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Arrests After Tunisia Terror Attack; Ambassador Kennedy Business as Usual Despite Death Threats; Virginia Governor Orders Investigation; Jury Sees Bloodstained Clothing Pipe Bombs. Aired 9- 9:30a ET

Aired March 19, 2015 - 09:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Brianna.

[09:00:16] BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. I don't think I'm as wonderful as all of those fabulous people who sent little Wyatt all those gifts. But what a heartwarming story.

Thanks, guys. Have a great day. "NEWSROOM" starts right now.

We're following breaking news. Reports that the Tunisian presidency has announced numerous arrests in the museum massacre. Twenty-three people, most of them tourists, were killed in the attack. The question now, was a terror group behind the violence?

Also, Japanese police are investigating death threats against the U.S. ambassador to Japan, that would be Caroline Kennedy, as they try to track down who made the calls. The first lady and former president, Bill Clinton, are visiting the country.

And the face of this UVA student, this is going viral. Virginia's governor ordering an investigation into what happened when police arrested him. Did the officers go too far?

Let's talk in the CNN NEWSROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

KEILAR: Good morning to you. I'm Brianna Keilar in for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

Breaking news. Authorities have now made numerous arrests believed to be linked to gunmen who carried out that vicious terror attack in Tunisia. That's according to Reuters. Officials have been conducting a desperate manhunt to try and find individuals who may have escaped during Wednesday's massacre. Authorities have already identified two of the suspects. They say one of them was known to security. Two other attackers described as Islamists were killed on scene.

And it's believed that 23 people were killed after these armed gunmen stormed into a museum, then opened fire in the capital city of Tunis. At least 17 tourists are among the dead and that includes 28-year-old business analyst Javier Camelo and his mother. According to reports, Camelo had just graduated last week. He was reportedly on vacation with his family to celebrate. At least 22 people were also wounded.

And then overnight, two Spanish tourists were found alive after hiding out inside of the museum. The attack coming just days after a jihadist from Tunisia tweeted his allegiance to the leader of ISIS.

I want to bring in now CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank to talk a little bit about what's been going on here.

And, Paul, we have these reports. Four people arrested. They're believed to have direct links to the attack. There are others, and we know there are numerous arrests. There are others that may have ties to a terror cell. But can we really decipher what this means about how linked they are to a terrorist group or which one?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It's too early to tell who was behind this, whether it was a big established terrorist group like ISIS or just a group of individuals, young men in Tunisia that decided to do this on behalf of ISIS or on behalf of al Qaeda.

Tunisian authorities have not revealed either way so far. It's certainly possible that this could be ISIS because up to 3,000 Tunisians have gone to fight with groups like ISIS in Syria and Iraq. About 500 have come back, but it could also be a group like Ansar al- Sharia in Tunisia. That's a group with 40,000 followers in Tunisia.

Very similar in outlook to Ansar Sharia in Benghazi which carried out the attack on the U.S. consulate in September 2012, which is just a few days after that attack in Libya, Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia carried out a mob protest attack on the U.S. embassy in Tunis. It's also been blamed for attempted suicide bombings at Western tourist sites in Tunisia.

And it could also be al Qaeda in North Africa, which has a brigade operating in Tunisia near the Algerian border, in the mountainous region. They promised attacks against Tunis last December.

KEILAR: So you have the M.O. sort of fitting these different groups and we don't know yet which one it is.

All right. Stay with me, I'm going to bring in Arwa Damon. She is in Tunis for us, in the capital of Tunisia where this attack happened yesterday. Arwa joining us on the phone right now.

What's the latest from where you are?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're actually inside the museum grounds at this stage. There's still a bloodstain outside, some damage that has been done to the entrance, most of it still shut off to the public.

Now the government is saying that that very have, and we're still trying to get this 100 percent confirmed, but they have arrested nine individuals, four of them directly related to Wednesday's terrorist attack that took place here.

[09:05:01] This country has been reeling from the after effects of it. Up until now it enjoyed a reputation of being the success story of the Arab spring. And to many people that has now been shattered. The country has been dealing with a terrorism threat. At a press conference earlier in the day held by various ministers, they said in the last four weeks the authorities here had detained 400 individuals, many of them accused of terrorism.

Seems like an incredibly high number but it just shows the determination of these individuals to carry out such attacks if, in fact, such widespread arrests are taking place.

Now Tunisia does have the highest number of foreign fighters to go to the battlefields of Iraq and Syria. Upwards of 3,000. The vast majority of them joining organizations like ISIS. Hundreds of them believed to have come back to Tunis. Many people we're speaking to here are utterly devastated because of what took place, not just because of the potential blow to the economy, which is so reliant on tourism, but because of the loss of life and that their realities have been shattered.

Incredibly concerned about what's going to happen. Naturally what the future is going to hold for them. Looking for the government for reassurance that measures will be taken place to prevent this from happening.

The government also saying that it is going to be increasing security, a number of cultural sites throughout the entire country to try to prevent other individuals from carrying out attacks against soft targets such as this one.

KEILAR: And it really is an issue, right, Arwa, of balancing democracy, balancing some of the freedoms that Tunisia is -- I guess in this nascent period of dealing with and also the security of this being kind of a security state, right?

DAMON: Absolutely. In fact, there's an anti-terrorism law that is currently being debated. It was being debated yesterday while this attack was taking place. And it's been highly controversial because it allows a certain level of impunity by which the security apparatus can carry out arrests, can detain individuals, does not necessarily needing justification.

If people are killed what while these tensions are taking place and it is reminding a lot of people here of the care that they rose up again. But it seems as if following Wednesday's attacks this law is going to be passed,. But again a lot of concerns amongst the population that those hard-fought freedom that they tried to establish when they first rose up back at the end of December 2010 could end up dwindling away because of the security concerns and because the government is potentially going to use the security threat to try to eradicate some of those freedoms. So, yes, it's a very delicate balance at this stage, not just when it comes to that, but also when it comes to continuing to maintain an environment that's going to welcoming to tourists.

KEILAR: Certainly. Big, big issues there in Tunisia as this all happens. Arwa Damon, thanks for the latest on that.

Back to you Paul, Cruickshank. Something that just really I guess was not surprising to me, but yesterday talking to a journalist who's there in Tunis. I guess I was surprised at the fact that she said 40 kilometers outside of the Tunisian border there were reports that there was a terror training camp.

You know, we realize now that this was so much of a threat in Tunisia and we're seeing the manifestation of it, but at the same time this is something that's been coming to a head for a while.

CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's right. Tunisian officials very, very worried about Libya, about spillover from Libya. ISIS is on the march in Libya, not only in the east of the country but now in Tripoli, which is not far from Tunisia. There's worry that Tunisians are training in ISIS training camps in eastern Libya and are coming back to the country.

There's also concern about the other border, Algeria, where Al Qaeda in North Africa are operating on both sides of the Algerian-Tunisian border especially in a mountainous region there. They've carried out a significant number of attacks against security services in that region, the sort of getting closer to Tunis.

So all sorts of security worries from the Tunisian point of view. The biggest one of all there is this return of 500 jihadi veterans, many of which fought with ISIS back to Tunisia.

These are trained killers. These are people who've killed many people in Syria and Iraq and have come back to Tunisia to spread jihad.

KEILAR: And as you said to me earlier, off air, you said that Tunisia in a way it's sort of like two Americans, what Florida would be. If you're talking about Europeans going on vacation. A beautiful destination. You went there as a kid, you said, so this is certainly something that is going to be felt very deeply by Europeans as well.

All right. Paul Cruickshank, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

[09:10:03] KEILAR: Well, it is business as usual for Caroline Kennedy as Japan is launching an investigation into death threats against her. There are safety concerns looming especially large as the U.S. ambassador appeared with First Lady Michelle Obama.

And then just last night Kennedy shared the spotlight with another VIP attending an event with former President Bill Clinton. Kennedy's husband spoke to CBS News about the threats against his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWIN SCHLOSSBERG, CAROLINE KENNEDY'S HUSBAND: I worry about the safety of my family every day. Any threat is scary, but I think everyone's taking the proper precautions.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: CNN's Anna Coren is in Tokyo. She's joining us live.

And, you know, Anna, this was supposed to be a moment where Caroline Kennedy, where the ambassador could be focusing on this visit from the first lady. She was at a symposium to honor her dad, the former president, where she was there along with Bill Clinton. And a lot of that has been over shadowed by the security concerns.

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Well, First Lady Michelle Obama, here in Tokyo. The really story here has been the death threats against Caroline Kennedy. But as say she really has not, you know, skipped a beat as far as her routine goes. She has been accompanying the first lady who is in country to promote her education campaign for young girls in developing countries. Something the United States and Japan is going into partnership with.

And Caroline Kennedy also earlier today about the three Japanese citizens who were killed in those attacks in Tunis. So really, she is getting on with business. But behind the scenes it's a completely different story. Obviously officials here in Japan investigating those death threats against her as well as the U.S. consul general in Okinawa where they're after 50,000 U.S. troops that are stationed there.

But We know that security is definitely being stepped up. The U.S. State Department saying they are working closely with Japanese authorities to ensure the safety of U.S. diplomats here in Japan. But you'd also have to assume in the region. The reason I say in the region is because just a few weeks ago U.S. ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked by a crazed man wielding a knife.

He slashed Mr. Lippert's face and arms where he had to then get 80 stitches. So in light of that attack and then these death threats which did come through to the U.S. embassy here in Tokyo last month, authorities very much on high alert, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. Very much concerned. Anna Coren for us, thank you so much.

And still to come, there are protests at UVA, at the University of Virginia after a student is bloodied and injured during an arrest outside of a bar. Is this police brutality or were officers just doing their job?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:16:22] KEILAR: Racial tensions flair on a college campus after a student is arrested and bloodied. And this is a very upstanding member of his college campus, a very active member of his college campus.

Those are gruesome images that are igniting outrage, rallies, accusations of police brutality. And Virginia's governor is calling for an investigation as well.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Charlottesville, Virginia, with the latest on this.

These are hard pictures to see, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They sure are, Brianna. Very brutal scene in front of the Trinity Irish Pub from about 32 or 33 hours ago. This is the very spot where Martese Johnson was taken down by police.

We are really just in the shadow of the University of Virginia, just a few feet away from campus and take a look down here at the sidewalk. The photo journalist, Jeff Markle (ph), will pan down. This is Martese Johnson's blood still on the sidewalk about 33 or so hours after the incident took place.

So, a lot of raw emotions still here in Charlottesville, Brianna. And the Black Student Alliance calling his treatment at the hands of police brutal and animalistic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His head is bleeding. His head is bleeding.

MARTESE JOHNSON: I go to UVA. I go to UVA.

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: You racists! You (EXPLETIVE DELETED) racists!

TODD (voice-over): This disturbing cell phone video at the center of the latest claim of police brutality. Twenty-year-old University of Virginia student Martese Johnson arrested by uniformed alcoholic beverage control special agents outside a bar near the college, pinned to the pavement, blood spatters his shirt and covers his face.

POLICE: Check your ID.

JOHNSON: How did this happen? How did this happen you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) racists?

TODD: According to a statement from the ABC, Johnson was arrested after he was refused entry to a pub. The third year student was charged with public intoxication and obstruction of justice and received ten stitches to his head at a local area hospital and released.

This gruesome booking photo circulated by the university's Black Student Alliance.

PROTESTERS: No justice! No peace! No justice! No peace!

TODD: Stoking student outrage including from UVA's president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt it in my stomach, seeing the blood run down that young man's face.

TODD: Hundreds of rallying students flooding UVA's campus including Martese Johnson himself. JOHNSON: We're all part of one community. And we deserve to respect

each other, especially in times like this.

TODD: The governor launching an investigation to determine whether excessive force was used. The officers involved in that arrest put on administrative duties pending the results of the probe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For his face to literally be bashed in by concrete, there's no words to describe that.

JOHNSON: How did this happen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check your ID.

JOHNSON: How did this happen you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) racists?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Now, Martese Johnson, as you saw, spoke to that rally last night. He did not speak to reporters, but his attorney, Daniel Watkins, has issued a statement saying that Martese Johnson is, quote, "absolutely devastated by what happened." Marquise Johnson before last night had no previous criminal record -- Brianna.

KEILAR: No, he didn't, and that's of note. We also should note that we don't know what happened before the video started rolling. There's so much information still to figure out here.

Brian Todd, thanks so much for giving us the details.

And still to come, brainwash or a terrorist committed to murder? How prosecutors are trying to show the accused Boston bomber was a stone cold killer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:23:19] KEILAR: Blood stained clothing and pipe bombs taking center stage in the Boston bombing trial. Prosecutors are trying to dig a huge hole in the defense's theory that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a pawn of his brother and they're using key evidence from the brother's shootout with police to try to convince the jury.

Alexandra Field is covering the trial for us in Boston.

And, Alexandra, you have prosecutors there. They're really trying to show that Dzhokhar was an equal in this. That he was an active participant in the attacks and the shootout.

How are they doing that?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brianna.

It's because the defense's strategy here is to try to show that he was a pawn. They hope that will elicit some sympathy in the penalty phase, that can spare Tsarnaev's life in this trial. The prosecution, they don't have to worry about that part just yet.

What they have to do is prove Tsarnaev is guilty of the crimes that he is charged with, that he was a part of carrying out these crimes. So, they're doing that, bringing video by bringing in witnesses and now by bringing in some pretty compelling pieces of physical evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): Day nine of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial, a technical one. Crime scene experts testifying about the mountain of evidence collected at the crime scenes.

An arsenal of homemade bombs put together with pipes and kitchen ware. A Tupperware container stuffed with fuses and two or three pounds of explosive powder recovered in the back of the carjacked Mercedes. The car riddled with bullets after the shootout with Watertown police.

Pictures taken inside the car show where bullets hit the passenger's side headrest and the driver's side headrest.

Witnesses testify the Tsarnaev brothers both hurl homemade bombs including another pressure cooker bomb.

[09:25:01] These two pipe bombs never detonate. Two inches in diameter filled with gun powder, glue, and BBs. One of them L-shaped described by a bomb squad witness as an improvised grenade, when it's tossed, it won't roll away, it will land and stop.

Robots are brought in to treat the explosives found on Laurel Street in Watertown, the scene of the shootout. The Tsarnaev's car, the green Honda Civic is found on the street. Inside it, the brother's belongings, iPods, and Tamerlan's wallet, his driver's license inside, along with these receipts. Two backpacks bought at Target a day before the marathon bombing.

Two white gloves covered in blood are taken from the car. Investigators testify the blood is a DNA match for Officer Sean Collier killed in his MIT squad car just hours before the brothers open fire, witnesses testify, and toss bombs at Watertown police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: And today, jurors will hear more about the pressure cooker bombs that were left near the marathon finish line. They heard a lot about those homemade pipe bombs brought into the courtroom. But seeing those actual pieces in the courtroom, witnesses lifted them up and then physically showing them to the jury, Brianna, that seemed to really resonate. You had jurors sort of craning to get a good look at it.

I think the impression was sort of a surprise by actually the size of the objects themselves. They're really several inches long, perhaps larger or heavier than some people might have anticipated them to be, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. Very interesting evidence. Alexandra Field, thanks so much.

Still to come, the Fed's decision not to raise interest rates -- well, it sent the stock market soaring. But how will investors react when the opening bell rings in just minutes?

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