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: What does it means when people going to the mall of America today need to be more careful? What should they do?

JOHNSON: Well, they will see an enhanced security presence there, but very often a security presence cannot be the complete answer. So the public needs to be aware and be vigilant. And if you see something, say something is not just a slogan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, again, because U.S. officials are saying in the wake of this video that there's not a direct threat here, but it still may scare many Americans. I asked him if he regretted his comments this morning to be particularly careful, and Fred, he said no.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike, thank you so much in Washington.

All right, let's talk more about this constantly evolving threat in the words of Jeh Johnson. Joining us right now from Columbus, Ohio and CNN military analyst retired U.S. army colonel Peter Mansoor.

All right, Colonel, good to see you. So this message and the clarification of the message, what is happening here? And in your view, what is the message Americans should be getting, new threat, old threat, credible threat, no credibility in this, what's the interpretation in your view?

COL. PETER MANSOOR, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the government walks a fine line between informing the public of threats to possible locations, and giving too much credibility to these terrorist groups that quite frankly don't have a lot of capability necessarily to operate on American soil. And we run the risk of spooking the American public and affecting our economy, affecting the local economy up there in Minnesota just on the base of a threat that may or may not be credible. So this is what the government has to consider in airing these threats.

As far as the public is concern, they should always be vigilant whether it is a terrorist group or a school shooter or whatever. This has just become part of unfortunately, part of our modern society, and this should be business as usual for the American people. If you see something, say something, but get on with your life.

WHITFIELD: And you heard that underscored by Secretary Johnson. He also reiterated that, you know, targeting soft spots has always been a likely target. But when you have a propaganda video like that one released yesterday with an image of the Mall of America, does this your view, change the game, change the message?

MANSOOR: I don't think it changes the message to the American people. The threat, unless the government has additional information that they're not releasing that's credible and specific, they should just merely acknowledge that this video exists and that the American people should remain vigilant, but that they should get on with their lives.

And in the words of the Londoners who were under attack from terrorists by the IRA for a couple decades, keep calm and carry on. And so, this is a terrorist group that's trying to have an impact on the American people, on the west with these images, with this video, and we should acknowledge it for what it is, propaganda, but we should move on with our lives.

WHITFIELD: So do you worry, though, that this video further inspires these so-called, you known, independent actors?

MANSOOR: That's the wild card. Someone in Minneapolis or in the Somali community up there who's been radicalized might see this video, might see the call to go to the mall of America and take action. And that's where the real wild card comes in.

This is where, quite frankly, good intelligence, good domestic intelligence in these local communities comes to play, and as well as working with the local community leaders to have their youth resist the call to action and resist these terrorists incitements to violence and work with the communities to integrate more fully into the American society.

WHITFIELD: All right, Colonel Peter Mansoor, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

MANSOOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, how big a role does politics play in what we are hearing from the homeland security secretary today? Republicans want to cut the department's budget when it comes to enforcing the president's immigration policy. But Secretary Jeh Johnson says his employees need funding to protect the country from other threats.

Plus, what impact are Rudy Giuliani's comments are having on fellow Republicans considering a run for the presidency?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson says the latest terror threat from al-Shabab against shopping malls of America is part of the reason he needs a budget. Remember, funding for the department of homeland security is stalled in Congress because Republicans are tying the funding to measures that would undo some of President Obama's executive actions on immigration. Funds run out at the end of the month, which could result in about 30,000 furloughs.

Joining us right now to talk about it is Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia center for politics. Good to see you. CNN commentator Lz Granderson, good to see you as well. And Stephen Collinson, senior reporter for CNN Politics.

All right, good to see all of you.

All right, so Stephen, let me begin with you. So will this latest threat against the mall of America motivate Congress perhaps to fund the department of homeland security?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: It certainly makes it different to withhold those funds. It really sort of puts another sort of fly in the ointment in the political atmosphere in Washington. There was also a massive row over funding the DHS, and this is going to make it more difficult.

But it also, I think, shows the new age of terrorism, if you like, that we are facing. The idea that, you know, a foreign terrorist group doesn't need to send operatives to the United States, but can try to inspire members of the immigrant community, perhaps a lone Wolf person who's been radicalized by watching these videos.

And we are also seeing, you know, it's very interesting, almost a competition between terror groups to spread fear and disruption through social media. We've seen ISIS do it with their notorious videos, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is thought to be also a danger to the United States and capable of putting up an attack, perhaps more so than al-Shabab. But you know, the purpose of terrorism is to spread fear and disruption. And you know, you've seen the security measures at this mall today, and you know, that's just one example of what these videos can do.

WHITFIELD: And Lz, do you see the timing particularly of this latest threat might, in any way, be influential to this funding issue?

LZ GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it would be very unfortunate if it is, because that just means that, you know, once again they are playing politics with American lives, and trying to do a tic-for-tac as opposed to doing what's just logically best for the American people.

Obviously, because of this latest video there will be an impetus to go ahead and pass a clean bill to the president. But the truth of the matter is they should never get to this conversation to begin with. Not if you're very serious about protecting the border, now if you're very serious about protecting American lives. This should never have been a chip or never should be a chess piece in this game that they're playing.

WHITFIELD: Larry?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: I've always thought that homeland security funding was a bad choice for the Republicans. They have plenty of opportunities now that they control both Houses to contest what President Obama is doing. This was just an unwise choice and it is even more unwise now. We'll see if they get the message.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's switch topic a bit now.

You know, for a second time in a week, Republican governor Scott Walker is coming under fire, you know, first for remain silent while Rudy Giuliani questioned the president's love for the country. And now, Walker is telling "the Washington Post" that he didn't know if the president was Christian. Walker's office later responding by saying, of course, Walker thinks the president is Christian. So, you know, then adding, I guess to this, you know, the trail of behavior now, before all of this Walker wouldn't even answer if he believed in evolution.

So Lz, you know, what is behind Walker either playing it safe if that is what it is, or remaining silent. Will that get him any closer to a 2016 GOP nomination?

GRANDERSON: This is all very new to him. And I understand that he's had some very difficult times and have come out victorious in Wisconsin. But this is a different game here. National politics is a very different game. And I've had an opportunity to spend a good chunk of time with him recently. And we talked about a litany of things. And I actually enjoyed our time together.

But I also came away with going wondering if the man I just spend time with is going to be the man that that is going to actually run for president. Because the man I spent time with is forthright, was genuine, was kind, and this is a very dirty game. He's just at the very beginning of this process.

WHITFIELD: So Larry, is that at the root here, an unfamiliarity with the national stage, and realizing what is said and what is not said? Really carries a lot of weight?

SABATO: Well, that's part of it. You know, every governor, every senator who decides to run for president thinks they already been through the heat of a campaign. They know what it's like. No, they never know what it's like. Running for president is 100 times more intense than running for these lower offices. And I think Governor Walker, who after all has shot to the top all of a sudden, and is one of the co-front runners on the Republican side is learning this sooner rather than later, which could help him if he adjusts.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

So Stephen, how does a potential candidate not know that? I mean, doesn't it speak to you're ready, you know, your readiness either before you engage in, you know, potentially running for presidency? I mean, shouldn't you think about this and have a good feel for the landscape?

COLLINSON: I guess knowledge is one thing and experience is another. You know, David Axelrod, President Obama's political guru, who is selling is book. He has been saying this week that, you know, running for president is really, really hard, and it should be, because the job of being president is the hardest job in the world.

And you know, Scott Walker has had a pretty tough time in Wisconsin. He's won two close elections. He's won a recall election. He has been involved in political controversy. But just the level of the scrutiny and the exposure you get when you are a presidential candidate is a much higher register.

You know, the good candidates are the one that absorb this, they make the errors, they carry on and they get better. You know, you've seen candidates like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, they've made mistake early on, but they have been able to improve their performance and get past that and become stronger candidates as a result. We'll see whether Scott Walker is in that category.

WHITFIELD: All right, in large part, we're talking about Scott Walker because of Rudy Giuliani and what he says and not backing down, still not backing down. So I wonder, Lz, are Republicans as a whole goods to disinvite him, hope that he doesn't show up at certain events, or use it to their advantage in some way?

GRANDERSON: Of course they're going to use it, but no one is using it as an advantage more than Rudy Giuliani. This is about his business. This is about his brand. He's not setting any policies. I've spent a lot of time in D.C., it's been a long time since I've seen him on the streets of D.C. coming out of any sort of important meeting. They will put anything of any sure consequence. And he is just trying to make sure to he keep his brand out there. So as we go on to 2016, he is the person that gets hired for the $10 to $20,000 speeches to come in and bash president and bash Hillary. That's what he's doing. He is doing his job to keep his name out there.

Larry?

SABATO: Well, let's remember one thing, when Rudy Giuliani actually ran for president in 2008, he crashed and burned. He was a disaster. The best thing he could go for the Republican Party, if he wants to, is to yield the stage to the new candidates who are trying to carry their own message without interference from a candidate who failed before.

WHITFIELD: And, you know, Stephen, I guess you know, the speaking engagement honorariums are one thing, but he actually crashed that, you know, 21 club the other day in Manhattan. He wasn't even invited. So there really was no royalty, but he certainly, I guess, reaping some royalties just by getting all the attention from what was said. So what's next for him, Stephen?

COLLINSON: Right. You know, Rudy Giuliani is not a national political figure anymore, as Larry said. But you know, he still has a voice. People remember his heroism and his leadership during the September 11th attacks when he was, you know, one of the only voices of calm and steadiness during thunderstorms terrible hours. So he has a certain cachet beyond just the sort of conservative fringe. But he seems to me like somebody that is, you know, really missing being in the game, missing being in the conversation.

If you look at his TV appearances, he's not backing away from this. He seems gleeful and he seems to be enjoying it. And to some extent that's going to pose problems for Republican candidates who are going to keep getting ask, well, what do you think about this, what Rudy Giuliani said?

WHITFIELD: All right, Stephen Collinson, Larry Sabato and Lz Granderson, good to see all of you. Thanks so much.

COLLINSON: Thanks.

SABATO: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And we're going to talk weather straight ahead. We are not done, by the way, with this arctic cold and snow. There's so much more ahead, straight ahead find out if you are in the past of the next winter blast.

WHITFIELD: OK. It's cold. I know I'm getting repetitious, but it really is. And in fact, millions of Americans from Colorado east are getting ice and snow from this latest winter storm. We've lost count.

Elsewhere, dangerously cold temperatures, if they don't get snow, 60 million Americans, in fact, across 13 states are under windchill advisories right now, and frigid temperatures and ice in Nashville causing the roads to crack in some places, just like there. And north of Atlanta, a lot more ice covering fences and tree limbs and windchills are plunging to minus 40 in parts of north Dakota, and subzero readings are expected to the northeast as well.

All this recent snow in the northeast is in fact causing more roofs to collapse. This barn roof in Massachusetts gave way, killing two horses, and at least 26 people have died in the past week across the U.S. and Canada in weather-related incidents. It is bad and it seems like it is getting worse.

Let's talk more about this new dangerous winter storm forming in Colorado now. And that could bring a snow measured in feet. Live pictures right now, some folks are really excited about this, particularly the skiers, but only if you're already at the resort, you know, or you're already taking the runs because there's nothing nice about driving it.

Meteorologist Tom Sater is with us now.

Although, I kind of wish I was I Colorado that now.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Why not? They could use snow. It has been relatively bright, the four corners

here. It need to just drinking water, you know, the next couple of months. Well, finally the cold air is, well, we're sharing that with the rest of the U.S.

Take a look at our cold. Here we go, Fredricka. This is a cold front for Sunday, drops down into Monday. The pattern now is not just confronted the great waves to the northeast. The cold air is now making its way westward and into the south.

Here is the four corners here. You see the warnings. Some snow, sure, has been falling in the Denver area, but it could become heavier in Southern Colorado, but then it is from Lubbock, in Odessa, to (INAUDIBLE) to the Dallas Metroplex over to Shreveport to Jackson, Mississippi.

Now, it just rain now in Dally. I want to put the freeze line on here. And that is the color pink here, so everything above that is freezing where it snow. But the cold air is dropping southward. So this is going to set the stage for significant sleet across north- central areas of Texas into the Dallas Metroplex. This is going to cause problems not just along i-20, but much of the i-20 in the south, but for flights getting out of the Dallas. I think significant -- big delays, even cancellations.

As we look at what's happening in the snowfall, its southern areas of the Rockies, flagstaff could sigh their first snowfall in a month, so they could use this. It hasn't really been that way. In fact, we have been breaking hundreds of records for cold temperatures in the east, hundreds, twice as many records for warmth, and we haven't even talked about that but occurring out to the west.

Here is the pattern right now, Fredricka. And now that the jet stream is diving out here, more to the southwest. Believe it or not, this is going to set the stage for after this storm, not just one, but maybe two more this week, to take the same path generate in the south, and move across the south. Where they develop in the gulf, and if they come off in the Carolinas could mean more not just frigid cold for the great lakes in the northeast, but more snow into piedmont, the Carolinas, into the D.C. area, maybe up to New York and of course Boston, which has now reached 100. Yes, 100 inches.

WHITFIELD: That's amazing for me to hear it. Is that, you know, far above their average?

SATER: There is 32 inches, maybe, and they are 100. They only need seven-and-a-half for the all-time snowiest season.

WHITFIELD: Really? My God. Well, something tells me they're going to make it.

SATER: Yes, I think they will.

WHITFIELD: They will probably make it.

All right, Tom, thanks so much. Appreciate it. All right, here's a question for you. Why are terrorists calling for

an attack on this place right here, the Mall of America. Will Ripley gives us some context, next.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Fred, we are learning that al- Shabab is very familiar with Minneapolis, which may explain why the mall of America is on their hit list.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Hello again. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A new terrorist threat against shopping malls in the U.S., Canada, and Britain, have officials urging people to be vigilant. Today, Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson said the video which was released yesterday reflects a new face of terror attacks involving independent actors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: If anyone is planning to go to the Mall of America today, they've got to be particularly careful. And as the statement you read indicates there will be enhanced security there that will be apparent to people who go there.

WHITFIELD: Federal security as well.

JOHNSON: There will be enhanced security there. But public vigilance, public awareness, and public caution in situations like this is particularly important and that's the environment we're in frankly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The propaganda video is from the Al-Qaeda-linked to terror group Al-Shabaab. It's the same group responsible for the attack on a mall in Nairobi, Kenya back in 2013 that left 60 people dead. Not long after Johnson commented on the threat here on CNN. FBI counterintelligence officials further clarify saying this, "There is no doubt Al-Shabaab would like to carry out an attack on a U.S. mall, but they are in a pretty weakened state. The bigger danger is their ability to inspire homegrown violent extremist inside the U.S. who might see this propaganda and decide to act."

CNN's Will Ripley is on the story of course and joins us live now from New York. So Will, law enforcement is saying there's no actual working threat against any mall in the U.S. but they are taking precautions.

RIPLEY: Absolutely Fred. Because as we have seen these propaganda videos through social media have the ability to reach people anywhere in the world including the United States where people may see them and as U.S. law enforcement is worried about the concerned about them. It's why the Mall of America is adding to its already extensive security procedures keeping in mind that this is a part of the country in a city in particular that Al-Shabaab is very familiar with.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

They may named "the youth." Al-Shabaab recruiting young men, luring them to East Africa to launch bloody attacks. The group claimed responsibility for 2013's assault on Kenya's Westgate Mall. More than 60 people died.

UNIEDENTIFIED MALE: What if such an attack will still occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota?

RIPLEY: This new Al-Shabaab propaganda video reaches beyond the African borders, targeting the West, threatening Westgate style mall attacks in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

UNIEDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a drill. Mall of America is now going into lockdown.

RIPLEY: The Mall of America already has extensive security to protect more than 40 million annual visitors. Today, they're adding new safety measures saying, "We take any potential threat seriously."

The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada is also increasing security, even as U.S. counterterrorism official say there's no indication of an actual threat. An FBI spokesman tells CNN, "Do we believe Al-Shabaab is sending operatives to the U.S.? No. They've been pretty much depleted. Their propaganda is the bigger concern." The FBI thinks Al-Shabaab is trying to use propaganda, like ISIS and Al-Qaeda to inspire new jihadists. The Somali-based militants recruit heavily in Minneapolis, home to the largest Somali population in the U.S.

OMARI JAMAl, SOMALI COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Well, we're still losing them. Is it the (inaudible) Midwest here in the United States? It is.

RIPLEY: CNN has been investigating terrorist recruitment efforts in Minnesota for five years. Minneapolis community leaders say a small minority of disillusioned young men are looking for a path.

BOB FLETCHER, CENTER FOR SOMALI HISTORY STUDIES: Most of these kids are torn between two cultures. You know, they are Americans but they're not necessarily -- they don't feel totally accepted as Americans.

TROY KASTIGAR, JIHADIST: This is the real Disneyland.

RIPLEY: Al-Shabaab recruited Troy Kastigar. ISIS recruited his friend Doug McCain. Two young men from Minnesota both died fighting for terrorist groups.

JULIE BOADA, MOTHER OF TROY KASTIGAR: It is. It's the hardest loss that there is.

RIPLEY: Kastigar's mother told CNN last year, she believes her son was manipulated by propaganda, the same propaganda now calling for bloody attacks on western malls, trying to strike fear in the heart of the west.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: And, of course, Fred, we do need to point out that this is only a very small minority of people who are influenced by these propaganda videos and who chose to act on them. However, as we have seen time and time again, it just takes one or two or three people to cause a tremendous amount of bloodshed which is what so scary really.

WHITFIELD: It is.

RIPLEY: Right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Will Ripley, thanks so much. We'll be right back with much more Newsroom after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. and other nations are stepping up their efforts to fight terror groups recruiting opportunities, so young people won't want to join their ranks. In Britain, police are conducting an intensive search for three missing teenage girls, who are believed to be on their way to Syria possibly to join ISIS.

The family of one of the girls had issued an urgent plea begging their daughter to come home. President Obama addressed ISIS recruiting tactics during an antiterrorist summit in Washington. And he said Muslim communities need to push back on terrorist propaganda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie. And all of us, regardless of our faith, have a responsibility to reject it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The President is also calling on religious leaders to confront extreme idealogies that attract young recruits. Let's bring in Imam Mohamed Magid, Executive Director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society.

All right. It's good to see you and thanks so much for joining us.

IMAM MOHAMED MAGID, ALL DULLES AREA MUSLIM SOCIETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Thank you for inviting me.

WHITFIELD: I remember you saying that in one hour that you made talk to a young potential recruit, ISIS perhaps takes two hours to reprogram. So what is it that a terrorist group like ISIS is saying to these young people to convince them to kind of come to the other side, come with them?

MAGID: What ISIS is doing is try to interpret events around the world, and telling people there's a war against Islam and come and join us so you will a life of fulfillment, life of purpose. And they did this online therefore they are 24 hours online try talking to young people. But thank God that we have community that are very much integrated to American society who have been resisting and rejecting that. And those who are in the (inaudible) to this kind of ideology, their parents are noticing that change on them and they bring them for counseling so that we try to an arrest (ph) to have them to change their mind about this idealogy.

WHITFIELD: There were lots of powerful messages coming from this antiterrorist summit. Some even talked about these challenges. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Terror is their obsession. It's what they do. And if we let them, their singleness of purpose could actually wind up giving them a comparative advantage. But with the images of recent outbreaks fresh in our minds, everybody here knows we simply can't let that happen. We have to match their commitment and we have to leave them with no advantage at all.

BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: These extremists are pursuing a deliberate strategy of shock and awful, beheadings, burnings, and snuff films designed to polarize and terrorize, and provoke and divide us. The victims are as diverse as humankind itself. But let us recognize that the vast majority of the victims are Muslims.

NASSER JUDEH, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The socioeconomic conditions that provide the fertile ground for the spread of this ideology, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy. The youth, ladies and gentlemen, are the most vulnerable and the most targeted by violent extremism.

Jordan will utilize its membership in the Security Council and its upcoming presidency to highlight youth as a vehicle for peace building and prosperity. In this regard, I would like to say it is all about education, education, education. Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. Empowerment, empowerment, empowerment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Imam, I'm hearing a few messages there. I'm hearing about this commitment that has to come from imams and other religious leaders. Is that really perhaps the only effective way to preserve the faith and name of Islam and at the same time preserve, protect young potential recruits?

MAGID: Absolutely. We have to teach young people the true message of Islam. Islam is a religion that teach theology of life, and these extremists groups, ISIS and others, teach the theology of death. Islam teach the theology of building and those people talking about demolishing and burning and killing people.

And therefore, there's a responsibility of imams and religious leaders to teach the young people the right message but also to go virtual. They have to go to the internet and the Facebook and Twitter account where those groups have been utilizing and try to recruit young people.

And unfortunately, sometimes when they issue a video and their video get republished and being aired on many news agency, they use this also as opportunity to attack young people. And that's why I think countering messages has come from two folds. One, religious aspect of it and the second is the social programs that engage the youth and give them the sense of purpose.

WHITFIELD: So you do it now like there's a great responsibility on imams and other religious leaders, perhaps even parents (ph).

MAGID: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: They have to try to convey to these young people that you don't want to go this route, but clearly something is not working as we're seeing and hearing a number of young recruits is growing as supposed to the numbers going down.

What's missing, what is not happening to really convince some of these young people not to join groups like ISIS?

MAGID: It has to be a collective effort. And we have to address the issue that the ISIS and the others, youth (ph) are the means of recruiting the young people, whether they're a question of the issue of injustice that they might see in some of the world. And we need to explain (ph) those events through the Islamic lenses or the (inaudible) of Islam, because injustice does not justify injustice.

WHITFIELD: Are you feeling frustrated or even powerless right now?

MAGID: I feel optimistic in some extent and I feel worried and another, you know, I have both mixed feeling but I'm very optimistic because in my own community I would see that we have largest boy scouts, girl scouts (ph) program. Our youth are very integrated in the largest community. And we have seen millions of youths whether in America or around the world of Muslims young people, doing things very productive.

WHITFIELD: You're optimistic but you are worried.

MAGID: I'm worried about the recruitment that we see today online but at the same time, I do believe the answer for it is more social programs, more engaging young people to do the right thing, and have them to be very active in their community to do what they -- what every American youth would do, therefore we are again is the culture of gangs and again is a culture of terrorism as well. But we need to protect the young by giving them a sense of purpose.

WHITFIELD: All right. Imam Mohamed Magid, thank you so much for you time. I appreciate and all the best in that effort.

MAGID: Thank you for inviting me.

WHITFIELD: It's a big effort.

MAGID: Thank you so much. WHITFIELD: All right. Much more right after this.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Roll out the red carpet, the Oscars just hours away now. Among the movies making the most buds (ph), "Birdman" and "Boyhood". Both are considered frontrunners for Best Picture as for Best Actor. All eyes will be on Bradley Cooper for his role as Chris Kyle in "American Sniper" and Michael Keaton, who is nominated for "Birdman."

And be sure to watch this evening. CNN has special live red carpet coverage of the Oscars hosted by I think (inaudible) right there, Don Lemon and Michaela Pereira. It all starts tonight, 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

All right. The 57th running of the Daytona 500 is underway right now in Daytona Beach, Florida but there are new safety concerns following a crash in a different race, same track yesterday.

Kyle Busch, a brother of Kurt Busch who is definitely suspended, one of racing's big stars also crashing into the concrete infield wall there. Kyle Busch was carried out on a stretcher and is in the hospital with serious injuries. And he may not be able to race for months.

CNN's John Newsome (ph) is at the Daytona 500 and witnessed yesterday's crash. So John, you're a regular there. We always seem to call on you when you're there at Daytona and something happens. So, what is likely to happen differently on the track as a result of yesterday's crash now?

JOHN NEWSOME, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (inaudible). I'm here at the Daytona 500. And I was here yesterday (inaudible). And in the final (inaudible) including one of the sport's biggest racers, Kyle Busch. And in the last final laps, Kyle was on (inaudible) as member of (inaudible) car that were (inaudible) aggressively trying (inaudible) here on the final laps. And he fled into the infield walls, the concrete walls, and hit it very, very hard. I talked to a number of people right here (inaudible). And that is fact it was one of the most hardest that they have seen.

Busch was taken at the medical center where doctors diagnosed him with a compound fracture of the right lower leg and a midfoot fracture of his left foot of those different legs were involved, the other one (inaudible) specially and will be out indefinitely. NASCAR hasn't clarified how long he potentially might be out.

The president of Daytona International Speedway, Joie Chitwood said yesterday that the track fails to live up its responsibility due to the lack of SAFER barriers in the infields and temporarily they've been told two rows (ph) of tires (inaudible) with a potential impact (inaudible) that's going into the infield.

And this concrete wall is the only different between where the (inaudible) are and many of the people that are staying on the infield. So it's a very critical law (ph). They've already (inaudible) two and a half miles the outer stretch (ph) of the racetrack with its SAFER barrier.

It's very (inaudible) to do so, and frankly it's just one of these situations where sport, you know, these cars are going 200 miles an hour. There are these sort of vulnerabilities here on the track. And yesterday, (inaudible) unfortunately (inaudible) one of them and now NASCAR (inaudible) SAFER barrier throughout the track, unclear if they will find other super speedways, Daytona is one of them as well (inaudible) are among these super speedways where car is going (inaudible).

WHITFIELD: Okay. All right, John Newsome. Thank you so much, of course we know Daytona, that racetrack know stranger to very serious accidents and oftentimes new safety measures coming out of those accidents. Another one that head and neck restraint new provisions on that coming out of accident there, deadly one. All right, much more of the Newsroom, right after this.

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