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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

World Stands with France against Terror; Paris Terror Investigation Widens

Aired January 12, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman from Paris. Great to see you this morning. It's 5:30 a.m. in the East. It's 11:30 here Paris time.

And the outpouring of emotion here is still enormous. I'm standing in front of the office of "Charlie Hebdo." And you can still see so many Parisians coming to this memorial with the flowers here. And I have seen people still with tears on their cheeks all these days later.

France and the world have been standing together against terror in the wake of last week's deadly attacks here at the magazine and also the attack on the kosher supermarket.

Here in Paris, about 1.3 million people took to the streets here and France overall 3.7 million people marched in anti-terror rallies. Officials say that's the biggest outpouring, the biggest gathering in French history.

Among the millions of people there were 40 world leaders including Britain's prime minister, Germany's chancellor, but no top American, no president, no vice president, no first lady, just the ambassador.

The event here was peaceful despite its huge size. And also there were new threats of terrorism inside France and elsewhere. French police sources tell CNN that terror sleeper cells were activated over the weekend.

In the United States, the New York Police Departments, other law enforcement, they are on alert this morning after ISIS re-released this video. The video calls for followers to rise up and kill intelligence officers, police, soldiers, civilians. New York Police officials taking extra precaution now that this video has been released again.

I'm joined this morning by senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen.

Fred, you were out in the marches. You saw this just enormous showing.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a gigantic showing and it was really a very positive showing.

First of all, it's been a long time since I have been at a demonstration where they say "Vive La Presse," long live the press. I mean, that's something that we don't --

BERMAN: Unusual.

PLEITGEN: Yes, very unusual. And they were holding up a pen. And a pen has really sort of become one of the symbols of the backlash against these terrorist organizations. It was interesting because you have these chants where people are going, you know, I'm not afraid. We're not going to let our society be dominated by terrorists. Now all of a sudden the entire crowd goes silent and they all just hold up pens obviously to show that the pen is not going to be silenced by the violence that happened here.

So it was amazing. And I think one of the things that was really important for yesterday also was the fact that you had all these world leaders here as you said coming from Germany, coming from Britain. But none of them spoke. There were no -- there were no public speeches by politicians. So you could really see that this was the backlash of civil society against violence.

Because there's many people here, Muslims, Jews from all walks of life, who were just absolutely sickened by the fact that people were gunned down for drawing comics. I think it's something where people say this is really -- you know, we understand that people might have grievances, but this is just way out of line.

BERMAN: Even that while they're showing the power of the pen, though, France officially is also needing to call on the sword as well.

PLEITGEN: Yes.

BERMAN: We got word this morning that they are calling out some 8,000 additional security personnel at key locations around the country.

PLEITGEN: Yes.

BERMAN: Including half of them, some 4,000 personnel, that will be deployed in synagogues and Jewish schools around the country.

PLEITGEN: Yes, certainly. And that's something that's been very important to the French. Remember that the incident that happened at the kosher supermarket. The French president came out and called that an anti-Semitic act almost immediately. And the Jewish community here is on edge and they have been for a while.

BERMAN: Even before this.

PLEITGEN: Yes. They've been warning about rising anti-Semitism, they've been warning about anti-Semitic attacks. And we've reported this that last year, 7,000 Jews left this country to go to other places, mostly to Israel, of course. That's twice as many as in the years before.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We have lost our connection with John and Fred. They are there on the scene just outside of the offices of "Charlie Hebdo." And they're talking about just the reality now in France as they move forward. Such a wonderful moment yesterday with all of those people, 3.7 million people marching across France. But now, now policies are being placed to protect the French people.

Another part of the story that's so interesting this morning. All of those people marching across France, 40 world leaders, really an image of solidarity. But the highest level of American officials at Sunday's anti-terror rally in Paris was the U.S. ambassador to France, Jane Hartley. Secretary of State John Kerry was in India, attending a long-established entrepreneurship summit. President Obama stayed in Washington.

Now the absence of top level officials is drawing criticism.

CNN's Erin McPike is in Washington with more on the administration's decision.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, keep in mind when President Obama travels anywhere in the world, it activates some very deeply complex security protocols that could, of course, be distracting and take away from the overall significance of the event. But the White House did send U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley to the event and then, also, the deputy Homeland Security secretary was in Paris for meetings, as was Attorney General Eric Holder.

And he met with some foreign leaders on counterterrorism efforts. And he addressed that on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have seen these kinds of attacks, or attempts at these kinds of attacks, certainly in the United States. We have seen things like this in the United Kingdom. We've seen this in Nairobi. We've seen this in Australia and Canada.

This is the nature of the new threat that we must confront. We can, I think, successfully confront it if we share information in a way that perhaps we have not in the past and do a variety of other things. But I am very concerned about what we saw this week in France.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: We also learned early Sunday that the White House will be hosting a summit on countering violent extremism. And that summit will take place on February 18th -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Erin McPike in Washington, thanks for that.

Now this morning the hunt is still on for the last remaining suspect in last week's Paris terror attacks. John is following that part of the story -- John.

BERMAN: Thanks so much, Christine.

Yes, we're just getting word this morning from the Turkish news agency that Hayat Boumeddiene, that is the girlfriend, the religious wife of Amedy Coulibaly, that she passed through Istanbul in early January and then moved on to Syria. And she could be in Syria already.

She's really the last remaining suspect in the terror attacks here. Police say she may have been somehow involved in the attack that killed the police officer the day after the attack here at "Charlie Hebdo." Was she involved somehow in the attack on the supermarket? This is very murky now especially considering what we're hearing from Turkey that perhaps she is already in Syria.

I want to bring in Jim Bittermann, senior European correspondent.

Jim, good morning.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Yes. In fact we think she went to Syria, according to Turkish sources. They went -- she went to Syria right after the attacks here. The 8th is when she passed into Syria.

One of the things that's come out this morning is that the Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that there is no way he thinks that Coulibaly, that was the kosher supermarket attacker, that Coulibaly acted alone. That he had to have an accomplice. And so we're not sure whether he's talking about Boumeddiene or somebody else.

BERMAN: Right.

BITTERMANN: Who might still be around. Another thing I think that they'll be looking into is exactly how on this an attack here at "Charlie Hebdo" how the attackers knew that there was going to be an editorial meeting taking place at exactly that hour with those people concerned. It wasn't the kind of thing where they all hung out here. Some of them worked at different newspapers around town.

But one moment every week that they came together was this editorial meeting. And somehow they had the inside information that it was taking place.

BERMAN: They had the operational details of that paper.

BITTERMANN: Yes.

BERMAN: Now I think investigators are still poring over this video that they got their hands on over the weekend from Coulibaly where he talks about being inspired by ISIS.

BITTERMANN: Exactly. And those kind of videos are -- I think are really helpful. The question is, of course, you know, who's behind this attack? Was it Al Qaeda of Arabian Peninsula or was it ISIS? Coulibaly swears allegiance to ISIS in the video but we know that the Kouachi brothers had been through the training program in Yemen.

So the question is, you know, which group was coordinating this? Or maybe they were acting together. Who knows?

BERMAN: Right.

BITTERMANN: But that's a question that's on the table. There's a lot of things out there. And one of the things the prime minister said this morning is there should be a parliamentary investigation, a commission established to look into this, to know exactly what leads there were ahead of this, and what may have been missed.

BERMAN: All right. Jim Bittermann for us here. And again one other lead that I've been told that they're looking into right now, the French investigators. What were going to do with the rocket propelled grenade launcher that they had?

BITTERMANN: Exactly.

BERMAN: They came here at "Charlie Hebdo." They had the grenade launcher. They didn't use it here. They spent a lot of time in and around the airport. Do they want to take a shot maybe at an airplane at some point? So they're following that up, too.

Jim Bittermann, thanks so much for being with us.

We're going to follow the latest developments here in Paris as they continue to ramp up security as they figure out how to deal with this new heightened threat.

Also we'll have more news on -- from New York. That's all coming up right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Good morning again from Paris. John Berman here. I'm standing outside the offices of "Charlie Hebdo." And as you can see behind me, people still coming to this memorial here. Clearly a sign that France this morning is shaken but not unbowed.

Some 3.7 million people gathered for anti-terror marches on Sunday all over the country. Officials say it's the largest rally in French history.

While that's going on, investigators are trying to follow all the threads. What led up? What was behind the terror attacks at "Charlie Hebdo" and also at the kosher supermarket? They are combing through the backgrounds of the Kouachi brothers, whom police say attacked this building behind me.

They're also looking at Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four hostages inside that supermarket, and also his partner, his wife, his girlfriend, Hayat Boumeddiene. She's believed to be on the run and could already be in Syria this morning. That's a new piece of information right there.

Joining us now here in Paris is Christine Ockrent. She is a journalist. She's a former COO of the network's France 24 and also RFI.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

CHRISTINE OCKRENT, FORMER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FRANCE 24 AND RFI: Hi, there. BERMAN: People here this morning, you can still see the glow of all

the people who participated in this enormous rally here in Paris and throughout the city. I think it was cathartic for so many of them. And I think they appreciated the leaders from all over the world who came here to be part of that rally.

Now some leaders that did not come were from the United States. No president, no vice president, no first lady, no secretary of state. How do you think that's being received here in Paris this morning?

OCKRENT: Well, frankly, there's such -- there was so much -- so much trauma. So much emotion. People are still very self-centered, but very proud indeed that, you know, some 50 leaders from all over the world did come, including some who really have nothing to do with the freedom of the press, I'm sorry to say.

And so it is true that the fact that there was no major American figure is the most so strange as indeed we were all extremely touched when John Kerry spoke French. He was the first to react. When President Obama went to the French embassy, which was a very unique moment.

And so, yes, in my view, it's a mistake. Because what we all stood for, what we all marched for yesterday was indeed those very values which we in our Western democracies have in common.

BERMAN: We share. And of course, you know, France being the United States' oldest ally.

Talk about what next here in Paris and in France. After September 11th in the United States, the United States Congress passed the Patriot Act. All these measures to heighten security, to allow more investigative, you know, leeway to law enforcement around that country, really around the world as well.

Will anything like that happen here, do you think? How far will the French people be willing to go?

OCKRENT: I think there will be a very fierce and immediate controversy about the need indeed to make people feel more secure and therefore accept more infringements on their civil liberties. And the -- you know, the only Batharian (ph) tradition in this country is already starting. And what I'm concerned about that there is such an emotional hangover, you know, that's really starting this morning.

The great deal of expectations, but how are our politicians going to meet those expectations however contradictory they may be? And I think tomorrow, starting tomorrow in parliament, they will be -- you know, the opposition, of course, will ask for an investigation about all of mishaps of the security, the information. The fact that these three guys who were known to be dangerous could actually, you know, be free and operate the way they did.

So I think, you know, politics will take over and people at large in this country will be once again disappointed with their politicians. BERMAN: And, Christine, we're talking about the attacks here. We're

talking about the unity. I don't want to leave the idea of the victims behind. And you just told me you had lunch with one of the cartoonists Georges Wolinski, who was 80 years old. He was one of the men killed behind us here. You went out and had lunch with him just a short time ago.

OCKRENT: Yes. Indeed. It was just before Christmas. He was a dear friend. A very feisty and gentle guy. You know, it's difficult to -- he was the oldest. Certainly the most famous in the sense that his cartoons would appear not only in "Charlie Hebdo" which is still a French publication, even if it's become a national monument now.

But Wolinski was an extremely talented, funny, good-humored individual. And I think that the tribute paid to that woman and these men, but also the tribute paid to the four Jewish victims at that kosher grocery store, to the police. I think it's the fact that these victims again are the symbols of --

BERMAN: Of this nation.

OCKRENT: You know, of --

BERMAN: It's France. It's what it stands for.

OCKRENT: Of the nation and it's -- they're all, you know, each of them is just as precious

BERMAN: Christine Ockrent, thanks so much for being with us this morning. I really appreciate it.

OCKRENT: Thank you.

BERMAN: Christine?

ROMANS: Thanks for that.

We're following the very latest on the Paris terror attacks all morning long, of course. But first, breaking news in the search for AirAsia Flight 8501. One black box retrieved. The other has been located. We've got those new developments for you live right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Happening now. People around the world standing with France opposing terror. Officials in France say more than 3.7 million people attended rallies across the country Sunday following last week's terror attacks on "Charlie Hebdo," the magazine, and on a kosher market.

Forty world leaders linking arms at the head of the march in Paris. There was no top level U.S. official among them.

The final suspect in last week's attacks still at large. An international manhunt underway this morning for Hayat Boumeddiene, the wife of the man who police say killed four hostages in the Jewish supermarket before police shot and killed him. Officials say her last known location was on Turkey's border with Syria.

You can't kill an idea. That's what Mark Zuckerberg posted on Facebook overnight in response to videos of unity marches. He wrote, quote, "As long as we are connected, then no attackers by extremists can stand in the way of history, toward freedom and acceptance for all. Zuckerberg has also used the "Je Suis Charlie" hash tag that has become one of the most popular hashtags now in history.

Fifty-one minutes past the hour, another look at your money here this morning. European stocks higher. So are U.S. stock futures right now. Oil prices are sliding again this morning. Crude oil trading for about $47 a barrel. Price has been in a freefall for months. They seemed to stabilize at $48 a barrel last week. But then fell again this morning.

Now to breaking news in the search for AirAsia Flight 8501. Divers have retrieved one of the jetliner's two black boxes. It was discovered under part of the plane's wing. And now efforts are under way to recover the critical cockpit voice recorder.

I want to bring in David Molko, tracking the latest developments for us, live from Jakarta, important from an investigation point of view but this family still would like to retrieve more bodies.

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Absolutely, Christine. Super important. A major breakthrough. The pieces of this puzzle are coming together more than two weeks after Flight 8501 went down in the Java Sea.

The flight data recovered. We've seen pictures of it being brought on shore and transferred into a large bin full of saltwater. The good news according to the transport safety chief, the black box appears to be in very good condition. Kept in the saltwater, of course, to minimize any further damage until they can get it to the lab and pull that critical data off.

Christine, he is saying it should take about two or three days to retrieve the data. Analysis of that to figure out what just exactly happened on board that flight, especially in its final minutes will take more time. The cockpit voice recorder, officials now 100 percent certain it is down there in the Java Sea. They say they know the exact location. Weather proving to be the difficulty here. Divers not in the water because the currents are just so strong.

Christine, let me just mention the families again. The search for the fuselage where many of the bodies are believed still continuing at this point. Even (INAUDIBLE) lost seven members of his family, some of them are still missing. He told us a short time ago please, please continue the search for the missing bodies. They are feeling, some of the families, that the black boxes have become the priority rather than recovering their family members.

The president of Indonesia, though, Christine, promising that the search and rescue effort will continue until all on board are returned home -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. David, thank you for those new developments this morning in AirAsia Flight 8501.

In the wake of the massive hack tacks at Sony, Target and Home Depot, President Obama calling for more transparency when companies notify customers in a breach. In a speech today, he is expected to call for a national standard requiring companies inform their customers within 30 days that they've been hacked. He's also making a push for student privacy. He wants to keep technology firms from profiting from information collected in schools as more teachers use tablets, online services and software.

Fifty-four minutes past the hour. Hackers planning their revenge on French jihadists for last week's terror attacks. We're going to tell you what they're doing as we get an EARLY START on your money next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this Monday morning.

U.S. stock futures moving higher after the Dow fell 170 points on Friday. That erased all the gains for 2015.

Oil prices sliding again this morning. Crude oil trading about $47 a barrel right now. Prices have been in a freefall for months. Cut in half since last summer. That's because of weak demand and a supply glut. Gas prices are falling with it. The national average for a gallon of regular this morning, $2.13. The lowest in almost six years.

Hackers declaring war on terrorists. Retaliation for the attack on "Charlie Hebdo." Members of the group Anonymous announced #opcharliehebdo. They have hijacked a French jihadist Web site which now redirects to the search engine Duck Duck Go. The group also named dozens of Twitter accounts that Anonymous says belongs to territories.

We're following the latest on the Paris terror attacks all morning long.

"NEW DAY" starts right now.