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Arrested Terror Suspect Confesses to Being Wanted Man in Security Videos in Brussels; Ted Cruz to Pick up Majority of Delegates from Colorado; Votes Being Counted in Wyoming Democratic Presidential Caucus. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired April 09, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:07] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. This breaking news we're talking about out of Belgium, Belgian federal prosecutors say Mohamed Abrini has admitted to being the man in the hat seen in the Brussels airport with the two bombers just before the explosions, and then you see in the surveillance video images of him walking away.

Police say Abrini confessed after being confronted with facial recognition evidence by the Belgian authorities. Abrini was arrested yesterday along with five others in raids carried out in the Etterbeek neighborhood of Brussels. He has been charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group. We have team coverage right now. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Brussels. Kim Dozier, CNN global affairs analyst is on the phone with us, and Bob Baer, our CNN intelligence and security analyst also joining us now from Newport Beach, California. So, Fred, let me begin with you, the circumstances that led to this admission, any more details?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What was interesting, because we were on the phone way federal prosecutor literally a couple minutes before this information was actually officially put out by them, and it was very important for them, they said, to point out that it was not only the fact that they had this facial recognition of him but the fact that he also confessed to this as well. That's something they were very keen to point out to us.

They say that most of the tools they used to identify him were indeed facial recognition software, but it was only after he was confronted with that he then said, yes, to the person on that picture from the airport is, indeed, me. He then also apparently told more details about what he did after going to the airport right before those terror attacks happened there. He said that afterwards he left the airport, that he then went on his way back to central Brussels, and at some point dumped his coat. He had a hat on as well to conceal his face somewhat. He said he sold that hat, strangely enough, and then went obviously on his way.

It's interesting because in the past couple of days the authorities put out photos and videos to retrace all of his steps, and everything he's saying appears to be in line with that. So the authorities saying this is a very, very big information for them, but, of course, this investigation is still very much ongoing. There's a lot more that want to find out from this man, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Bob, is it your view that authorities really want people to know that he admitted to being the man in the hat to, I guess, comfort people, to give more believability to the claim he is indeed the man in the hat?

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: I think it's the comfort. I mean, the Belgian police have to show that they're on top of this. So far they haven't been. Since the November attacks, November 13th in Paris, they've been, you know, behind the eight ball on this. So the fact that they're moving and making these arrests very quickly, that they're getting the forensic evidence from the explosion at the airport and at the metro, and all the rest of it, and they actually have suspects and identified that bomber makes Belgians feel much, much safer at this point.

WHITFIELD: And then, Kim, you know, the message being sent, not just to those in Brussels but beyond, perhaps even to other networks who have plans, you know, in the pipeline. Do you think that revealing that the man in the hat has been captured, that he admitted to it, that authorities are quick to convey this less than 24 hours after being arrested, is there something else to this strategy, the message being sent to other potential networks or other potential, you know, terrorists with this arrest?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the message is twofold. It's to the Belgian public, the wider European public, that yes, we are getting on top of these networks. We are not inefficient or incompetent as we've been accused. We're catching those involved.

But they also want to possibly flush those out from the neighborhoods, saying we're closing in on you, to make them possibly make a mistake that would expose them to authorities. They've already learned that the modus operandi with these guys is stay in place and hope they're just not spotted by melting into the background of the Belgian or wider European community. Places they grew up, places that they've already been careful not to expose themselves, to show themselves as being militant leaning. So, yes, the authorities want everyone to know that they've rolled up all of these different suspects so that those people hiding might run for cover.

WHITFIELD: That's very interesting. And so, Fred, perhaps you can tell us more about the strategy of police, because when they made this arrest, the public knowledge is it wasn't that he was, you know, out and about, kind of, you know, doing his own thing, going to the store or running errands.

[14:05:06] But instead these are raids taking place in those safe places, perhaps, that these suspects thought they were in, you know, in their homes as they've -- in the words of Kim, melted into their communities?

PLEITGEN: Yes, and melted into their communities and apparently also did have help from at least some people in those communities to try and hide for such a long period of time. You look at, for instance, Salah Abdeslam who was on the run an extended period of time, when he was captured he was inside a private apartment with several other people.

You look at the case of Mohamed Abrini, when he was taken in by the police yesterday he was also with two other people that were subsequently let go. So all of them in some way, shape, or form had help from people inside the community, and in many cases from childhood friends that helped them to stay and to lay low, as Kim said, for such an extended period of time.

But I think for the Belgian police there are other things also very important as well. It does really mesh with what Kim is saying, what Bob is saying as well. Look, as far as the man in the hat was concerned, there was so much speculation as to who that person might be. Remember, there was this other person who turned out to be one of the suicide bombers, and he was at one point thought to be the man in the hat. The police now want to make absolutely clear they are 100 percent sure that this is actually the guy.

And then on the other hand, they also don't want to make the same, I wouldn't say mistake, but don't want to have the same thing happen that happens after Salah Abdeslam was arrested. Remember only two days later they had the Brussels attacks happened. What they're doing right now is after this high-profile arrests have happened, Mohamed Abrini, Abdeslam as well, they are conducting raids in various locations here in the city, and you can really see how they're stepping up the tempo of their operations to make sure they don't miss anything in the wake of these big arrests.

WHITFIELD: All right, Fred, Bob, Kim, thank you so much. Stick around. We're going to talk more about that. So again, if you're just joining us, we've learned a terror suspect who was arrested just 24 hours ago has admitted to being the man in the hat, that one right there, circled in that image during that Brussels airport suicide attack there leading to the deaths of so many.

We will be right back.

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[14:10:58] WHITFIELD: All right, back to our breaking news. Belgian federal authorities say Mohamed Abrini has admitted to being the man in the hat seen in that Brussels airport with the two suicide bombers and then again after the explosion, walking through the streets there casually. Authorities say he confessed after being confronted with facial recognition evidence by the Belgian authorities. Abrini was picked up in raids carried out in the Etterbeek neighborhood of Brussels.

Let's bring back our experts and reporters Kim Dozier, Bob Baer and Fred Pleitgen. So, Fred, to you there in Brussels. Does this arrest in any w further strengthen the case that authorities have on the other suspects arrested?

PLEITGEN: Well, it potentially could. One of the big questions is going to be what exactly are they going to find out from Mohamed Abrini? And it seems as though they are obviously keen to find out what more information he might still have available or might be willing to share with them.

I think one of the things that that was really important for them was for them to point out that it was he himself who made this admission that, yes, indeed, he was the man with the hat, essentially that does seem to indicate that at least in some way, shape, or form, he at least seems to be telling the authorities things. He at least seems to be giving them some sort of information. And maybe for them could also indicate he might be willing to share more with them.

Of course it's very important for them to have captured this man alive, to be able to try and squeeze information out of him, not just about all the things that has happened in the past, not about the logistical web between the Paris, between the Brussels attacks, between all of the cells that appear to be involved in all of this. How closely tied were they? Were there any childhood friends that were involved with each other? What sort of friendships were there? But also what sort of things might have been planned in the future. And that of course is something that is very important not just to Belgium but to Europe as a whole, because remember there are two things that essentially have facilitated the work of these people perpetrating the attacks. On the one hand that was the open borders here in Europe, but then also the failure in many ways of the authorities here to share information.

WHITFIELD: So Bob, at first it would seem like why would the suspect want to admit to being the man in the hat? And then the other thinking is, would he want to make that admission so as to send a signal to, say, you know, his bosses, you know, that he has been apprehended? This is where we are in the investigation? This is how willing I am to cooperate? What's the logic behind this kind of admission?

BAER: Let's not forget that Abrini was involved in the Paris attacks. He was involved in mass murder, the 13th in November. So he's already going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Admitting he was at the airport, we just really have to consider the possibility until we see forensics that he's giving disinformation. This is what these people tend to do, like about selling his hat. Whether he was really going to be a suicide bomber, where's the vest? Why did he get rid of his coat?

WHITFIELD: Given that, what's the reason to believe he would be the one in the hat?

BAER: I don't believe any of it until he actually gives truly damaging information about this cell that it leads to other arrests, actionable intelligence. And that's always my standard for questioning somebody, whether they do real damage to their side, and let's see whether he does that. It's still too early.

WHITFIELD: So, Kim, you know, speaking to what Bob is saying here, I mean, terrorism, it's all about mind games, and the arrest. What information is or isn't given. This is all part of terrorism. The mind games, the playing tricks on people. So, Kim, what do you see, you know, in the furtherance of this investigation, the kind of information that may or may not be extracted from whether it be Mohamed Abrini or the other suspects? What's to be believed here?

DOZIER: Well, look, from his perspective, by admitting that he was the man in the hat, he is one of the survivors of one of the most notorious ISIS terrorist attacks inside Europe. He now is able to embrace that notoriety, possibly inspire others.

[14:15:03] So even as we are reporting on the success of the Belgian police in tracking this cell down, it also helps propagate that message that ISIS has people who are right next door who may be plotting future violence. So unfortunately for them, this is only one.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kim Dozier, Bob Baer, Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much to all of you. And we'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: We're following two crucial political events in the race for president. There are delegates on both sides up for grabs out west. Democratic caucuses in Wyoming are under way right now. Live pictures right now of people there in Cheyenne. And in Colorado it is day two of the state's Republican convention in Colorado Springs. Ted Cruz is speaking there, and so far he has won all of the delegates up for grabs in that state. And the final 13 delegates will be awarded today.

So let's get right to CNN's Ana Cabrera there in Colorado Springs. So Cruz has grabbed 22 delegates so far. The remaining 13, how would they be awarded?

[14:20:08] ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a very different process here in Colorado than what you've seen in other states leading up to this point. Right now the wrangling for those 13 remaining delegates is happening on the floor of Colorado's GOP state convention. This is where the different campaigns have sent their proxies to try to get that last-minute push of support to win over the remaining delegates who will be elected at the end of today. And there are hundreds of delegates here running to be elected on to the RNC.

Now, again, the process here is different. There's not a generic primary. There's no national caucus. All of Colorado's delegates are selected by state party insiders at the state convention as well as the district convention. So really it's a multistep process to get to those conventions for these delegates, and so that's why it's important for campaigns strategically to really be working on the ground here over the past few weeks and months. And that's exactly what Cruz's campaign has been doing. That gives them advantage going into today.

And by the way, Cruz expected to speak here to this crowd of some 6,000 people within the next hour, Fred. We expect him to really fire up these people. Trump had an event planned here earlier in the week which he canceled. His campaign advisers telling us that they aren't expecting any delegates to be elected for Trump out of here today. They've pretty much thrown in the towel on Colorado. Kasich's campaign hoping to maybe pick up a few, but they're really looking down the road to the GOP national convention where they hope to maybe pull some of Cruz's supporters who are here today. The delegates that get elected, maybe they will able to win them over and get a Kasich vote in the second ballot. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: So Ted Cruz not there yet, not onstage. Maybe he's in the vicinity. But somewhere within the hour he'll be taking to the stage there and clearly being met with a whole lot of support since so far he has garnered the majority of the delegates. All right, thanks so much, Ana Cabrera there in Colorado Springs, appreciate it.

So now to the Democrats. CNN Paul Vercammen at a caucus location in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where there are a whole lot of people there, and earlier people were quite excited. It seems a little quiet there now. What's going on?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were unbelievably efficient, Fredricka. They got everybody in here, almost 1,500 people into this gymnasium in Cheyenne. We saw a decided tilt towards Bernie Sanders. They walked in and they placed their votes in ballot boxes. I want to say at least a 65-35 Sanders split, from what I could see. And let's hear why they were so enthusiastic here in Wyoming for their Democratic candidates.

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REP. JAMES BYRD, (D) WYOMING: She has the experience. She has the pragmatism. She's been kicked around quite a bit. And she's still come out, you know, with basically a presidential quality, I guess, if you will.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is thrilling. I'm seeing a lot of new people. I've been involved in the party for many, many years. And to see this kind of energy on both sides is a wonderful thing. I just hope we feel the Bern a little bit more than the Hillary folks.

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VERCAMMEN: And we'll see just how much they are feeling that Bern, as alluded to. The counting just under way here in Wyoming, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Paul Vercammen, thank you so much.

So it is a big week for politics on CNN. In fact tomorrow on STATE OF THE UNION with Jake Tapper Bernie Sanders will join the show as well as Hillary Clinton. That's Sunday, 9:00 a.m. eastern time. And then Tuesday, Donald Trump will be speaking with voters in a CNN town hall moderated by Anderson Cooper. Again, that's Tuesday, 9:00 p.m. eastern. And then just five days away, CNN hosts the Democratic presidential debate. Don't miss Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders facing off live from New York Thursday night, 9:00 eastern, right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[14:27:53] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back now to the latest on the breaking news we're following this hour. Belgian federal prosecutors say Mohamed Abrini has admitted to being the man in the hat seen at the Brussels airport with the two bombers just before the explosions. And then you see images of the man in the hat wearing that trench coat walking casually, running at some times casually through the streets of Belgium. Now officials say that he confessed after being confronted with facial recognition evidence by the Belgian authorities. He was arrested within the past 24 hours along with others during raids in a neighborhood there. Five others were arrested in all in the Etterbeek neighborhood of Brussels, and now Mohamed Abrini now confessing that he was the one in the hat, that third suspect now at the Brussels airport bombing that led to the deaths of 17 people, along with at a nearby subway, 15 others also killed.

This man Abrini has been charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Unclear whether other charges are soon to follow. We'll, of course, have more on this at the top of the hour at 3:00 eastern time.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with me today in the Newsroom. Right now, time for "Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta."