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U.S. Sending More Special Forces to Iraq; Chicago Police Chief Fired Amid Outcry Over Teen's Death; Study: About 300 in U.S. Actively Supporting ISIS Online. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired December 02, 2015 - 06:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[06:30:00] RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A community tucked away on Alaska's panhandle often reached by boat and sea plane. The strange circumstances have many in town speculating about what happened. The detectives here are, for now, stumped.

The mayor's son had gone to check on him after getting word that others in town were having trouble reaching him. After he looked inside the home where his father lived alone, neighbors said the son could be heard shouting. That's when he called 911. Officers rushed to the scene but the mayor was already dead.

(on camera): Right now, there are more questions than answers. Juneau police say they found no sign of forced entry and they've also concluded that Mayor Fisk did not commit suicide.

So what happened? Some are already suggesting that the mayor was assaulted. The police are playing that down, though the chief did tell the "Juneau Empire" newspaper that that assault is one of the possibilities out there but it also could have been a fall or something else.

(voice-over): Meanwhile, Juneau's deputy mayor will take over his duties. She was a long-time friend of Greg Fisk, even taught his son in the sixth grade.

MARY BECKER, JUNEAU DEPUTY MAYOR: My husband and I are devastated. He was a wonderful person and a friend. And from the calls I've been receiving tonight, I'm not the only one who has felt that he's a wonderful person and good friend to Juneau. KAYE: A neighbor told us Fisk was active and in good shape. He hiked

and swam often. She said he had a great smile and was a great guy.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Meanwhile, the U.S. ramping up the fight against ISIS. They're deploying a new unit to Iraq to carry out raids on ISIS targets. Is this a step towards a larger U.S. ground force?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:35:50] CAMEROTA: New details about the specialized U.S. forces in Iraq that will be sent to fight ISIS. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announcing they will conduct raids, rescue hostages, gather intelligence and try to capture ISIS leaders.

What does this mean for the larger fight?

Let's bring in CNN's military analyst and retired army former commanding general of Europe and the Seventh Army, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

General, thanks for being here.

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: So, we've heard. I mean, the defense secretary was reluctant to give any specific numbers. But our Barbara Starr believes that it is 200 special forces that will be sent to Iraq to help in the fight against ISIS. What will change as a result of them going there?

HERTLING: The 200 number that's been reported is about the number that you would have in a support package for a special ops element, strike force that comes in like this. You're going to see a counterterrorism force on the ground. Those are all the missions that the secretary described yesterday. The raids, the hostage rescue, the strikes against key targets.

But the key element of that, there's going to be a small number of fighters in that package, Alisyn. The key number are going to be the small number, some helicopter pilots and a much larger intelligence collection cell, something we call a fusion cell which gathers the intelligence, turns it very quickly, strikes new targets. So, it's a repeating theme of hit a target, get intelligence incorporated into fusion, find new targets to hit.

CAMEROTA: And how much impact do you think this will have?

HERTLING: Well, I'll tell you, you're going to hear a lot of analysts today tell you it's only 50 guys. They can't do that much. But, Alisyn, I'm going to tell you from the experiential side, having had special operators work for me, you give me 50 guys who are hitting targets repeatedly, I'm going to tell you that it's going to make a lot of difference. I say that because I saw it happening and they did work for me in northern Iraq and that's what turned the tide.

CAMEROTA: I mean, you're saying 50 but we think it's up to 200, right, which would make it even bigger than that.

HERTLING: Well, and it's not going to be the 200 operators. That 200 number is probably going to be part of the fusion cell and the support cell for the operators who are going out.

CAMEROTA: Defense Secretary Ash Carter was at a house hearing yesterday and he was asked about whether or not we're winning against ISIS. And he made a comment that may have been intended to instill confidence but it missed the mark a little bit. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASH CARTER, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We are gathering momentum and it is a fact that the territory under ISIL's control has shrunk. That's not a declaration of victory. It's a --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've indicated it's war. Are we winning, Mr. Secretary?

CARTER: We will win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we winning now?

CARTER: We're going to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: General?

HERTLING: Yes --

CAMEROTA: Why can't he say that we're winning?

HERTLING: That's an awkward question, Alisyn, and I was asked that multiple times when I was in command in northern Iraq. Are we winning yet? Are we winning yet?

In this kind of fights, you don't win. You gain on a daily basis. There are some days where you take three steps forward and two back. Others where you're four steps forward and one back. And you continually gain.

And I think the secretary doesn't want to say, yes, we're winning because as soon as the next car bomb goes off or the next terrorist strike occurs in a European capital, someone's going to say to him, hey, you told us we were winning. How come these things are still happening?

You can't win against a counterterrorism organization. You can gain. We're seeing this organization metastasize a little bit, go to other places. Spread their tentacles while they're being, while they're suffering, truthfully, in Syria and Iraq. There are gains there, but they certainly aren't defeated and we couldn't say that we're winning yet.

CAMEROTA: In fact, what you're talking about is that now, they have sprung up in good measure in Libya. What's the status there?

HERTLING: Yes, the reports are saying that there's a significant attempt by ISIS leadership to establish cells in Libya. But, again, each country that they try and go to, there are different dynamics. In Libya, the key dynamic is they'll have a fight against multiple other Islamic groups, Ansar al Sharia, al Qaeda. And they have taken some cities there. There seems to be an indicator there's a big presence in the town of Sirte.

[06:40:01] But it's going to be a tough fight in Libya. Even though it is considered ungoverned spaces, there's a lot of places where terrorists can operate. There's also a lot of terrorist organizations. The key point in North Africa, Libya being a part of that is al Qaeda in the land of the Maghreb, North Africa, has been active forever several years now.

Again, it's a branding issue. ISIS wants to be part of the new brand in that area. The people in that area are saying, hey, we can use the branding and the messaging of ISIS in Syria and Iraq to start a new organization here. So, you're going to see it's much like the Bloods and the Crips. Who are the toughest gangs in town and who's going to take the bigger name recognition.

CAMEROTA: General Mark Hertling, thanks so much for the information.

Let's get over to Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: To Chicago, that police chief, the embattled police chief in Chicago is out now amid allegations of a cover-up of a shooting death of a black teen. That teen shot 16 times. The journalist who sued to get the dash cam video released, he joins us, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is out amid questions over how his department handled the investigation into the shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

[06:45:06] McDonald as you'll recall was shot 16 times by Officer Jason Van Dyke last year. It took 13 months for this dash cam video to be released by a judge's court order.

Joining us now is Brandon Smith, he is the freelance journalist who sued Chicago to release that very dash cam video.

Brandon, really glad to speak to you this morning.

I'm curious -- given the fact that you're the journalist who got this video released, what's your reaction to the superintendent being ousted?

BRANDON SMITH, SUED CHICAGO TO RELEASE SHOOTING VIDEO: Well, it certainly could indicate the start of reform. Now, I just hope that the task force, Rahm Emanuel appointed yesterday, follows through with what Rahm was describing that they would do. Unfortunately, it's going to take a few months, he said. That seems a little long for the protesters here.

PEREIRA: Do you believe or have any reason to believe that the mayor and the city's top leadership was involved in some sort of cover-up? Do you have confidence in the mayor?

SMITH: That's a lot of kind of personal opinion, but the problem is that the city doesn't have confidence in the city's leadership, you know, the people here. So, I'm not really sure that a task force like was appointed yesterday is going to restore that confidence. You know what I think will, though, is if the mayor agrees to release all the documents, everything that they have about the case.

My lawyer and I have asked them to put it all online immediately --

PEREIRA: Right, right.

SMITH: -- just so people can learn, well, what really happened here? Who knew what when about what happened. The video showed but some people knew about it a long time ago.

PEREIRA: Yes, you actually -- among some of the thing you're seeking, any of the video that's been previously unreleased, names of the officers that were present, their statements. You're also seeking witnesses and their statements, among other things. You say that there is a video from one police car that may actually show the clearest angle. That has not been released. Police say, no, all of the five videos that were released are the only ones from the scene.

SMITH: Right. And it very well may be that that camera wasn't working, but I'm also seeking communication between officers within the department, between the mayor's office and the police department, talking about this case, trying to -- we're trying to find out who knew about the camera and who knew about the audio and essentially whether any police there on the scene gave statements that were very much like the video, because if that's the case, I wonder why Mr. Van Dyke wasn't charged with murder earlier.

PEREIRA: I know Laquan McDonald's family didn't want the tape released. I'm curious, did that weigh on you when you were deciding whether to pursue the release of the video?

SMITH: It sure did. The family -- the family has the right to say that the video is very disturbing to them and that they don't want their son remembered in that way. The problem comes when there are 300 police shootings in Chicago in five years and no signs of change. You know, that's one of the largest numbers for police shootings in the nation.

And so, as a person, as well as a journalist, I kind of have to speak out against that, right?

PEREIRA: Right, right, we understand that.

SMITH: So nothing was happening with reform. No one was really talking about these police shootings until the video came out.

PEREIRA: Right.

SMITH: And so it's kind of having the result that I had hoped.

PEREIRA: Right. We know the family has mixed emotions. They're relieved and thankful charges are brought and the whole world knows what happened to their son. Brandon Smith, thank you for speaking with us today. We're going to

be watching the situation in Chicago with you.

Chris?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Mick.

Shocking new information, support for ISIS in the United States had never been higher than it is right now. Why and what changes this fact? We're going to take that on.

Also, we have good news. This Sunday, CNN celebrates the Top Ten CNN Heroes of the Year. We all love this. Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Our heroes don't fly. They soar.

(MUSIC)

[06:50:05] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see barriers. I see solutions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Connecting with the communities along the way helps re-establish your faith in humanity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love you, too. We'll rise up

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't give up on yourself because you are still worthy.

ANNOUNCER: See the stars come out to celebrate the change-makers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love to pay tribute. This is a way we really can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are people who live the work they're doing every day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really, really inspiring.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please join me in honoring CNN heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no time to waste.

ANNOUNCER: The top ten CNN heroes of 2015.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: Join Anderson Cooper for "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute", Sunday night at 8:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:01] CUOMO: All right. Let's be honest. One of growing fears in America is the enemy within, right? And now, there's new fuel for that fire.

A new report from George Washington University into ISIS recruits here in the U.S. says that these recruits are younger, harder to profile and harder to catch and that they're more of them. The studies identified at least 300 Americans actively supporting ISIS on social media. That's what brings us to our guest.

Alejandro Mayorkas is the deputy secretary of homeland security joins us now.

Ale, thank you for being with us. Appreciate it.

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Thank you.

CUOMO: You know that the fear is real. The question is one, let's start with what's in this study. Is it true in your opinion that you do have more sympathizers, potential radicals reflecting an interest in ISIS in the U.S. than previously?

MAYORKAS: There is no question, Chris, that ISIS is using social media to recruit youth, not just in the United States but across the world. This is something that we across the administration have been watching very closely and have been responding to very aggressively. Not just across the federal government but in partnership with state and local law enforcement.

CUOMO: Why would that happen here? The assumption is that the U.S. has better information. It shouldn't work here. People should have a better sense of what it is to live in a humane way. How are they effective here?

MAYORKAS: Well, I think the social media campaign that ISIS employs seeks to exploit the vulnerable, the potentially disenfranchised youth. And that is why it is so important for people in the community to be aware of the indicators of potential radicalization and respond appropriately.

CUOMO: So, what do you do, though, Mr. Secretary? How do you stop people from spreading messages on social media? How do you stop people from becoming radicalized?

MAYORKAS: Well, I think those are two very different questions. Let me take the second one --

CUOMO: Please.

MAYORKAS: -- that falls squarely within the Department of Homeland Security and across the board.

Our secretary, Secretary Johnson created the office for community partnerships which works with local communities in educating not only youth but parents, teachers, faith-based leaders, community leaders and the like. We provide grants to local organizations to work with youth, to make sure that they do not fall prey to these efforts.

The administration, the president, Barack Obama, convened a White House summit last year on countering violent extremism. We've been very pro-active in this effort across the administration.

CUOMO: With all the different tools you're trying, what seems to work best?

MAYORKAS: What works best is empowering local communities to work with individuals in their locales.

CUOMO: So, see something, say something kind of stuff?

MAYORKAS: Yes. And that's not just a slogan. That's actually a way of life.

It is, if you see something that is of concern, that is unusual, don't just walk by but take action. Pick up the phone, call. It can make a very big difference in not only somebody's life but in the life of a local community.

CUOMO: Obviously, the refugee process is something that the agency has a hand in. Yes, you have to wait for the UNHCR to do its vetting in the case of the Syrian refugees specifically before you do your own. But what do you make of this fear that these people, one of them could want to chop my head off?

I mean, you're seeing it in national polls. People don't want the Syrian refugees here. What's your reaction?

MAYORKAS: Let me first allay the fear. I think that's most important. First of all, we have to remember what our values are as a country and what our identity is for a refuge for people seeking relief from humanitarian difficulties, torture, and the like. That is who we are as a country. We have to stay true to our identity and our values.

The refugee vetting process is the most intense vetting process that any individual seeking admission to the United States undergoes. We have confidence in the process. We constantly re-evaluate the process and are always looking to how we can better strengthen it.

CUOMO: But then when Director Comey comes out and says we can't use our database, I can't track somebody who doesn't have a footprint in that system, that's all people need to hear. You can't vet them, you can't guarantee me that I'll be safe. What do you say?

MAYORKAS: I would say that's not -- that's not accurate. There are different levels of collection in our databases with respect to different populations of individuals across the world. We have more information about individuals coming from Iraq than we might some other place like Syria. But that doesn't mean we don't have anything, number one. And number two, our databases aren't the only element of our extensive

vetting process. Individuals that seek admission to the United States as refugees will undergo at least three different interviews. The last one being by an expert involved in not only the country conditions in the place of origin but being able to ask the individual specific questions about his or her claim for relief and why they seek to come to the United States.

CUOMO: So, you understand the concerns, Deputy Secretary, and you're confident you can get it done in the safest way possible. Appreciate you for being here on NEW DAY.

MAYORKAS: Thank you very much for having me.

CUOMO: Absolutely.

There's a lot of news to tell you about. Let's get right to it.