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International Community Angry as North Korea Fires 5th Nuclear Test; Up to 40 ISIS Paris Suspects Still At Large; Women Arrest in Foil Paris Terror Attack; Parents of Toddler Killed by DUI Driver Make Emotional Plea to Help Prevent More Heart-Breaking Losses. Aired 2:30- 3p ET

Aired September 09, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:42] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news here on CNN. North Korea has stunned and angered the international community once again. State media reporting the country fired off a fifth nuclear test, one that is supposedly even stronger than the last one it tested some nine months ago. South Korean military officials say the underground explosion happened in northeastern North Korea at the same site as those four other tests. President Obama swiftly condemning the action calling it a "grave threat" to international peace and stability.

CNN International correspondent, Will Ripley is live for us in Tokyo. He's been to this country many times.

Will, I know there's huge concern. What does this mean?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what it means is that North Korea is moving closer and closer to its goal of developing a miniaturized nuclear warhead that they can put on a missile that they can then lunch from a submarine or mobile missile launcher. These missiles could potentially -- I say potentially -- reach the mainland United States if North Korea continues this development at the pace that they have been, which has been break-neck, Brooke. In the last two weeks, four missiles were launched, in addition now to this fifth nuclear test. These have all been successful, by North Korean and international experts that have been looking at these. People didn't expect that Kim Jong-Un's regime would get this far this quickly, especially considering all of the sanctions that have been slapped on this country, some of the most strict sanctions ever.

BALDWIN: What about, well, President Obama says he's spoken with Japan's prime minister. He's talk to South Korea's president. What are they doing about this?

RIPLEY: Well, they were on the phone during the overnight hours, of course, reiterating the strong alliance between the United States, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is installing a Thad missile defense system to protect the 50 million people and 25,000 U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula. There are anti-missile defense systems are in place right here in Tokyo a short distance from where I am standing in the event of an imminent attack. But they are also trying to think what could work. Would diplomacy

work? That hasn't worked in the past. More sanctions? That hasn't worked in the past. Right now, they continue to issue these strong condemnations, yet if you really think about it, there is not much leverage because they are already level sanctioning this country.

BALDWIN: Will Ripley, in Tokyo for us, at 3:30 in the morning, thank you so much.

More than a year after 130 people were killed in that terror attack, coordinated terror attacks in Paris last fall, as many as 40 of those terrorists involved in planning that attack are apparently still on the run and more plots are being hatched reportedly. More on that next.

[14:34:36] Also ahead, another sign of how surreal this election is. New pictures surfacing showing Bill and Donald Trump and a Playboy bunny? Yep. Socializing many, many years ago. Hear why the Clinton Library is releasing these photos now.

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BALDWIN: Nearly a year after the terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, European officials believe as many as 40 suspected ISIS terrorists who helped support the attacks are still on the run. As they work to try to hunt them down, the very same officials are also quite concerned that the presence of ISIS in Europe is only set to grow.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, joins me now with all of this sort of new detail.

But the question is, why is it so hard, Clarissa, to find these suspects?

[14:39:47] CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really is so rd for European security services. Quite frankly, Brooke, I think they're just overwhelmed. We spent months working on this investigative piece looking at the Paris attacks, combing through tens of thousands of pages of documents.

What became clear is that ISIS is really pretty sophisticated in terms of how it manages its network inside Europe. What do I mean by that? Well, what we see is that only a very small inner sanctum of people know what an attack plan will look like. Those are the people in Syria. People on the ground in Europe usually are just given very small parcels of information on a need-to-know basis that will enable them to take care of whatever task it is that they have been assigned. It may be simply you need to be in charge of getting a couple of AK- 47s. Or you need to be in charge of finding a house where a brother can hide out for a few days but they don't have the entire picture of what the attack would look like.

That means when it comes time for European security services to drill down on these networks, they have a very difficult time proving exactly who was directly involved in planning a terrorist attack and who may just have inadvertently been involved in a terrorist attack without even knowing that they were facilitating it.

We have heard as well in recent days, you mentioned there are dozens -- Belgian sources telling me 30 to 40 people directly involved in facilitating the Paris attacks are still at large. Some may simply be off the grid and disappeared but some, you can be sure, are known to authorities but it is just not clear how exactly or what grounds they can be prosecuted.

BALDWIN: What are you hearing -- this is so fascinating. What are you hearing about any additional plots?

WARD: Well, today we are just hearing about a new plot in France, again in Paris, that has been foiled. President Hollande saying this was an imminent and violent attack. Three women were arrested on the outskirts of Paris. One actually stabbed the police officer who was trying to arrest them. Shots were fired. One of the women was injured. But essentially what happened was these women are tied to a mysterious car that was left abandoned outside the very famous cathedral of Notre Dame. Inside the car, a bunch of gas canisters. Not clear exactly the purpose but French media reporting one of those women had reportedly sworn allegiance to ISIS.

BALDWIN: Clarissa Ward, thank you so much for spending all the time to go through all of this. Thank you. We'll talk again.

WARD: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, this just absolutely unimaginable farewell. A mother and father forced to say goodbye far too soon after a horrific act takes his little life.

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MISHEL EIDER, MOTHER OF LIAM: I am breaking. I am unraveling. My baby is gone. Our baby is gone. Because of a reckless act that somebody did. She was -- she was drunk at 4:15 in the afternoon. She has had her life to live. Our son didn't have. He had so little time.

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[14:47:17] BALDWIN: Two parents saying good-bye to their little boy, just 15 months old, after an alleged drunk driver smashed into his stroller while he and his aunt were just out for an afternoon walk. This is an MMA fighter, Marcus Kowal, and his partner, Mishel, and their son, Liam. These were heartbreaking pictures of little Liam's final moments as he was taken off of life support this week. Marcus posted this photo showing him holding the little hand of his toddler. Her little boy's arm covered in bandages close by a favorite plush green toy. Underneath the photo, she wrote, "The pain is unbearable."

After Liam's death, police upgraded charges against the suspect. This woman, 72-year-old Donna Marie Higgins, now accused of vehicular manslaughter. Now Liam's parents are making an emotional plea to help prevent other

parents were experiencing such heart-breaking loss.

I spoke to Marcus and Mishel about how they are keeping Liam's memory alive.

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BALDWIN: I am so, from the depth of my heart, sorry for your loss. And I just thank you so much for the time.

MARCUS KOWAL, FATHER OF Liam: Thank you.

EIDER: Thank you for having us.

BALDWIN: How are you holding up? How are you even able to put one foot in front of the other?

KOWAL: It's because that's what he would have wanted. He was such a joyful little child, and we want to make sure that, one, if we can stop one single person from getting behind the wheel and driving drunk and that would save one life, then his life and death wasn't in vain. But we're planning on going much further than that. We don't want to save just one life. It is a -- it is a thing that has to change in this country. And the term "legally drunk" isn't acceptable.

BALDWIN: Mishel, how are you doing?

EIDER: I'm breaking. I am unraveling. My baby is gone. Our baby is gone. Because of a reckless act that somebody did. 4:15 in the afternoon. She has had her life to live. Our son didn't have. He had so little time. And this not only affected him, this affected our entire community and my sister. She thankfully will be OK. But the damages are everlasting.

[14:50:07] BALDWIN: In his 15 months on earth, what are your favorite memories of Liam?

KOWAL: You know, over the last few days of being in the hospital and the support we received, and just having a bunch of professional ex- martial arts fighters next to his bed weeping says a lot. He was so loved. He was always happy. He loved people. He was at the gym every single day. Just his smile. Every picture that people are posting of him is with a smile.

EIDER: He loved to count in Russian. He loved to say thank you in Swedish. He loved to use sign language and say he wanted more food. He loved to eat. He was a really good eater. He loved to play on the swings and he loved our dogs. He loved to chase our dogs around.

KOWAL: And for us, for us, you know, he loved to share his toys and food. So we already started this legacy of his by donating his organs and he's already donated his little heart and his kidneys and his lungs are going to research.

EIDER: As Marcus said, he loved to share. And though we never, ever wanted to make this decision, it was a natural one. If he can't use his body, if he's gone, we can at least save somebody else.

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes. Which you are, it sounds like several times over.

Just before I let you go, what do you want the world to know about Liam? What will you miss the most?

EIDER: His laugh. His smile. Everything.

KOWAL: Yeah. His laugh and his smile and just the person we wanted him to grow and to be. We always said -- people said, oh, he's at the gym every day, he is going to be an amazing fighter one day. I said only if he wants to be a fighter. The most important thing is that he is a good human being and he grows up to be someone that cares. He is he showing that he is caring by donating his organs. Sure that we set up a non-profit from the donations that we've been receiving to continue the fight against drunk driving in this country. We are really going to push -- again, there's a lot of points that can be discussed regarding political issues, but there is no excuse in today's society. There's no reason why you have to drink and drive. If you can afford to go out and drink, you can afford a taxi or one of the many opportunities and options you have to get home. If it's that difficult, at least sleep in your car. You don't have to drink and drive.

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes.

And for everyone who's watching whose hearts are breaking along with you who would like to donate, there is a GoFundMe page dedicated to little Liam.

Marcus and Mishel, again, I am so sorry. But thank you for shining a light on something that is so important. Thank you both.

KOWAL: Thank you.

EIDER: Thank you.

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[14:58:05] BALDWIN: New York City firefighter, Stephen Siller, is being remembered for the ultimate sacrifice he made on 9/11. His heroic two-mile run through Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to rescue victims is now memorialized by a foundation and an annual race.

CNN's John Berman spoke with Siller's brother.

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FRANK SILLER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TOWERS FOUNDATION & BROTHER OF FIREFIGHTER STEPHEN SILLER: We believe that he was in the south tower. He was never recovered. There's another great person that died that day. JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a near perfect

September morning. Firefighter Stephen Siller just finished his overnight shift with squad one. The elite unit trained to rescue other firefighters. He was headed to play golf with his three brothers.

SILLER: We were pumped up. Four brothers getting together to play golf. Everybody very busy. Stephen already with five kids. You know, heard on the scanner what happened and turned his truck around.

BERMAN: The golf date would never happen. Stephen, who had dreamed of being a firefighter since he was a teen, turned his truck towards the Twin Towers, but could get only as far as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. It was blocked. But that didn't stop him.

SILLER: Came to a screeching halt. Got out calmly, put his gear on, and started running through the tunnel. And that tunnel's nearly two miles long.

BERMAN: That heroic run loaded down with more than 60 pounds of gear became the driving force of the foundation created by his family in Stephen's honor.

SILLER: Wanted his kids to know that his dad was a hero. We didn't have any great lofty goals starting the foundation. But when a friend of ours came up with the idea of running through the tunnel, like he did, I said, oh, my god! Please. You just know the right thing when you hear it.

BERMAN: The race, called "Tunnel to Towers," is part of the nationally recognized Stephen Siller Foundation and has raised more than $70 million.

SILLER: The whole day is just a great celebration of everybody's life that was lost that day.

BERMAN (on camera): Stephen would be turning 50 in November?

SILLER: November 15th he would have been turning 50. Yes.

BERMAN: What kind of 50 year old do you think Stephen would have made?

SILLER: I think he would have been a very young --