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New York Terror Attack; Effort To Create Mayhem And Terror, Failed; FBI and NYPD giving updates on terror attack; Sources: suspect came to U.S. from Uzbekistan in 2010; Putin visits Tehran for high-level talks; Trump wants to step up Extreme Vetting. Aired 11-12p ET
Aired November 01, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:18] BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: Right now it is 7:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi, 8:00 p.m. in Tashkent, and 11:00 a.m. in New York, were
a rampaging terrorist, using a truck to murder people, staring the city's worst terror attacks in two planes were flown in the World Trade Center. I
am Beck Anderson, tonight that is what we are connecting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was an act of terror.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dead engine would just go about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It happen out of nowhere, I was walking down the street. It was a normal day and just out of nowhere. I see people running
and screaming. People scream and running across the bridge over here. I started hearing gunshot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I saw a guy with two guns is just running in the middle of the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The driver of the truck, 29 year-old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It took just seconds for that man to bring terror back to New York City killing eight people and injuring a dozen others. The city now
in mourning where Jean Casarez says the latest on the investigation on how the attack started to unfold. Less than 24 hours ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got multiple casualties. This is a mass casualty situation here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The terrifying moments in downtown Manhattan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need traffic shutdown from 14th street on the West Side Highway at this time. It is going to be a crime scene.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: A pickup truck barreling down a busy bike and foot path for nearly a mile. The carnage ending just blocks from the World Trade Center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just out of nowhere. I hear the people I see people running and screaming and then just multiple gunshots, one after another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: Policing the suspect 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov was shot in the stomach and remains hospitalized. A law enforcement sources. A note was
found near the truck saying the attack was done in the name of ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no evidence to suggest a wider plot wider.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: All right now New York City police and the FBI give an update on the terror attack in New York. Let us get to that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO LIVE FEED)
JAMES O'NEILL, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISIONER: Commissioner (inaudible) is here from New York State Homeland Security, and Joyce Rizzuto from OEM
commissioner, also like to thank the state police for being here today and for everything they did yesterday. Chief of the department, Carlos Doris
Gomez is going to layout some of the security plans we have in place in light of yesterday's event. And a head of Sunday's New York City marathon
and also give an update on the traffic situation on the Westside. Bill Sweeney, the assistant director in charge of the New York office of the FBI
will make statement. And then John Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intel and counterterrorism will share with you some details about the work that
were doing on his case. You have to understand that this investigation is still in its infancy. We do not yet have all the answers and there are
details today and will be more down the road and not everything would will be able to share with you. You understand that in terms of casualties.
This is the worst terror attack in New York City since September 11, 2011. I want to take a minute to commend all New Yorkers, I want to commend
everyone who lives in, works in and visit our great city, because no one in the city is complacent. We saw the strength of that resolved last night
with the very large crowds that attended the annual Halloween parade in the village. I want to see you again on Sunday when 50,000 people compete in a
marathon, another 2.5 million people cheer to the Milano route.
The NYPD, the FBI and all of our law-enforcement private sector partners, remembers the past. We worked very, very hard together each and every day
to prevent the type of thing that occurred here yesterday. What happened yesterday was not OK. We will never be something any of us will just
accept as inevitable. Since 9/11, we again along with our partners at the local state and federal level have disrupted or prevented two dozen plots
against New York City. Callous lives have been saved, but none of that matters when eight innocent lives are taken by criminal, committing or
cowardly act. Driving a rental truck. We are working hard to get to the bottom of exactly what happened yesterday and why. And we are working
tirelessly to prevent anything like this from getting repeated.
I tell you as often as I can the true public safety is a shared responsibility. Law-enforcement, government agencies are doing what we can
and the men and women who work with us to it better than anyone, anywhere in the world, but we need everyone's help. There are more than 8.5 million
people in New York City. It was all the people who commute every day and all the tourist, as a minimum of 17 million extra eyes and ears and gut
feelings, like remain vigilant on behalf of all of us.
[11:05:08] I talked about this all the time. If you see something out there, that it does not look right. If it makes you uncomfortable. You
have an obligation to make the call or to flag down a police car, at least give us the opportunity to investigate that. I want to thank everyone for
their ongoing help today and every day and thank you again for the swift response yesterday by the NYPD officers. The New York State police,
firefighters and EMS workers who did a really great job under the circumstances. Right now and introduce the FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro.
Dan is going to give you an update on the interest of yesterday, Dan?
DANIEL NIGRO, FDNY COMMISSIONER: Thank you, I am going to be a very nonspecific regarding the privacy of the victims. There were 20 victims to
yesterday's attack. Six of them were pronounced dead at the scene. We transported 14 victims to three hospitals, two of those victims were
pronounced, so the total number of deaths were eight, six of those were citizens of all other countries, far from Argentina, one from Germany to
were Americans, of the 12 remaining. Thankfully, three have been released from the hospital, nine remain in the hospital four of those were
critically injured, but are in stable condition. The others are seriously injured. The injuries ranged from a bilateral amputation to serious head
neck, back and chest trauma and trauma to arms and legs. This was a heinous attack that resulted in eight deaths and serious injuries. Our
prayers are with the families of those who died and those who remain in the hospital.
BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Thank you Commissioner Nigro and thank you to all men and women of the FDNY, all the first responders all
the EMT's who went to the aid of those who are afflicted, did it so well. I want to start by thanking all of my colleagues here. Thank you Governor
Cuomo and all of our state partners were here all of our federal partners. Thank you, Congressman Jerry Nadler for joining us. Everyone is here on
common cause. This was an attack on the United States of America, an attack on New York City an attack on our people, and it was the definition
of terrorism in an effort to take away people's hope and spirit, and to make them change and what New Yorker showed already. As we will not
change. We will not be cow we will not be thrown off by anything and this cowardly act targeting the most interesting people in the middle of the
most innocent pursuits was meant to make people feel they could not go about their daily lives and what we saw last night Governor Cuomo and I
went to our annual Halloween parade, a 1 million New Yorkers showed up for that event. And as we spoke with them, they were undeterred they were
strong. They may be very proud of New York City and all the people's countries see that strength in the face of adversity this morning. People
went to work, kids went to school no one thought there was any choice, but to stand up to this act of terror.
So as we now move forward we start with giving our prayers to the families of the eight who were killed. Today as you heard the six of them came from
other nations here, because they saw New York is a special place to be and we now and forever will consider them New Yorkers. They shared this
tragedy with us. We will remember them as New Yorkers. They were here, because the city is a beacon to people all over the world, a place that
every kind of person comes to and is respected and that will not change. Eight and a half million people here. We understand this was an attack on
our values. It was an effort to break our spirit as an effort to break our spirit, it failed.
New York City is a very strong and resilient place. We have great faith in men and women who protect us with such pride in the NYPD and we see them on
duty and we know they are the very best. So where strong, we are resilient people, because we know were protected and we know that this place works
when people do not feel deterred.
[11:10:00] I will tell you this violence was an effort to make us blink and we will not blink. We will not change. The NYPD yesterday showed us once
again how New Yorkers can rely on them and I want to commend Officer Ryan Nash. I spoke to him earlier today, a good young man. Five years on the
force. It was very humble about what he did, but what he did was extraordinary and gave people. Such faith in such appreciation in our
police force. Now this investigation. As you have heard is just begun is important to emphasize again this morning that we do not see any additional
credible and specific threats against New York City. We will constantly keep you posted, but we do ask everyone be vigilant. Commissioner O'Neill
laid out what everyone has to understand, be part of the solution. Share what you know with the police. Do not think twice, give information to our
officers and many of those previous efforts to undermine us. The Commissioner reference those almost 2 dozen previous efforts to attack New
York City a number of them were stopped, because good people came forward with information in time. We need everyone to understand they can do that
to.
As we move forward, we will look forward to the marathon on Sunday. It will go on as scheduled. It will be an extraordinary event as it always
is. It will be well protected as it always is and we will take additional measures to ensure that, but my message to all New Yorkers is do what you
do best, be New Yorkers, be strong, be proud, be resilient. Show the whole world right now that we will not be moved by terror. Again you see
everyone here every agency united in common cause and this is also part of what makes a strong. With that I want to thank for his efforts and estates
efforts and welcome Governor Cuomo.
ANDREW CUOMO, NEW YORK GOVERNOR: Thank you very much. We begin by ask the souls to be remember and our thoughts and prayers, the eight lives that
were lost tragically that, that is damage that can never be undone and their families today feeling pain that is unimaginable. Mayor De Blasio,
to the NYPD, the FDNY, the state police. I was on the scene yesterday. The performance was phenomenal, and the coordination and the effort was top
shelf and it gives one reassurance to know that there is this level of professionalism and expertise protecting the people of the city and the
state. It is also too important to remember that while the leadership of police departments is top shelf Officer Nash five years on the job, 28
years old. He was a hero and the NYPD is not just the leadership, it is the men and women were out there every day, who are on the first line and I
think Officer Nash really showed how important they are and how talented and how brave, so we all applaud and congratulate him.
I spoke to the Homeland Security Secretary yesterday, who pledges full coordination with all the federal efforts and the FBI. I think it is
important that we are all working as one, and in this kind of situation. There is no alternative. This is not a time to have politics. This is not
a time to point fingers. This is not a time to find blame. It is a time to come together and work for a common goal. The effort yesterday killed
eight people, but in my opinion, the effort failed, because the effort was not to kill a people. The effort was to disrupt us, to terrorize us to
scare us, to create mayhem.
[11:15:06] That is the effort that is the goal on all of these attacks. New Yorkers a special target, because we have that Statue of Liberty in our
harbor that were proud of holding up the torch for freedom and democracy, but we see it all around the world and it is to create mayhem and terrorize
and it failed. The mayor is exactly right. The Halloween parade last night was a beautiful example of the failure of the attempt. Million New
Yorkers came out with their families, with their children. They celebrated, they were there, just a number of hours after the incident, and
it was New York's way of saying, we will not be deterred. We are not terrorized. You will not wait. We said that in 1993. If the World Trade
Center bombing the first time, we said that after 9/11 and we said that yesterday. On prompted, spontaneously, they were all there and the mayor
and I marched and it was really reassuring to see the resilience of New Yorkers. Now you will see increased police presence all across the
metropolitan area. We are going to double the number of bodies that places of congregation, airports, tunnels and Penn station which has 600,000
people that go through it every day. The most heavily traveled transportation hub in the hemisphere.
I do not want anyone to draw any inference from that, we do not know anything, we were not responding to anything. It is just as a precaution.
Same thing at the marathon. The marathon will go on, because New York goes on in this important event for all of New Yorkers. Again, I want to end
where I started the effort by the first responders was phenomenal. The reaction by New Yorkers as evidenced last night. This morning, people got
up and they went to work. Children went to school and that is what makes New Yorkers special. That strength, that resilience, that abilities to be
undeterred in the face of ugliness and the actions of a depraved coward, because that is what this was. This was the actions of a depraved coward.
There is no grand statement to what was done. It was the act of a coward and that is that is the way should be regarded, because that is the way it
was.
I was proud to be the governor of the state of New York last night. I am proud every day, but seeing New Yorkers response made me feel especially
proud and again to the team you see assembled up here, the FBI, the NYPD, FDNY. The seamless coordination really is, is something to behold and a
source of strength and comfort. I hope from all New Yorkers, thank you.
O'NEILL: Thanks Governor, thanks Mr. Mayor. Just to reiterate with the governor and the mayor said. Now, is the time - not the time to live in
fear, is not the time to be fearful that the time for all New Yorkers to be strong, as we always are. Right now Chief Carlos Gomez, she is our chief
department and he is going to talk about what we are doing to increase security throughout the city, across.
CARLOS M. GOMEZ, CHIEF DEPARTMENT, NYPD: All right. Good morning everyone the immediately following yesterday's attack in lower Manhattan. The
department quickly mobilize and deployed additional resources, additional police officers. An additional heavy weapons seems to key locations
throughout the city. Last night Halloween parade which attracted over 1 million of participants was also, security at the parade was also enhanced.
We added more sand trucks. We added more block of vehicles to the side streets that led onto Sixth Avenue. We also assign more heavy weapons
teams not just a parade, but to the surrounding area. New Yorkers and other who utilize our transit system will see, will see a lot more
officers, you will see a lot more uniforms, you will see more officers on the trains, you will see more officers on the platforms, we should expect
more projects and more stations, they will be more canines, explosive detecting canines and in our subway system and heavy weapons teams from our
strategic response group, as well as our critical response command will also be deployed to major hubs and other stations throughout the city.
[11:20:13] There are some traffic closures that remain in effect and I like to want to point out that is the West Side Highway from 14th St. down to
the tunnel, it still remains an active crime scene, and we anticipate it will be closed until early this evening so we assign traffic gauges to the
area, but motorist please avoid that the that area and would just a few days away from the New York City Marathon which over 51,000 runners will
participate as a commissioner said the two and half million spectators will line the streets in all the and in all the borrows in the city and we have
enhanced, we have enhances security for this also can be a very safe event.
We have added more sand trucks more locker vehicles I can't give you the exact number. You have it, I can give it to you but it will be the most
ever deployed at that at this event. We more than doubled our observations teams, our rooftop observation post as well as our counter sniper teams
from the emergency services unit throughout the borrows, not just here in Manhattan and we have also added the more heavy weapons teams throughout
the city. Officers from our emergency services unit from our strategic response group from our critical of his response command. They will be at
six locations along the route, but they will also have a mobile response capability if they are needed elsewhere.
And now, this increase was supplement the already large substantial detail of uniformed officers at UC along the route, but they will also be officers
a time in civilian attire, in plain clothes that you won't see. They will be mixing in with the crowds to detect any suspicious activity, canines a
large number of canines will be deployed along the route as well as counterterrorism officers with the resources and equipment are aviation
helicopters will patrol from above, they will survey rooftops, as well as the route and certainly our traffic control agent still have the hard task
of the keeping traffic moving in the affected areas. As the commissioner said, eight and a half million New Yorkers, several million other tourist.
That is a lot of eyes and ears and in our city. If you see something, say something tell an officer, call 911. Certainly you could call the New York
City terrorism hotline 888 NYC safe. We look for to be a very safe and enjoyable Sunday. Thank you.
O'NEILL: Thanks Carlos. Now we are going to hear from Will Sweeney, the assistant director in charge of New York FBI office, Will and his people
continue to be great partners New York City, Will.
WILLIAM SWEENEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF NEW YORK FBI OFFICE: Thank you Jimmy. Good morning everybody. Our thoughts and prayers are for
the Bureau or with all the victims' families, especially this morning and for all those who are still recovering. Right now, the New York KTTF which
is comprise of about 50 plus agencies is following up on related leads as we work to process and analyze intelligence information related to
yesterday's attack. Like last year, or partnership KKTF in Newark is also fully engaged. Both of those dates KKTTF both here in New York and in
Newark are operating 24 seven and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We also have join terrorist and task force around the
country that are following up on these as we generate the meticulous out. The investigation is still in its early stages. I know I say this each
time, but it is vitally important that we do not inadvertently disclose information that could adversely impact this investigation.
I think the public understands the need for the level of operational security. For that reason, I may not be able to answer specific questions
on how much or what we know. I can say we have been conducting searches throughout the night and into this morning. I expect those searches will
continue, an additional searches will develop as we generate additional information. I expect evidence collection on the scene to continue to at
least early this afternoon, but more likely to early this evening. We are very grateful for the patients and the resiliency of the workers. The
people that reside in the Tribeca area. I am asking the public to call us with any information that you may have. We set up a hotline. The two
numbers are on the on the cart to your left the first nationwide one 800 call FBI. Obviously, the NYPD number is up there as well, but we have a
second site which is vitally important. It is a link where the public can upload their videos and the photographs that they may have obtained when
they were down at the scene. That link is FBI.gov\NYC Tribeca that allows the public to upload those videos so we can review them for additional
evidence. Thank you for you cooperation, thanks Jimmy.
[11:25:14] O'NEILL: All right. Thanks Will. And John Miller is going to give us an updated chronology on what happened yesterday he is also going
to talk a little bit about the investigation, again with Bill said, they have a lot of questions, but that we have to get to let this investigation
get more mature, it is not even 24 hours yet. This can be somethings we can tell you and a lot of things that we can't tell you. So John?
JOHN MILLER, NYPD DEPUTY COMMISIONER FOR INTELLIGENCE COUNTER TERRORISM: Thanks Commissioner just to reiterate we are in the early stages of this
investigation, so the information I am going to give you today remains preliminary, meaning some details, timelines, et cetera may change as we
develop more granular information. This investigation is being carried out jointly by the NYPD, FBI joint terrorism task force and the intelligence
Bureau of the NYPD with the counterterrorism bureau and the hundreds of detectives from the NYPD detective bureau who responded to the scene and
work through the night developing evidence and following leads. The timeline as we have it now starts at 2:06 PM that at which point the
suspect rents a large vehicle from the Home Depot located in Passaic, New Jersey. According the license plate readers on the George Washington
Bridge. He exits the bridge into New York City a southbound on the West Side Highway at 2:43 p.m. at 3:04 a port authority camera on top of an air
vent outside the Holland Tunnel shows the vehicle entering the bike lane and traveling at a high rate of speed southbound at West Street and Houston
Street. At this point. According to witnesses, video and investigation, it appears the target bicycle riders and pedestrians within the southbound
biplane traveling at a high rate of speed that ends when it collides with the school bus. Injuring a number of additional people and at 3:08 p.m. we
get the more than a dozen 911 calls reporting people down, a school bus accident and a man with a gun in the street.
Two first precinct police officers who were out on another call are alerted by civilians about the activity going on outside. They leave that
location, they are joined by a third officer, they observed a man who appears to be waving a gun and yelling at the scene of the accident and
they observed people down on the scene. One of those officers, Brian Nash takes action and fires his service weapon bringing the attack to an end.
As the injured were being removed by fire department and EMS personnel and being triage of the scene. A perimeter was set up around the truck and the
NYPD bomb squad was called in to clear that vehicle for any suspicious devices.
The suspect is identified as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29 year-old legal permanent resident of the United States, who came into the country from Uzbekistan in
March 2010. Overnight based on the investigation. There have been a number of search warrants executed and there may be more witnesses
interviewed, associates tracked down and other activity we have been able to piece together a number of facts recovered in and around the vehicle
were multiple knives. The two imitation pistols, one a paintball gun, the other a Crossman pellet gun. As you know, the rate that of 12 injured. We
have a lot to go through of the detective bureau in particular using hundreds of detectives has been going up and down the West Side Highway on
both sides of the street meticulously trying to pick up every piece of video from every security camera every traffic camera and every bank camera
anything that will help us put together this timeline and have the imagery to go with it, so we can reconstruct as much of this is possible.
But also be reviewing a license plate reader data, not just our own, but from the surrounding area to help reconstruct the suspect movement over the
preceding days, as well as interviews with associates. Suspect was transported to Bellevue Hospital. We are awaiting to hear an update on his
condition today. Obviously, he is in custody and under arrest.
[11:30:00]
Based on investigation overnight, it appears that Mr. Saipov had been planning this for a number of weeks. He did this in the name of ISIS and
along with the other items recovered at the scene was some notes that further indicate that.
He appears to have followed almost exactly 280 (ph), the instructions that ISIS has put out, and it is social media channels before with instructions
to their followers on how to carry out such an attack. At this point, I will it up for questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
JAMES P. O'NEILL, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY: I know they may have talked about this yesterday and it is a big city. I don't know the bike
path very well. I don't think there are any bollards there at Houston Street or at Chambers Street. So of course, we're to take a look at that
now. I said yesterday that we learn from every event, not just in the city but across the world. Commissioner Miller.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: Suspect was interviewed at the hospital and were not going to be able to go into his statements and any specificity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
O'NEILL: We're going to let Commissioner Miller talk about that. John, want to answer that first?
MILLER: Sure. What we're going to say is that is Mr. Saipov is never been the subject of the NYPD Intelligence Bureau Investigation, nor has he been
the subject of an FBI investigation.
And we know that through our work with the JTTF and, Bill, overnight -- what we are looking for is how has he touched the subjects of other
investigations. What is his connectivity to those people and were kind of building out in concentric circles to try and document that.
But it appears he will have -- he will have some connectivity to individuals who were the subjects of investigation, though he himself was
not.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK: I received calls yesterday from the Homeland security Secretary and from the Homeland security adviser in the
White House, Mr. Bossert and both offered any and all help to New York City in this moment.
And said they would be 100 percent available to us in a way going forward. Those happened, give your take, 7:00 yesterday, I think, not at the
president directly -- no.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO, NEW YORK CITY: I received no call from the president. I also received a call from the Homeland Security secretary -- acting
Secretary Duke and we spoke about coordination of resources JTTF, FBI. But basically, we need any other assistance from the federal government.
O'NEILL: I actually received a phone call from the acting secretary also, little bit after eight. Yes, David.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
DE BLASIO: Look, I am not bothered at all because two senior officials called promptly and offered help and I think that was appropriate. I think
we are -- we are here to talk about the situation.
The facts and no one up here wants to politicize any of this, and I do not think anyone should be politicizing this -- this tragedy at this moment in
time. I think every focus should be on those whose lives were lost on their families, on the work we have to do in this investigation.
CUOMO: I am not bothered that the president didn't call. I am bothered by an attempt by anyone to try to politicize the situation. That plays right
into the hands of the terrorist. They are trying to disrupt.
They are trying to create mayhem. They are trying to divide. The point is to do the opposite. It is to unite, normalcy, proceed as one.
[11:35:00] So to politicize this event, I think is holy counterproductive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: Are you talking suicide by cop? No, we haven't made that determination, yet. Yes, in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: That's too early in an investigation to tell you that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: As far as the truck well goes, those interviews are being conducted, and I haven't seen but there was certainly nothing -- nothing
unusual enough to cause anybody to call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: That is part of the expanded canvas for witnesses. Obviously we're looking for people to come forward. It is also part of the expanded
video cameras with Saipov voices. People have been instrumental in which is we really want to be able to reconstruct his entire trip.
As you saw, Rucker (ph) on the Chelsea bombing, we are basically able to take him from the train to both scenes. We expect to try and come as close
to that as we came here, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: So our Nexus program within the intelligence Bureau and the SHIELD program within counterterrorism does the outreach on a fairly wide level.
But Nexus program from Intel has visited more than 100 of the truck rental places within New York City.
We work with the Department of Homeland Security and their programs, and other agencies to cover the ones outside the city, and I cannot tell you to
the level of specificity, whether that program got to this location, but I can tell you as early as two weeks ago, we were engaged with them in the
New York State police going the areas around New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
O'NEILL: As part of -- of course as part of the investigation, you want to go backwards and anticipate what he has done over the last couple months.
I can't give you answer to that. Tina. Commissioner, do you want to talk about the notes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: The notes were handwritten in Arabic. They had symbols and words but the gist of the note was that Islamic State will endure forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
JOON KIM, ACTING UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Obviously, at this point, since we haven't yet filed any criminal charges
is not much I can say about potential charges. I can say that from the moment of the attack we had a federal terrorism prosecutors working with
the NYPD.
The FBI joint terrorism task force, and coordinating with that Attorney Cy Vance's office to assist an investigation get a search warrant, skit legal
process file.
And to gather the evidence and assist in the investigation for the purpose of ultimately determining whether their federal terrorism charges to be
made. So at this point, I'm not going to speculate as to what charges might ultimately brought and what the sentences might be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Miller, the back of the note was written in Arabic, how significant is that? Does it speak at all to the level of
radicalization of Mr. Saipov?
MILLER: I don't know. Juliet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
O'NEILL: John, answer that (Inaudible).
MILLER: We're going to reconstruct that literally day by day going backwards. But at this point, I'm not going to get into that in any
detail.
[11:40:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
MILLER: Everything you said is a part of the investigation now and we're peeling back through, obviously there's a process here. What were his
communications, who were they with, what were the content, what's relevant to this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)
O'NEILL: So were about 20 hours and now, so we're going to have to speak to everybody involved. We're going to speak to relatives. We're going to
speak to acquaintances, people that his has work with but I don't have that right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
O'NEILL: So in a typical fashion of an NYPD cop, he thinks what he did is not an act of heroism. He thinks it is something that why he joined the
police department.
I don't have the opportunity to talk to Ryan (ph) who was at the hospital, and I don't we could find a more humble human being. There were at
Stuyvesant High School for an unrelated call. And somebody came in and told then that there was a vehicle accident at the West Street and Chamber
Street.
So Ryan and his partner thought there were going out to handle a vehicle accident and once they got outside, they were confronted and they took
proper action, so all New Yorkers should be thankful to Ryan -- Ryan and his partner, they showed a great courage.
And I talk about the courage of the men and women in this Police Department everyday and truly yesterday, you saw it and it is a cop with five years on
the job, 20-years-old and this is what he did for the city and this is what he did for the country. So I'm really proud of them.
O'NEILL: Let me just add real quick. Ryan is a hero, but he was so humble about his achievement. It was very striking on the commissioner's right.
He thought this was all in a day's work and what a cop does to protect other people but he deserves the accolades of people this city as to his
partners. To your question, what was the potential there, had he not stepped in, as you know, after the fact we found out more.
But in that situation, you don't know if the shooter has multiple weapons, has a bomb on him, you do not know and God forbid, that situation was even
more dangerous. How many more lives literally, dozens more lives could have been in danger. Ryan stop that threat immediately. We owe him a
great day of gratitude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: With the FBI and the NYPD updating is there, we heard that nine wounded, remain in hospital, three of them critical, and
we heard from the New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo saying, he wanted to avoid making these political.
But earlier he was on CNN and told us, he believes the suspect was radicalized while in United States but the Central Asian Republic that the
attacker hails from, has had its own battles with extremism.
Uzbekistan is a majority Muslim country that was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. During the past decades of authoritarian rule
there, some Islamist groups were banned and torture was prevalent in recent years.
Thousands of Uzbeks and other Central Asians have gone to join ISIS and other terror groups in Syria and in Iraq. Well, our senior international
correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, spent years in Russia reporting a sense of you from there and the largely Islamic former Soviet republic is joining us
now.
Nick, experts of war and for some time of the rising threat of extremism from central Asian countries, we do not know when and why this young man
was at radicalized. It seems it happened in the U.S. but why this serious concern from the Central Asian region?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, simply because -- well, we don't know were there any links to ISIS in Uzbekistan. We do know that
those in Uzbekistan have a lot of links to ISIS. A lot of the foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria hail from Uzbekistan.
On in Istanbul and (Inaudible), it was individuals of Uzbek nationality of decent who carried out attacks in the name of ISIS. So there is a very
clear link certainly of radicalism hailing from Uzbekistan.
This one of three countries of central Asia, as you point out that Tajikistan and Kirgizstan are failing states frankly for being honest here.
Well, there is a lot of radicalism in rural areas because the government's corrupt and weak.
[11:45:00] And often Islamism informed the rather alternative than we got radicalized. And Uzbekistan is fueled by intense brutality and repression.
I mean ISIS member back there, you now, two or three when the U.S. was trying to be friendly with attached and to get themselves use of an air
base there for the Afghan war, these authorize were accuse of boiling people alive.
So very brutal there in terms of repressing dissent, a not across those field radicalization, but interestingly in that press conference in the
minimum details we got, it was pretty clear, they see him as having followed the ISIS playbook, distributed on social media.
They say that while he was in subject of an FBI, NYPD investigation himself, HE may have had what they call, connectivity with people who did
have that kind of investigation open against them and importantly, two knives in the car and handwritten notes in Arabic.
This suggests some sort of education in Arabic that's not spoken in Uzbekistan or I'm particular not sure where he held from the United States,
so some levels of education there that it made him familiar enough of the Arabic script there to write it in those particular notes.
And when those notes say in the Islamic State would endure forever. That's important, Becky, because we know, that simply isn't the case territory,
they have to the lost most of the ground they use to call their caliphate.
But really existing online nothing, that's chilling thins here and he perhaps thought they could exist online forever, inspiring people like him
to commit these sort of savage acts on innocent civilians.
ANDERSON: And, Nick, the Uzbek president says there is quote, no justification for this crime and the narrative that you've just been
discussing that so many of those who have travelled to that former caliphate as it were of ISIS, hail from Uzbekistan.
And Central Asian countries, he added, his countries ready to use all force of means necessary to assist in the investigation of these terrorist act.
I mean Uzbekistan just all force mean more than people might imagine, this is after to our country that is just one year out of a brutal dictatorship
with a history of political repression.
WALSH: It was kind of a watermark moment really for Shavkat Mirziyoyev who took over from Islam Karimov, a man who, in the end of his autocratic
despotic frankly rule at Uzbekistan and really years ago, it turned out from an Instagram post from his daughter that he is having severe health
problem.
And then he sort of (Inaudible) where his daughter and he fell out when his very prominent figure fell apart but they were behind and awful lot of what
many observe as human rights activists said was the intense repression of any kind of political oppositional or freedoms there that led to the rise
of intense Islamism and that analysis that we have seen across the region to some degree.
But the excuse of course for joining ISIS but you traced back society how these things came to be and the Islamic movement of Uzbekistan, he sort of
split up from ISIS recently, and are now more active in Afghanistan.
There are all part of this Jihadist groups that are sort of spawn from what was initially his, but here, there was a more moderate political movement
at one point.
And I think certainly when you hear Uzbekistan said they are willing to do anything, well many would said that kind of part of decade as it play sort
of using as much force as they could.
But broader question now is, was there something in Uzbekistan that could have being done, was there a link to Uzbekistan and what was that mean for
Jihadist in Central Asia more broadly and as well in the global stage.
Just to point out again, Becky, at this point, there is no direct link with Uzbekistan now, part from that's where this man cycle held from.
ANDERSON: Yes, very good point. Nick, thank you. Nick Paton Walsh on the story for you. Another huge story that we are following this hour, a
diplomatic power played between that Russia as -- sorry, let me start there again. A diplomatic power played by Russia as Moscow looks to expand its
influence in the Middle Eastern Sea.
Russia's top man, President Vladimir Putin on an official visit to Tehran from meetings with top Iranian leaders as well as the president of
Azerbaijan -- Mr. Putin and the Iranians have a lot to talk about.
For instance, a mutual support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also Iran's nuclear program, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to pull
out of the 2015 deal with Tehran, Russia has been very critical of Mr. Trump over that.
Well, CNN's Oren Liebermann, joining us now from Moscow, and Oren, what is President Putin hoping to achieve from this, what do you think?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, worth putting out quickly these leaders, the Russian, Azerbaijan and Iranian leaders just for a photo opt a
short ago and we should get a press statement or press conference from them so we'll have a better sense of what they talked about.
As for Russia, it is had number of things you can talk with Iran about whether it is economic, history, culture but the big things are right as
you pointed out, Syria, especially with Russia.
[11:50:00] Hosting a conference on what is happening Syria next month trying together sides to try to advance some sort of peace process for
Syria which Iran has the best of interest in and the nuclear program.
Russia has stood by Iran. It stood by the nuclear deal and criticized Washington's take on the deal, its position on the deal and basically said,
some of it makes Iran very happy. The deal shouldn't change.
If they want to talk about additions, that is possible but the nuclear fuel itself stands, there is no reason for Russia or Iran to change it. So that
would be exactly what Iran wants to hear at this point.
ANDERSON: Iran and Russia clearly enjoy good relations. Do you think Mr. Putin's recent overhaul the Saudi Arabia, of course for concern in Iran or
does it simply show Putin's, I guess flexibility, that's called it the region.
LIEBERMANN: Iran would look at that and maybe some bit of concern there but certainly not much. Part of is that the Saudi-Russia relationship is
so new.
King Salman's visit to Moscow was the first ever by a Saudi King, whereas Iran and Russia, even they have had a troubled past at times, share a much
deeper diplomatic and economic relationship.
Part of this is also, Russia is the power player in the Middle East now and that Saudi trying to move towards Russia to build a relationship there with
what is arguably the most important player in the region.
In addition, it is worth pointing out that Russia and Saudi have a very important economic interest between the two of them and that is the price
of oil. Both economies are struggling with the low price of oil and that is something the Saudis and the Russians were very much like to work
together on.
In general though, Iran doesn't have a problem with the country moving close to the Saudis as long as -- as long as it doesn't affect the
relationship with Iran.
ANDERSON: Yes, Oren is in Moscow for you. The Russian president in Tehran, if we get anything further from that meeting, we will bring it to
you.
Of course, never a dull moment here on Connect the World. It's always going on in this hour. It had to be said, much more up next, taking a very
short break in the show, back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, it's a busy hour, waiting to see whether we hear anything from the Russian president who is on the ground in Teheran at
present if we get anymore on that, we will bring it to you. On the New York attack on Tuesday, President Trump took to Twitter, give his response
right now.
That means he is facing another challenge on his favorite network, Senator Chuck Schumer, who are held from New York had some harsh words for the U.S.
president talking quote, where is your leadership, President Trump.
Instead of politicizing and dividing America, which he always seems to do at times of national tragedy should bring us together.
No love lost between the two loving dirt at each other on the platform, it seems to be the favorite of politicians these days. Senior international
correspondent Joe Johns joining us from Washington, what is going on here?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, frankly it got worse just a little while ago, a news conference in New York featuring, among others. The
mayor of New York City and the governor of New York City -- New York State, both of these are Democrats and both have criticized the president for his
tweets this morning.
The governor indicating that in his view, the president's tweet were not helpful, and once again sort of going back to the question of the president
politicizing the situation at the time, the city of New York is trying to come together.
It is a delicate situation, especially because it is about a program that was started by the Congress in 1990 under a Republican president, Chuck
Schumer, the Democrat did participate in putting the program together in order to allow people from countries where a lot of immigrants don't come
from to enter the United States.
[11:55:00] And so, about six or seven years ago, the suspect in New York enter the United States through that program and now because so many
Republicans have been trying to get rid of the program for years, the finger-pointing has begun, Becky.
ANDERSON: Look, as I've said before we came this, there is no love loss between these two men. But when was the last time you remember a senior
politician saying, stop tweeting, start leading, all words to that is said of the U.S. president.
JOHNS: We have heard that repeatedly and we not just heard it from the Democrats, in fact we have heard from a number of Republicans on Capitol
Hill -- powerful Republicans who are saying in their view, the president needs to stop tweeting because a lot of times it's counterproductive.
Becky.
ANDERSON: Joe Johns on the story for you. He is in Washington. That terror attack of course, in New York, Tuesday evening. I'm Becky Anderson
in Abu Dhabi. That was Connect the World. Thank you for watching for the team -- from the team here, it's a very good evening.
END
