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Man Decapitated in France Terror Attack; Nine Killed in Sightseeing Plane Crash; More Details Emerge about Church Massacre Shooter's Plans; Prison Guard Admits Providing Tools to Fugitives; Defining Week for Obama Presidency? Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired June 26, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[05:58:30] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome to your NEW DAY. Alisyn is in Charleston. John Berman is here, in for Chris Cuomo. We are starting with breaking news.

There's been an apparent terrorist attack at a factory in southeastern France. There are gruesome details coming in. We want to give you what we know at this point. A man has been beheaded. Several others have been injured. We know that one person is in custody, although the detail is not clear if whether that person that's been arrested was an attacker.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Again, the details coming in just over the last several minutes now. Let's get the very latest. CNN's Jim Bittermann tracking the developments for us live from Paris.

Good morning, Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

In fact, the latest we have is that the Paris prosecutor's office has commissioned its anti-terrorism section to start investigating this crime, which suggests that they think this was a terrorist act. They're not saying or not confirming, anyway at this point that there is somebody under arrest. But that's what a lot of people are reporting. That they have arrested one person. It's not clear whether that's a suspect or somebody else that might have been at the scene.

As far as we know, basically, what happened was, according to reports, about two hours ago, two men in a car, apparently loaded with explosives, crashed into the gate, the front gate of this air products plant, which is a company to the south of Lyon, about 25 miles from Lyon that makes all kinds of industrial compressed gases. And they crashed into the gate. The explosion in the car took place. And, there were no further, at least as far as we know, secondary explosions. We also aren't sure about injuries. We heard there may have been some people injured.

But the most gruesome detail was the fact that a decapitated body was found nearby, with the head, apparently, hooked to a fence, along with an Islamicist (sic) flag and from writing in Arabic. This is according to reports. But in any case, that's where things stand now.

Of course, the interior minister is on his way down there. And as I said, the -- obviously, the Paris prosecutor's office believes that this is a terrorism-related event. They're usually in charge any time terrorism takes place in France -- John.

BERMAN: Jim Bittermann for us in Paris. Jim, get back to the phones right now. Let's find out what we can on this.

Joining us now is counterterror analyst Dave -- Daveed Gartenstein- Ross.

Daveed, thanks for being with us. Let me recap what we know, because this information, again, just coming in.

An explosion at a chemical factory, a factory that deals with compressed air near the city of Lyon in France. One suspect in custody right now. Also nearby, a decapitated body found with apparently Arabic writing, some kind of note nearby. This is what we're dealing with now.

Let's try to figure out what we can learn from this as the terrorist section in France is investigating. Daveed, what do you make of this? This is obviously, or apparently a multilevel attack. There was someone beheaded. There was an attempted bombing or explosive device with a car driving into this plant. What do you think?

DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS, COUNTERTERROR ANALYST, FOUNDATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: The first thing that is important to flag in a conversation like this is that, when you have breaking news where there's been a security-related incident such as this, usually first reports do contain inaccuracies or potential inaccuracies. So we should understand that this story may move.

Most of what one can say at this point is obvious. I mean, the fact that the very first thought the French authorities should would be that this is a terrorist attack is not exactly rocket science.

I do think, though, that if, indeed, the first reports are correct about the multi-layered attack, that's a fairly complex attack. When you compare it to other attacks that occurred in France, including the "Charlie Hebdo" attack, and the notorious Toulouse attacks, this seems, on the surface, to be quite a bit more complex, which raises the question of whether there's some sort of outside group involvement, even if it's just on the training level.

BERMAN: Because there are two levels here. There's someone decapitated outside. They drove a car with explosives inside.

Now, obviously, Daveed, this comes six months after the attacks on "Charlie Hebdo." France, the posture in there, they have been on high alert against a possible terror attack since. This does show, if in fact, it is a terror attack, that there is, at least, still a will to carry out this type of violence there.

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: Yes, and that's something that was actually clear before. If you look at France foreign fighter numbers, they're quite high. "Charlie Hebdo," of course, got a lot of attention, as it should have. But there have been other attacks in France, as well. If you look back in December, there were several attacks of the lone- wolf variety.

What they -- that ISIS has been very good at -- we don't know if this is ISIS at this point -- but what they have been good at is inspiring lone wolves. They're mastering social media; they've mastered the online domain. It is something that has much more of an effective -- it's much more effective in terms of mobilizing people to violent action, which typically takes group dynamics.

And in ISIS' case, someone can be physically alone, but the online space makes them feel like they're part of a group, which often is an important part of inspiring people to terrorist attacks.

BERMAN: Again, let's just review what we know, Daveed. There was a beheaded body, a decapitated body found not far from this chemical factory near Lyon. There was an attempted car bombing, a car with explosives driven in.

What we also know is that a suspect is in custody. That's unusual in these cases, or at least different than we saw in "Charlie Hebdo." French authorities now have a person to talk to. What might that mean for them?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: It's not that different from what we see in a number of cases, because we don't know who's been picked up. We don't know if it's an attacker or an associate. If it's an attacker, that's unusual.

But as was flagged (ph) earlier in the broadcast, it might be someone else, an associate, a person of interest. It might be someone with more of an indirect connection.

But if they got somebody with a direct connection to the attack, then there's a number of things that they can talk about. The very first thing that's going to be on their mind, of course, is understanding how many attackers there were, whether there are people who are still at loose and whether there's an ongoing danger.

BERMAN: A couple more things I want to cover here. The target itself, this chemical factory, a compressed air plant, why might that be inviting to a terrorist?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: That's interesting. It's not clear right now because, I think, the chance of getting in and getting equipment (ph) was actually fairly low. This seems to be a mission that was either designed as a raid or else as a suicide run. I think we'll learn more about that.

[06:05:14] There are some international connections, including an Iranian connection in terms of ownership/management of the factory. But it's a little bit too early to speculate, because a flood of more details will come out about it fairly soon.

BERMAN: Yes, and obviously, or apparently, there was security around there that prevented some kind of larger attack or more fatalities.

And Daveed, just bring us up to speed. At the current recruitment efforts by ISIS and other terror groups in France. Is it fertile hunting ground for these terror groups?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: France has. France has been fertile hunting ground. It has the highest number of foreign fighters of any western country. Though some states in the Middle East and North Africa eclipse France.

You've had French citizens at fairly high levels of a variety of organizations, including within the so-called Khorasan Group, which is the al Qaeda affiliate that's based in Syria. David Dujean (ph), who is a French citizen, has risen to high levels within that organization.

You've also had a number of both lone-wolf and also small group terrorist attacks inspired in France. "Charlie Hebdo" is the most notorious. I find that there have been several others within the past year, including those on back-to-back-to-back days back in December, which is indicative of the scale of mobilization that has occurred in that country. We don't know at this point, you know, who is responsible for the attack. Obviously, they reported a jihadist flag being there. It's accurate. That's indicative of motivation. But we still wouldn't even know what group carried it out, whether it's al Qaeda or Islamic State.

BERMAN: Daveed, the French are obviously taking this very seriously. We just learned the French prime minister is on his way to the site of the attack right now. The terror section, we are told, has taken over the investigation completely.

If you were involved with this investigation, if you were advising them, what are some of the first things you would tell them to look for?

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: That's an excellent question. The first thing, as we talked about, is to interview the suspect who's reportedly in custody to get a sense of whether there are more attackers and what the level of danger is.

Looking at the methods being used at the scene is important, which can then be traced back, obviously getting all the personal details about the attackers, where they are from, where they lived, who their known associates are, and then to get a sense of whether there's a broader network, looking at their online activity. And these are things the French are going to be doing.

In terms of innovative approaches, those are usually dependent upon there being something in the case that doesn't match other cases. And you start with a routine sweep, which in the 21st century, doing more extensive, much faster than it could have been 20 or 30 years ago to get as much information as we can on these guys and trace down every lead that you can.

BERMAN: Daveed, we're getting a little more detail just in right now. Let me pass it on to you. AFP, Agence France-Presse, is reporting that a suspected Islamist attacker actually pinned the decapitated head, gruesome detail, pinned the head to the gates of this chemical factory, along with a note with some kind of Arabic writing, and then this attacker was arrested. So, two new key pieces of information there.

Let's talk about the awful part first right now. The decapitated hand, obviously some kind of gruesome message trying to be sent by someone.

GARTENSTEIN-ROSS: Absolutely. And depending on the head, that detail had come out before. And one thing that we can take from this is it took the percentages of this in favor of the attacker being either associated with or inspired by ISIS. That organization has been much more overtly brutal. It's done much more to try to shock people than al Qaeda has, which has, of late, taken the tact of going after more acceptable targets and trying to brand itself as the more reasonable jihadist organization.

Even the "Charlie Hebdo" attack, for the people that were trying to appeal to, as gruesome as that attack was, was perceived by many would-be supporters as being an acceptable type of target.

Again, sick as that sounds, that's the way that they have been branding themselves over the course of the past year or several years.

In terms of another piece of information that the attacker was caught, that's actually extraordinarily positive, because you can get much more information from the attacker if you can get him to talk than you can from any other member of the cell, except for people who are at the middleman or leadership level. That should provide a lot of details about the planning of the attack, associates and the like.

So it gives the French authorities the ability to get more information quickly and, you know, start to really pull down other leads much faster than if the persons were peripherally related to the plot.

[06:10:15] BERMAN: They're working that right now. They're working those leads right now.

Again, a suspect in custody after pinning the decapitated head of someone to the gates of a chemical factory. Arabic writing, Islamist notes. Again, the suspect in custody. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, we're going to cover this all morning with all the details as they come in. Our thanks to you -- Mick.

PEREIRA: Turning to other breaking news. A sightseeing plane, a floatplane, crashing into a remote cliff during stormy weather along the southeastern tip of Alaska. Eight of the victims, they were cruise passengers on an excursion during their voyage.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is here with the late-breaking details. What do we know, Miguel?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An awful situation. Dream vacation in Alaska. This is a ship that took off on Saturday, went up the coast. The people then took a tour.

Now the NTSB is on the way to this crash site. And rescuers are trying to find that plane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Overnight, horrible tragedy. A sightseeing plane smashes into a cliff in the Misty Fjords National Monument south of Juneau, killing all nine people on board, including the pilot.

The sea plane, operated by Promech Air, was found against a granite rock cliff face in steep mountainous terrain 800 feet above a lake. The eight passengers on board, guests of the M.S. Westerdam, a Holland America Cruise Line ship. The vessel left Seattle on Saturday for a seven-day round trip cruise. The flight was a shore excursion sold through the company.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone on board is just pretty sad right now. We never like to hear news like that.

MARQUEZ: The names of the victims withheld for now, until their family members are notified. This FAA image captured around the time of the crash highlights the cloudy conditions.

MARQUEZ: That same stormy weather now preventing the immediate recovery of the bodies in the rugged terrain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of ground to cover at this point right now. The investigative team definitely has its job cut out for them.

MARQUEZ: Officials looking to resume the efforts today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, Promech is the company that was running this tour from the ship. Their track record in Alaska is pretty good, it appears. They've been there about 30 years. There was one incident back in 2005 where the FAA says that there was a fire on board, and part of the problem there may have been maintenance.

PEREIRA: Going to be a lot of questions about what was going on and why that flight was flying during stormy weather, et cetera.

Miguel, terrible sadness there on what should have been a dream vacation, as you mentioned. Obviously, we're going to follow this developing story and also our breaking news out of France. But we want to turn to our colleague, Alisyn Camerota, who is in South Carolina. You've been talking to people about this big weekend ahead and this very somber day.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely, Michaela. So I am here in Charleston, South Carolina, where the city is preparing for the funeral of State Senator Clementa Pinckney today. He was also, of course, the pastor of Mother Emanuel Church that you see behind me. It is strewn with flowers this morning. And as the nine victims' families honor their loved ones, there are

also new details emerging about the confessed gunman and what he had planned. So I want to bring in CNN's Victor Blackwell right now. He joins me with more of the details that we're learning.

What have you found out?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indications that Dylan Roof likely wanted a more powerful gun. So unnerving details. Here's what we have.

A police report dated March 13 from Columbia, South Carolina, Police Department, in which an off-duty officer who'd actually busted Roof weeks prior on a drug possession charge, noticed Roof, sitting in a park, in a car, alone, wearing all black. Now, he was off-duty, so he called in another officer. That officer searched Roof's vehicle and found six of those crescent-shaped 40-round magazines and part of an AR-15. Now, if you follow the news, you know an AR-15 has been in the news a lot. It's a semiautomatic rifle.

The officer then, according to this report, spoke with Roof about the AR-15 part. And Roof said that he wanted to buy one but didn't have enough money. He wanted to take it to a gun range.

But Alisyn, when you consider what happened here last week, and he was able to kill nine people, admittedly using a .45 caliber Glock handgun, I mean, an AR-15 is more powerful, more accurate at long range. A former U.S. attorney said it best to a state capitol newspaper, that we ought to be thankful that he did not get his hands on an AR-15.

CAMEROTA: So sickening to think that this was the better case scenario.

BLACKWELL: Right.

CAMEROTA: Victor, thanks so much for that update.

So I do want to just tell you what the scene is like here. It was a very emotional evening last night inside Mother Emanuel Church and outside. There were hundreds of people lining up around the block here for this viewing of Pastor Pinckney. And outside, there were even people singing gospel hymns. It was just really a sweet and intense scene.

[06:15:14] And this morning, here you can see some of the crowds that we saw last night. I mean, just stretching, again, around the block. Here are the beautiful hymns. Listen to this for a second.

They're saying -- they're saying they are "on the battlefield for my Lord," using war imagery to show their faith in God. And this is just a very tight-knit community, as we've seen all week.

So today, they're preparing for the deluge of media. We're all already lined up here. And of course, there's lots of security for President Obama; and Vice President Biden will be here. Also, Speaker John Boehner is leading a congressional delegation. They are all here to pay their final respects.

And we got here at 5 a.m. There were already 20 people lined up on the sidewalk. The funeral is not for six more hours. But they said that they knew that there would be limited seating, and they didn't want to miss it.

So let's go back to you inside, John, and I'll check back with you later.

BERMAN: All right, Alisyn. We know it was an emotional but also very important day in South Carolina and for the country. So thanks to you.

The second prison worker charged in connection with the escape of those two convicted killers in upstate New York is admitting in a statement that he provided tools and other items that intentionally made their escape easier, this as state inspectors take a closer look at security protocols, including whether guards would sleep during shifts.

CNN's Boris Sanchez is live in Owls Head, New York, with the latest. Good morning, Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

About a dozen state investigators are going over policies and protocol at Clinton Correctional facilities that may have made it easier for these men to escape. While investigators tell us that no one else is under investigation for directly helping the men, some of the things that Gene Palmer has told investigators are raising flags.

The 57-year-old telling officials that he struck deals with these inmates. He would exchange information and paint, paintbrushes. The movement of other inmates that were at the prison, that frozen hamburger meat that we've been telling you about, as well as access to those electrical boxes in the cat walk behind their cells.

And in exchange, he would receive paintings and information from these men. Now, sources tell CNN that these kind of deals between guards and inmates were common at the prison.

While Gene Palmer has not spoken publicly since the escape, he did speak to a public radio show in 2000 about his experiences at the prison. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENE PALMER, PRISON GUARD: With the money that they pay you, you'll go bald; you'll have high pressure; you'll become an alcoholic; you'll divorce; and then kill yourself. It's a negative environment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Clearly, he was very stressed about his job. He spent 27 years as a prison guard, saying that that experience hardened him. Gene Palmer right now is obtaining a different attorney. He's due back in court on Monday, Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, Boris. Interesting developments and interesting to hear his words about his thoughts about being a prison guard. All right.

Obviously, we're going to have much more on the terror attack in France, our breaking news today. Terrible situation there. We've learned that the French interior minister has arrived on the scene of that gruesome decapitation. We'll bring you the very latest.

But we're also going to take a look at the week that President Obama has had. A win for President Obama's healthcare law. Is this a defining week for his presidency? We'll take a look.

[06:19:05] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: A lot of high fives and fist bumping going on in the White House right now after the Supreme Court says that Obamacare is A-OK for a second time. This, as Congress actually greenlighted a once- troubled trade bill for the president. So, the question is being asked by some: is this one of the best weeks that President Obama has had in the White House?

Here to discuss, Margaret Hoover, CNN political commentator and Republican consultant; and John Avlon is a CNN political analyst and the editor in chief of "The Daily Beast."

Thanks so much for being with us.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, guys.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

BERMAN: Let's review the week that was, shall we? So the big, big, big things which we have no pictures for, No. 1, trade authority, TTP, that's going for the president. He gets his trade stuff. The Supreme Court gives the President Obamacare and says it can go on. That's a big deal. Those are the big two policy things.

But some subtle things, also that people are looking at. No. 1, this interview he did on "WTF," where he used the "N" word, free to use that, and also talked about how fearless he is now. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know what I'm doing, and I'm fearless.

MARC MARON, PODCASTER: For real? You're not pretending to be fearless?

OBAMA: Not pretending to be fearless. Right. And when you get to that point...

MARON: Freedom.

OBAMA: Then, you know -- and then also, part of that fearlessness is because you've screwed up enough times that you know that...

MARON: It's all happened.

OBAMA: It's all happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Fearless enough to shout down a heckler inside the White House. That, too.

AVLON: Nice segment there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: You're in my house -- as a general rule, I am just fine with a few hecklers. But not when I'm up in the house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So you can see the shoulder rub from Vice President Joe Biden, no doubt the best thing that happened to the president this week. When you see a different attitude for the president, perhaps different results for this presidency, John Avlon. So how good of a week was it for them?

AVLON: This is one of those week that -- weeks that mattered. You've seen this president really liberated in the final quarter of his presidency. There's a confidence. There's a "I'm going to tell it like it is and not have an election implication looking over my shoulder."

But just on the substance, the trade authority moving forward and the Supreme Court decision yesterday, which was a surprise, and the six- three margin, those are big wins that end up shaping legacies.

[06:25:05] The other stuff is attitudinal; it's window dressing. I mean, the Biden -- the Biden shoulder rub is the gold star of the West Wing. But those are really substantive accomplishments that he can look to that happened on the same day.

PEREIRA: Because there are some things. You know, this is the time when you do talk about legacy. Do you think this is one of those weeks, Margaret, that no matter what side of the aisle you're on, you look back and say this was a defining moment?

HOOVER: I think it will be for -- you know, Michaela, I think it will be for him, too.

First of all, let's just -- to the point about you're in my house. Nobody is in his house.

BERMAN: It's the people's house.

HOOVER: This is the people's house, first of all. But it shows he is comfortable in his role and he knows he's in not just the back nine. He's on the last couple holes of the course. Right? To your point about legacy, this president got two major piece -- things done this week. The Affordable Care Act solidified. It's not going to be overturned. He's going to have a wing in his library dedicated to it. And trade promotion authority also is going to be one of his legacy pieces. One of them he got done entirely because of Republicans. This is the president who ran on not blue states, not red states, the United States of America. He would be a bipartisan leader. And when he came out and spoke, he didn't thank Republicans. He didn't nod to Mitch McConnell. Instead, he did a victory lap for the ACA, the most partisan expansion of healthcare.

AVLON: Roberts and Kennedy, two Republicans made it possible. A little bipartisanship on the court.

HOOVER: Yes, which is why it should be called SCOTUS. It should be called...

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: It is interesting, though. You know, you're talking about corner stones of his presidency. Another one is still up for grabs right now, and that's the deal, the nuclear deal with Iran. The deadline is June 30. And this is uncertain.

AVLON: Yes, not only is it uncertain, it's gotten murkier. Yesterday, a letter released by former aides to President Obama on this issue, raising real questions and real caution.

So, you know, the status of negotiations always tricky to comment on. But there has been more complications, not less. The administration and John Kerry can want to get this done all they want, but if it's a bad deal, the president said he'd walk away from it. That's far from a win.

PEREIRA: All right, can we pivot to some polling? Let's do some polls. It's Friday. Nothing says Friday -- they are actually very fascinating. So if we drill down and look at some of these polls at CNN/WMUR/UNH poll. Talking about handling the economy, which candidate can best handle the economy, the Republicans. Donald Trump, Numero Uno.

But contrast that, if we can -- because I do love a good contrast -- with who can win the general election in terms of likability, electability. Uh-oh, 7 percent for Donald Trump.

HOOVER: Yes.

PEREIRA: There's a big disconnection there.

HOOVER: There's a disconnect. What's also going to change is they're all going to get on the stage, all these people. Look, retail politics, New Hampshire. Retail politics, Iowa. Everyone is going to get to know these folks. They're going to see them up close, they're going to see how they answer these questions. A lot of these candidates are going to have really thoughtful nuanced conversations about how you can actually change the economy. AVLON: And then there's Donald Trump.

HOOVER: And then there's going to be Donald Trump. And you know what? That -- those numbers are incredibly inflated.

PEREIRA: He's had some good TV soundbites.

HOOVER: And it makes for some great TV soundbites and some horrible gaffes behind closed doors.

BERMAN: Deep down inside, though, I suspect you're at least a little nervous.

HOOVER: No, I'm not at all.

BERMAN: Because 12, 13, 14, 15 percent, it can win this primary somewhere, because there are so many candidates.

HOOVER: Except that it's so early. And I go to Iowa a lot. Those Iowa voters are really thoughtful. They like to touch and see their candidates. And I know that Donald Trump is going to not pass much more than the initial sniff test.

AVLON: Yes, yes. Iowa is probably a bridge too far. But you raised the important point. We've got a guy with almost 100 percent name I.D. He's a populist billionaire who's going to say brash things. And this to some extent is sort of the revenge of the Tea Party. If you have a weakness for people saying loud, brash things, making policy appeals that really are gut punches, you know, those folks are going to be attracted by that kind of a personality. So be careful what you wish for when you court the populist vote.

PEREIRA: Margaret, John, have a wonderful weekend. Thank you so much.

HOOVER: Thanks for having us.

PEREIRA: Very interesting. We have a few days left to discuss it all.

BERMAN: Yes.

PEREIRA: Right now, though, we are watching our breaking news. A person has been killed in a horrific terror attack in France. What we know about the plot, the alleged killer. We're going to bring you all the latest details. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)