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DHS Secretary Warns Americans to Be Careful at the Mall; American Frozen Solid; Funding For Homeland Security Stalled In Congress; Bill O'Reilly Fires Back Against Critics Questioning His Reporting For CBS News; Spotlight On Hollywood Tonight

Aired February 22, 2015 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again everyone and thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A warning from the Homeland Security Chief on CNN State of the Union today.

Jeh Johnson telling American shoppers to be careful when they go to the mall. His comments reacting to new terror group video that you'll see in a moment. It was put out by the Al-Qaeda links terror group Al-Shabaab and calls for attacks on shopping malls in the U.K., Canada, and United States but what's different about this threat is that it means specific site like the West Edmonton Mall in Canada and the Mall of America in Minnesota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEY JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: 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 very 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 maybe 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've just revamped our "If You See, 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: And surely after Johnson's appearance on State of the Union, the FBI Counterterrorism officials further clarify the threat saying, "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 extremists inside the U.S. who might see this propaganda and decide to act."

We've got team coverage of Johnson's comment and the new the video. Will Ripley in New York examining while Al-Shabaab is focusing on the mall of America in part. But first let's Erin McPike who is live from D.C. where Jeh Johnson just clarified his earlier remarks at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting. What more was said. Erin?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, I did asked him to clarify those remarks because when he said Americans headed to the Minneapolis today should be extra careful, I asked him what exactly does that mean. And he explained, it's important for the public to get engaged, to report suspicious activity when they say it, when you something safe, something he said that is not just a slogan. But some of what he said caught Washington by surprise this morning that maybe he sparks some unnecessary fear, so I asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Do you regret these comments because some of these -- we have some law enforcement officials today walking at back a little bit saying there's no specific incredible threat. I know what you just said but do you regret any other comments you made this morning?

JOHNSON: No. No, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: But there maybe some concern at least could whine up hurting a local economy because Minnesotans may not want to go to the mall. So I asked Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton's spokesman what their reaction is to Johnson's remark. And he largely sides at that, what he did tell me is the governor is monitoring the situation and will continue to consult the guidance of federal state and local enforcement officials who are working together to ensure the safety of all Minnesotans.

And he said that Governor Dayton has been in closed contact with the state of public safety commissioner all the day long. But, Fred, what makes all of these somewhat confusing is that a number of U.S. officials have said through out the day that even though the Mall of America was mentioned in this video, there is no known specific incredible threat here.

But Secretary Johnson largely diminished that by basically saying these lone wolf attacks made threat much more difficult to detect.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike. Thanks so much, from Washington. So Will Ripley, why is Al-Shabaab, you know, focusing on Minnesota, the Mall of America and even, you know, the West Edmonton Mall in Canada?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well at western malls in general and there are other malls on this video that are believed to possibly be targeted, but CNN is not naming. We're only naming the malls that the public may have acknowledged a threat. But the Mall of America is significant, of course, for its name, the fact that's one of the U.S. -- United State's largest shopping centers but also because of its location near the Twin cities in Minnesota, which is a place where Al- Shabaab has been recruiting militants for years now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: There name means "The Youth", Al-Shabaab recruiting young men, luring them to East Africa to launch bloody attacks. The group who claimed responsibility for 2013's assault on Kenya's Westgate Mall, more than 60 people died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if such an attack was to occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota?

RIPLEY: This new al-Shabaab propaganda video reaches beyond the African border targeting the west, threatening Westgate-style Mall attacks in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Gabriel (ph). 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 officials say there is 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 concerned."

The FBI thinks Al-Shabaab is trying to use propaganda like ISIS and Al-Qaeda to inspire new Jihadist. The Somalia based militants recruit heavily in Minneapolis, home to the largest Somali population in the U.S.

OMAR JAMAL, SOMALI COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Well we are still losing them. Is it terrorist hot bet in Midwest, here in 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 dissolution 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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The real Disney land.

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, MOHTER OF TROY KASTIGAR: It is, it's the hardest lost if there is.

RIPLEY: Kastigar's mother told CNN last year, she believed 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, Fred, that's why you hear the FBI saying that they are so concern about this propaganda because of the fact that Al-Shabaab does have some sort of a dark connection to certain members of the Somali community there in the Twin Cities. They're fearful that those individuals could be influenced by this and perhaps motivated to act.

WHITHFIED: All right, Will Ripley, thanks so much and Erin McPike at the top as well. Thank you.

So what is it about Islamic extremist terror groups that seem to constantly attract new recruits? With us from Warwickshire in the United Kingdom, is Dr. Qanta Ahmed, she is the author of "In the Land of Invisible Women." So Dr. Ahmed, good to see you. Glad you could be with us.

So when we talk about ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, all different groups but they are all seemingly operating unto the same auspices of being faithful to Islam. So if religion is indeed being used to help recruit, then how much do you worry that it will only spread from here?

QANTA AHMED, AUTHOR, "IN THE LAND OF INVISIBLE WOMEN": Let me just correct something Fredricka, they're not faithful to Islam, but they are absolutely fanciable adherent Islamist ideology.

WHITHFIELD: But isn't that what they are telling young recruits that they are faithful to Islam?

AHMED: They may say that or they may seduce that but their ideology is explicitly Islamist. And part of the reason this is hard to explain in the United States, because the debate has been truncated. We are not able to speak about Islamist ideology clearly in the media, in academia, even in the level of the White House that this confusion exists.