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Key Suspect Likely Escaped to Syria; Security Tight in Paris as World Leaders Meet on Climate Change; University of Chicago Closes Campus After Threat; Three Victims of Planned Parenthood Shooting Identified; Interview with Bishop Paul Morton; Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired November 30, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00] CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm on it, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: How did she know?

ALESCI: Expect me by your desk. About 10 minutes.

COSTELLO: I love Cristina. Awesome.

ALESCI: No problem.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Cristina.

A royal baby alert. You have to stick around for this. I know how much you love the royal babies. Oh, look. This is Charlotte. She's six months old and she's with a little stuffed whatever that is. The princess is seen smiling and laughing in the pictures. These were taken by her mother, my fave, Duchess Kate. Love her. This is inside the family -- look.

ALESCI: Look at that outfit.

COSTELLO: I just want to sit and stare at her. Let's just sit and stare. OK. The next hour of NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shots. I'm under fire. I'm shot. I'm hit.

COSTELLO: After the Planned Parenthood shootout, what we're finding out about the victims. An Iraq war vet, a mother, a police officer, killed. And what we're learning about the suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gave us some anti-Obama fliers, little pamphlets.

COSTELLO: Is this domestic terrorism?

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What he did is domestic terrorism.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is typical left-wing tactics. COSTELLO: Also climate change clashes in Paris. World leaders

converge.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is the moment we finally determine we would save our planet.

COSTELLO: President Obama and his Chinese counterpart meet, as smog chokes Beijing.

And Donald Trump gearing up for talks with black ministers. But don't say they're endorsing him. A few are refusing to even meet with Trump.

Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me. There are disturbing new developments in the Paris terror investigation. Just as we learned that other attacks were, quote, "ready to go," CNN sources tell us that a key suspect may have already escaped to the ISIS safe haven of Syria.

Police have been searching for Salah Abdeslam since shortly after the attacks that killed 130 people. CNN's Alexander Field is in Brussels, Belgium, where much of the investigation has been unfolding. What more can you tell us, Alexandra?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. While authorities may not be any closer to finding Salah Abdeslam, they are starting to draw a clearer picture of what his suspected role in the attacks could have been. We now know that Salah Abdeslam was in Paris back in September, just a few months before the attacks. And that in October he returned to go to a fireworks shop just north of Paris where authorities are saying he purchased 10 detonators.

Previously officials linked to the investigation had already revealed that Salah Abdeslam was one of the men who had rented the cars that were used in these attacks. But we do know that Abdeslam managed to make his way out of Paris on the night of the attacks, Friday, November 13th. He was able to slip across the border from France into Belgium, even though his car was stopped by police because at that point police were not sure who exactly they were looking for.

But sources are telling CNN that at this point French intelligence authorities are operating under the assumption that he could have made his way to Syria by now. Earlier we had been told that if he was able to remain undercover in Belgium, it would have been with the help of some kind of network here to support him.

And while authorities may think that he's in Syria, the alert level remains high in Belgium. Just last night authorities raided another home in the Molenbeek neighborhood, acting on a tip that Abdeslam could have been in that house. Authorities are now saying that that tip was in fact a hoax.

And Carol, the man who phoned in that tip could face charges later today.

COSTELLO: All right. Alexandra Field reporting live from Brussels, Belgium this morning.

As you heard Alexandra say, the Paris attackers also planned to hit Jewish areas, transport networks that in that metro, and schools. That's according to a source close to the investigation, who say this ringleader allegedly had these additional attacks, quote, "ready to go."

Paul Cruickshank is a CNN terrorism analyst. He joins me now.

Good morning, Paul.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So there is this intense international manhunt for this guy but he escapes into Syria. How does that happen?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, maybe. Maybe he escaped into Syria. It's just a working theory that French intelligence have. And it would be really stunning if he, indeed, managed to get to Syria, given this unprecedented Europe-wide manhunt going on at the moment, trying to locate him. He's the most wanted man in Europe.

But given the fact that the ringleader in this attack, in this plot, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, managed to get back to Europe, back to France without detection, despite the fact he was already on the radar screen, it's certainly possible that he could have got to Syria. But I think it would be a very stunning and surprising development if that is the case. There are others who believe he could still be in Belgium, in Brussels.

[10:05:05] That's the last we knew where he was, in the Brussels district of Scarbeck. It's possible he has gone to ground there. They just do not know at this point.

COSTELLO: So obviously they are tracking him. How are they doing that? And does this alleged escape into Syria mean they've lost him somehow?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, we don't know. I mean, we don't know the extent to which they're tracking him. What we know he was picked up that Friday night in Paris, driven by two associates to Brussels. He was briefly stopped by the French authorities at the border but they didn't know he was a suspect at that point. He continues on to Brussels. The Brussels district of (INAUDIBLE), where at a metro stop he was picked up by another associate in Molenbeek who has since been arrested.

And that associate was arrested on Sunday evening a week ago. Since then it appears the trail has gone cold, or at least cold as far as authorities are publicly telling us. They're being extremely careful about releasing information at this point because they don't want to tip him off about how close they could potentially be, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Paul Cruickshank, thanks for your insight as always. I appreciate it.

Paris is on lockdown, by the way, because 150 world leaders have converged on the city to stop the threat of climate change. Just a short time ago President Obama used the summit to continue sideline talks with Vladimir Putin about ISIS and the crisis in Syria. Before the meeting, President Obama warned the world about what he thinks might be an even bigger threat to the world than terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The growing threat of climate change could define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other. And what should give us hope that this is a turning point, that this is the moment we finally determine we would save our planet is the fact that our nations share a sense of urgency about this challenge and a growing realization that it is within our power to do something about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Dramatic? Well, take a look at what's going on in China right now. This is Beijing. This is what the air looks like in Beijing. This thick blanket of smog. The city is under an orange smog alert. That's the highest of the year. That means highways are closed right now. Construction has on hold and people are being warned to stay indoors. The air in other cities even worse, bad enough to burn your eyes and leave a nasty taste in your mouth. And if you visit China and Beijing, everybody is wearing those masks over their faces to try to protect themselves from the air quality within China.

CNN's Phil Black is live in Paris at that climate conference. Phil, tell us more.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Carol, what China and the USA say about global warming and their intentions to fight it here at this conference really matters. As you can see from those pictures of Beijing there and that terrible smog. They are both, together, the -- the world's two biggest polluters, the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.

And they have worked constructively in the lead-up to this conference to come up with their own plans that they believe have really set the standard for what they expect other countries to do and to follow. And they hope that it will all lead to a constructive agreement at the end of these two weeks of talks but sets the world towards a low- carbon future.

President Obama met the Chinese president on the sidelines of these -- of this conference today. And as you touched on there, he also had a brief chat with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. However, in that case the subject at hand really wasn't climate change. It was mostly Syria. According to the White House account of that conversation, the U.S. president expressed his regret at the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey, which resulted in the death of a Russian airmen. Turkey says that that aircraft recently flew into Turkish airspace.

Russia denies that account. But they also talked about what needs to be done to fix Syria. They talked about the importance of the political process, although President Obama insisted that the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad can play no role in the future transitional government. And President Obama apparently also pressed President Putin on the Russian airstrikes that are taking place there and the importance of striking ISIS, not the moderate Syrian opposition. That's all the U.S. account of that conversation. As I say we're waiting to hear the Kremlin version of just what they said as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. We'll check back. Phil Black reporting live from Paris this morning.

Those 150 world leaders at the climate change summit include Putin, as you heard, and Turkey's President Erdogan. This morning the Kremlin announcing those two would not meet. Remember this was just a week after the Turkish air force shot down that Russian fighter jet.

[10:10:04] And an emergency message for U.S. citizens in Afghanistan. The U.S. embassy says they have -- says it has credible reports of an imminent attack in Kabul within the next 48 hours. It's not clear who or what the targets are but Americans are being warned to use extreme caution in the city. Stay with us for the latest on this threat.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, no classes. Students staying inside. Why the campus at the University of Chicago is closed today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The University of Chicago's main campus has been closed due to the threat of gun violence. Student and faculty around Hyde Park are told to stay inside after an online post threatened a campus quad. The FBI warning school officials last night, releasing this statement a few hours ago, quote, "Upon learning of a possible threat, we shared information with law enforcement and university officials as is our practice. The decision to cancel classes was made by the university. Our investigation to determine the source of the online threat is ongoing."

[10:15:10] Ryan Young live in Chicago with more for you this morning. Good morning.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Look, the benefit of live television. I want to show you this behind off in the distance there, we're using our extender on this lens to show you this. Look, there's a police officer out in the front. It seems like he just addressed one of the students who tried to gain entrance into one of the buildings here. And she was turned away.

We've seen more officers in the area. Glad to be able to show you this. We see them driving through in pairs and also walking around campus. But here's the thing, look, the FBI warned the school, the school decided to close. And now we know for a fact, with it being early this morning, we haven't seen a lot of activity here. A few dribs and drabs of people walking through campus. Some people walking their dogs who obviously live in this neighborhood.

Look, this is the neighborhood where the Obamas used to live. So a lot of people were shocked by this campus closing today. We do know school is in session and this is the last week of classes so people were going to be in class before those finals were going to take place. But some advisers and some faculty members were happy that this closure happened with this online threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHIAS STAISCH, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FACULTY: I mean, I was surprised but maybe one becomes so sort of used to this, unfortunately, that like it didn't sort of freak me out. I just thought, oh, well, I guess I'll have to cancel office hours and whatever else I had planned. We just have to react to what they thought was best, which I thought was good. Like, if there is a threat, then people should stay away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: So, Carol, I'm going to read this statement from the university. "Based on the FBI's assessment of this threat and recent tragic events at other campuses across the country, we have decided in consultation with federal and local law enforcement officials to exercise caution by cancelling all classes."

And of course once again as we were telling you before, we've seen more officers making their presence known. The threat was for the quad area. This is the quad area we're told around 10:30 Central Time was that gun threat. So of course we'll be here to see what happens. But so far we're seeing a lot of students obviously heeding the warning and not being out here as classes were usually set to start on Monday. And we're also told this extends to about 12:30 tonight. So we'll have to have a re-evaluation at some point whether or not classes will be open again tomorrow -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Ryan Young reporting live from Chicago.

The man accused of a deadly rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic is due in court today. It will be the first appearance for Robert Lewis Dear. A Colorado recluse, he's accused of killing three people and wounding nine others in the siege.

This is how the ordeal unfolded. In chilling dispatches over the police radio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are three people hiding in the bathroom at Planned Parenthood where they -- they think they hear the suspect. They say somebody's knocking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is anybody in the safe room?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in contact with one party. One of the three hiding in Planned Parenthood. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to hide in the back closet until

this is over. We have people hunkered down in the northwest corner of the building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we confirm we have people still inside Planned Parenthood?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to find the victim at the back. We're kind of exposed. We're seeing how many doors there are. We've got to check here. We haven't found him yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's Stephanie Elam live in Colorado Springs with more. Good morning.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. We can show you the images of the three people who lost their lives in this six- hour bloody standoff that happened the day after Thanksgiving. We know that Jennifer Markovsky lost her life. She would have been 37 years old next month. A devoted mother of two, we're being told.

And we also know that the other person that lost their life, the other civilian was Ke'Arre Marcell Stewart, who was 29 years old, married, father of two, and also an Iraq war veteran. The third person who lost their life was an officer, Police Officer Garrett Swasey. He was working at the University of Colorado here in Colorado Springs, left his post to rush to aid his fellow police officers and that's where he lost his life. He's also the father of two. And also before this, also had a strong career in ice skating. And actually was a champion as well.

So those are the three people that we know lost their lives on top of the nine people who were injured in the shooting the day after Thanksgiving, Carol.

COSTELLO: The suspect is due in court. Do we know much more about him, Stephanie?

ELAM: We've learned more about where he came from. He hadn't been in Colorado long but it's where he lived here and where he lived in North Carolina. When you take a look at both of these cabins in the wood that you might think of as remote. He was described by neighbors as being a recluse. Very much staying too himself. And here in Colorado, one individual that CNN was able to talk to put it like this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DALRYMPLE, HARTSEL, COLORADO RESIDENT: We have a lot of recluse out in the middle of nowhere out here. He drives around, there's little shacks and trailers and campers, and it could have been anyone. I don't know who he was. He didn't frequent the bar or we'd probably known who he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP) [10:20:08] ELAM: So he allegedly stayed to himself when he was out there. Now investigators have told CNN that after he was apprehended, after he surrendered, he did mention something about, quote, "baby parts" and muttered something about anti-abortion and anti-government views. But at this point investigators are not willing to say that this was definitely something that he was targeting Planned Parenthood. They say it may take six or seven days before they're able to process everything they find at the crime scene and are able to put together a full picture of why this happened and why it happened where it did, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Stephanie Elam reporting live from Colorado Springs, thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump turning down free press? You heard right. He's cancelling a press conference today with influential African-American ministers. But why?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:08] COSTELLO: Here in New York, Donald Trump is set to meet with a group of black pastors this morning. Pastors the Trump campaign said were preparing to endorse him today. But over the weekend, several of those pastors said, not so fast, denying that a meeting equals their support. Several taking to social media to make their views clear. Among them, Bishop Paul Morton of Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International in Atlanta. He tweeted, quote, "I was asked to meet with Mr. Trump, too, but I refused because until he learns how to respect people, you can't represent me through my endorsement."

Bishop Morton joins me now. Welcome, Bishop.

BISHOP PAUL MORTON, DECLINED TO ATTEND PASTORS MEETING WITH DONALD TRUMP: Good morning. It's good to be here.

COSTELLO: It's great to have you here. I'd like you to listen to something that Donald Trump told my colleague, Anderson Cooper, just a few months ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I have a great relationship with African-Americans, as you possibly have heard. I just have great respect for them. And I -- you know, they like me. I like them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Bishop, how do you reconcile that statement with other things Trump has said or done? For example, Trump recently re-tweeted racially charged and inaccurate statistics about African-Americans and crime, that was just two days after a Black Lives Matter protester was punched and kicked at one of his rallies, an incident that Trump later said maybe the protester deserves.

So how can he say one thing and then these other things happen?

MORTON: Well, that's the problem that I have had. And that's why I refused to go to the meeting. I know that there are those who say, well, Bishop, at least go to the meeting and hear his platform. There's no need for me going and hearing one's platform if first of all I don't like the way you treat people. To me, that's important.

I know people say, well, if you're talented and gifted, let me hear your platform. I don't care how you treat people. As a Christian, as a kingdom representative, I care how you treat people. So there's no need for me going. I don't care what your platform is. If you talk down to women, if you talk down to undocumented immigrants, calling them rapists and then black lives, get them out of here. No, you can't represent me. So I don't even need to hear your platform.

You may be able to build a wall with your own money. I really don't care. I just don't respect people in that way if you don't respect me.

COSTELLO: But Mr. Trump said he is a Christian. He said his favorite book is the bible.

MORTON: You know, talk is cheap. The bible says that from the heart. From the heart. That's where your mouth speaks. When you speak from the heart, what comes out, comes from the heart. And what I'm hearing coming out of the mouth has to be coming from its heart. And it doesn't add up with what the bible is saying. So if you really love -- the bible says by your fruit, you should love them. There has to be manifestation in your talk.

So if you are disrespecting people, you can say I believe in the bible. I read it every day. We can be hearers of the word but not doers of the word. So maybe he's a hearer but he's definitely not a doer of the word in this kind of situation.

COSTELLO: Do you believe he's a Christian?

MORTON: That is not for me to judge. If he says he's a Christian, hey, he's a Christian as far as I'm concerned. That is not for me to judge. I don't even get on that level to judge who's a Christian, who's not. But I just need to see some evidence from your fruit.

COSTELLO: So he's going to have this meeting. And some black ministers, some black pastors are meeting with Mr. Trump. And Mr. Trump says he will have some of their endorsements by the end of that meeting. Do you believe that?

MORTON: I don't know. I just would say to our pastors that we have to be careful because perception unchallenged breeds reality. And the people -- that's all you need is a picture, that's all you need as pastors lined up. You really don't have to endorse. But if they got that perception, then the people that we are trying to help and take to the next level are misunderstood.

I'm sure, you know, there's always those who will say, hey, I don't care what he does, I don't care how he does it, I just want to endorse him. That's up to them, there's some people, I just want to go to Trump Tower. That's up to them. But I just -- my standard is higher than that.

COSTELLO: Do you believe there will be backlash if some of those black pastors endorse Donald Trump?

MORTON: It all depends what kind of church you go to. Some churches, you know, don't care. They just listen to their pastor as it relates to right or wrong. I have a church where they just want me to be right and I'm determined to be right and listen to God and the things that I do but I think from the community, the African-American community there's going to be a backlash because you can't talk about African-Americans, and put them down and then want to lead African- Americans. We have to be careful in this area because these are people that we're leading.

COSTELLO: Bishop Paul Morton, thanks so much for being with me this morning.