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New Day

Is The White House Secure?; U.S. Launches Two Airstrikes Against ISIS; Desperate Search for Hannah Graham

Aired September 22, 2014 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have great respect for the Secret Service, but this is absolutely inexcusable.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Security breach, brand new video showing a U.S. veteran making it over the fence and into the White House carrying a knife. The Secret Service now under fire. Can the White House be completely safe?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Making the case, President Obama meeting global leaders of the U.N. this week, now asking the whole world to prosecute recruits who try to join ISIS. This as investigators comb through the latest terror tape. Who is the ISIS leader speaking with an American accent?

CUOMO: Every parent's worst nightmare. Pained words from the parents of the missing UVA student, pleading for help. Plus, police issue a warrant for the man they believe saw Hannah Graham last after he bolts from a police station. We have the latest with the chief.

Your NEW DAY starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to NEW DAY. It is Monday, September 22nd, 6:00 in the East. Kate is on baby watch. We have Brianna Keilar with us this morning. Always great to have you.

KEILAR: Good to be here.

CUOMO: We will let you know what happens with Kate. If we come out of a commercial and I'm not here you will know why. But we do want to talk to you this morning, did you hear about these two big scares in less than 24 hours sparking a massive security build up at the White House?

Take a look at this, new video, obviously the man is in the circle on your screen, a 42-year-old Iraq war veteran jumps the fence at the White House on Friday. He dashes across the lawn.

Gets right into the executive mansion carrying a knife. Now people jump the fence, we know that, but this getting into the house never happened before.

KEILAR: We are told this is Omar Gonzalez of Texas, suspected of suffering from PTSD. He will face a judge today over this incident. On Saturday, another man arrested for trying to unlawfully enter the White House.

The Secret Service now scrambling this morning to beef up patrols and surveillance. Let's bring now in White House correspondent, Michelle Kosinski -- Michelle.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, working at the White House, we are always concerned about security. And always feels tight that's why it seems unbelievable that anybody would be able in a matter of seconds to jump over the high fence here, sprint all the way to the front of the residence and then walk inside.

So now we are going to see more security, more surveillance, maybe even more bag checks outside, although, that's still being talked about at this point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI (voice-over): Security outside the White House now is visible, very visible. But it often is. So all the more dumb founding that Omar Gonzalez was able to do this around 7:30 Friday night.

Take a look at this new video sprinting 20 seconds some 70 yards across the entire lawn up the stairs, onto the portico. There you see what appears to be a Secret Service officer with gun drawn and Gonzalez makes it inside the White House where he was tackled.

The first family was not home, but in Gonzalez' pants pocket, a folding knife with a three-and-a-half inch blade.

REPRESENTATIVE PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: In the days of ISIS, someone concerned about a terrorist attack, someone can get into the White House without being stopped is inexcusable.

KOSINSKI: Now, of course, the internal investigation, why weren't at the very least Secret Service dogs deployed and why couldn't officers have gotten to him before he hit those doors?

In a statement the Secret Service admits while the officer showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject the location of Gonzalez's arrest is not acceptable.

Now it's true officers on the roof, surely this one at the door could have shot Gonzalez. They didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, right now, go back.

KOSINSKI: One law enforcement official told us these things are always taken in context. But Gonzalez didn't appear to be armed, had nothing in his hands, no bags, nothing bulky. They also said the 42-year-old Texan who spent more than a decade in the military including in Iraq seemed to have mental issues and was known to the Secret Service. Gonzalez's family members say he had been struggling lately drifting and had PTSD. He had retired from the army with a disability.

In less than 24 hours after this breach, another man, Kevin Carve of New Jersey, tried to get in through a White House gate on foot then drove to another entrance, got out of his car and refused to leave. He too was arrested. Some now are calling this the last straw.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI: We all know the Secret Service has had its share of embarrassment. In 2009, there was a White House party crashers. In 2012, the prostitution scandal. This year, we saw an agent passed out drunk in the hallway of his Amsterdam Hotel, et cetera.

The White House, though, says it has full confidence in the Secret Service and says that the review will be thorough -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Michelle, thank you very much. Let's get some perspective on this from someone who should know how the Secret Service does its job, Retired Secret Service Agent Dan Emmett. Also the author of "Within Arm's Length, A Secret Service Agent's Definitive Inside Account of Protecting The President."

So Dan, what's your first reaction to this situation. Is this a screwup or is this just the way it is?

DAN EMMETT, RETIRED SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Hopefully, Chris, this was just an anomaly screw-up. It's very difficult for me to believe that the United States Secret Service has let down its guard to the point where someone of average athletic ability can simply bolt over the fence.

And within 8 seconds be standing on the state front, completely unacceptable. The Secret Service should have utilized whatever force was necessary to keep this from happening even if that turned out to be lethal force.

CUOMO: Now what distinguishes this, you make a good point there, 20 seconds to go 70 yards, you know, this isn't Karl Lewis that's getting up to the house. It means that this wasn't about just his ability. This was about an inability to stop him getting into house. It's never happened before. How do you explain the doors being unlocked?

EMMETT: I can't explain it. But I'm sure that Director Pearson will get a chance to explain it before Congress this week or next week. Everyone is wondering the same question. It's not so much a matter of how did he jump the fence, that's quite obvious.

The question is how did he evade Uniformed Division officers for that amount of distance between himself and the front door and then gain entrance into the state floor when that door was posted by a U.D. officer. There is really no way that the Secret Service is going to be able to mitigate this. It's simply a matter of they dropped the ball, and hopefully, they will be able to fix it so that this doesn't happen again.

CUOMO: Usually, I think almost in every case I've ever covered. When somebody gets over the fence and runs, they are typically disturbed people, mentally ill, suffering from something.

Does that mitigate how you deal with them? Like you say, they should have used lethal force in this situation. When you know you are dealing with someone who is usually troubled, is that the right expectation?

EMMETT: Yes, you can't really determine. The officer or the agent has no idea of what the person's mental state is. All that you know is that person is charging the White House with apparently intent to gain entry.

You may recall about a year ago, the Secret Service killed a woman sitting in her vehicle who ran through a barricade at the White House. She was mentally disturbed also. But that's not the point.

The point is what are they trying to do and what are you going to do to stop them from doing that? Their mental capacity or their mental state can be determined after the fact. But the fact is and it remains that people are not going to be allowed to simply burst into the White House.

CUOMO: Can you make it completely safe, though, right? Because you are balancing the practicality of safety with optics. The answer is, build a bigger fence, right?

If you build a really big fence, people won't be able to jump it. But you don't want that image, right, that the White House is afraid, that the White House has to be secured that way. So how do you balance the two?

EMMETT: Well, the fence that's currently around the White House was probably built in the late 19th Century, early 20th Century, certainly a different time. I think that you are going to have to look at the fact, the Secret Service is going to have to look at and accept the fact that we live in a different era now. We may have to change the appearance of the White House a bit in order to make the residence and the occupants safer.

CUOMO: So the big question would be this, all of the stink that the Secret Service has on it because of indiscretion and bad choices by agents in different situations.

Is the agency off its game, has it changed, has it broken down and deteriorated? If so, what is the real fix that needs to be done to keep the most important man in the world safe?

EMMETT: Well, Chris, in any organization that continues to exhibit a string of failures such as the ones we have seen over the last couple of years, you always have a change of leadership at the top.

I think the federal civilian government is probably the only place that doesn't occur where they just continue to throw the rank and file under the bus while the upper rank management continues to walk unscathed. So if you want change, you are going to have to have some change in leadership. Ultimately, it starts at the top.

CUOMO: And you would know 20 years with the Secret Service, you understand it very well. Mr. Emmett, thank you very much for talking to us this morning.

EMMETT: You are welcome, sir.

CUOMO: Brianna.

KEILAR: Now to the latest developments in the fight against ISIS. Two new airstrikes targeting the terrorists Sunday as the aerial campaign expands in Iraq. Still no strikes in Syria, but the military is prepared to launch on the president's order.

This coming ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, where President Obama will chair a Security Council meeting in the hopes of forming a coalition to challenge the terror group.

Now concerns are mounting about a possible American within ISIS after a man speaking near perfect English was heard in a new video. Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon this morning on this. Barbara, what can you tell us?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna. Well, as you say, it is now in President Obama's hands. The decision when and if to strike ISIS in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): More weekend U.S. airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, close to 200 so far and the Pentagon says it's ready to hit ISIS targets inside Syria at any moment once President Obama gives final approval. And he takes his case this week to the United Nations. His U.N. ambassador arguing he has overwhelming support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not having problems getting countries to commit.

STARR: In a rare event, the president will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting Wednesday himself, a demonstration of his commitment to build a consensus to take on ISIS.

CNN has now learned he is hoping to get approval for a resolution calling for countries to crackdown on their citizens traveling abroad to join terrorist groups like ISIS.

Still no Arab nations have openly agreed to send ground troops or take part in airstrikes inside Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry is already at the U.N. lobbying allies for help, even talking to Iran.

Republican Congressman Peter King says the president should not wait to bailed coalition.

REPRESENTATIVE PETER KING (R), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: We can't be holding back. We should attack and strike and do everything to the command and control centers that ISIS has in Syria.

STARR: And no word on whether Turkey now might allow U.S. planes to fly from bases there after the weekend release of nearly 50 Turkish diplomats held hostage by ISIS for three months.

Meanwhile, a mass exodus of Syrian refugees seeking safe haven in Turkey. Officials there opening aid checkpoints along the border. One U.N. official says she's seen 100,000 people cross in just two days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see them now digging their own grave.

STARR: This ISIS militant speaking seemingly perfect English in a new 55-minute long propaganda video has U.S. officials thinking he could be an American. They're still doing voice analysis, but are concerned they say that this could be the first time an American is portrayed as an ISIS leader.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the flames of war are only beginning to intensify.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And the U.S. intelligence community also around the clock is keeping a close eye on ISIS in advance of any potential bombing. Analysts say they have seen ISIS already move into cities and change their communication, perhaps trying to avoid U.S. bombs -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you so much.

Let's take a check now of some of the other top stories today. John Berman in for Michaela.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Brianna. World leaders, including Secretary of State John Kerry are gathering in New York ahead of tomorrow's U.N. Climate Summit.

The secretary is expected to speak at an opening event this morning. Major companies including oil giants plan to make pledges to cut carbon dioxide emissions in order to fight climate change. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in New York and around the world demanding action.

To West Africa, 100-tons of medical supplies have arrived. That is an effort to fight the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. This as a second contingent of U.S. troops arrives in Liberia. They will focus on training local health workers and setting treatment facilities.

A three-day lockdown in Sierra Leone has ended. Six million people were ordered to stay indoors while officials searched house-to-house for Ebola victims. Afghanistan has a new president this morning. Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani declared the winner of the country's disputed election. He has agreed to share power with the second place finisher who will be Afghanistan's chief executive prime minister.

This sets the stage for the departure of President Hamid Karzai and a security agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond this year.

Three soldiers from Afghanistan visiting Cape Cod in Massachusetts for a military training exercise has vanished. The National Guard says they don't believe the men are a threat to the public.

They were last seen Saturday night at the Hyannes Mall. They are in the United States along with 200 other soldiers from six country to train for U.N. peacekeeping missions. Now on the loose on the cape.

CUOMO: But not considered a threat.

BERMAN: Not considered a threat, but there are three of them on the loose.

KEILAR: And I'm assuming there is probably some sort of search going on for these guys.

CUOMO: How do you know that they are not a threat when you know they're missing?

BERMAN: That's the question. That's the conundrum there, but that's what officials are saying right now. They are not overly alarmed they claim.

CUOMO: Thanks, JB. Did you get to hear from the parents of the girl who is missing in Virginia? What we have and we are going to play it for you. Hannah Graham, her father made a very emotional plea.

And there are some new and odd developments in the search. Police have a warrant out for the last person believed to have seen her. What happened when this man showed up at the station and wound up bolting?

KEILAR: Also a Pennsylvania community living in fear right now. Schools closed. Residents are forced to shelter in place. They were for much of the weekend. All of this because an alleged cop killer is still at large. Why police believe they are closing in on him ahead.

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KEILAR: Dramatic new developments in the case of the missing UVA student. Police want to speak to the man who is seen on video and believed to have been the last person to see Hannah Graham. Jesse Matthew, he showed up at a police station this weekend to meet a lawyer and then he's sped away.

Now, an arrest warrant is out for Matthew on suspension of reckless driving. Over the weekend, there was a massive search for Hannah with an estimated 1,200 people taking part in that. And now, for the first time, we are hearing from Graham's desperate parents.

Listen as Graham's father describes the hell of not knowing what happened to his daughter and pleads for the public's help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GRAHAM, FATHER OF HANNAH GRAHAM: I think that the reason that Hannah has such marvelous support is that this is every parent's worst nightmare. I am certain that everybody in this room and those watching knows that what happened to Hannah could happen to their child. We need to find out what happened to Hannah and make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else.

You have all I'm sure read about Hannah. You all have read that Hannah is a second year student University of Virginia, a skier, musician, softball player. She likes to help people and she's interested in a career in helping others.

And just as a little example, last spring break instead of hanging around on the beach like other students may have done, she spent a week in Tuscaloosa rebuilding houses and helping the recovery from the devastating tornado. That's Hannah. That's one Hannah.

But Hannah is also our little girl. She's our only daughter, James's little sister. She's also -- Hannah is also the oldest granddaughter of both of my own parents and Sue's parents and she's actually my parents' only granddaughter. She's enormously precious to us all.

And while you think of what we're going through, think about parents as well, Hannah's grandparents. They are literally an ocean away and they're not knowing what happened to their little girl, their little granddaughter and they're unable to help and it's awful for them.

Now, somebody knows what happened to Hannah. We don't know who that is, but somebody knows what happened to Hannah and others may be watching and they may know something about what happened to Hannah, and they may not even know that they know something about what happened to Hannah.

What do we know? We know Hannah was downtown early Saturday morning. We know Hannah was distinctively dressed.

Did you see Hannah? Did anybody see Hannah? Who saw Hannah? Somebody did.

Please, please, please, if you have anything, however insignificant you think it may be, call the police tip line with anything that just might help us to bring Hannah home. When I returned home from bringing Hannah back at the beginning of term last month, I found that she left this little guy behind.

This is Hannah's favorite white rabbit, BeBe. He was given to Hannah by one of my friends when she was less than a week old. BeBe helped out in Tuscaloosa, and he was Hannah's constant guardian, companion friend and guardian angel until last month when she chose to return to Charlottesville without him. Constant companion, that is, except for about six months when Hannah was three-years-old when he was lost in a nursery. We found BeBe, we brought him home to Hannah and us.

All we want to do is bring Hannah home safely. I appeal to anybody that knows anything, please, please, help us. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: It's heartreaking to think of what heartbreaking certainly to think of what those parents are going through.

Let's bring in Jean Casarez. She is tracking every development for us.

You are in Charlottesville, Virginia, what do we know about this Jesse Matthew, this man that police have issued a warrant for?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he lives in Charlottesville. And he's gone to schools in Charlottesville. He's known by a lot of people around here and I was able to confirm that he does work with the University of Virginia Hospital, medical center, as an orderly.

So, what he does in life is he helps people. And I have spoken to some that know him and know of him. Everybody says he's a really good guy, that he's somebody that would help Hannah, not hurt Hannah. But nonetheless, authorities are saying that the focus of this investigation still is to find Hannah.

And I want to tell you, we are right here in the downtown area. These are the last few steps known that Hannah took right here. And police are saying they still want people to come forward who saw her that night, who saw her walking, maybe with Jesse, maybe alone.

And specifically, they're focusing on Jesse Matthew's car. And they showed that to us yesterday. It is bright orange in color. It is very distinctive.

Anybody who saw him in that car, her in that car, or that car in general, they want to come forward.

Another very perplexing thing that we learned was that on Saturday afternoon, while the entire community was searching for Hannah, Jesse Matthew walked into the police department.

And factually, here's what we know: he walked into the police department. He asked for an attorney. The police chief said we got him an attorney. The attorney came. We don't know what the attorney said to him. What ultimately happened was Jesse Matthew didn't talk and Jesse Matthew walked out that door.

After he left and he was driving in a car, apparently, he started driving excessive speeds. We understand law enforcement was covertly watching him and they now have two arrest warrants, misdemeanor, reckless driving arrest warrants.

And I asked the question to the chief, are you going arrest him? The answer I got was we are aggressively pursuing where he is. If he doesn't turn himself in, we will arrest him. This is for reckless driving misdemeanor warrants.

KEILAR: All right, Jean Casarez in Charlottesville, Virginia, following this for us this morning -- thank you.

Later this hour, we will hear from the Charlottesville police chief about the search.

CUOMO: That doesn't really make a lot of sense, that situation. It would be very --

KEILAR: Very bizarre.

CUOMO: -- to have the chief on and figure out exactly what happened and what they're looking at -- just a look on that mother's face just tells you how desperate a situation this is for this family.

Also, there is another community in fear. Schools are closed. Residents are being forced to shelter in place. Police say they are getting close to the alleged cop killer in Pennsylvania. You are looking at a picture of him on your screen right now. We're going to take you to the hunt.

KEILAR: The wife and friend of British hostage Alan Henning begged ISIS terrorists to spare his life and set him free. Will their emotional pleas be heard? We'll have that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: This could be good news. Authorities in Pennsylvania say they are closing in on survivalist Eric Frein. He's been on the run since allegedly killing a state trooper 10 days ago. Again, that's his face on your screen. Take a look up, just in case you see him in that area.

The latest lead: police found a rifle they believe belongs to Frein that was hidden or abandoned in the woods. Some schools in the area will now be closed again today as a precaution.

CNN's Alexandra Field is live at the scene.

Alexandra, what do they know?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Chris. The school has been faced with a really tough decision here, but it's their job to protect the children.