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Man Loses Best Friend To Terror Attack; New Police Raid Underway In Belgium; French Conduct Over 150 Anti-Terror Raids. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired November 16, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:01] ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And in speaking to them over the last 24 to 48 hours, people here are appalled by what happened in Paris. It is that very same violence that drove them from their homes. It is that fear that it could happen again that caused them, Alisyn, to make the decision to leave everything behind.

Now they too are very worried that because of this they will somehow have to pay the price, once again for violence carried out by organizations like ISIS, violence that they do not condone, but most certainly a great challenge right now facing intelligence organizations at this stage.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We can understand that. Obviously, Arwa, thank you so much for that reporting. So all of Paris obviously reeling from Friday's massacre, in a moment, we will speak to a man who survived, but lost his close friend in the terror attack. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:35:10]

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We are in Paris and just as the sun is trying to break through the clouds, Paris, the city of lights, is try to break through the darkness three days after a deadly terror attack here.

French police conducting over 168 terror raids overnight, 104 people now under house arrest, 23 in actual custody. Weapons and equipment have been seized as well as drugs, which as we know, can finance terrorism.

Also, the identities of two more attackers are known. There is speculation about a mastermind that was outside this group of seven who died. All are going on in the investigation at the same time. That's within France.

Now outside France, there is also French military action. Air strikes against ISIS positions in Raqqah, Syria, with the help of U.S. intelligence for the first time. There is more news this morning, Alisyn, as well.

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris, as you know, Paris this morning is flooded with stories of loss and survival. Our next guest is living both sides of that.

Arash Derambarsh, a French lawmaker who lost his dear friend in the attacks. Arish, thank you for being with us. We are sorry for your loss. Where were you Friday night when the attacks happened?

ARASH DERAMBARSH, CITY COUNCILOR FOR COURBEVOIE: I was in France. We took dinner. When he received the message that some arrived in Paris, I immediately saw CNN on Facebook and Twitter. We understand quickly that something very amazing and horrific is arriving in our country.

CAMEROTA: Did you immediately think of your friend, Pierro? He was killed in the attack because he was at the concert. He has asked you to go with him.

DERAMBARSH: A few days ago, before Friday, last week, he asked if I wanted to come with his friend to the concert. I said I hate metal rock. It's a very big shock for us. I want to say to the people watching in the USA that France stands. We stand. We are not frightened against anybody.

CAMEROTA: We can see. Look at the crowds.

DERAMBARSH: American President Obama says we never give up on the terrorists. I want to say that we are here.

CUOMO: Yes. Paris, today, is trying to get back to business as usual. The schools are open again. Tourist destinations like museums and all of these people who are not afraid to come out and express their anger and their sadness, but their liberty are here. Do you sense that the attitude in Paris has changed among the people and among the politicians about what to do about terrorism?

DERAMBARSH: You are right, Alisyn. There is a big difference with "Charlie Hebdo" events. The attack against "Charlie Hebdo," it was against the freedom of speech and value. We did not accept that. We condemn that. Now the attack with no reason and now this is war. You have to know we need all the countries that we can help us to make the war against the terrorists.

CAMEROTA: Because President Hollande said this is an active war and we will be merciless. You say the French people are willing to do that. You are asking for allies. What does this mean for France?

DERAMBARSH: In France, the most important thing is to not divide. There is not in our country. There is no mostly Jewish or Christians. The attitude has changed because they attacked the population. We say only one voice.

We want to live in safety and peace. We don't want to be frightened. This era is the era of joy. Know Paris is the city of romantic, the city of lights. We want to live in peace.

CAMEROTA: Can you tell us about your friend who was killed?

DERAMBARSH: He was an amazing person -- the restaurant (inaudible) --

CAMEROTA: He was the owner of the restaurant?

DERAMBARSH: Yes. This restaurant is just next to the city where I am from.

[05:40:04] He was an amazing person and very nice and very kind. This is a place that the pizza is very nice. I want to hold my thoughts to his family and families of the victims. All of the victims know we are here and we never forget them.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Arash, thank you for being here. My best to you, thank you.

We do have breaking news to tell you about as well, there is an active terror raid under way in Brussels. We will take you live to the scene when NEW DAY returns from the special report from Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:45:00]

CUOMO: CNN has breaking news, right now, there's an active police standoff under way in Belgium. Roads have been closed. Police are using loud speakers ordering people out of the house. There is speculation as to whether or not this is connected to that eighth attacker who is on the run.

We have CNN's Nima Elbagir. She is in Molenbeek with the breaking details -- Nima.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, it has been a very difficult morning here in Molenbeek. We have been seeing plain clothes police officers and bombs squads and intense presence. We heard police over the loud speaker ask whoever inside the house from me to come out with their hands up.

The reports we are hearing is that this could quite possibly be that eighth attacker. I'll step out so you can have a look at this. Chris, you can see the intense police presence back there.

There are reports that whoever is in the house could be the man who has been requested by the Belgium police as possibly international arrest warrants identified as Abdeslam Salah. All roads are leading back here to Molenbeek -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Nima, obviously there is speculation about this eighth attacker identified by ISIS and owning these attacks here. There is concern by authorities that this eighth attacker could be similarly equipped to the other seven.

That means a suicide vest that adds to the caution of the situation you are seeing on the ground there. What are you hearing in terms of how broad they think the team may have gone beyond those who were killed here in Paris?

ELBAGIR: Well, that is absolutely the sense that we are getting on the ground. All of the Belgium we've been speaking to say that this investigation is from over. You remember, Chris, it started on Saturday and went through the early hours of Sunday.

And now this is one of two locations and this isn't just about the neighborhood of Molenbeek. It is also a very specific part of Molenbeek. The Reuters news agency is reporting that a man (inaudible) who lived with his sister a few roads up from where we are now.

He is the suspected mastermind of the Paris attack. We are working to confirm that. But for now, it feels like that this network was tight knit and close and it all started here in Molenbeek.

CUOMO: Obviously what we are seeing here is an extension of what we are seeing operatively here in and around Paris as well. There is an obvious consensus among authorities that this did not begin and end with the seven men who are now gone and eighth suspect.

They don't believe the brains of the situation were taken out by the actual attack. They keep using the phrase cellular level in and around Paris. What other organizations are at work here that's part of the investigative intent right now.

Nima, we will check back with you as you find out what is going on in the house behind you. Let's take a break right now. When we come back, the U.S.-led coalition now including France were warned by Iraqi intelligence officials that an ISIS attack was imminent just before what happened here in Paris.

Was it specific enough to drive action? Was this something that was missed? We will hear from a political leader here in France next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:52:59]

CUOMO: Welcome back to the special edition of NEW DAY from Paris. There is a lot going on in the situation here. There are new raids overnight here. There are new leads into how broad this plot was that led to the Paris attacks.

There is new military action in Syria and Iraq by French authorities. To understand what is going on here now and what will happen going forward, we have a spokesperson for the Socialist Party. That is the ruling party. That is French President Hollande's party here, the ruling Socialist Party.

Let's bring her in, Corrine Narassiguin. It is good to see you again. So let's talk about the status of what happened overnight, 168 raids in 19 different departments also known as sections to those in the U.S. parts of France.

The number we're told is not supposed to be impressive. This happens. There are large numbers of raids. The targeting of it and the types of people who are being looked at is different. How so?

CORRINE NARASSIGUIN, SPOKESWOMAN, FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY: Yes, this is also why we have a state of emergency. It allows police to move much more quickly. A lot of people were already under surveillance.

Because of the investigation now, they can link more people together. They have more information that they can act on, reliable information that they can act on. This is why the raids are going on right now.

And also we want to make sure because there is definitely a large coordination for the attacks. We want to make sure all connected groups are brought in to questioning.

CUOMO: The state of emergency is said to potentially extend for three months, currently. As you know, people here mostly are Parisian. They are expressing sympathy, but there is a balance of conversation going on about security and liberty.

It does seem that of course, at this moment of time, the needle has moved. Should the state of emergency be the new normal in terms of what you are allowed to do to defend against terrorists?

NARASSIGUIN: It cannot be the new normal because we are a republic with principles and values.

[05:55:06] We have to find that balance between liberty and security, but we cannot make the emergency situation, an exceptional situation, into norm.

CUOMO: You know members of your military and intelligence community are saying it is not that we don't understand the threat. It is we cannot combat the threat. We don't have the resources. We don't have the reach legally. They want things to change.

NARASSIGUIN: There are things that have been voted already in terms of capacity for methods of surveillance especially digital surveillance. We have hired 1,500 people to increase our surveillance capacity and training them. This is going to take months to rule out.

In the meantime, we have to use the state of emergency for example. There are legal means that have been voted on already. That will be ruled out in the next few months. We need to make sure that even with the state of emergency the president has been careful.

There are different grades. Obviously we are not doing that. We are only doing it to allow the police to move more quickly with searches with raids and to make sure that we can force people to stay home that are considered a threat.

CUOMO: Right. Obviously that is something that is controversial not just on the political level, but military intelligence level. The idea of house arrest is not seen as sufficient. Right now, we hear 104 under house arrest, 23 under actual arrest.

To hear it from your intelligence types, they say that should be flipped. They point to the report of threat intelligence out of Iraq that was delivered to U.S. intelligence that ISIS attacks were imminent before the French attacks. Should that be seen as a failure to act on an actionable threat? NARASSIGUIN: No, I think we are acting on everything that is actionable. We have to make sure that we also don't act too quickly. We don't put innocent people through a horrific process. We need to make sure house arrest is a good measure. It allows the good surveillance and while they are under surveillance, we can check if they need to be prosecuted or arrested.

CUOMO: Is it moving too swiftly?

NARASSIGUIN: We have to make sure we stay strong on our values and what we believe the justice system is and how it functions. It is important to respect the fact that people have to be -- people have rights to proper defense and this is the rule of law. You have seen that in the U.S.

CUOMO: We have. We also have seen it shift over time. After "Charlie Hebdo," you had a wave of political action and assets committed and mentality. After this, we will see if that happens again. Obviously, we see what will happen in the aftermath.

Right now, this is about Paris coming together. The crowd is growing by the moment. This is still a place in shock and they are putting their arms around them.

Corrinne, as we get developments, we look forward to continue to talk to you about the political picture. This is one piece of the issue. There is a lot of news. Let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: France has been pierced at its heart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this is an assault on their lifestyle.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: When I went on the streets, I see 20 to 25 bodies lying on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: French war planes attack the stronghold on Raqqah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. was assisting with those French airstrikes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were raids that were carried out in Belgium.

CAMEROTA: This as the European manhunt intensifies for a Brussels born national.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it possible that groups like ISIS would use this flood of migrants to sneak more people in?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The refugee of today may be the terrorist of tomorrow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This fight is getting closer and closer to the homeland. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Hello. Thank you for joining us. You're watching a special edition of NEW DAY. We're coming to you from Paris. We want to welcome our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. Michaela Pereira is in New York for us with other headlines. Chris and I are here in Paris. We have breaking news at this hour.

There is an active police raid under way in the Molenbeek section of Brussels. There are reports that it could be related to the search for the eighth suspect in Friday's terror attacks. That would be 26- year-old Salah Abdeslam. French officials say 104 people are now under house arrest, 23 are in custody after 150 raids overnight.

CUOMO: As you see behind us right now, hearts and minds are in one place, remembering what happened. There's a moment of silence here and being reflected around the world. We'll show you it and observe it right now.