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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Jordan Vows Earthshaking Revenge Against ISIS; ISIS Video Shows Pilot Being Burned To Death; Pres. Obama Meets With Jordan King After Pilot's Murder; Reports Jordan May Execute Failed Suicide Bomber In Morning; At Least 6 killed In Train Accident; The Politics Of Vaccination; 102 Cases Reported In 14 States; Bobbi Kristina Brown Moved To Emory Hospital; 'Charlie Hebdo' Back On Newsstands Feb. 25; Harper Lee To Publish New Book; Aaron Hernandez Juror Dismissed
Aired February 03, 2015 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, AC360 HOST: Good evening. 9:00 p.m. here in New York and in Washington D.C., which is a short time ago, Jordan's King Abdullah left the meeting with President Obama. He's back on his way to his kingdom which tonight is reacting deeply, sharply, angrily to the murder of one of their own, a fighter pilot by ISIS. Cries of outrage and calls for retribution "Earthshaking revenge in Amman, Jordan."
Hundred taking the street, this after the terror group release a video apparently documenting the burning to death of a capture Jordanian fighter pilot, let say apparently only because we've not independently authenticated the video, not because there's any doubt about it. We're obviously not going to show it to you. I have seen the tape. However, there can be no doubt at all about what these killers have done. They've burned this man alive after stringing Jordan in the world along day after day suggesting that he was not already dead, he was according to Jordan military which now says he was killed exactly month ago.
The ISIS video is 22 minutes long, it show a cage Jordanian air force pilot being burned to death, as I said he's remains bulldoze then into the ground.
We got correspondents on all aspects of these in Jordan, at the White House, on the military effort to defeat ISIS as well. We begin a though at the White House. Michelle Kosinski joins us from North lawn. What do we know about this meeting between President Obama and King Abdullah?
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So being in that room, someone who was there described the two as in one word, "Somber." And we didn't see they make remarks for the cameras as many had hope. Maybe because of that feeling there, they had important news to discuss and the fact that they had such a limited timeframe. I mean Kind Abdullah is cutting his trip to D.C. short.
They only spoke for about 20 minutes. And there was a brief readout of the meeting showing the President offering condolences. And saying at the end that this incident only steels the resolve of the international community to destroy ISIS. And that something was echoed in the meeting that happened earlier today between the King and the Vice President. In fact in that readout it said that the U.S. has his ironclad support of Jordan and strengthens the resolve of these countries to work together against ISIS, Anderson.
COOPER: I mean, they talk about steadily result. Has the White House have any indication that this execution is going to have any kind of affect of the way the U.S. lead coalition against ISIS is been run?
KOSINSKI: Yeah, that's a great question. It was interesting to hear in the President own words today immediately after news of this broke. He said that this would redouble the vindication, the vigilance and the commitment of the internal community against ISIS. And, you know, the question was, what is does mean? In fact we're going to see some change in the way the U.S. is acting in it's leading of the coalition where's action within the coalition.
And the White House responded by saying "Well, you know, the coalition is always opened to more, to people giving more and doing more and contributing more to that effort." But the President was referring more to the general commitment of the international coalition. So I think in the immediate sense we're not necessarily going to see a change in the strategy on the part of the U.S but we're likely to see more in the part of Jordan and potentially other Arab partners, especially when we heard Jordan already talk about revenge on this earthshaking response, Anderson.
COOPER: Was there any more comments from the White House say about the American woman still being held by ISIS?
KOSINSKI: Only that all resources are being used to try to secure her safety and return. And that's what we've heard consistently from the White House. I mean, obviously they don't want to talk about future operations. They don't want to give operational details or talk about potential other rescue attempt. Only that those resources are being devoted to try to bring her home, Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Michelle Kosinski from the White House. Thank you. Now late word of the associated presses reporting -- actually we'll get to that in the moment. There are number of reports that the potential -- that there would be suicide bomber that ISIS wanted back, maybe executed tomorrow morning. We have not been able to do independently confirm that. Jamana Karadsheh is in Amman for us. Just past 4:00 a.m. in the morning in Amman, is additional public reaction expected from day break? I mean are these demonstration going to continue?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We do expect that Anderson, there was so much anger and grief in this country right now that we're going t o expect to see more demonstration, more protest, more marches and solidarity with the family of Muath al-Kasaesbeh. And also we have heard Mosque in the Jordan, this was an announcement that was officially made a few hours ago, all Mosque across this country at noon will be holding a unified prayer for the pilot Muath al- Kasaesbeh. This evening Anderson, this is a country -- a nation in mourning. This is a man they considered to be a national hero. And so many over the past few days said they were praying for his safe return home, so much grief tonight.
COOPER: And King Abdullah as we mentioned returning now to Jordan. Is there sense, Jomana, about what kind of respond in terms of the military that, you know, that he might order?
KARADSHEH: It's very unclear right now Anderson, we did hear the Jordanians promising this harsh earthshaking retaliation that their going to have. There will be a number of options, obviously, on the table for Kind Abdullah for government. He's going to be under a lot of pressure to respond, especially here from the street, from the tribe of the Jordanian pilot.
Things like ramping up the military campaign that Jordan is already engage in the fight against ISIS. Also there are some supporters of ISIS in Jordan possible crackdown on this individual to in the country. And also we've heard this call from the street over the last few days, Jordan is holding a number of Jehadis prisoners, members of either affiliated with ISIS or from al- Qaeda in Iraq in the previous years.
So there have been calls to execute these prisoners who have been on death row. And also tonight we saw some protester holding banners that are saying that these prisoners should burn like Muath al- Kasaesbeh, the Jordanian pilot burned alive.
COOPER: There still this question about when the pilot was murder. Obvious, Jordan had been asking for proof of life when there was a potential negotiation or an exchange or prisoners. And now appears he was already dead during all of that. Why they did now think or why they are now saying he was killed actually month ago?
KARADSHEH: It's unclear why the Jordanians are saying that. They believe that he -- it was month ago. But we did hear from Jordanian officials this evening Anderson, saying "That they believe that over the past week or so that ISIS has been playing a dirty game" as they describe it, because Jordan has been engage in indirect negotiation through indirect channel with ISIS over the last few weeks since the capture of the pilot on December 24th.
And they say that over the course of these negotiation that they had ask for proof of life, any evidence to show that he's alive and they did not receive that, which raise a lot of question about whether he was alive or not. And of course we heard them, again, repeat these calls publicly last week, clearly the Jordanians had an idea that he might not be alive at that point, Anderson.
COOPER: Jomana, I appreciate you're reporting. Thank you.
President Obama's new budget calls for big funding increase is for air to ground missiles and smart bombs, especially newer smaller ammunitions. It can be use to pick out target with less damage to others. These are all the kinds of items that are now being used, sometimes daily against ISIS target in Iraq and Syria, member of the United States lead coalition.
Now, Jordan of course being pivotal member and just about every dimension, more in that now from Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto, who joins us tonight.
First of all, American pilot are obviously also playing combat missions. I mean obviously the danger of them just as great as these Jordanian pilots.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It is. You know, I spoke to two military officials tonight, I ask them that every question. Any adjustment being made, any enhancements being made to security and to personal recovery -- personal recovery search and rescue if a pilot would go down. And they said that enormous preparations were made prior to the start of the campaign. And so no need to adjust those because they already feel secure enough. That said one official did said they are constantly reevaluating to make sure there on top on this.
But as you say Anderson, this is a reminder that, you know, we talk about whether there are combat troops involved. I mean there are combat pilots involved. Combat is dangerous even when it's flown, you know, thousands of feet above the ground, accidents can happen, planes can get shutdown. There's still danger there.
COOPER: And regarding this ISIS video which obviously we're not showing. From the sources you're talking to, is there any indication why ISIS changed their execution tactics. I mean they've gone from beheading people in mass ways, individual beheading, there was a video recently of the young boy apparently shooting two, what is said to be Russian hostages.
SCIUTTO: We speak to the Intel community, they are aware that this is a group that profits from or believes it profits from maximum attention, not maximum shock value. And that's true in the beheading video in a way they have to top themselves, right? Because there's no one competing in this category, they're the most brutal already, so the only way to top a beheading maybe to light some on fire. I mean it's just a sick game.
But it's also interesting because you have to, you know, there's been a lot of talk now about whether this kind of thing will backfire. But it's interesting. I've talk to terror analyst who say that you have to throw out your kind of cost benefit analysis with the group like this because death is the goal here, death is how they recruit, death is how they scare, they believe that death serves their religious purpose.
It's kind of like the way that -- then he look at North Korea that you have to adjust your sense of what's a rational actor here. This is more a cult than a terror organization. So they don't go through the same cost benefit analysis. To their mind this maybe success even if it drives the rest of the world, including he Muslim world angry.
COOPER: Yeah, it's difficult. Jim Sciutto, appreciate you're reporting. Back home we're learning more about a train crash with several fatality, North in New York City involving a commuter train. We can get report from the scene. These were the initial images that we're seeing. We'll have more on that ahead. Also next, more on what's going to take a fight and defeat ISIS. We'll have the best analysis from Fareed Zakaria, Bob Baer, and one of Americas former commander in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight's Breaking News, Jordan's King Abdullah warping up a meeting at the White House. The King, President Obama discussing ways to response to the latest ISIS act of brutality, the murder by fire of a captured Jordanian pilot.
Let's get some prospective now from retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, former Commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, also former CIA officer Middle East veteran Bob Baer and Fareed Zakaria host of CNN Fareed Zakaria GPS.
I mean the video that they (inaudible) which obviously we're not showing, you know, to the point that was made earlier. It really does seem to reach as a constant upping of the anti on the brutality to try to or track new recruits.
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: It seems like it's going to attempt to shock the world, to get the attention of the world, but it's also part of a very bizarre sequence of events where, you know, I think this is every much plan B or plan C. Remember what happened, Anderson, they took two Japanese hostages. They ask the Japanese for $200 million. The Japanese said no, they executed one, then decided no, we're going to ask for is this failed suicide bomber...
COOPER: Right.
ZAKARIA: ... in Jordan. This is a woman who was involve in fair plot in 2005, nine years ago before ISIS even existed. Everyone have forgotten about her, no one could quite figure out why ISIS was interested in her. I think it was -- they would need it to make up, you know, some demand because the first one hadn't worked. Then that goes array and what you end up whether this, you know, gruesome barbaric spectacle. It tells you they're barbaric, I'm not sure it tells us that their very smart of strategic because this does have the feeling of something that kind of in the end they're in a very different direction than they had intended it to go.
COOPER: It's interesting. Bob, I mean we've been seeing calls revenging Jordan King Abdullah on his way back to from Washington. How do you expect the Jordanians to respond beyond the potential execution of this fails suicide bomber from 2005?
ROBERT BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well frankly, Anderson, I hope they don't execute her. I mean Jordan has ruled by the rule of law. There's court there. You don't execute people in revenge. Now, I realize there's a strongly tribal society and there's a better one's sense of justice. And they're going to want to do this but I hope they don't do it. But with, you know -- and other thing I like to say is you have to look at what was bizarre about this, is the Islamic state exists in tribal lands, Sunni Arab tribal land.
And they've alienated a potential, I wouldn't say allied, but somebody who have some lingering sympathy. So this group is completely irrational and going into revenge executions is not going to Jordan or us any good.
COOPER: And General, I mean there are some who said look, you look at al-Qaeda in Iraq alienating fellow Sunnis in areas that they controlled overtime and that the legend of the Sunni's awake everything which the U.S. helped precipitate. Do you see this having kind of implications for ISIS that they didn't expect?
LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, U.S. ARMY (RET): This to me Anderson, if ISIS wanted to hit the Trifecta of upsetting people, they certainly did. They have upset the tribes in Jordan associated with Lieutenant Kasasbeh. They've upset the government and they've upset the Imam's. So they've hit the tribes, the institutions and the religions, all in one shot. If we have had that kind of support from our enemy in Iraq, we probably would have been able to end the war much quicker.
What we saw in the awakening in 2006 and '07, was the tribal leaders saying that Al-Qaeda was too brutal form (ph). They wanted to revolt, the theory of it was a U.S. driven thing, it's just not true, it's the tribal leaders stepping forward and saying, "These people are bizarre. We want them out our territory." You're going to see the same thing now in this part of the world. This was a very huge strategic blunder for ISIS.
COOPER: And Fareed, do you believe it essential for Arab leaders, other Arab leaders besides King Abdullah to call out ISIS as what they're disband tugs, the murderers who were killing Muslims as much of nobody else.
ZAKARIA: Yeah, I think this -- I would agree with both the other guess in that this gives us the opportunity or this gives people like the modern Arabs takes the opportunity. But they have to present this in the right length. The first thing they have to point out and the King of Jordan is the perfect person to say this because he is traditionally considered to be a descendent of the prophet. He should make clear, this is totally unIslamic.
The burning of anybody it's like killing somebody but the burning of somebody dead or alive is profoundly alien and hostile to Islamic traditions. Secondly, that this people are killing Muslims, that they're doing this for no apparent purpose, you know, you've got this sort of present this in ideological narrative that defeats the ideological narrative of ISIS. ISIS is narrative as we're the only guys standing up for you the ordinary Sunni's. The Arab tends to be quiet in moments like this. And it always so, you know, have we heard from the Saudi regime, have we heard from Egypt.
COOPER: But the thing I mean you should see huge protest when that, you know, Charlie Hebdo publishes a cartoon against the publishing of cartoon. You don't see huge protest in the street throughout the Arab world against ISIS.
ZAKARIA: Right. And that's a cartoon. That's, you know, lines of ink on paper. Here you have somebody burned alive. And shouldn't we -- we decide the protest. Shouldn't we be hearing from, you know, the major Ammans, the major -- and to be (inaudible) some of it does happen. But I mean, this is the opportunity.
COOPER: Right.
ZAKARIA: You have to cast this in that light in order to get from the ideological charge you need that people were talking about. The (inaudible) did a very good job of that, of encouraging, you know, this Sunni tribes to revolt.
COOPER: Right. Bob, how vulnerable is Jordan? I mean, this video that's been released beyond the horror of these murders, this barbaric murder, it's really also, you know, it ends with them showing the photographs of other Jordanian pilots involved in the effort, publishing, you know, the basis that they believe to be leaving on this -- and giving, you know, putting target on their back for giving out, say a 100 denaris to anybody who kills a Jordanian pilot.
How vulnerable is the (inaudible).
BAER: Well, Anderson, I think this is going to be an important political step for the King in the right direction because the tribes until now had their doubts about this war. They said it's not our war. Why should we be bombing the Sunnis in Iraq and Syria when there's a pro-Iranian government in Baghdad. We're on the wrong side.
They were complaining about this very (inaudible) with the King in private. And now, the tribe see -- these people really have gone beyond the pale. There is no remedy to this. We can't deal with them.
And I think even the tribes in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East and I think even in the Gulf where there's some support for the Islamic state. I could see this turning around and I think that's the only positive note to come out of this barbarity.
COOPER: General, its' hard to see the results on the ground from this U.S.-led coalition. From your advantage point, what do you see? How do you think its going?
HERTLING: This is going to be a -- well, from the standpoint of the coalition that was conducting operations prior to this, I believe and from what my contacts are telling me, it's going swimmingly well in Iraq better than they would have expected right now. The Iraqi army is coming back to the forefront.
It's still a little bit sporty in Syria. But that's where this is going to help as well if King Abdullah can actually calm the tribes a little bit. You know, this is a guy who will contribute greatly because of his past military experiences, not only with Special Operations Forces and Aircraft but also with the Intelligence and the ability to get inside the tribal lands in Syria. This is a huge step forward in an area where we didn't have great coverage. We had good coverage in Syria, but it Iraq we're seeing some big successes. And I think as the spring continues, we're going to see even better success against ISIS because the tribes are rebelling and the government is beginning to get its act together.
COOPER: General Hertling, I appreciate you're being on, Fareed Zakaria as well, Bob Baer, thank you.
Just ahead, breaking news, deadly training car crash, North in New York City, at least six people killed. We have details ahead.
Also coming up, the measles outbreaks sparking debate among politicians. Well the overwhelming majority of scientists and doctors say there is no debate at all.
We're answering your questions about vaccines ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Breaking news from New York. A deadly commuter train accident during rush hour earlier this evening in Westchester County where Metro-North train hit at least one car, at least six people have been killed including a motorist. Five people were killed on the train.
Again, these are earlier reports. At least a dozen others were injured. Apparently, it happened in the veteran community of Valhalla, New York. According to local CNN affiliate WABC, a Jeep Cherokee got stuck on the tracks at about 6:30 tonight. The gates came down on top of the vehicle. The driver going to out and check on the damage, then got back in and was struck and killed by the train. Again, that's according to WABC.
Between 7:15, 800 people were said to be on the train at that time. And again, at least a dozen passengers were injured. In the earlier reports indicated about six people have died, five of them are from the train itself.
We'll continue to update that throughout the evening.
We turn now at the measles outbreak. At least 102 people in a 14 states have contracting measles in January 1st. A disease that was declared eradicated in this country 15 years ago. And the outbreak is reignited to debate about vaccines.
Now overwhelmingly, doctors and scientists say it's no-brainer. Get your kids vaccinate. Some politicians though continues to suggest it's more of a gray area. First, it was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Senator Rand Paul, now Republican Senator Sean Duffy of Wisconsin is weighing as well.
Here is what he said on MSNBC when he was asked, "Do be believed that all children should be vaccinated.?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. SEAN DUFFY, WISCONSIN: For me, I want that to be my choice as a parent. And you know what? I know my kids best. I know what morals and values are right for my children and I think we should not have an oppressive state telling us what to do.
Now, the community might say, "Well Mr. Duffy, if you don't want to vaccine your kids, you can't send them to school", that maybe fair. But I do think -- I want to make sure we continue to let parents make these decisions for their kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well we ask you to send us your question online. We got a larger response view for you. Tonight, we're tackling more of those questions with Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Irwin Redlener, Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University.
Sanjay, one of the major concerns I hear a lot on Twitter from parents is that so many vaccines are given such a short period of time. What does science actually say? Is there a danger in that? And also the converse, is there a danger in spreading the vaccines out over a period of time that some parents do?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So with regard to the first that, you know, this idea that we're taking too many vaccines, that's a problem and that's become unsafe in some way.
There's really no science to back that up. And I want to show you something, Anderson, that we put together, that I think it makes that point, it's a graph that shows how much of a load of vaccine we used to give. And take a look there back in 1980, 3500, that number doesn't really mean anything to you but that's the amount of antigens, sort of a vaccine that was given to people.
And now, we give about 125 and 150. You can see that line in 2015. During that same time, autism rates went up. So despite the fact that we in fact give less vaccine now...
COOPER: It's interesting.
GUPTA: ... the autism rates have gone up. So it's just an interesting point to make but there's no scientist suggest that we give vaccines to the point because there's so many of them that is unsafe.
Delaying vaccines could be a problem in that. There's (ph) longer period of time where kids are unvaccinated. So either if you're given the vaccine late or you're giving the booster shot late, the kids just started getting their full immunity as early as they could. They could more easily get the virus and they can get the infection and more easily spread it.
COOPER: You agree with that?
DR. IRWIN REDLENER, PRESIDENT CHILDREN'S HEALTH FUND: I do agree with it. And the other thing is that we've actually trying to bunch the vaccines together as much as possible because that's for the convenience of the family and for keeping the children from getting more discomfort they need to get.
So if they give everything at a combine time -- at a combine time in one place then you are saving a lot of discomfort and, you know, (inaudible) with the kids. And so that's a good thing. And it's never been shown to have any problems or whatsoever when you combine them.
COOPER: And Sanjay, Kyle Segal (ph) wanted us to answer this one. He writes, "Can people who have been vaccinated still carry and spread the disease they've been vaccinated against?"
GUPTA: Yes. The answer is yes. And here is the reason why. First of all, giving the vaccine doesn't typically give you 100 percent protection. It may get you close to high 90s, 97, 99, percent protection but not 100 percent.
There's also some people that just don't seem to respond of the vaccine despite the fact that you're given the vaccine, you kind of teach their immune system how to fight the virus, their immune systems just don't work. So those people could be vaccinated, still get the infection and still spread it.
So, you know, those are two groups that sort of come to mind.
COOPER: Dr. Redlener, a lot of questions also, on just the persistent misinformation that's out there particularly online. Justin William (ph) is asking, "Why does a movement like this gain traction despite countless debunking?" Talking about the anti-vaccine?
REDLENER: You know, this is one of the things that is really been fiddling (ph) to all of us, you know, a scientists, public health officials, doctors, thinking if we simply give you the facts that the decisions will follow rationally and people will do the right thing. But it turns out and Sanjay and I have talked about this at length that very often if people have very strong belief systems and big ideological pressures to believe one thing versus another or they are politically motivated, that kind of drivers will actually trump science, unfortunately.
There's a lot that we don't know but it's a mysterious process and some people will be rational to say, here is the information, I'm going to follow this. And other people will basically disregard the information or interpret it in ways that will allow them to keep their original belief system.
COOPER: We should also point out that the percentage or the number of parents who are actually don't get their kids vaccinated is much smaller compared to the percentage of parents who do vaccinate their kids.
I think often times, because we hear and we have some guest say this, because we hear so much about the people who don't vaccinate, some parents kind of think, oh well, there is this huge amount of parents who aren't vaccinating their kids and that gives them some cover when they actually learn. Well, actually the vast majority of parents do vaccinated their kids, a kind of makes them feel more comfortable in getting their kids vaccinated.
REDLENER: That's a great point too. And you can imagine, if we didn't have the social media amplifying what is a very tiny group of people who are refusing the vaccine of their children, it would probably be a non-issue in fact.
COOPER: Right. I'm bombarded by people on Twitter who are part of this anti, you know, vaccination movement. If you look at the number of people who are actually following, if you look at the number, you know, it's a small group of diehard people who are pushing this.
REDLENER: Exactly.
COOPER: Yeah. Sanjay, Lisa Keith (ph) wanted to know, "What about those of us allergic to an ingredient of the vaccine like neomycin, do we have any other options?" I don't know if I pronounced that correct?
GUPTA: Yeah. Yeah, you did. Neomycin is an antibiotic that's often put in the vaccine to prevent it from developing some sort of bacterial contamination. Typically, the vaccine is made up of a little bit of inactivated virus from -- in this case, measles, mumps, and rubella. Often times, there are some egg culture in that that allows that inactivated virus to sort of be suspended in the antibiotics.
I should point out that thimerasol which a mercury preservative is not and was never in the MMR, this measles, mumps, rubella vaccine.
Having said that, people can be allergic to different components of it and a lot of times manufacturers can create the vaccine without a particular component. Eggs, for example, is one of the big allergies often associated with allergies to vaccines and people can make this vaccines in particular for those individuals without eggs or give some medicines ahead of time to try and diminish the allergic symptoms.
COOPER: It's good to know.
Sanjay, thanks very much and Dr. Redlener as well. Thank you.
REDLENER: Thank you.
COOPER: Well, just ahead in this hour, prosecutor found dead in Argentina. Was it suicide or was he murdered because he was about to drop a bombshell about a massive cover up involving a decades of terror attack.
Drew Griffin investigates a deadly mystery, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: About the ingredients of the story you're about to see would make a great spy novel. A prosecutor who died, a nation's Charismatic Chief Executive under attack and deadly bombing unsolved for two decades. And practical universal opinion that no one is telling the complete truth.
And none of this that was (inaudible) is all playing out in the streets and in the backrooms of Buenos Aires and went from a to (inaudible) to boil just last month. That's where the man who'd worked a decade to solve the bombing died.
His passing reignited global interest and the mystery is so compelling that we're asking our investigative correspondent Drew Griffin to travel to Argentina. Here is what he found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Slump inside a bathroom of this 13th floor, Buenos Aires apartment, 51 year old Alberto Nisman was found dead. A bullet to his head, a 22 caliber pistol at his side.
Initial account say its suicide. But in a country where politics are as intriguing and complicated as the national dance, the conspiracy theories begin to twirl.
At news stands, at cafes, the conclusion is simple, murder. Led in part by a controversial, 61-year old President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner who implies she knows it was no-suicide, its murder. And all part of a plot against her.
But the question lingers, who would do that.
PATRICIA BULLRICH, DEPUTY, ARGENTINA CONGRESS: These are very few crisis, institutional crisis because prosecutor have been killed, murder, and suicide but he is dead.
GRIFFIN: Nisman was scheduled to testify in front of Congresswoman Patricia Bullrich's committee the very next day after he was dead. His report details allegations that she says if proven true would reveal a bomb show about the worst terrorist attack in Argentina's history pointing to a massive cover up between Iran and Argentina's ruling administration lead by President Fernandez de Kirchner.
On Saturday night, Bullrich talked to Nisman calm and working by phone.
BULLRICH: Fifteen hours later he was dead.
GRIFFIN: Since his death, Nisman's nearly 300 page report has been released.
BULLRICH: The most important information in the investigation of Nisman is that the Argentina government want to take away the responsibility of Iran in the bombing of AMIA. They want to destroy the investigation of the Argentina justice. That is their most...
GRIFFIN: You believe that's the core of what he found there?
BULLRICH: That is the core of the investigation of Nisman. GRIFFIN: To understand the magnitude of the charge you have to go back 20 years to one of the darkest days in the history of Argentina's Jewish community.
On July 18th, 1994, a van loaded with 600 pounds of ammonium nitric fertilizer parked on this Buenos Aires Street in front of Argentina's Jewish Mutual Aid Society known here by its initials AMIA.
At 9:53 in the morning, the van exploded killing 85 and wounding hundreds. Over the years, the investigation has been mired, and intrigue, and allegations of corrupt and incompetent police work. And finally, in 2006, one prosecutor issues arrest warrants for eight Iranian nationals all by now believed to have fled back to Iran.
But after 20 years, no one has ever been brought to trial or even arrested.
It was the prosecutor Nisman who first accused Iran and Iran's former president of being behind the attack. And on the eve of his death, it was the prosecutor now alleging his government and Iran were conspiring and covered it all up.
The allegation cast strip Argentina would get Iranian oil. Iran would get Argentinean grain and conveniently this country this worst terrorist attack would remain unsolved.
By Luis Chevesky (ph), Nisman's death, suicide, or murder and news of a possible cover up by his own government is yet another blow in his 20 years search for justice.
GRIFFIN: This must have come as a complete shock.
His daughter Paula died in the bombing. She was just 21.
GRIFFIN: Are they willing to tell the truth? You don't know?
The truth the facts in the investigation into the prosecutor's death are hard to find. Nisman was under protection of federal police surrounded by bodyguards but on the day before his death, he reportedly told those bodyguards to take their weekend off.
The investigating prosecutor's office mobbed daily by a (inaudible) press has issued only tidbits of information on the killing but those tidbits have fueled endless media speculation.
One report that says no gun powder was found on Nisman's hands is what has most Argentineans convinced this was a suicide made to look like a suicide, a murder. Suicidar is the new term suicidal no matter how impractical that may be.
There would be assassin would first need to get through the security of the building then get into the building itself finally getting in a coded elevator and up to the apartment where you would have to get inside the apartment, kill Nisman in his bathroom and then back out while locking the door from the inside.
It sounds implausible, yes but this Argentina, nothing gets in the way of a good conspiracy.
Last week, President Fernandez de Kirchner appeared on television in a wheelchair from her home to propose yet another conspiracy. She believes that prosecutor's death was caused by rogue agents in Argentina's own spy community and the rogue agents are trying to create a murder mystery to incriminate her.
She has announced plans to dissolve the nation's spy agency.
But suspicions here took another leap this weekend when it was revealed Alberto Nisman have drafted an arrest warrant for the president and their foreign minister dated last July, it was found in his garbage can.
Congresswoman Bullrich says all faith in Argentina's justice system has been destroyed with one bullet.
BULLRICH: If the judge and the prosecutor they are investigating Nisman's death say that it was a suicide, nobody will believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: That's fascinating. Drew Griffin, joins us now. So the fact the dead prosecutor drawn up in a restaurant for the president it seems that indicated he really did believe she was somehow involved in the cover up.
GRIFFIN: Yeah, it's just more than mystery though, Anderson. He draws up the arrest warrant but doesn't release it, doesn't filed it with the court instead he threw it in the trash. The warrant does alleged what he also alleged in his report to Congress that President Kirchner and others he believes including her foreign minister will deliberately trying to obstruct this investigation into the Jewish and their bombing, so they can work out some kind of deal with Iran.
It does co-author the president's arrest in the warrant. But again, Anderson, he never filed it. He's dead. We don't know why he threw it in the trash, if he did throw it in the trash.
COOPER: And I mean despite all the suspicions, it could be a suicide?
GRIFFIN: Yeah. Over the weekend, DNA results were returned on the gun, on his clothing, on the bullets, they all matched just one person, him Alberto Nisman who is found with a bullet in his head and a gun at his side. But I'm telling you, 70 percent of this country still believes it's a murder.
COOPER: And I mean based on what you just reported this awful bombing 20 years ago will ever actually be solved?
GRIFFIN: Well the odds appeared to be really against it they can't even a prosecutor willing to come forward now and pick up the case that Nisman left unfinished.
There is so much intrigue and so much political hot potato going on with this investigation and you have some fear, genuine fear because we've got a prosecutor that many people believe may have been killed because of what he was alleging.
COOPER: Wow. (inaudible) Drew, I appreciate it. Thanks very much. Up next, what a jury in a murder trial Former NFL Star Aaron Hernandez did to get kicked off the case. Susan Candiotti is inside the court room. She joins us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: We're now in breaking news from just north of New York City, the deadly commuter train accident during rush hour earlier this in evening in the Westchester County Town of Valhalla. The Metro-North Train hitting a jeep at a train crossing killing the driver and five people in that train. At least a dozen others have been injured.
On the phone joining us right is Matt Spillane, he's a reporter for local paper The Journal News and lohud.com.
Matt, so what's the latest on this? What do we know? How did that happened?
MATT SPILLANE, REPORTER, THE JOURNAL NEWS: Well, we don't know exactly how this happened but somehow a train and an uncommon car that was going to cross, the truck collided not sure at this point, you know, who will (inaudible) that fault but we do know that it was fail. There are multiple fatalities at least a dozen people injured and a very hectic scene as people try to see (inaudible) exactly what happened.
COOPER: And most of the people on the train, there are a hundreds of people on this train. I understand from a number of reports, many of them we're able to evacuate through the rear of the train. Do you know where they are now?
SPILLANE: Yes, so at this point, all the passengers haven't cleared from the scene. What happened really after the train stopped, passengers were directed to (inaudible) facility, that was across the street. It turned as a sort of holding center where people could stay warm while authorities figuring out what to do.
It was a little bit disorganized, you know, some people took (inaudible) themselves to do call for ride, other people were seeing walking to local restaurant and where everyone has been walking distance.
Other people did wait and authority did organize busses to come and pick passengers up, bring them to the next train station (inaudible) North and then they could be taken home from there by train.
COOPER: All right Matt.
SPILLANE: But passengers (inaudible), yes.
COOPER: Yeah, I appreciate the update again. Still unclear the exact number of fatalities. The early report as Matt was saying that we have from other sources as well, five people on the train killed, one person, the driver of that vehicle which was said to be stalled or on the train truck itself, also killed.
We'll continue to follow this through out the evening. We do want to get the latest and other stories were following. Amara Walker has 360 bullet. Amara.
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Anderson. The daughter of the Whitney Houston has been moved to a new hospital. Bobbi Kristina Brown is now at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. She remains in a medically induced coma after being found unresponsive in a tub full of water at her home over the weekend.
Former Rap Mogul "Suge" Knight was rushed to the hospital today after pleading not guilty to murder in a fatal hit and run. After entering his plead, he complained of chest pains. If convicted, Knight faces up to life imprisonment.
Charlie Hebdo will return to French newsstands on February 25th the month and a half after the deadly terrorist attack at its office in Paris. The satirical magazine lost 10 staff members in the massacre.
And 55 years after To Kill a Mocking Bird Harper Lee will publish a new book in July "Go Set a Watchman" follow Scout, the little girl and Mocking Bird as an adult. Lee, now 88 completed it in the 1950s but set aside to write the (inaudible) winning Mocking Bird, Anderson.
COOPER: Wow, I look forward to that. Amazing. Amara, thanks very much. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: (inaudible) through the Aaron Hernandez murdered trial, some unexpected drama, juror was kicked off the case. The judge said she imposed a substantial risk to the fairness of the trial. So the question is, what did she do to herself dismissed? Susan Candiotti reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron Hernandez losses a possible ally when a female juror gets the boot thrown off the jury on day three. After the trial judge questions her fairness.
SUSAN GARSH, HERNANDEZ TRIAL JUDGE: The juror expressed an opinion to the effect in the absence of a weapon. It would be hard to convict.
CANDIOTTI: That opinion could have helped the defense because the 45 caliber gun used to kill Odin Lloyd is still missing.
Prosecutor say the former New England Patriot tight-end is seen holding that weapon in this home security video recorded minutes after Lloyd death in 2013.
His girlfriend breaking down in tears on the witness stand Tuesday describing the moment the police called to tell her Lloyd had been shot dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you learned?
SHANEAH JENKINS, ODIN LLOYD'S GIRLFRIEND: That Odin was dead.
CANDIOTTI: Prosecutors have Lloyd on video getting picked up at his house in a car driven by Hernandez taking to it industrial park near Hernandez's home where he's shot six times. After learning Lloyd is dead, Jenkins tells the juror she drives to Lloyd's home on faced in street to console his family.
Prosecutors asked whether Hernandez does the same thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When if ever did you see the defendant at face in the street?
JENKINS: Never.
CANDIOTTI: Later at Hernandez's home Jenkins says Hernandez consoles her.
JENKINS: He asked me if I was OK. He put his had on my shoulder, kind of rubbed my shoulder and told me he'd been through this death thing before. It will get better with time.
CANDIOTTI: Jenkins says her sister Shayanna, Hernandez's fiancee, was acting secretively while receiving lots of calls and text messages. Ultimately getting what prosecutors call a coded text messages from Hernandez.
Shayanna then barrows her sister's car saying she needs to run to the bank.
Prosecutor say Shayanna used the car to throw out a garbage bag suspected of holding that still missing murder weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Susan Candiotti joins me now. So what else can you tell us about the female juror who was dismissed?
CANDIOTTI: Trouble on day three, imagine. And the judge said that she found credible evidence that this juror had talked about this case for the last year and a half, that she wanted to be on the jury, that she was discussing evidence that was inadmissible, and that she had misled the judge by answers on her questionnaire that she had attended far fewer games, Patriot games, New England Patriot games, than she actually had. So now we're down to 17 jurors instead of 18, which goes to show you how important it is to have those extra alternates, Anderson.
COOPER: Susan Candiotti, appreciate it. That's it for us tonight. "CNN TONIGHT" with Don Lemon starts now.