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New ISIS Video Threatens France, Italy, U.S.; New York City Deploys More Anti-Terrorism Squad Members; House To Vote On Changes To Refugee Vetting; Kerry Statement Of Rationale To Charlie Hebdo Attack; Video Shows Cafe Attack; Accused Ringleader Linked To More Plots; Paris Terror Attack Ringleader Dead; Airstrikes Intensifying Against ISIS. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired November 19, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 7:00 p.m. in Paris, 8:00 p.m. in Damascus. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And let's get right to the breaking news. Yet another new threat issued by ISIS. Just a little while ago, the video, Paris before Rome, threatens more attacks in France. Italy and the United States as well as other countries. Much more on this video coming up.

Other developments happening now. French officials say the ringleader in the Paris attacks was killed in the predawn raid yesterday in Saint-Denis. They used fingerprint technology to confirm his identity. France's lower House of Parliament voted today to extend the country's state of emergency for three months. The bill now goes to the upper House where a vote is expected tomorrow.

Raids in Belgium today targeted people connected to one of the suicide bombers in Friday's Paris attacks. Police raided half a dozen locations looking for associates of Bilal Hadfi. They arrested nine people.

More on the breaking news that's coming in to CNN right now, that new video just released by ISIS, threatening its attacks in France, Italy, the U.S. and beyond. CNN has chosen not to show the actual video. Just a few still images from the video.

Let's bring in our National Security Analyst Peter Bergen. Peter, this is another very chilling video. It's one thing, as you have said to me over the years, to produce a video like this. It's another thing, though, to deliver.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, you know, this -- they are threatening to attack Rome, but I think we need to sort of -- in their view, Rome is sort of a synonym for the west. And it refers to a very specific prophecy, or the prophet Muhammad, which they completely believe that the -- within maybe as early as 2020, there will be the final showdown. And they're the vanguard of this final showdown that will lead to the inevitable victory of Islam. They have this apocalyptic view and this video fits into that.

BLITZER: And they -- specifically in this video, they go after targets here in the United States, and most specifically in Washington, D.C. They say they're going after the White House. So, they're going to blow it up, they say, like they blew up monuments, archaeological gems, whether in Syria or in Iraq. They say they're going to do the same thing right here in the U.S. capitol.

BERGEN: Right, this is a third in a series where they threatened attacks on Washington just a few days ago and then yesterday on New York.

You know, and, I mean, the worry here is not that ISIS has a huge network, as they do in France and Belgium and other European countries that could execute. The worry here, I think, that this might incite violence for people who are ISIS sympathizers who are in contact with ISIS but not trained by ISIS.

BLITZER: So, when a video like this surfaces, and it's obviously out there in social media, ISIS sympathizers, here in the United States, what are you saying, could be inspired to go ahead and try to just pick up and do something on their own?

BERGEN: Sure. I mean, in a way, this is crowd sourcing jihad. Right? You just send the message out to your sympathizers. You don't even necessarily -- you don't necessarily have to be in touch with them. And you say this is what we hope to achieve.

BLITZER: To go after targets like monuments here in Washington or the White House. In this video, they say they're going to make the White House black. They're going to burn it.

BERGEN: Right, or New York City or choose your city.

BLITZER: And they -- yesterday, that video that was sort of recycled from April, that was a rap video that came out. But they issued a new video yesterday saying they're going after New York City. And they showed all these Manhattan scenes. They showed the video obviously of potential suicide bomber wearing a leather jacket with a vest underneath.

BERGEN: Yes. And -- but let's go back to this. It's easy to make a video. It's hard to execute. I mean, and, you know, for people who are watching this show and are concerned about travel to New York City, I mean, New York City officials have said there's nothing concrete in this -- in these -- in this video. Simply, there's no concrete evidence that there's some plot brewing in Washington.

BLITZER: Let's get some more on what's going on right now. Peter Bergen, stand by.

Be aware but do not be afraid, those words from New York's police commissioner after ISIS released that video threatening an impending attack on Times Square and other locations in Manhattan. Our National Correspondent Deborah Feyerick is joining us from New York City. Now, Deb, the city is about to go into full holiday mode, Thanksgiving next week, the big Macy's day -- Thanksgiving Day Parade. People are going to be traveling, flying. How are officials reacting in New York City, first all, to this video?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting because it's not only the Thanksgiving Day Parade, it's also the Christmas tree lighting, the holiday windows that tourists, millions of them, will come to see. And, so, clearly, this is going to be a very busy six weeks for law enforcement.

New York officials are really acting very defiantly. They're saying, look, we've got police. They are doing their job. We're working with federal law enforcement. We've got tactical teams now out. But they're also telling people, do what you normally do but just be a little bit more vigilant. They're basically saying, complacency, it's just not an option anymore. Take a listen to what Bratton said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. BRATTON, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK: We cannot be intimidated and that's what terrorists seek to do. They seek to create fear. They seek to intimidate. We will not be intimidated and we will not live in fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:05:12] FEYERICK: And that was the New York police commissioner, William Bratton. And, again, he called that press conference very late last night, at 11:00 actually, because he does want to send the message that this is a very big city. But there is a lot going on behind the scenes to keep the city safe.

And so, that is the message. ISIS can continue to put out these videos again and again and again. But, again, it's everybody's involved in making sure that they are safe and that police are doing their job to make sure that the risk is minimized -- Wolf.

BLITZER: So, since the Paris bombings Friday night, there have been, what, three videos. Two of them targeting Washington, D.C. here in the United States, among other places including Rome, Italy. One video specifically targeting New York City. You're speaking to federal law enforcement officials, FBI agents and others, what are they saying to you about these videos?

FEYERICK: Well, officials and law enforcement are basically saying, look, these are old videos. What ISIS is doing is they're updating it. They're adding new images. They're flushing it out. They're making sure that it's relevant to the time, you know, that they're doing these things. That's why the one that we saw yesterday had a lot of the French president, Francois Hollande, in it, showing them that, look, France is still a target. Britain's still a target. The U.S. is still a target. These are all aspirational.

And just as Peter said, you know, they've got this apocalyptic vision of what the future holds for everyone. Again, there is a collective effort now, one probably that we have never seen, following these Paris attacks where every single country is simply shaking the branches to see who they've got in the pipeline. And coordination is going to be improved, according to law enforcement, you know, talking to other people, sharing different passenger lists and manifests. And if the U.S. has intelligence on one individual, they're going to be passing that to relevant countries. So, all of this.

You know, ISIS right now, they may have, sort of, a very strong propaganda message but there's a collective will. And that's what -- the sense we're getting from talking to officials and to law enforcement. That this is not a fight that ISIS is going to win, if at all, easily. So, they've got a very strong force that they're going up against -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Deborah Feyerick, thanks very much.

Peter Bergen, you're still with me. There's one school of thought here in Washington that says ISIS is losing on the battlefield. They're not gaining ground. They're losing it. So, this new stage of their attacking Paris, or Sinai or Beirut, making threats against New York and Washington, acts of desperation on their part as they suspect they might be going down. Do you buy that?

BERGEN: I mean, two things can be simultaneously true which is they're certainly being contained on the battlefield of Iraq and Syria. Yet, at the same time, they're able to, you know, launch attacks not only in -- against the Russian jet and Egypt and then also in Paris and also in Beirut and also in Turkey and Libya. I mean, they are expanding their, sort of, geographical reach. At the same time that they are being, you know, impacted by the coalition efforts in Iraq and Syria. And, yes, the loss of Sinjar was a tactical loss for them. It wasn't strategic but it was important.

BLITZER: And Jihadi John, Mohammad Emwazi, --

BERGEN: Right.

BLITZER: -- who was killed in a U.S. drone strike. All right, Peter, thanks very much.

Joining us now to talk more about these late-breaking developments, the State Department spokesman John Kirby. John, thanks very much for joining us. Give me your reaction, first of all, the U.S. government's reaction since you speak for the State Department, to this latest ISIS video saying they're going after targets here in Washington, D.C., as well as in New York, but specifically the White House. They want to go after the White House. What do you make of this?

JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESMAN, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: Well, we're still examining the video itself to determine all the veracity of it. But, obviously, we're paying attention to this. This is not a surprise to us that this group has desires and aspirations to attack western targets, whether it's here at home the United States or across Europe. So, it's a -- it's a threat that we have taken seriously since more than a year now of operations against this group. It's not a surprise that they would use videos and social media to try to propagate these threats.

So, obviously, everybody here in the United States government are taking these threats seriously. But I would say the same thing that officials in Europe are saying to their citizens is, you know, we have to continue with our lives. We still have to move on. And be vigilant, be aware. But certainly we need to not let them win this propaganda war here of getting us to change our behavior and our conduct in every way possible.

BLITZER: The Paris so-called mastermind was a Belgian citizen, as you know. Can the U.S. screen Europeans, whether French, Belgians, Italians, or anyone else for that matter, to come into the United States properly and prevent potential foreign fighters from entering the United States?

KIRBY: There is no group of travelers to the United States that are screened more heavily than refugees. Wolf, that's just a fact.

BLITZER: I'm not talking about --

KIRBY: That has no --

BLITZER: I'm not talking about refugees. I'm not talking about foreign citizens who may want to come to the United States as tourists or business men or business women.

[13:10:04] KIRBY: Right.

BLITZER: Not as refugees but they have this visa waiver program. So, if you're --

KIRBY: That's right.

BLITZER: -- a citizen of France or Belgium, you can just fly into JFK and go into New York.

KIRBY: The visa waiver program does allow for more ease of travel but it's a program we're always monitoring and always looking at to see if there's ways that we need to improve it. We're working with members of Congress to address their concerns. And I know they have some concerns about that. So, we're going to be consulting with them as we move forward and see if there does -- if there needs to be changes to that program. Obviously, that's something that the secretary would certainly be open to considering and he'll work with members of Congress in that regard.

BLITZER: So, I just want to be precise. You are ready to take another look at that entire visa waiver program that's been in business now for years. It's designed to encourage tourism between the U.S. and friendly European and other countries. And, at the same time, make it easier for business associates to go back and forth, right?

KIRBY: Right. The program has a real purpose, Wolf, and it works. That said, it's a program that we always look at. So, it's not just in the wake here of the Paris attacks. This is a dynamic program that the State Department's constantly looking at and working with members of Congress and we'll continue to do that going forward.

BLITZER: I noticed the State Department issued an advisory today saying no longer will U.S. citizens be allowed to get extensions in their U.S. passports. In other words, --

KIRBY: Yes.

BLITZER: -- if you do a lot of traveling around the world and you're stamped, --

KIRBY: Right.

BLITZER: -- all those pages, you're going to have to get a brand-new passport. You can no --

KIRBY: That's right.

BLITZER: -- longer get a little addition, 24 additional pages put into your existing passport. Why is that?

KIRBY: That is actually a decision long in coming. It has nothing to do with the attacks in Paris. It is a security issue because of the -- you know, we want to make sure that those pages are adequately bound in the book. And I think, in general, we felt like it was just better to make somebody, you know, go get a new passport so that it's properly all bound together. It's really a physical security thing. Again, it has nothing to do with the attacks in Paris.

BLITZER: But the timing, coming out today this announcement, obviously that raises eyebrows. You understand?

KIRBY: Oh, no, I certainly understand that people might have concerns about that. Again, this was a decision that was long in coming. But it doesn't -- it doesn't mean that it still doesn't make sense in light of the threats and challenges around the world. Again, we want everybody -- we want people overseas to be vigilant and our American travelers. We feel like we've got to be vigilant too and do what we can on our part to help increase their safety and security while they're overseas. And this is one measure that they'll allow us to do that.

BLITZER: I understand you're sending more Marine guards to protect the U.S. embassies in Paris and Brussels, other cities in Western Europe. Are there specific threats to those American embassies?

KIRBY: Not aware of any specific threats, Wolf. But, obviously, we have to make decisions that are in keeping with good, prudent safety measures. I will tell you that, in Paris specifically, the augmented Marines were really more about getting us in advance of the climate conference that's going to be next month in Paris. And that decision was kind of already in train before the Paris attacks. Obviously, in light of the Paris attacks, we certainly are going to press forward with that decision to augment the Marine staff there at the embassy. But elsewhere around the world, we always -- again, it's a dynamic process. We always take a look at threats and challenges and make decisions as best we can.

BLITZER: I know you've got to run, John. One very quick question. I'll give you a chance to explain something controversial that your boss, the secretary of state, John Kerry said. He said there were two recent attacks in France, the Charlie Hebdo massacre and then, obviously, what happened Friday night. And then he used that word, rationale. There might have been a rationale for the Charlie Hebdo massacre, that terrorist attack against that satirical magazine and the editors there for publishing caricatures, if you will, of the prophet Muhammad. It's caused a lot of concern. The suggestion that there might have been some rationale for that attack. Go ahead and explain what he was trying to say.

KIRBY: The secretary was simply referring to the rationale that the terrorists themselves, at the time, tried to apply to the Hebdo attacks and the notion that the Hebdo attacks were in retaliation for a specific thing published in a magazine. But he was absolutely not at all justifying the senseless taking of innocent lives and the violence and the -- and the terrorism that groups like ISIL inspire and, in fact, conduct and plan. And he talked about this again yesterday and made that very, very clear. There's no rationale. There's no justification for terrorism.

BLITZER: John Kirby is the State Department spokesman, retired admiral, and he used to be the spokesman at the Pentagon as well. John, thanks very much for joining us.

KIRBY: Thanks, Wolf, good to be with you.

BLITZER: Still ahead, horrifying new surveillance video of a gunman spraying the front of a Paris cafe with bullets. We're going to take you inside those very tense moments, including one woman's amazing escape.

Plus, we'll get a live report from Paris on the death of that terrorist ringleader and other plots he's now been linked to as police conduct even more raids. Stay with us.

[13:14:54]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:18:57] BLITZER: We're going to show you some chilling new video capturing the ISIS attack on a pairs cafe and one woman's breathtaking escape from certain death. It comes from dailymail.com and our Chris Cuomo walks us through it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": You can see glass windows shattering as the gunman starts firing from outside. People running in to escape the bullets. Everyone diving out of the way and hiding behind walls, desperately looking for cover. The gunman showing no signs of mercy, coming right up to the edge of

the cafe, aiming at a woman defenseless on the ground. But in one of the more miraculous moments, either the gun malfunctions or the gunman misfires, and the woman gets up and runs away.

From another angle you can see two employees ducking behind the bar as bullets start flying. One of them managing to flee down a flight of stairs as fear grips the cafe. The other helps a woman who had run inside after the siege began. People seen tossing chairs and tables out of the way to find safety as the attacks continue. The glass and dust clouding the cameras view of the cafe. Terror rocking the city of Paris, bringing a lively Friday night to deadening silence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:20:12] BLITZER: Wow. Chilling. That was our Chris Cuomo reporting from Paris.

We're also learning more new detail about the death of the terrorist mastermind in the Paris attacks who was killed in the raids in Saint- Denis. Police say the body of Abdelhamid Abaaoud was found inside an apartment there riddled with bullets, but they're still not sure whether he died from the hail of gunfire or whether he blew himself up.

Our senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward, she's on the scene for us in Saint-Denis.

Clarissa, we're going to get to the death of the ringleader in a moment. But first, I understand French police were involved in a new operation today. What can you tell us about that?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. Well, French authorities may have succeeded in killing Abaaoud, but the search continues, not just for the eighth attacker, Salah Abdeslam, who is still at large, but also for this network that likely would have been necessity to facilitate these attacks. Now, we know today, Wolf, that there was a major raid in the city of Charleville- Mezieres and our affiliate France 3 has told us that there was an explosion according to neighbors and residents. That, possibly a controlled explosion from the authorities. Those residents also told France 3 that the entire area was cordoned off.

And we also know that French authorities have searched the house of the mother of the female suicide bomber. That woman, the 26-year-old cousin of Abaaoud, who blew herself up when the French authorities began that raid.

And it's not just limited to France, Wolf. We know that in Belgium there have been a series of raids. Nine people arrested. We have also heard now from German authorities that Abaaoud spent time in Germany as recently as January. And even the Spanish interior minister has come out and said that he was also actively trying to recruit Spaniards. So what we're looking at here, Wolf, is really a cross- continental, a cross -- an effort across Europe, the entire continent, to try to go back over Abaaoud's movements and get a better sense of who may have been involved with this network.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Clarissa, the authorities believe that Abaaoud was connected to other plots besides the Paris massacre. What can you tell us about that?

WARD: That's right, Wolf. So the interior minister came out this morning and said that of the past six attacks that have been foiled, Abaaoud was directly involved with four of them. Clearly -- and we already know of two other major attacks that he was involved with in Belgium. So clearly this was a very prolific, very dangerous terrorist.

But beyond that, I think it also gives you a sense, Wolf, that for every attack that we talk about, that we go into so much detail covering, there are many more that French authorities have successfully thwarted, such as six attacks, Wolf, that's six attacks since spring that French authorities have successfully thwarted.

BLITZER: Is there a sense of relief in that neighborhood where you are now that Abaaoud is confirmed dead? Because that raid the other night was really amazing.

WARD: Well, you know, it's such a strange thing, Wolf, because you talk to people there -- here and it is really is a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, people say of course they're relieved that he's killed, that the nightmare of having their neighborhood turned into a war zone for the night is over. But you do also get a lot of disbelief. I spoke to a number of people on the streets who said we don't believe he's dead. Yesterday, it was said that he has in Syria. There's no way he's dead. And think that really, you know, that really gives you the sense of how little trust there is often in neighborhoods like this, inner city, tough neighborhoods, between the regular people and authorities.

And we also spoke to some people who said, you know what, radicalization is a major problem in neighborhoods like this. It's not going to stop. And up until this point, authorities have really just turned a blind eye.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Clarissa Ward in the French suburb of Saint-Denis. Clarissa, thanks very much.

Up next, we're going live to Syria. We'll show you what's going on there in the wake of the Paris attacks. Lots more of the breaking news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:28:27] WOLF: The attacks in Paris have led to an intensified effort to hit ISIS targets in Syria. Russia's defense minister releasing video showing air strikes destroying oil tanker trucks it says was being used by the ISIS terror group. Russia, France and the U.S. also have been hammering the terror group's capital city -- so- called capital city of Raqqa with dozens of air strikes in the past few days. The uptick in air strikes comes as many are calling for the United States to strengthen its military strategy against ISIS.

Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is joining us now. He's inside Syria.

Nick, from your vantage point, you're on the scene there, what are you seeing?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there has clearly been a substantial uptick, as you mentioned, over Raqqa and that persists until tonight. In the last hours, in fact, activists in Raqqa, Raqqa still silent here again, reporting air strikes in their city as there were during the day. We don't know the total numbers at this stage. But we do know that last night was the first time they've said that an attack on a fuel truck, seven people were killed. Different (INAUDIBLE) said and that was, in fact, six. That is the first civilian casualties we're hearing from this uptick in air strikes. But at the same time, we don't know who's bombing what.

[13:29:49] We do know the Russians have said they will go after fuel trucks in that area too. But they've also been targets, frankly, for the coalition and the French. So (INAUDIBLE) who's behind those civilian casualties, unclear at this stage. But eyewitnesses, even tens of kilometers away from Raqqa today, reporting the sound, the rumbling, incisive rumbling, 20 thuds (ph), lengthy deep booms in about 20 minutes at least heard.