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ISIS Fighters in Europe; Johnson Freezes When Asked About Aleppo; Brandon Marshall Takes a Knee; Rescue from Cable Cars in the Alps. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 09, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:32:33] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

France's president says an imminent attack has been foiled. Three women now under arrest after a parked car filled with gas canisters was found near the Notre Dame Cathedral right in the heart of Paris. It's a city - it's a city scared by terror and now European officials are voicing new concerns that dozens of ISIS fighters, who helped carry out the November attacks on Paris, may still be at large.

Clarissa Ward is following the story for us this morning.

Hi, Clarissa.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, we're just starting to get a picture of what was going on with these three women. They were recently arrested outside of Paris. One of the women reportedly stabbing a police officer, during the arrest. Shots were fired. One of the women was injured by those shots.

Now, we heard from the French interior minister that the arrest of these women has essentially averted what he called an imminent and violent attack. But we have very few details still on what exactly this attack looked like. As you mentioned, we know that there was a car abandoned outside the famous Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame. Inside the car, a number of gas canisters, some of them full, some of them empty, and we're now hearing reports from French media that one of the women had actually written a letter swearing allegiance to ISIS and vowing that she would take revenge on the death of the top ISIS strategist, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who was just recently killed.

And what I think this really goes to illustrate, Carol, is the problem and the challenges that European security services are facing when they're confronting not just major ISIS networks, but also ISIS inspired attacks. And we had a big investigative story, as you know, earlier this week, which looked at that Paris ISIS network. The network that facilitated the Paris attacks. And we're hearing from officials now that 30 to 40 people who were directly involved in facilitating those attacks are still at large. Simply put, Carol, European security services are stretched too thin

and with ISIS losing so much ground in Syria and Iraq and Libya, they're concerned there are going to be a lot more of these so-called ISIS inspired attacks, which then has a knock-on effect, preventing them from being able to do their job and drill down on ISIS' established networks here in Europe, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Clarissa Ward reporting live for us this morning, thank you.

[09:35:02] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it sounds like it should be on Jeopardy, "what is Aleppo?' But has that phrase put Gary Johnson's future in jeopardy?

And tomorrow night on CNN, a special report. Our in-depth look at the life and times of the two major party for president, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I accept your nomination.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: For the presidency of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): "The Essential Hillary Clinton."

H. CLINTON: We are stronger together in charting a course toward the future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Essential Donald Trump."

DONALD TRUMP: I love you. And we will make America great again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All on one blockbuster night.

Clinton has been called the most famous person no one knows.

CHELSEA CLINTON, HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: I never understand that. It's so clear to me who my mother is. She never forgets who she's fighting for and she's fighting, first and foremost, for children and for families.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump has a passion for business and the spotlight.

DONALD TRUMP JR., DONALD TRUMP'S SON: No one's going to outwork him. No one's got more energy than him.

IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: He always said to us, find what it is that your passionate about, and pursue it with your full heart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their stories from the people who know them best. CNN's special report, Donald Trump at 8:00, Hillary Clinton at 10:00, CNN, tomorrow night.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:23] COSTELLO: It was the gaffe heard round the political world. Third party candidate, Gary Johnson, absolutely froze when asked about Aleppo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo?

GARY JOHNSON (L), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: About?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aleppo.

JOHNSON: And what is Aleppo?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're kidding?

JOHNSON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aleppo is in Syria. It's the - it's the epicenter of the refugee crisis -

JOHNSON: OK, got it. Got it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Johnson's running mate, Bill Weld, defended Johnson, saying context was the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WELD (L), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But, I mean, there are a lot of towns in Syria. There's Aleppo. There's Homs (ph). There's Palmyra. There's Damascus. You know, I note, for the record, that the paper of record, "The New York Times," yesterday reported that Aleppo was the capital of Syria. It's not. Damascus is. And "The Times" also reported that Aleppo was the headquarters of ISIS. It's not. Raqqa is. And, you know, "The Times" is paid to get these things right also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So the big question is, will it hurt Johnson? He wants to make it to the debate stage. He needs to break that 15 percent barrier.

So let's talk about this. With me now, Peter Brown, who is the assistant director at Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Welcome.

PETER BROWN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLLING INSTITUTE: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

So, Peter, when you heard - when you heard Gary Johnson's initial gaffe, what went through your mind?

BROWN: Well, obviously, it's not a plus for Mr. Johnson. The question is, how big a minus? And really the question is, does this help or hurt him in the long run? The problem is that he, in all likelihood, was not going to make the televised debates anyway. The criteria for inclusion in the debates is an average of 15 percent in five national polls. He hasn't gotten 15 percent in any of those national polls which I'm aware. Now, granted, we have another few days until - until qualifying ends, but we're getting very close to the debate cutoff. And this certainly won't help Mr. Johnson.

COSTELLO: But those voters who say they're going to vote for Gary Johnson, at least in talking to people about that, it's more of a vote for anyone, except for Clinton and Trump. It - I mean people don't sit down and say, wow, Gary Johnson, he's really well versed on foreign policy.

BROWN: No, but - and that's why this is important for one other reason, which is that historically third party candidates loose support as you get closer to election day. Remember, Mr. Johnson ran four years ago on the libertarian banner and got very low single digit support. He's been doing quite well, but not quite well enough to make the debates. And without him in the televised debates, his chances of having a competitive candidacy are slim and zero.

COSTELLO: Are you surprised by that? Because the two candidates running, I mean, their unlikability factors are very high. So does it surprise you that Gary Johnson doesn't garner more support?

BROWN: Well, he's getting a lot of support for a third party candidate. It's a fair bet that a large percentage of Americans don't know what a Libertarian Party is. I mean he's not exactly a household name or anything close to it.

COSTELLO: Yet he's doing pretty well -

BROWN: Again, his key to success is to make the debates.

COSTELLO: He's doing pretty well in some swing states right - right, because in your poll -

BROWN: I'm sorry, what?

COSTELLO: The Quinnipiac poll shows in swing states, like Ohio and North Carolina, Gary Johnson is doing quite well. I believe it's 14 percent and 15 percent respectfully.

BROWN: Right. There are some states in which he is doing well. But, again, we're talking about a national average to make the debates on national polls. And he just hasn't hit there yet in the polls that are being counted towards the debate.

What's important about Mr. Johnson's candidacy is whether or not the current supporters will stay with him towards the end. And, if not, and this is the most important factor, where will they go?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

So I'd just like to get your opinion on this. Do you think that Gary Johnson should be on that debate stage? Because Mitt Romney tweeted the other day he thinks Gary Johnson ought to be on stage.

BROWN: That's Mr. Romney's opinion. I'm a pollster. I can tell you what is. I'm not in the category of saying what should be.

COSTELLO: Gotcha. Peter Brown, thank you so much for joining me this morning.

BROWN: My pleasure.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

[09:44:58] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, before even one first down, a kneel down. Another player takes the - his anthem protest to the field.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The big kick-off to the NFL season starts with another player standing in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick by taking a knee. Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, Kaepernick's former college teammate, kneeling during the national anthem ahead of last night's game against the Carolina Panthers. Add him to the growing number of sports figures joining the protest.

Coy Wire is with me now to talk more about this.

Good morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

A groundswell of support for Colin Kaepernick, and I think the question now is, as this season continues, how many players are going to join him in protest. As you mentioned, Brandon Marshall, last night, saying that he was a teammate with Colin Kaepernick at the University of Nevada. They were actually also fraternity brothers there. Now, after the Broncos win, Marshall wanted to make it clear what his protest was all about.

[09:50:19] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON MARSHALL, BRONCOS LINEBACKER: I'm not against the military. I'm not against, you know, the police, you know, or America, you know, I'm just against social injustice. So, you know, honestly, you know, I'm a man of faith. So I prayed about it long and hard and then I felt like that was the right thing to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, Carol, it also sounds like the Seattle Seahawks might have something big planned for their upcoming game, maybe a protest, against the Dolphins on Sunday. Linebacker Bobby Wagner says it's going to be a big surprise. And he said the entire team is going to participate because, quote, "that's what the world needs to see, people coming together versus being individuals," unquote. Receiver Doug Baldwin tweeted just the other day to express a desire to bring people together. "Our team will honor the country and flag in a pregame demonstration of unity." Former NFL long snapper and Army veteran Nate Boyer (ph), who's been - met with Kaepernick said, "talked to the Seahawks. What the team will do is a powerful sign of unification and respect for the anthem and those that fight for our freedom."

So more folks joining in on Kaepernick's mission and now something outstanding is happening, Carol. You have Kaepernick, who has already pledged the first $1 million of his contract going to support communities and also the team going to match that. So there's $2 million to make communities better. Also proceeds from Kaepernick's jersey sales, he has committed those to going to the community as well. The Green Bay Packers committed $200,000, $100,000 from the head coach, $100,000 from the organization, to help their community there in Green Bay.

But you also then have some teams who aren't as supportive. Washington Spirit. The team against whom Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. soccer star -

COSTELLO: Soccer team.

WIRE: With the Seattle Rain was playing, they played the national anthem while the players were still in the locker room so there could be no protest. Rapinoe was livid about this situation. Guess when these two teams play next, Carol?

COSTELLO: Ah -

WIRE: Sunday -

COSTELLO: Sunday.

WIRE: Sunday, September 11th.

COSTELLO: Oh.

WIRE: So we're going to see how this plays out. You know, a lot -

COSTELLO: Oh, wow.

WIRE: It's a very divisive topic.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. And also you have the coach of the World Cup hockey team saying if any player, what, takes a knee, then what will happen?

WIRE: Yes. If any player sits on the bench, they can stay there the rest of the game. That's what John Tortorella said for World Cup's Team USA. Their game against Canada is tonight at 7:00. And he's basically said, look, if you don't stand up, you're not going to play. So you can choose to protest or you can choose playing time. Now, Tortorella's son is an Army Ranger, currently deployed in the Middle East. They're also - he also brought an Army Ranger to come speak to the team. He will be on the bench with the team tonight. So I think that's part of the big reason why he is making this statement. Unknown whether or not players were even going to sit out, but if any do, and he stands by his word, we'll see what the fallout could be from that.

COSTELLO: It will interesting. Wow, this thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

WIRE: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Coy Wire, thanks for stopping by.

WIRE: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, an unusual warning for U.S. airline passengers from the FAA. We'll tell you what it is, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:57:23] COSTELLO: Dramatic rescues unfolding 12,000 feet in the air. Dozens of people trapped on cable cars above the Alps are now safe. Natalie Allen walks us through their long, terrible night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They came for these stunning views, a high altitude ride above the French Alps. But a day of sightseeing turned into hours of tense waiting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): All ended well. We stayed up for five hours.

ALLEN: Scared?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ah, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, just tired and wanted to get out of there.

ALLEN: More than 100 people stuck at around 4,000 meters after the cables holding them up got tangled.

MATHIEU DECHAVANN, PRESIDENT, MONT BLANC COMPANY (through translator): The tow cable went over, crossed over the support cable in three different places. It's a dynamic effect which can happen in operating season.

ALLEN: The journey to see western Europe's highest peak up close should have taken 30 minutes. Instead, hours went by with people dangling in cable cars waiting for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): What happens in your head during that time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You try to clear your mind as much as you can, but it's very difficult. Very difficult. I had to close my eyes during a good amount of time to try to think about something else.

ALLEN: Rescuers raced against nightfall in the Alps, using helicopters to evacuate as many as possible. When fog rolled in, rescuers used rope to lower riders to the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it was just before midnight when they finally belayed us out of the gondolas, which was really quite an experience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's the understatement of the year. Natalie Allen reporting on those amazing rescues.

Checking some of the top stories for you at 58 minutes past.

Miami Beach beginning aerial spraying this morning to kill mosquitoes potentially infected with Zika. The spraying was delayed for a day after angry residents protested. They say they're worried the main chemical used in insecticide carries a larger health risk than Zika itself.

The FAA is warning U.S. air travelers, if you've got a Samsung Gallery Note 7, do not turn it on or charge your phone on board the airplane and do not stow the phone in your checked luggage either. This after Samsung recalled the devices over complaints the batteries can catch on fire. Some international carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia have already taken steps to stop people from using their phones on their aircraft.

NASA has launched a spacecraft to chase down a dark and potentially dangerous asteroid. OSIRIS-REx lifted off from Cape Canaveral last night. It's expected to reach the asteroid in August of 2018 and will use a robotic arm to grab a sample of the rock and return it back to earth. Scientists are concerned the asteroid could hit earth in 2135.

[10:00:10] The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.