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New dash cam video just released related to the investigation into another deadly shooting by Chicago police; Homeland security today announcing a new terror threat alert system; President Obama addressed the nation on the growing thereto from ISIS but Republicans remain skeptical. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 07, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] SHAWN HENRY, FORMER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: First of all, I think those that have been radicalized, those that have been listening to ISIS and their propaganda, they are familiar with trying to keep their footprint small. They are familiar with law enforcement tactics and capabilities. And quite frankly, that the constitution allows and how they are protected under the constitution certainly as an American citizen.

Often times by destroying the digital hard drives, the phones, et cetera, they may have destroyed capabilities to retrieve all data but there are some opportunities for the FBI lab to go through and pull data off. There is also opportunities through Internet service providers to look at some of their browsing activity, for example.

But this is very, very difficult. The FBI and law enforcement are focusing on human activity, trying to go out and do a lot of interviews. You heard (INAUDIBLE) talk about 400 interviews that have been done thus far. There will be many hundred more, if not thousands. So this is going to be a long-term investigation and that will help to piece it together, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Absolutely. He noted but we are only five days into this. We have a long way to go.

Thank you all very much for your expertise, your insight. We are going to get back to this breaking in just a moment.

But I do want to get to breaking news out of Chicago. New dash cam video just released this afternoon. 911 calls we are hearing for the first time all related to the investigation into another deadly shooting by Chicago police. Prosecutors say it proves that the police acted reasonably. They are not bringing charges. The victim's mother speaking moments ago. She tells a very different story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). I tell it to her face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:31:06] HARLOW: Another video has just been released showing Chicago police using deadly force against a man running away from officers. I want to show you the police dash camera video just released today of that shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here is Johnson came running around the corner coming in the direction of the officer Hoover (ph). This is the officer (INAUDIBLE). She is drawing her weapon. This is Officer Hernandez in the backseat. Here is Johnson running behind. She's running behind. You see the flash of shots coming from Hernandez. And Officer Hernandez was the officer closest to Johnson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: After releasing that video, Cook County's sought prosecutor Anita Alvarez said she would not file charges against the officer who shot and killed 25-year-old Ronald Johnson. This happened in October of last year. But again, today is the first time the public is seeing the video. Moments ago the Johnson family attorney responded with this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANITA ALVAREZ, COOK COUNTY STATE ATTORNEY: From the totality of the evidence in this case, with the very, very careful analysis of the laws of the state of Illinois, it is our determination that no criminal charges will be filed against Officer Hernandez in connection with the shooting death of Ronald Johnson.

MICHAEL OPPENHIEMER, ATTORNEY FOR RONALD JOHNSON'S FAMILY: It is amazing to me that Anita Alvarez, the states' attorney of Cook County relied on investigation from IPRA and she had the nerve to say that today and that she didn't tell the mayor that she was releasing the video. But she had the nerve today to say that she relied on the IPRA investigation when 12 to 14 hours ago the head of IPRA resigned and/or was fired because of the shotty (ph) investigations that IPRA does. The head IPRA resigns and the state's attorney says I relied on the IPRA investigation. That is a joke. That is an absolute joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CNN national correspondent Ryan Young in Chicago following all of this. So we heard from them. We heard from the attorney general earlier today. But just recently we have finally heard from Johnson's mother. She spoke out. What did she say?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, she still doesn't believe this case. In fact, you know, with her and the attorney, they have been talking about this for quite some time. They have watched the video over and over. In fact, they were able to see the video before everyone else was able to see the video. They do not believe whatever was in his hand, they didn't believe it was a gun. They believe the gun was placed afterwards. They have actually called into question whether the extended clip even fits into the back of the gun.

I talked to the attorney just this afternoon and he believes this has been a massive cover up. They are not letting this go. And they plan to push forward with this. And that is why you heard strong words out there today. In fact, the mother just talked a half hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very upset that she didn't conviction this officer who murdered my son. And I'm not going to stop until I get what I want for him and that's justice. Because if there would have been anybody in her family that got killed like that, there also would have been charged with murder. And the case would have been looked into way before a year. It's been 13 months that for this case to get heard for her to come. Might as well say not guilty plea. She should have looked at it when it was first presented.

For her to say my son had an object in her hand, I tell it is all fake. She's a liar. He had nothing in his hand. And I hope one day she feels the pain that I feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: You absolutely understand her pain. You understand why she is pushing for it because of what she believes. But this video helped this officer in this case not be charged. In fact, some of the initial reaction about the way the state's attorney laid this out. There is something that public say they wanted to see for quite some time. They want to be transparency in the public. The idea that an alley would 911 tapes walked through, but the video was shown. The video was blown up. Even though people said the video quality is for best.

But this is part of what they wanted to see from the government. The case laid out so they could make some decision on their own. We have seen some people in the last half hour still pop up protesting, but on their signs, it says protesting for Laquan, not necessarily for this case. I think what helped in a lot of the cases today was the fact that the DOJ has stepped forward to say they are going to investigate this police department because that's what so many people want to see moving forward.

[15:41:13] HARLOW: Right. A broader sort of pattern and practice across the board investigation by the department of justice into the Chicago police department.

Ryan Young reporting for us out in Chicago, thank you very much for that.

Next, we turn to politics. You heard the president last night in the prime time oval office address promising we will prevail, talking about the war against ISIS. But a new poll shows that most Americans do not think he is headed in the right direction. Republicans are now pouncing on the speech laying out their own plans to defeat the terror group. We'll talk about it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:46:17] HARLOW: Homeland security today announcing a new terror threat alert system. How you will be notified of the threat level. This just hours after President Obama addressed the nation on the growing thereto from ISIS. Even the attorney general pressing American citizens to take more responsibility to fight homegrown radicalism in their communities.

But in the speech, the president also last night warned against creating a quote "us against them" mentality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We should not be drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq or Syria. That's what groups like ISIL want. They know they can't defeat us on the battlefield. ISIL fighters were part of the insurgency that we faced in Iraq. But they also know that if we occupy four lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years.

Here is what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. It's our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently because when we travel down that road, we lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Republicans remain skeptical. They say the White House's anti-ISIS strategy is not working. Today presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz criticized the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't need a president who goes on national television and lectures the American people at the school board and condescends to the American people and says the problem we have is Islamophobia. The problem is we have is a present commander-in-chief who refuses to recognize our enemy. Our enemy is radical Islamic terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: CNN's Gloria Borger, chief political analyst, is joining me from Washington.

Look. We heard Ted Cruz. He was one of many. They all jumped on the president's speech last night. But what about taking up a vote on the AUF or the authorization of use of military force? What about that in a Republican-led Congress?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you know, it's always difficult, Poppy, as you well know, to get Congress on the record when it comes to the use of force because they know that those votes can always boomerang on them. Just ask Hillary Clinton on that on her vote on Iraq. I mean, the irony here is that Republicans are saying, look, we don't

want to vote on it because the president actually has the authority. We believe he can use force and they also say, you know what, he doesn't have a strategy so what is it we would be voting on.

On the other hand the Democrats are the ones who are saying the president doesn't have the authority so we actually ought to be able to vote on it. So it's kind of hard to figure out when you have got, you know, when you got this kind of a problem in the Congress whether a vote would occur or whether it would ever pass. I mean, why bring it up if you don't think it's going to pass.

HARLOW: But it's interesting a lot of the Republican criticism of the president, as you know Gloria, has been that he takes too much executive power because without them voting on it. So, alright, we could debate that.

But what about the new poll, right. This new poll that shows 53 percent of Americans favor sending ground troops in to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Those numbers come before the San Bernardino attacks. So you think perhaps would they be even higher? I wonder if you think this is going to force democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton, like Bernie Sanders to become even more hawkish.

BORGER: I think it already has. I mean, you have seen Hillary Clinton really distance herself in a way from President Obama calling for a no-fly zone in Syria. Just yesterday saying we have to intensify our efforts against ISIS.

You know, she is looking at those polls. And while this really breaks down along party lines because a huge majority of Republicans want to use force, it's not that way among Democrats. But you can see that the public is anxious. Sixty percent of Americans don't believe the president has done a good enough job fighting terror. She is of course aligned with the president as his former secretary of state. So it's quite difficult for her.

And for Bernie Sanders it's even more difficult because what he wants to talk about is not foreign policy. He has got a campaign based on income inequality. And people aren't really talking about that right now, Poppy.

[15:50:45] HARLOW: You're absolutely right. And I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about it. I know we will next week in the next GOP debate hosted by our very own Wolf Blitzer next Tuesday night. Gloria Borger will be there. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

BORGER: Sure.

HARLOW: Coming up next, where are the Arab countries? Where are our allies in the Middle East in this war against ISIS? Why leaders who have the terror group in their backyard are not doing more? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:55:28] HARLOW: One year ago they declared it their war. Key Arab nations led by Jordan joining the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against ISIS and going after the terrorists pounding them with airstrikes. Now in the wake of the Paris massacre, the attack in California, pressure certainly mounting on Arab states to once again step up those airstrikes.

Joining me now CNN intelligence and security analyst former CIA operative Bob Baer.

So Bob, "New York Times" reports last month that Saudi air force has not flown a mission against ISIS targets since September. Jordan reportedly hasn't flown one since August. Can we win this fight without them? And why wouldn't we see more from them?

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Poppy, you know that's the $64,000 question. And I actually have an answer for it. The Arabs are not fighting. They look at the Islamic State as something of a convenience for them. It's fighting the Iranian backed regime in Damascus. A lot of their radicalized citizens if you like are going and fighting with the Islamic state, dying, that serves their interests. It's very Machiavellian.

And the other part is they are all concentrated on Yemen. They want to defeat what they describe as an Iranian-backed insurgency in Yemen, the Houthis. So they have a completely separate agenda from us. And I think they are going to pay for it at the end of the day, but right now you're absolutely right. We need the Arabs on our side. We need to go into northern Syria - I mean, eastern Syria and northern Iraq and find a replacement government for the Islamic state. But they are just not helping.

HARLOW: So you hear from really military experts across the board, Bob, who say you need the local forces to defeat ISIS, particularly Sunnis. And you have Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio calling for this similar effort. He said the similar thing to Jake Tapper yesterday on "STATE OF THE UNION." Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There must be a ground force put together to confront them. And it must be a ground force made up of primarily of Sunni-Arabs from the region including Iraqis and Syrians, but also a contribution of troops from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. The UAE has already expressed some willingness to provide ground troops to such an effort. This is a radical Sunni group. They need defeated by Sunnis themselves on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: OK. But here is the reality check. Here is the conundrum, Bob, right, the Sunnis don't want to take on this fight, do they?

BAER: No, they don't. They are more worried about Iran. And I agree with Rubio. It's very rare I do, but he's absolutely totally right on this. We need the Arabs to fight this battle for us. We need Sunnis. We need to find an alternative to the Islamic state and it has to be Sunni-Arabs. And right now --

HARLOW: How do you convince them, Bob? If you're sitting around the president as his national security team, how do you convince them we need them to fight this fight?

BAER: We have to convince them that Iran is not an existential threat to them. We have to really sit down and we have to sit down with the Russians. And frankly, we have to re-divide the borders in the Middle East so the Sunnis have their own state divided between Iraq and Syria. I just don't see another way. But, you know, if we don't deal with the symptoms of terrorism, which is the Shia-Sunni divide in the sphere of Iran and the fear of their collapse, we are going to have more terrorism here.

HARLOW: Scary thought. Bob Baer, thank you very much as always. Appreciate it.

Well, in the wake of the California massacre the Obama administration is getting ready to roll out another tool to combat terrorism. Today homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson announced a brand new system that is on the way. This is a system that will alert you to the level of terror threat possibly rolled out in the next few days. Obviously, it's going to change the system that came into place after 9/11. That's the current two-tier national terror advisory system which has been such a high bar that it has never been activated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We need a system that adequately informs the public at large, not through news leaks of joint intelligence bulletins to law enforcement, not through leaks from anonymous government officials, but we need a system that informs the public at large what we are seeing even if what we are seeing could be self-evident to the public. But what we are seeing, what we are doing about it and what we are asking the public to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Secretary Johnson also saying today under this new system that they are rolling out, the country can potentially be put on heightened alert that there is concern over a copycat attack.

I'm Poppy Harlow. That does it for me today. Thank you so much for joining me.

"The LEAD" begins right now.