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Belgian Police Arrest Terror Suspect; Russian Museum to Help Restore ISIS-Destroyed Palmyra; The Killing of a Secular Blogger in Bangladesh; Race for the White House. Aired 2-2:30a ET

Aired April 09, 2016 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00] ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Belgian police arrest a man who's been the focus of the Europe wide manhunt. And they think he might be the third suspect in bombing of the Brussels airport.

And, a claim of responsibility in the brutal killing of the secular blogger in Bangladesh.

Plus, the bickering case of back fit (ph) for the states continue to be as high as ever. U.S. presidential candidates crisscross New York before that state primary.

Hello, everyone. I'm Zain Asher. And this is CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin with dramatic developments in the investigation of the Paris and Brussels terror attacks. For months, police search for Mohamed Abrini, the man whom authorities believe droved the Paris attackers, now he is finally in custody following more raids in Brussels.

Investigators are trying to determine if Abrini is also the mysterious man in the hat, the third Brussels airport bomber seen in surveillance video. Also, connected in the latest raids in Brussels, at least other two other terrorist suspects including a man suspected of being involved in the second Brussels attack at a metro station.

More now on Mohamed Abrini, he eluded police for five months until his capture on Friday. Brian Todd looks at whether his arrest could help authorities prevent more deadly attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Captured alive in Brussels. Two men believed to be among the world's most wanted and dangerous terrorist. Men suspected of involvement in the Paris and Brussels attacks. One is 31-year-old Mohamed Abrini. Belgian network VRT reports Abrini could be the so-called man in white. The mysterious third attacker at the Brussels airport, seen in this surveillance footage walking next to the two suicide bombers, but prosecutors are not yet ready to make that link.

THIERRY WERTS, BELGIAN PROSECUTOR'S SPOKESMAN: At the moment, the investigators are verifying whether Abrini Mohamed can be positively identified as being the third person present during the attacks in Brussels National Airport Zaventem, the so-called man with the hat. TODD: That man slipped away and was seen in this surveillance footage

making his way through Brussels after the attacks. But Mohamed Abrini is still believed to have played a key operational role in the Paris assault.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 48 hours before the attacks, he transported the attack scenes from Belgium to Paris.

TODD: Abrini was seen in surveillance footage at a gas station in France two days before the Paris attacks. He's with Salah Abdeslam, the Paris suspect whose brother blew himself up in Paris. Abrini's believed to have been driven with Abdeslam to Paris for the attacks. Authorities say Abrini drove a Renault Clio used in Paris.

Salah Abdeslam is already in custody after apparently aborting his mission in Paris, making his way to Brussels and hiding out for four months. He was captured just four days before the Brussels attacks.

Another key suspect arrested, Osama Krayem. He's believed to have played an operational role in the Brussels bombings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One possibility is that he was the man seen on CCTV images out of Brussels metro stop with the metro bomber.

TODD: A key concern now, will the two men just captured give authorities any intelligence?

MICHAEL BRAUN, FORMER U.S. DEA CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: They want to know about tactics, techniques and procedures. You know, how did they pull this event off from start to finish. What kind -- exactly what kinds of devices they were using. Who built them? What other cell members are involved?

TODD: And, European intelligence officials believe there are members of the same terror cell still out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: European security agencies believe there are more than a dozen individuals still at large, who play some kind of logistical support role in the Paris and Brussels attack supporting that cell. A lot of concern about what they may do next.

TODD: But investigators have a huge challenge now with the two men just captured. Their alleged cohorts, Salah Abdeslam, who's also believed to have played key roles in both Brussels and Paris is thought to have not given up very much information at all to authorities.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Joining us now is Bob Baer, CNN Intelligence and Security Analyst. So Bob, thank you so much for being with us.

So how long until we know for sure whether or not Mohamed Abrini is indeed the man in the hat from that airport surveillance video? BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: I think they're

going to probably get some witnesses, Zain, pretty soon that could identify him with all the arrests today and probably more arrests. They'll probably, you know, get to the point where they can say he was the minor at the airport, or possibly a suicide bomber himself.

They'll be checking DNA, fingerprints, the rest of it. I think it will them a while, but they'll piece it together.

[02:05:01] But what's extraordinary about this for me is the fact that he was involved in the Paris bombing on the 13th of November. Yet, stayed in Brussels ...

ASHER: Right.

BAER: ... and managed to put together another plot under the, you know, before the police (inaudible), I mean, it's incredible.

ASHER: But the fact the he stayed in Brussels, how surprising is that to you?

BAER: Well, that surprises me in the sense that I did him (ph) to realize how deep and, you know, and reclusive. I mean, isolated this Moroccan community is in Brussels the fact that he could hide there even though he was a mass murderer for the Paris attacks and he still could hide, it's amazing.

Those communities are so separated from mainstream Belgium that -- I think even come to a surprise to the Belgium police.

ASHER: So the next step is obviously authorities are going to interview him. What is the track record of terrorists actually cooperating with authorities?

BAER: I have found that these people who are ready to die, except murder them, aren't dumb make good witnesses. It's very difficult to turn them. They're ready to do prison time. And he could stay their forever. I've spent years interviewing these people in prisons, in Israeli prisons, suicide bombers, it failed.

ASHER: So is it the fact that they won't talk at all or they give false information?

BAER: They'll give false information, false leads. They probably won't talk at all. They'll promise their lawyers. They'll promise at the end of the day they won't say anything. It's very surprising to find one that will turn against the movement.

ASHER: So did these arrests now make an attack in either Brussels or Paris more likely, more eminent or less likely do you think?

BAER: Well, as we know, Zain, there are other people out there. The network hasn't been completely rolled up. I mean, we don't even know where these people arrested today have been. You know, one was in Birmingham, another is Swedish. They've been coming in and out of Europe, posing as refugees, one had a fake Syrian passport according to local media.

So, I don't think we're even at the beginning of identifying the entire network. I mean, there's a lot of these people that are waiting and there's some unwilling ones, and we're talking years before we get to the end of this.

ASHER: And just quickly, Bob, Belgian authorities have obviously made a lot of arrests over the past two weeks. But they also have come under a lot of criticism. Do you think that criticism is fair?

BAER: Oh, it's justified. Undertaken attack like these, Brussels airport and the metro of people that are already identified, yes, they failed.

ASHER: All right. Bob Baer, we have to leave it at that. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.

BAER: Thank you.

ASHER: Top U.S. military commander in Africa says ISIS has doubled its number of fighters in Libya. The intelligence committee, they now believe there are between 4,000 and 6,000 ISIS militants there. Libya has become a haven from militants since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 especially from other North African countries.

The U.S. commander says many of them have pledged their allegiance to ISIS.

ISIS has all but destroyed Syria's ancient city of Palmyra. Now, the Hermitage Museum in Russia has a plan to restore the 2000-year-old city.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Filled with empathy (ph) to Palmyra was used by ISIS as a backdrop for public executions. Russian drone video shows it's now one of the few monuments there still standing.

Other irreplaceable structures like this monumental Roman arch was simply raised to the ground by the so-called Islamic State.

The Kremlin says helping recapture and now de-mined Palmyra is one of the major achievements of its air war.

But now, one of Russia's most prominent museums was an important Palmyra collection, wants to help restore the unique site.

SERGEY NIKITIN, THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM: Because Palmyra is one of the few surviving ancient cities where we come through the sea ruins of the (inaudible).

Palmyra is a nation saint, it stays as it was. So that's a great restructure, a great archaeological site. CHANCE: Russia's archeological interest and expertise in Palmyra is

real. This hermitage collection of statuary and other artifacts from the city like these carat stones inscribed with both ancient Greek and Aramaic scripts. It's one of the most important outside of Syria even more so now that so much of Palmyra has been destroyed by Islamic State.

LUCA OTTONELLO, VOLUNTEER: And you can protect them down on this pyramid.

CHANCE: You can see them as hologram.

OTTONELLO: Yeah, you can see them as a hologram in the middle.

[02:10:00] CHANCE: And volunteers at the museum are developing a more high-tech approach. Building holographic models of the now destroyed buildings of Palmyra breeding life, they say, into the ancient city.

OTTONELLO: The main point is, that the reconstructions are -- or that they made that are now shown in the hologram ...

CHANCE: Yeah.

OTTONELLO: ... are real reconstructions with the real sizes and texture of how it used to be before the explosions, before all the problems ...

CHANCE: Right. So that could be really useful when it comes to restoring the site.

OTTONELLO: Exactly.

CHANCE: But only once Palmyra is secure, say museum officials, will the Russian team be sent to assess the archeological damage. It could be years before the cultural vandalism of ISIS is undone.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Saint Petersburg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Still to come on CNN, a look at who is playing responsibility for the machete killing of a secular blogger in Bangladesh.

Plus, after week of bickering, it looks like the U.S. Democratic candidates are starting to play nice again, a cool down in the war of words between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. We'll explain why coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: The media in North Korea are reporting what they call a successful weapon's test. Leader Kim Jong Un is said to have overseen a ground test of a new engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been elevated ever since Pyongyang tested when it claimed about the hydrogen bomb in January, it also says it has miniaturized a nuclear warhead. An al-Qaeda affiliate in Bangladesh has claimed responsibility for the

machete killing of a secular blogger, Nazimuddin Samad, in the capital of Dhaka this week, that's according to a group that monitors jihadists. The murderer (ph) has called the attack vengeance because Samad had, based on their words, abuses both God and Islam.

CNN International Correspondent Ivan Watson joins us live now from Hong Kong. So Ivan, we know that Ansar al-Islam has claimed responsibility. And now they're making threats to other professionals who don't follow Sharia law as well.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true. And it's important to know -- I got off the phone about an hour ago with the law minister of Bangladesh and he says the government is now investigating these claims coming from al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent and also indicated that it's too early to comment until these claims have in fact been verified.

But according to a lengthy document posted by the jihadist monitoring group site, al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent claimed responsibility for what it describes as the slaughter of Nazimuddin Samad on the evening of Wednesday in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

[02:15:00] And said that he was targeted because he had repeatedly insulted a claimed Islam and the Prophet, the declaration sites. Several of his Facebook postings going back to 2013, and then the group goes on to effectively declare war against any atheist writer who dares to question al-Qaeda's strict interpretation of Islam.

And it also points out that anybody who stops the spread of Islamic Sharia, Sharia law, be they a judge, a lawyer, a doctor, or an engineer, could also be the target of one of these brutal attacks. And it's important to note that at least six atheist bloggers and writers have been murdered with machetes in the capital over the course of the last 14 months. Zain.

ASHER: Yeah, incredibly brutal killings. But, what sort of protections do bloggers and secular writers have? I mean, do they feel safe going to the police if they feel threatened?

WATSON: Well, Samad says that he went into hiding last year for several months after some of the other murders. And that clearly wasn't enough to protect him. Some of these people have simply fled the country to Europe, to Canada, seeking protection, very much fearing for their lives.

The authorities in Bangladesh insist that if somebody comes forward to ask for protection for help that they will try to then provide it. But some of the writers have been pointed out, "Hey, we're getting -- some of us are getting prosecuted for violating Bangladesh's blasphemy law for criticizing religion, being prosecuted by the same police, so why would we go and feel that they can protect us." And in fact, the home minister of Bangladesh in the same breath that he'd vowed to bring some of the killers to justice then went on to criticize some of these bloggers saying they shouldn't be going around criticizing Islam or any other religions. So there is a mixed message that is being sent by some of these

Bangladeshi officials. Zain.

ASHER: A lot of the bloggers feel so unsafe especially given what's happened and possibly with those six people also being killed as well.

Ivan Watson, live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.

A two-second decision likely saved the life of a driver in Southern China this week at the landslide just barely missed his car. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is here to explain.

So this was really quick thinking because he saw the rocks falling, it looks so slowly, and then he knew it wasn't safe to go forward.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Wait until you see this video, Zain. I want the number of the guy who does the brakes from this vehicle. Take a look at this, because you know exactly what I'm referring to.

This gentleman started to, well, drive towards -- you can see that falling landslide there down the side of the mountain and stopped abruptly. Can you imagine that it was only two seconds later that he happened to encounter that particular landslide? Good thing that he was not injured and quite amazing that this was actually captured on video.

These aren't quite common in this part of the world. And the reason we see landslides in Southern China and elsewhere or across the planet is because the amount of rainfall that takes place in these mountainous regions is often extremely high and that soaks directly into the soil. And eventually, gravity just winds and the slope gives way or is a slope failure, as what they'll call it. And that eventual landslide takes place or mudslides.

And by the way, those can travel at 20, even 30 kilometers per hour so a very fast moving debris field that will take anything out in his path as well.

Let me switch gears, bringing to the United States because a lot of you travel back and forth to New York City, Washington, D.C., perhaps into Boston, well, be prepared because it is bitterly called Old Man Winter not about to give up just yet. We have freeze warnings in store from Omaha, Nebraska, the St, Louis, Cincinnati, and national for Saturday morning, this morning. And then, that shifts to the East Coast for Sunday morning.

Look at this roller coaster ride if you had into the big apple 10 degrees today at overnight lows dropping to two below freezing. There could be even patch of these (ph) snowflakes in the sky as well.

We have the potential for anywhere between tens and 20 record low temperatures, a Saturday and Sunday morning.

Washington D.C., again, very cold as well, you're four below this morning. And really, the coldest weather will come in about Sunday morning for the nation's capital. And you can see some of the snowfall that's anticipated with a quick moving clipper that's going to pass to the region. That is currently moving across the Great Lakes state at the moment and to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Detroit, and that will move to the East Coast, impacting Washington, Philly, and New York City.

[02:20:00] And that could cause some travel delays at some of the larger airports there as well. So double check that.

This is all thanks to an upper-level trough that's just digging into the East Coast, bringing our Arctic blast. But, I don't want to end in a bad note, I want to end in a good note. My director can take this imagine full screen.

You've been here before, Zain, I know it, this is ...

ASHER: I have ...

VAN DAM: ... the Tower Bridge ...

ASHER: I recognize that place.

VAN DAM: ... in London.

ASHER: You know, I grew up there, so yes.

VAN DAM: And check this out. One of my buddies tweeted this to me. He was on a run and he saw a double rainbow.

ASHER: How rare is that then?

VAN DAM: You know, that could happen. I have seen quite a few in my lifetime. So, I wouldn't call it rare but it surely is beautiful.

ASHER: Absolutely beautiful. Could be post cards.

VAN DAM: I think so.

ASHER: Derek Van Dam, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

In the U.S. presidential race, the Republicans are ramping up for battles of delegates, plus, Donald Trump hires a brand new manager, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: A program you know (ph) for fans of arts, design, fashion, and luxury. Later today, CNN Style is heading your TV screen. The monthly show gets exclusive access to the biggest names and events in the worlds of art, fashion, and more and to debut Saturday at 1:30 p.m. London time, that is by way, 2:30 in the afternoon in Central European Time.

Now, to the U.S. race for the White House where a possible truth may be developing between Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. The candidates have been locked in a war of words over who is fit or not fit to be president.

Sanders is now backtracking to move there ahead of the New York's primary office saying that Clinton was unqualified. But her part, Clinton says she would take her rival, Bernie Sanders, over any of Republican candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Does she have the experience? Obviously, she does. She was secretary of state, a U.S. senator. I thought an outstanding first lady in many respects breaking them all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you say (inaudible)?

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. You know, as I said, I would take him over Donald Trump or Ted Cruz any day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Clinton and Sanders will face off Saturday in Wyoming's Democratic caucus, 14 delegates and four superdelegates up for grabs in that contest.

And here's a quick fact for you, Wyoming has the smallest population of all the U.S. states. It's just around 550,000 people. Make sure to tune in to CNN all day Saturday for the latest in the Wyoming Democratic caucus.

Now, to the Republican side, the race for delegates continues in the State of Colorado on Saturday. In less than two weeks, 95 delegates are up for grabs in New York, but it's the hometown of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, of course.

Here's Jim Acosta with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Inside Trump world, it's a new day in the GOP delegate battle. And Donald Trump's new general in charge of racking up the magic number needed to clinch the Republican nomination is predicting victory.

PAUL MANAFORT, TRUMP CONVENTION MANAGER: It'll be apparent to the world that Trump is over the 1,237 number. And at that point in time, when he is apparent, everything is going to come together.

ACOSTA: Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort told CNN's Chris Cuomo he's now revamping the GOP frontrunner's delegate work plans (ph). It's a new power sharing relationship Manafort says with Trump's current campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.

MANAFORT: This is an example of Donald Trump managing and the kind of leadership he'll bring to the presidency after November.

[02:25:04] Their campaigns have different faces. ACOSTA: And while Manafort push back on the notion Lewandowski is

being sidelined after a string of campaign setbacks, he made it clear he answers only to Trump.

MANAFORT: I listen to everybody, but I have one man whose voice sounds -- is louder than everybody else.

ACOSTA: Manafort's rise comes at a crucial time as Ted Cruz is implementing his own delegate strategy to grab them wherever he can.

Case in point, this weekend, Cruz is scheduled to visit Colorado where Republicans are holding their own convention to select delegates. Cruz picked up more delegates there today.

KEN BUCK, U.S HOUSE REPUBLICAN: The Cruz campaign has been successful in Colorado because we started earlier, we identified more of the grassroots supporters. I don't think that the other campaigns took this process seriously fairly enough.

ACOSTA: It's a trip Trump decided against in the hopes of a landslide over Cruz in the New York primary. Trump was apparently working under the office today saying in a tweet, "So great to be in New York catching up on many things. Remember I am still running a major business while I campaign and loving it."

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, we had a clear path forward to get to 1,237 delegates, it's difficult, we've got to win and we've got to win consistently.

ACOSTA: Cruz told CNN's Dana Bash's laughing off the R rated welcome he's receiving in the Big Apple after he slammed Trump's New York values.

CRUZ: I laughed out loud. Look, I have never been popular with left- wing journalists or tabloids.

ACOSTA: Lagging behind in the delegate fight, John Kasich is making the case he won't be dead on arrival at the GOP convention this summer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be fooled, Ted Cruz can't win the nomination outright, and he can't defeat Hillary Clinton either.

ACOSTA: With a tough new ad, Kasich argues he's still has the best shot of defeating Hillary Clinton. And he's warning voters, Trump's "Make America Great Again" message is a general election disaster.

JOHN KASICH, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're not winning. We're winning about everything. We are still the strongest country by far in the entire world and people ought to stop whining about America, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As for Ted Cruz, he's courting some big donors here on Las Vegas. He'll address a Republican Jewish group run by casino tycoon, Sheldon Adelson, tomorrow and after some downtime, Donald Trump gets back on the campaign trail in his home state of New York.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Las Vegas.

ASHER: All right, that does it for us. Thank you so much for watching, I'm Zain Asher. Next on CNN, Living Golf. But first, I'll be back for the quick look at your headline.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Hello, everyone. I'm Zain Asher and this is CNN News now.

[02:30:00] Belgian police have arrested several more suspects in the terror attacks in Brussels and Paris. They say one of the men detained is Mohamed Abrini, wanted in connection with the Paris attacks.