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Wolf

Airstrikes Stepped Up Against ISIS in Raqqa; Interview with NY City Major Bill de Blasio; Was Abbaoud in Saint-Denis Apartment. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 18, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are hearing that the ISIS militants inside of that city are clamping down on the use of the Internet. That's deeply concerned that individuals inside of that city can provide accurate real-time information to the French and Russian warplanes with the munitions in the sky there. And they are also limiting their movements as ISIS fighters to try and preserve what they can.

But Raqqa is a city very much under siege. And the questions asked about the targets that have been hit, and the level of accuracy, and how so many became available to the French after U.S. warplanes drone planes were in the sky so long over that protracted city. But the uncertainly over the fate of Abu is doing to be some degree of victory for some ISIS fighters given that the whereabouts is unclear, and some of the twisted mentality may welcome what they say is his method -- Wolf?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Yes, and it is unclear if this ringleader, Abaaoud Abdelhamid, is in Syria someplace or France someplace, or someplace else but a massive international manhunt under way for him, and also Abdeslam.

The attacks, the airstrikes coming in on these ISIS targets and their self-declared capitol of Raqqa, the Russians have stepped up their strikes in the aftermath of their confirmation that it was an ISIS bomb that blew up that Russian airliner killing 224 Russian over Sinai. The French obviously outraged. They're now going to war against ISIS. What are you hearing that assault on Raqqa. Is there any indication, for example, that ground troops are moving any closer to the ISIS caliphate capital of Raqqa?

WALSH: Well, we have to be clear, whose ground troop, because weeks now, they have been amassing Kurdish fighters to the north of Raqqa, and now they are growing in number and impetus. And grows, too, the talk of the day being nearer when they would move against Raqqa. And they have, as they have been saying, air power in the skies hitting the skies of Raqqa like never before. There's an intensity here that is unprecedented. That does not immediately translate to the Kurdish forces ready to move against Raqqa, but it gives a substantial advantage. We know they are poorly equipped, and we know that they are not always with enough Sunni Arabs at the front of the ranks to the able them to move into the Sunni area.

The Kurds, their ethnicity is an issue for them to come into the big Sunni Arab city like Raqqa, where many Sunni Arabs felt disillusioned and some say actually allowed ISIS to move in because they felt that nobody was looking after them in the face of the regime's onslaught. But the talk of the moves against Raqqa is growing day by day. But for most observers there is a realism that this is a massive operation, a huge city in which ISIS has had months to prepare for any potential retreat. They are already using awnings over the streets to disguises their movements. They've been dealing with the impact of drones for a long time. It will be a phenomenally messy move, potentially, and less than Sinjar, a less consequential city. ISIS decides they don't have the ability to fight that hard and decide to pull out.

But, yes, we're hearing of the air strikes and now hearing of the Kurdish fighters amongst their ranks increasingly feeling the day of moving towards Raqqa is nearer. The notion of an offensive here in Syria against that city is not as far-fetched, but the notion of foreign troops involved in that large scale is farfetched indeed -- Wolf?

BLITZER: It certainly is.

Thank you, Nick Paton Walsh, inside of Syria for us. Nick, be careful over there, and we will stay in close touch with you.

And Nick is doing an amazing job for the viewers around the world.

Coming up, we have much more on how the Paris attackers were able to strike without warning, the possible months of planning involved, the encrypted technology that may have helped them to go dark.

Plus, I will speak live this hour with the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio about his security concerns, and why he believes that the U.S. should still keep their doors open to Syrian refugees.

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[13:38:47] BLITZER: We are following the breaking news out of Paris. The suspected ringleader is still apparently at large and this is according to the French prosecutor who just spoke at a news conference.

And meanwhile, heightened concerns in the United States in the wake of the Paris attacks.

In New York City, 500 more police officers and eight canine units have been put on the streets of New York along with more than 100 counterterrorism officers.

Joining us now is the mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio.

Mayor, thank you for joining us.

I know it is a trying time for mayors across the country, especially New York, which you know, is arguably is one of the most desired targets of terrorists since 9/11. What are you hearing about the specific threats against New York? BILL DE BLASIO, (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Well, Wolf, thank god, no

credible and specific threats, and that is what the police force understands, and the FBI has told us. We are in a state of high vigilance. And you spent a lot off time here. For 14 years, we have been in a state of vigilance, since 9/11. But this year, we have added a critical response command, 500-plus officers, who are specifically trained and equipped for anti-terrorism duty, and for that specific duty. They have been rolling out on the streets to reassure the folks, and to be in places that are well traveled, like Times Square and other busy location. We are sending a powerful message that New York City is ready. We're doing a lot to prevent the attacks, particularly with the federal partners, but god forbid if we were to confront something, we have a large force the deal with it.

[13:40:22] BLITZER: And I know that you have sent some members of NYPD to Paris to participate in the investigation. What is their mission? What is their role now?

DE BLASIO: After 9/11, we recognized as a city we have to protect ourselves so we established NYPD offices in a number of key locations around the world. We have a standing office in Paris. But we've sent additional officers from our counterterrorism unit to work with the French investigators to understand the new approaches of the terrorist. It's our obligation to defend out people, to put strategies in place that will disrupt these approaches. There's been a clear model in recent years that is different from what we have seen in the past. After a previous incident, the Mumbai incident a few years ago, the NYPD went to the scene, and the scene in Paris back in January, which I visited as well. We keep making adjustments, because our job is to stay ahead of the terrorists, learn from each attack and perfect out approach for stopping them.

BLITZER: Is it your information -- we're hearing it as well -- that European officials believe the terrorists use sophisticated encryption software to allow them to communicate without anybody being able to monitor what they were saying? Is that the information that you are getting as well?

DE BLASIO: It is, indeed, and it is a troubling reality. I want to be blunt. There are companies that in order to make a profit are providing this software and providing the apps and, unfortunately, are making life easier for the terrorists. I know the director of the FBI, Mr. Comey, is tremendously concerned about this. And he has spoken out powerfully. Our police commissioner, Bill Bratton, has as well. Let's be blunt that no private company should do anything that even inadvertently aids and abets the terrorists. It is time for these companies to change the approach and work with the law enforcement. We can't have communications among the terrorists that law enforcement cannot access.

BLITZER: How do you stop that?

DE BLASIO: Well, I don't pretend to an expert on technology, but we have had issue like this before where companies were not cooperative originally with law enforcement about the approach they took with the products. But we have to be blunt, and if it takes shaming the companies, we have to do that, about the fact they are creating a product that, unfortunately, creates a stream of information that law enforcement cannot find in real time or after the fact that many times erases or is unreachable. That inhibits our ability to protect human life. These companies need to take responsibility and work with law enforcement, if they have to reverse engineer or come up with new countermeasures. It is their obligation to work with the law enforcement. We can't have terrorists active around the world and undetectable because of the technology created by private companies.

BLITZER: And as you know, ISIS makes no secret of the fact that they have been trying to smuggle in real terrorists among the refugees fleeing Syria and going into Europe and maybe even here in the United States. The speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, was on the House floor saying that the U.S. should put a pause on taking in the Syrian refugees from Iraq as well until the U.S. Homeland Security and the U.S. government can do a better job vetting the refugees. Are you OK with a pause?

DE BLASIO: Look, we have a stringent vetting procedure in place, and it is quite clear. I can tell you from the New York perspective, the last figure, we have taken in eight refugees from the humanitarian crisis that has affected millions. So it is fair to say the process the federal government employs, it is deliberative, and careful, and multilayered. Obviously, that should continue to be perfected. But here is the problem with all of the voices that say we should shut our borders in a humanitarian crisis. It sends as horrible message to the world, and it means we are turning our backs to the people who are victims of terrorism. I mentioned a study today, of a survey, I should say, that we should look at soberly. In 1938, a public opinion survey of two-thirds of Americans said that we should not take in more Jews fleeing from the Nazi persecution. So we cannot turn our back on people in danger, innocent people.

I know that you have seen this photo. It was on the front pages all around the world, this tragic situation with this young boy, a 3-year- old boy who died, a Syrian refugee boy. This photo captured the world's heart. We're not going to turn our backs on children and families. It is not the American way. It's not the New York City way. And we have been a beacon for immigrants for generations. You can have a strong careful screening process and still have an open door to people in need.

[13:45:03] BLITZER: Because the CIA director, John Brennan, this morning, he addressed the importance, as you do, striking a balance between accepting the refugees from Syria, but maintaining security safeguards to make sure that the terrorists are not among the refugees. But he also said that the U.S. has to evaluate how to strengthen the exiting system, and more should be done. So I will repeat the question, if Paul Ryan, and other Republicans, some Democrats as well, say that we have to pause to make sure that the system is better and more perfect, are you prepared for a temporary pause?

DE BLASIO: Well, it has been going on for years. To date, it's been a very stringent system. I would not say that we need a pause, but I would say, keep improving the system. It needs to be stringent, and multi layered. Clearly, if there's any doubt about someone, they should not be let in. But ultimately, it is millions of people, children, seniors, people who have nothing to do with the terrorism are the vast, vast majority. We have to be big enough as a nation to take on one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, and ward off any attempt to use that pathway for the wrong purposes. I don't think there's a contradiction here.

I have to say that some people bluntly are playing to the cheap seats here. And Governor Christie, most notably, is talking about not letting in the young children. What does that have to do with our security situation? How can we turn away orphans and claim it's because of national security? That is a sad example of speaking against the American values of respecting immigrants, and respecting our role in the world as one of the great humanitarian nations.

BLITZER: Bill de Blasio is the major of New York City.

Mayor, thank you for joining us, and good luck to everybody in New York City. ISIS has made no secret of their desire to attack targets New York City, and we hope they fail in those efforts.

Thank you for joining us.

DE BLASIO: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: Coming up, more on the extraordinary measures that the police are taking to find the ring master of the Paris attacks and his accomplices.

Take a look at this, live pictures now of the apartments centered around this morning's dramatic raid in Paris. Live reports from France and Belgium as the manhunt expands.

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[13:51:56] BLITZER: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. We are continuing the live coverage of the Paris terror attacks and the aftermath.

Joining us from Paris, our senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen; and joining us from Mollenbeek in Belgium, our senior investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin.

Fred, a French commando team blew up part in the apartment building in Saint-Denis, and as part of the investigation, the police say they found body parts. Do they suspect that the ringleader, Abaaoud Abdelhamid, was there?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Yes, I am standing in front of the police cordon where that apartment was raided last night or in the early morning hours today by the police. Certainly, the raid, itself, it was targeting Abaaoud Abdelhamid. He was the person that they were after. And also, they assumed that a relative of his was in the apartment as well.

The latest that we heard from the Paris prosecutor, they are not sure whether or not he was among those who were killed. They did say that they did take eight people into custody in raids throughout the day, that he is not one of them. So it is unclear whether or not he is still at large. It is unclear whether or not he is among the two people killed here.

But certainly, this was a very intense operation. And he was here for part of it. As it was going on, explosions went off, and of course, a female suicide bomber who detonated herself as the police tried to enter the building, but what happened afterwards was that they then had to fire heavy ordnance.

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PLEITGEN: What you heard right there, Wolf, that is interesting, because it is a controlled detonation, because the police are still keeping the area cordoned off. They are setting off the controlled detonations in places where they don't know, for instance, if there is something behind the door or a suspicious package inside of one of the rooms there. There's been controlled detonations going on about 12 hours after the raid took place -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, they suspect other plots presumably in the works as well.

Drew, what is the latest you are hearing there outside of Brussels. The ringleader, Abaaoud Abdelhamid, is a Belgian citizen, and apparently, still at large, or not, and still unclear. What is the latest that you are learning there, Drew?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: The latest is that they are trying to find Salah Abdeslam, and that is the biggest threat according to Belgium police. They don't know where he is. They know he was supposedly dropped off here on Saturday. They are having raid after raid after raid. And I saw one yesterday afternoon about this time, and they have come up empty. Until he is caught, they will continue to try to focus on trying to contain their portion of this Paris attack, and then spread out and find out just how they were able to organize and get this plot together right under their noses virtually in neighborhood that I am standing at -- Wolf?

[13:55:06] BLITZER: And there was a vigil there? Briefly, tell us about it.

GRIFFIN: Yes, this neighborhood is getting a lot of bad press, and no other way to put it, and it has been for a long time. It's been the center of several terrorist plots, not just this one, but many of the Paris attackers came here and grew up here. And two of them spent time together in prison for a brief time here in Belgium in 2011. The vigil was about trying to take back the neighborhood, and for this mostly migrant community to say, hey, we don't agree with what took place here, we don't agree with the terrorists in Paris or anywhere else. They want to live peacefully, so they held this vigil today just in the square behind me to try to make that visual announcement to the rest of the world. BLITZER: All right, Drew, we'll stay in close touch with you. Thanks

very much.

Fred Pleitgen, thanks to you, as well.

That's it for me. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

The news continues, and there's lots of it, right after a quick break.

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