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New Day

"Imminent Attack" Against U.S. Disrupted in Syria; Search Continues for Survivalist Eric Frein in Pennsylvania; Jesse Matthew Wanted for Questioning in Hannah Graham Investigation

Aired September 23, 2014 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We're following breaking news this morning.

Yes, ISIS is being attacked by the U.S. and a coalition of Arab states, but there's also news of this U.S.-only attack in northwestern Syria on an al Qaeda offshoot known as the Khorasan group, because of what was being called imminent threat-plotting.

So, what does that mean?

We have some new developments. Let's get to Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

It was very carefully worded about what this means in terms of was there a specific threat or is this where they would plan threats in the future? What do we know?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Chris, I have just spoken to a senior U.S. official who now confirms that one of the reasons they hit the Khorasan group last night with U.S. airstrikes is there was in the words of this official, active plotting. There was a U.S. homeland threat. This official now saying that there was a threat from the Khorasan group, this al Qaeda veterans group against a target in the United States and possibly other targets, western targets overseas. They will not say what the homeland, what the target was in the United States, that they had intelligence on that Khorasan was plotting against.

But this is the first time we are hearing about target planning by the al Qaeda group inside the United States. What we know is that the eight U.S. airstrikes last night against Khorasan, this is not ISIS, this is Khorasan, in western Syria, were against one of their explosives and munitions production facilities -- training camps, communication building and command and control facilities.

This official says they have the intelligence for some time, they moved against them, because they had additional information that Khorasan was in the final stages, perhaps, of planning this. And they felt if they launched the airstrikes against them, against this backdrop of all the noise about ISIS, they would have the element of surprise against Khorasan.

But again, the real information that we're now hearing, is that this al Qaeda group was perhaps in the final stages, but they were plotting an attack against a homeland target. We still do not know what that target was -- Chris.

CUOMO: Major development, Barbara Starr, thank you very much.

Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Let's break this all down now with CNN law enforcement analysts and former FBI assistant director, Tom Fuentes, and CNN senior national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem. This Khorasan group, tell us about this and DNI Clapper mentioned this for the first time last week. You just heard Barbara Starr's report. This is the first time that we're hearing about what we're told is an imminent threat.

What do we know about this group of veteran al Qaeda operatives?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: OK. So, for viewers, there's probably four groups that we're talking about, because it gets complicated. There's ISIS, which we know about, there's al Qaeda, the historic group. A group called al Nusra who is in Syria, affiliated with al Qaeda and enemies of ISIS, and now, this new group Khorasan, which is -- it's unclear between al Nusra and Khorasan how much relationship there is.

Khorasan has been a focus for the last two months, unlike the other groups, they seem intent on focusing on Western targets rather than disrupting Syria and Iraq. And they are filled with foreign fighters throughout the Arab states and it's important that the U.S. took credit solo, for the attacks. Because I think what the U.S. wanted to do is say that this is a separate mission from the ISIS mission.

Remember, terrorist groups are all vying for the same people, the same money, the same successes, I put in quotes. And we wanted to disrupt this group that clearly was focused on a homeland threat.

KEILAR: So, Tom, this threat, we just heard from Barbara Starr's brand-new reporting, it was a threat in the U.S., we don't know much else. What might it have been? What kind of thing would have prompted the U.S. to in a way, tack this on to these airstrikes against ISIS in Syria?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, Brianna, an important part of this group comes from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, as well as Pakistan. But with regard to Yemen, the principal bomb-maker for this group has been al Asiri, who has been responsible for making the underwear bomb, the printer cartridge bombs destined for the United States. He's been working for years trying to attack our weaknesses, trying to use his principal ingredients, including PETN, which is very difficult to be detected by the current technology.

And so, if you have that group and kind of an all-star team of al Qaeda, if you will, going to Syria and having a safe haven there to work and try to, try to train more people, let's say to carry these bombs, to carry suicide vests or maybe bombs on to aircraft that could be significant and it could be an attack they could carry out very quickly.

Plus, U.S. intelligence has clamped down on what comes out of Yemen. So, they might have felt better that if they could smuggle explosives out through Turkey or by the water to another European country, they'd be in a much better position to attack us.

KEILAR: Is this enough, do you think, Juliette, to seriously weaken the Khorasan group?

KAYYEM: Well, at least delay. I mean, the way to think about counterterrorism operation is a delayed attack is a success in some regard. And so, I think the surprise element of this coming with the attack on the ISIS, because remember, the ISIS and al Qaeda are in competition, they are vying for a legacy status. It was part of a mission to at least delay any imminent attack, this will disrupt operations, communication and the capacity for people to move around and join the group.

But does it -- does it stop it for all time? Probably not. I mean, as Christiane Amanpour and other have said, the long-term solution is always going to be a political solution in Iraq and Syria.

KEILAR: This was a surprise, Tom, why are we hearing really right now about the Khorasan group?

FUENTES: Well, I think, you know, it's recently formed and recently, you know, maintained as public position, let's say to continue the attack effort on the West, on the United States. And this is something that is not a new strategy for them. It's been their ongoing strategy for many years.

The other issue with this, is another reason why it might have been a singular U.S. effort, is that in the past, especially with regard to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, they had been penetrated by Saudi intelligence. The information that came about the printer bombs was singular, even to the shipping documents that were used to send those cartridges you know, by air. So that could be the issue here. Is that Saudi intelligence still is in a very good position along with U.S. intelligence, to penetrate the group or at least monitor the group and have the idea that -- yes, they are going to extend now to try to attack us.

KEILAR: All right. Tom Fuentes, Juliette Kayyem, great insight, both of you. Thanks for being with us this morning.

And let's get now to John Berman. He is in for Michaela with more of today's headlines -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Brianna.

Breaking this morning, British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani this week as each travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Now, a few specifics have been released, but the prime minister's office confirms that the battle against ISIS is on the agenda. Notably, this will be the first meeting between a British prime

minister and an Iranian president since the Islamic revolution way back in 1979.

Now, the world's most powerful political and corporate leaders are expected to be on hand this morning for the largest gathering ever on climate change, happening at the United Nations as the U.S. hosts the one-day summit on climate change here in New York. One hundred and twenty heads of state, along with top executives from big oil, who are set to announce new initiatives to fight global warming. President Obama addresses this summit this afternoon. It will be interesting to see if this new page in the battle against ISIS overshadows the discussion on climate change.

Breaking overnight, an update to the manhunt for Palestinian suspects who allegedly killed three Israeli teens this summer. Israel's military says one suspect was killed in a shoot-out in the West Bank, another seriously wounded. Tensions between Israel and Hamas, you'll remember, ratcheted up in June after the bodies of the Israeli teens were found in the West Bank.

Three soldiers from Afghanistan who vanished in Massachusetts over the weekend are now in custody at the U.S./Canada border. They are being questioned by federal authorities, still not clear why the men took off from Cape Cod, where they were taking part in a military training exercise. Canadian officials declined to confirm whether the trio was seeking asylum -- Chris.

CUOMO: That will be the key, right, Because the fear was that they were here for the wrong reason. If this turns out they were trying to be refugees, that will make more sense to people.

BERMAN: That has apparently happened before with these training exercises.

CUOMO: All right. John, thank you very much.

We have a lot more breaking news for you right after the break on strikes in Syria.

KEILAR: Plus, the search for Hannah Graham, that University of Virginia student who's been missing for now over the week. Why police desperately want to question a local hospital worker who may have been the last person to see her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: We're following breaking news, what could be ongoing airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. We have new video for you of the airstrikes that have been carried out so far, again, inside Syria. This is the new wave in the war against ISIS. These are fighter jets, obviously taking off from the USS George H.W. Bush to hit terror targets.

We're learning that U.S. officials launched strikes overnight against a network of al Qaeda-linked terrorists, known as the Khorasan Group. Not just ISIS, al Qaeda as well. Not just a coalition, just the U.S. alone. Why? Because they were actively plotting against the U.S. homeland.

What does all this mean? What will happen next?

Retired Lieutenant Colonel James Reese joins us. He's former Delta Force officer. Along with Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Gentlemen, thank you very much.

Let's start with the U.S.-specific headline here. ISIS, we were expecting this. But against al Qaeda in Syria -- was this a real threat? Was this just to stop their planning of the threat? What's your gut on it?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET), FORMER DELTA FORCE OFFICER: I absolutely believe it's a real threat.

The U.S. has gotten very good at man-hunting over the last 14 years in both SOCOM, CENTCOM, the Pentagon. There's people that are doing this all the time for these key leaders, which we used to call high-value targets. So the high-value target element is still out there, hunting these people down.

CUOMO: And, Daveed, when we're taking a look at our targets that were picked, and again including al Qaeda in what was spoken about as an ISIS exclusive mission, this is all about actually having permission to do anything inside Syria, right? This is about taking the opportunity for the United States?

DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS, SENIOR FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: I think part of the concern was that the Khorasan group might have served as a retaliatory capability.

One thing we know about ISIS is that although they're a very potent military force, they're also very limited in terms of their ability to strike internationally with terrorist attacks. Whereas the Khorasan group seems to have been far more advanced.

Part of the fear, I think, on the U.S.' part, is that as the U.S. struck at ISIS, espsecially as it degraded the leadership, the Khorasan group might have tried to strike back at the West in order to regain some of al Qaeda's momentum in its competition with ISIS.

CUOMO: You're talking about it, James, and you're saying that this Khorasan, man-hunting because this is somewhat of their all-star team as we heard Tom Fuentes saying early.

We're going to show you, as I'm sitting up here with James, you're going to be seeing some of the after-effects of the bombing against the Khorasan group. That's what you see. This is not just file footage for you. This is after-effects of people on the ground looking through what happened after these attacks in Northwestern Syria, around Aleppo against a group called Khorasan. They are seen again as this all-star team of al Qaeda. The reason given by the United States for these United States-only

attacks, the coalition not involved here, was because of what they saw was imminent threat or imminent threat plotting against the U.S. And again, this idea of, the U.S. couldn't have done this before, because there was no mandate to go into Syria. So now that that has been broached and it's okay to be there, who knows what they'll do?

REESE: The second that the order effects going into Syria are huge. This really starts shaping the operations for future operations, even though we can't get boots on the ground. Being able to cross that red line is huge for us, especially for the U.S. and for the other coalition partners.

CUOMO: Important reference there. We remember here in the U.S., all the talk, Daveed, about crossing the red line. The president at first slow, then he wanted to go and bomb in Syria, then the Congress wasn't with him, and now it has finally happened.

When we look at the spots that are being picked, at least early on, and what the U.S. is saying, this is the impressive phase of this. We're going after the big targets first. One of them, an oil refinery.

One of the unspoken stories here regarding ISIS is the fact that they sell oil on the black market and lots of people are buying it. So why was this effective, and what do we have to follow through in this situation?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: The reason why is to try to dry up some of their sources of funding. This organization has been operating in this kind of nether region, where it's not quite a terrorist group, it's not quite an insurgency, and it's not quite a state. Part of sustaining its position is to sustain the financial wealth that it's managed to gain, and that's part of what the United States is trying to do right now, to set it back in that regard.

CUOMO: Who's buying the oil? Don't you have to move on that front also?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: It's being sold on the black market, and that makes it very difficult to prevent them from selling the oil. In part, because they're selling it illegally, they're selling it at prices that are far, far below market value. As long as the black market is vibrant, and it's quite strong in this area, it's going to be very difficult to shut down the buyers.

CUOMO: I'm always a little suspicious of that. I feel like money always talks, James, and somebody is buying that oil.

We know that a lot of the countries, many who are joining the coalition, kind of play both sides of the fence when it comes to ISIS, have groups within their own borders that are funding them. That will have to be addressed.

But today is about military action. Timing is important. People are saying why didn't the president wait? He's at the U.N. general assembly this week. It's not just about what the U.S. and the coalition does, it's about what ISIS is doing. What are they doing right now?

REESE: Well, ISIS right now I believe, we talked about this last night. They were the bullies in the battlefield. They've been punched in the nose. So now they're like that's a wake-up call for them, which I think is great.

I think it's a wake-up call that the five coalition partners are all these Arab countries, that's great again for us and for the region. And ISIS right now has really got to take a hard look at what they're going to do. They're trying to move their equipment, of what's left of it right now. And they will start, what I believe will start happening is, is if they can't move, they'll start blending back in with the society and the folks regionally.

CUOMO: And that's why the timing is of the essence, as much as it is, right? Because it's one thing to make a video with someone who has their hands tied behind their back, and look like a tough guy with a mask on your face. But when you have the might of the U.S. military and its friends coming after you, maybe you'll run and hide.

REESE: Absolutely. Remember, al Baghdadi, you know we caught him in 2004, the leader of ISIS, and he knows this. He was a Zarqawi guy, and he got hunted for a long time. He knows that he was able to have a safe haven out there in Western Syria. Now that safe haven is taken away.

CUOMO: And as clear as it may seem now, Daveed, to be honest, there was real skepticism about whether or not there would be the coalition that would allow the U.S. to initiate real military attacks, especially inside Syria. Now that that's going on, what kind of future targets do you think you see in this next wave?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: Its a very interesting question, I think that part of the plan is to try to eliminate as many targets of top echelons as possible. So, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the next round weren't inside Iraq.

One thing I'd say, though, about the coalition is there's still a question as to what role the various countries are playing. There's this very vague word of participation or partners being used. We know that Jordanian planes were over Syrian air space. But, it's not clear how many of them were actually involved in bombing roles, as opposed to roles that are a bit more symbolic. I think this is being played up as much as possible for strategic reasons.

CUOMO: But the bottom line is the air strikes have begun, the war is now in earnest inside Syria and there's major bombing going on as we speak. So, we'll be following it for you throughout the morning.

We want to thank James Reese and Daveed Gartenstein-Ross. Thank you very much for your perspective, gentlemen. We'll need you here this morning.

There's a lot more going on. Breaking news ahead. But we're also going to be following two other important domestic stories this morning, Brianna, right? KEILAR: That's right. First, we're going to be looking at the search

for survivalist and accused cop killer, Eric Frein. That search right now narrowing this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

KEILAR (voice-over): Almost two weeks ago he disappeared into the thick woods of Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains after allegedly ambushing state troopers at a police barracks.

One officer was killed, a second was injured. Now police are once again expressing confidence that they're closing in on him. Alexandra Field has more from the scene in Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

KEILAR (on camera): Why are they confident that they're closing in on him, Alexandra?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, they've been able to narrow the search area. Authorities have been in communication with the public here for the first time in a week. We're seeing some schools open. But at the same time, with daylight hours we're seeing this search effort renewed.

Just behind me in these woods we've literally seen dozens and dozens of law enforcement vehicles filing into the woods. Last night, reinforcements were being brought in from other states, New York and New Jersey. There are now literally hundreds of officers who are in the woods behind me. They say they've been able to narrow the search area because of reported sightings of the suspect.

In the last few days they recovered Eric Frein's AK-47 in these woods, but police believe that he is still armed with a rifle. He is considered dangerous. Pennsylvania's governor has addressed the public, saying that he is increasingly confident that this suspect will be captured and that authorities are continuing to press in toward him and move in on him.

At the same time, he is saying that the suspect had opportunities to target civilians and didn't take them. They believe that the suspect is truly targeting the law enforcement officers who have been searching so exhaustively for him for the last two weeks. Brianna?

KEILAR: Alexandra Field for us there in Pennsylvania, thank you.

CUOMO: There's a second search that should be on your radar this morning. We're still looking for the missing UVA student, Hannah Graham.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): Investigators returned to the home of Jesse Matthew. He is a man that police very much want to speak to. They have a search warrant for his apartment. It's believed that they executed that search warrant. Why? Well, police believe he may have been the last person to see Hannah

Graham alive. Police in Virginia also issued a wanted poster for Matthew officially now. He's wanted for reckless driving, you'll remember, not specifically in connection with her disappearance. But the poster says police want to speak with him about Graham's disappearance as well.

So, we are at that story. Let's get to Jean Casarez.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (on camera): She's tracking developments for us this morning from Charlottesville, Virginia. What do we know, Jean?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Chris, law enforcement is still saying their number one priority is to find Hannah Graham. They're also saying they don't want to have tunnel vision in finding out who is responsible for her disappearance. But the reality is, they're looking for one man, one man they can't find. One man, they say has contacts here in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASAREZ (voice-over): The FBI now joining the search for missing Hannah Graham. The investigation focusing on this man, Jesse Matthew, who police believe is the last person to be seen with the University of Virginia sophomore before she vanished over a week ago. Monday, Charlottesville police issued this wanted poster for his arrest on charges of reckless driving. Police say he was seen speeding later in the day after showing up at the police station and asking for a lawyer on Saturday.

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA POLICE: A lawyer came and spoke with Mr. Matthew. And about an hour later, the two of them walk out of the police department, without a statement. So we haven't seen him since then.

CASAREZ: Law enforcement also executing a second search warrant of Matthew's apartment, Monday. Forensic results on items collected in earlier searches should be in today.

The 32-year-old has been employed since August 2012 by University Hospital as an operating room patient technician. According to police, surveillance video shows Matthew putting his arm around the 18-year-old. They later ended up at the Temple restaurant.

DET. SGT. JIM MOONEY, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA POLICE: We know that he purchased alcohol there. And we know that Hannah Graham was with him. Within 15 minutes they were gone from that bar and that his car was seen leaving the area on video, and we have every reason to believe that Ms. Graham was in that vehicle.

CASAREZ: Authorities admit they do not have probable cause to tie him to this case. But police chief Tim Longo tells CNN's Anderson Cooper, he can't rule out foul play. LONGO: There's no other way to look at it, quite frankly at this

point. There's just no other explanation but for that. I wish we knew more than that, though. I wish - - that's why it's so critically important to talk to Jesse Matthew, because he is the last person that we know of that saw her before her disappearance.

CASAREZ: Graham's family holding out hope that someone comes forward with information that will bring their daughter back.

JOHN GRAHAM, FATHER OF HANNAH GRAHAM: We need to find out what happened to Hannah and make sure that it doesn't happen to anybody else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CASAREZ (on camera): So the question is, what will happen today? Well while law enforcement all across the state, assisted by the FBI will continue to search for Jesse Matthew, they are also expecting now to get back results from forensic testing on the original evidence potentially that was taken from the home, as well as Jesse Matthew's car. The police chief tells me they took hours combing for that potential evidence from his car, now being tested hopefully to have results today, to see any criminal link to Jesse Matthew and Hannah.

CUOMO: And that will be the key to probable cause, Jean, so we'll be following up with you about that later this morning. Thank you very much.

We are following a lot of news this morning for you so let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (voice-over): Breaking news, the first U.S. air strikes against ISIS in Syria. Tomahawk missiles, fighter jets and bombers hitting targets inside the terror group's capital. The attacks coming nearly two weeks after President Obama vowed to destroy ISIS.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.

CUOMO: And an al Qaeda offshoot also targeted inside Syria. The Pentagon saying potential attacks against the U.S. now thwarted.

KEILAR (voice-over): The U.S. not going it alone. In an historic shift, five Arab nations joining the mission, supporting the air strikes. Now the president will defend the operation as he goes before the United Nations. Will his show of strength convince other world leaders to join the coalition against ISIS?

CUOMO: A special edition of NEW DAY continues right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (on camera): Good morning, and welcome to NEW DAY. Kate is on maternity leave, Brianna Keilar joins us this morning. Thanks for being with us, as always.

We're going to start with that breaking news. The U.S. and five Arab partners starting air strikes on ISIS targets inside Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (voice-over): We're seeing and hearing what could be going on, even right now. Those are tomahawk missiles, fired from the sea into Syria. Headed for terror targets on the ground. Launches like these followed by air strikes from bombers and fighter jets.

The U.S. targeted more than a dozen sites, we're told, in and around the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. That is supposed to be the home base, the stronghold of ISIS. The five Arab nations lending a hand of some sort. We need some details on that, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

KEILAR: Also overnight, separate strikes launched by the U.S. against a group affiliated with al Qaeda. This is a separate operation with the U.S. going alone.

We have learned the Khorasan group as it's called in Syria was plotting imminent attacks on Western interests, including here in the U.S.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR (on camera): We have complete coverage, and we begin with Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Give us the latest, Barbara.

STARR: Good morning, Brianna. The Pentagon had picked the targets very carefully, hitting what it thought would matter to ISIS the most.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): Overnight, U.S. and partner nations carried out 14 intense strikes against ISIS strongholds in Raqqa, Syria, and other northern cities. The attacks destroying or damaging multiple targets, including training compounds, headquarters, and command and control facilities, and briefly knocking out power in the region.

U.S. forces launching tomahawk land attack missiles from the sea. Bombers, drones and fighter jets, continuing the assault by air. Including an F-22 raptor, a new Air Force tactical plane that can conduct air to air and air to ground combat with near impunity.