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Belgian Suicide Bomber Terrorists Identified; Individual Arrested in Connection to Belgian Terror Attacks; Brussels Bombers had Strong Criminal Records; Two Suicide Bombers Are Brothers. Aired 8- 8:30a ET

Aired March 23, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] MARK TONER, STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON: That said, clearly it shows the ability -- and I'm not saying it is necessarily Daesh or ISIL who's responsible for these attacks but clearly radicalization remains a problem, and individuals who are determined to carry out these kind of attacks. We have to be right, Belgian authorities have to be right in stopping them 100 percent of the time. They only have to be right one time.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: So true. Mark Toner, thank you very much for all your expertise this morning and for joining us on NEW DAY this morning.

We're following a lot of news and we're also waiting to hear from Belgium's federal prosecutor this hour on the terror attack investigation and who they may have in custody. So let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't explain. It looked like war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police are identifying two brothers as the two airport suicide bombers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw many injuries. I saw people dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another blast reported at the city's metro system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone dropped to the ground. They were screaming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so scared. I feel like it's the end of the world.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm also very proud to have won Arizona tonight.

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The status quo is not working.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The day after Donald Trump called for America weakening NATO, we see Brussels. DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They could expand the

laws. I would do a lot more than water boarding.

CLINTON: What Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and others are suggesting is dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CAMEROTA: Good morning everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. I'm Alisyn Camerota. I'm live in Brussels. This is where the public has come out for a memorial of the victims from yesterday's attacks. Chris and Michaela are in New York with more from the U.S. presidential primary results. We'll have all of those for you in just a few minutes.

But here in Belgium we've had major developments that have happened in just the past couple of hours on the terror attacks. Belgian media reporting an arrest in the Brussels suburb yet they have not told us exactly who was arrested or how big of a get this was. Belgian authorities now identifying two brothers who they said were the suicide bombers who detonated explosives inside the Brussels airport yesterday. Also there is a massive manhunt underway at this hour as we speak for the elusive third suspect who was captured on security cameras. We've seen his picture. He's in the light colored jacket along with the two who authorities say were the suicide bombers.

Also at any moment we will hear from Belgium's federal prosecutor. This will be the first time that we're hearing a press conference about where the terror investigation is now. Earlier you heard this very emotional moment of silence here at this public square. It was beautiful. It was quiet. And then afterwards people erupted in applause for just how many thousands of people turned out in the streets of Belgium to show strength and solidarity. People are not hiding inside today. There is not a lockdown in Brussels. People are getting back to their life as they know it.

So we're covering the Brussels terror attacks the way only CNN can. So let's begin with our senior international correspondent, Nima Elbagir. She has the breaking details on this arrest. Nima, what have you learned?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The two brothers that have been identified by authorities. They are now central to the investigation, Brahim Khalid El Bakraoui, authorities are looking into the broader network around them and the links that tie them back to Salah Abdeslam.

But let's just remind people how this all unfolded yesterday morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR: This unidentified man, a key suspect, remains at large after coordinated terror attacks that rocked Brussels on Tuesday. Two of his accomplices captured on airport surveillance cameras are presumed dead. A senior Belgian source tells CNN they are brothers known to police, suspected to have ties to the Paris attack. The pair thought to be suicide bombers detonating two bombs inside the departure hall at the Brussels airport. The horrifying moments after the blast captured in this cellphone video.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw doors flying, glass ceiling coming down, and smoke and everything.

ELBAGIR: Officials say the man at large left behind a third bomb concealed in a suitcase that was later detonated by the bomb squad. Now investigators want to know if he then traveled just a few miles away to carry out the second attack at a metro station an hour later, that blast charring a is subway car, survivors desperately fleeing in the dark.

BRIAN CARROLL, WITNESS: I felt an explosion, and the train stopped in its tracts. The lights went out, the power out. Everyone dropped to the ground. They were screaming.

[08:05:01] ELBAGIR: The station just blocks away from a number of European Union landmarks including the European parliament. ISIS claiming responsibility for the attacks. The first victim to be identified, Adelma Marina Tapia Ruiz, killed during the attack at the airport. Originally from Peru, Tapia Ruiz had lived in Belgium for six years. She was at the airport with her husband and twin three- year-old daughters.

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible, and this is yet another reminder that the world must unite.

ELBAGIR: The world lighting up in Belgian colors, vowing never to let terrorism win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR: And Alisyn, we know that raids and house searches are continuing today in the Brussels region.

CAMEROTA: Nima, stand by. We want to bring you back in shortly, but right now we do have breaking news in the Brussels terror investigation. There was a bombing suspect who has just been taken into custody. And CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is at the scene of where that whole thing went down. Fred, what did you see?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we saw an ongoing police operation. We got here as the police was just searching that premises, as a lot of forensic workers was going in and out of the premises. In fact I'll get out of your way for a second here and maybe we can zoom in to where we can still see those police officers in front of the building, many of them wearing ski masks obviously to conceal their faces. There were a lot of forensic workers who went in and out carrying

large brown paper bags that apparently had some form of evidence in them that they then brought to their vehicles. We've been speaking to local people here who say that it was in the early morning hours the police showed up here. They forced their way into the building, and that they then apparently arrested somebody. We have not confirmed that with the authorities yet, whether or not this is actually the site where that alleged terror suspect was detained.

However, judging by the scope of the police operation here and the scale of the police operation going on here, it certainly does seem to be one that is very important to them. What they have down now is they've cleared the area a little bit. They've asked the press to move back because they've actually called in reinforcements. There's additional police officers that have been called in here.

It seems to us as though the actual raid part of this appears to be over and what's going on there right now is mostly forensic work. We've seen people in full body suits go in and out and really take a lot of stuff out of the apartment inside that building. We are not sure that at this point in time which floor it is on. So far the police is really trying to hold back information as far as this particular location is concerned, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Fred, thanks so much for all of that information. We'll come back to you when you have more.

We want to bring back now Nima Elbagir. And we want to bring in CNN senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward as well as CNN terrorism analyst and editor in chief of CTC Sentinel Paul Cruickshank. Paul, I want to begin with you because I understand that you have breaking news to report.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Alisyn, that's right. A senior Belgian counterterrorism official telling me the Bakraoui brothers who participated in the terrorist attacks in Brussels yesterday, they used a fake identity paper to rent Salah Abdeslam's safe house where he hid after the Paris attacks. This for the first time definitively ties the Brussels and Paris terrorist attacks together. It definitely establishes that it is the same cell that carried out both of those attacks. These brothers were known to Belgium security services and law enforcement for their links to violent crime, but they were not on the radar as suspected radicals. But for the first time the link between the Paris attacks and the Brussels attacks definitively established, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK. Paul, thank you. I want to get Clarissa's take on this. So these were not isolated incidents. These were, as suspected, connected.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are connected, and you have herd Nima say this over and over. But essentially you are looking at overlapping networks here. You had according to the French prime minister at least 30 involved with the Paris attacks, and then there's the overlap with those involved with the Brussels attack. The man of the hour who police are still searching for, they

don't know if he is definitively involved with these Brussels attacks but they know he's extremely dangerous. His name is Najim Laachraoui --

CAMEROTA: And I want to interrupt you there because the federal prosecutor has come out and who may have an update on this fugitive. So let's listen.

[08:10:00] FREDERIC VAN LEEUW, BELGIAN FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, (via translator): Around 7:58 in the departure hall. Very soon afterwards, 37 seconds later another explosion occurred. A photo showing the three suspects was then distributed. One of the suicide bombers was identified of Belgium nationality and of the 9th of October. Another person was identified. The third suspect is wearing a hat and is on the run. He put down a large bag before running at the time of the explosions. His bag contained a larger explosive device. This bag then exploded. Fortunately nobody was wounded thanks to professionalism of the staff. This person is still being searched for.

There was no weapon belonging to the axis, 15 kilos of explosives, and 50 liters of acetone, detonators, and a suitcase filled with nails and containing explosive devices. Two other things were identified. The investigators found a computer belonging to Ibrahim to say to rush no longer, be safe. I quote "risk end up in a cell," end of quote.

A fourth raid took place yesterday evening. People were held and arrested are currently being heard by the investigators. A fifth raid then took place in Erin (ph). As far as the attack at Maelbeek metro station is concerned, Maelbeek, the metro station that was aimed at, the explosion took place in the second carriage. The suicide bomber was identified. Khalid El Bakraoui was identified from his fingerprints and was of Belgian nationality. The two dead terrorists had strong criminal records.

Forensic experts accompanied by other experts have been to the different crime scenes. In the interest of the inquiry it is not desirable to give more information currently. The federal prosecutor offices understands a need for information but does not give any information which is not verified and information which can a damage or not help the inquiry. In the current state of affairs 200 people wounded and 31 people have died. Sadly these figures may change in the coming hours and days. All of our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.

In the framework of the report that was opened as a result of the attacks at the Brussels airport and the metro station in Brussels, we can give you the following details.

With regards to the airport, Brussels international, the first explosive was exploded on 22nd March at 7:59:28 at row one in the departure hall. Immediately afterwards at just after 8:00 there was a second explosion by a different desk. There was a photograph that was spread of the suspects. [08:15:00] The suspect in the middle and one of the other ones

was able -- we were able to identify him on the basis of his fingerprints.

It's Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who was born on the 9th of October, 1986. He is a Belgian national. The second suspect on the left of the photograph we were not able to identify as yet.

The third suspect with the lighter jacket and a hat fled. He left a big bag and left the airport before the two explosions. Afterwards, it turned out to be the heaviest load of explosions -- of explosives -- sorry -- and then afterwards they arrived, they carried out a controlled explosion. Luckily, nobody was hurt thanks to the professionalism of those two services.

Then the third unidentified suspect is still being searched at this moment. We would like to refer you to the arrest warrant that was disseminated yesterday.

After investigations it turns out that no weapons or -- were found in the departures hall that belonged to the suspects, to the perpetrators. A taxi driver presented himself spontaneously to the police. He said that he had picked up three suspects in Schaerbeek at Number 4 Marx Rose (ph) Street.

We did house searches of that address and that led to the discovery of 15 kilos of explosives of the TATP type, 150 liters of acetone, 30 liters of oxygenated water and other mechanisms. We found screws and other materials for making bombs.

We found fans, et cetera. Two other house searches were done on the Marx Rose (ph) Street but those were negative.

In a bin on the same street a laptop was found containing a suicide letter by Ibrahim Bakraoui. In that letter, he describes being in the following condition in French.

And the government being under security and risks being in the up in the cell.

A fourth house was also searched in Schaerbeek yesterday. One person was taken in for interview. Further house searches were done in Aalen and another person was taken in --

CAMEROTA: -- listen to the Belgian federal prosecutor talk about where we are with the investigation right now after the terrorist attacks here. There are some headlines to talk to -- about.

So first of all, what did you hear?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, they essentially gave us a blow-by-blow of exactly how things happened yesterday, starting off with the airport. The first explosion went off at about 7:59; some 37 seconds later, a secondary explosion.

They have now identified one of the three men in that surveillance video that we've all seen many times now.

He has been identified as Ibrahim Bakraoui. The second attacker has not been identified and the third attacker, the one in the light jacket, the one with glasses and a hat is still at large. He is very much the focus of the manhunt.

CAMEROTA: Wasn't the second attacker identified as his brother?

DAMON: Now the brother, Khalid Bakraoui, we're now hearing from the prosecutor, was actually the attacker in the metro attack.

CAMEROTA: I see.

DAMON: So and perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of this, though, we heard a laptop was found in a trash can. And on the laptop apparently a suicide note from the airport attacker, Ibrahim Bakraoui. So sounds like police really starting to pull on some strings here and get some new leads.

CAMEROTA: Nima, another point of clarification, we didn't know who was -- there was an arrest this morning; we didn't know who was arrested. We still don't. There is still the fugitive, the fugitive who's wearing the hat in the light colored jacket is still at large.

(CROSSTALK)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's still very much alive, as we understand it. There's a lot of speculation about the identity of who was exactly arrested in Anderlecht. But his name has not been mentioned in any way.

And I think for now, though, what is really important is this link to the Paris attacks because by know that Khalid Bakraoui, that he was the one who rented that apartment where Saleh Abdeslam was hiding and it was in that apartment where they found the detonators, where they found the cache of weapons and that was helped police start putting together this picture of the potential for exactly what unfolded here yesterday morning.

CAMEROTA: And also we had talked about how it had been mysterious, what happened in the subway. They hadn't mentioned anything until now. Now we have more information about -- getting more clarity about what happened there.

[08:20:00]

ELBAGIR: Well, clearly because the attacker is dead. So we know, we have this information from the airport because they need to put that information out there. So they need it to put the surveillance picture out.

They needed to have the public involved in this; whereas in the metro, it sounds like they know who carried it out and they know they are part of the same broader network so they know that they need to really narrow down looking for that network and for this incredibly dangerous man. CAMEROTA: Our producers are monitoring the prosecutor's press

conference and there are new numbers in terms of casualties that were just released, 31 people now dead. That's higher than we had heard before; 271 injured.

We've heard from eyewitnesses just how grievous the injuries are. Some of them are truly catastrophic, 271 people, you know.

DAMON: And the prosecutor did warn that that death toll could continue to rise because some of these injuries are so serious. Obviously when talking about bombings you are talking about horrendous injuries.

CAMEROTA: I want to bring in Paul Cruickshank back in.

Paul, I know you've been monitoring this as well, what are you hearing?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, they found a huge amount of TATP and that is very significant indeed. This is a high explosive which was the same explosive used in the Paris attacks, in the suicide vests in the Paris attacks.

That is yet another indicator that this was the same cell, same network responsible for both the Brussels and Paris attacks. Two of the brothers that participated as suicide bombers had rented the hiding place of Saleh Abdeslam after the Paris attacks, as we've just reported before the press conference, this being the same network behind this.

It appears that this address in Schaerbeek, that the taxi driver led them to yesterday, was a veritable bomb factory. All sorts of chemicals and explosives and the sorts of things you are going to put into a bomb found there, shrapnel.

And so the concern is, you know, where is the bombmaker?

The bombmaker is presumably still at large. They will be unlikely to sacrifice the bombmaker. There's been some thought that the bombmaker could be an individual called Najim Laachraoui, whose DNA was found in the Paris attacks bomb factory, which also, by the way, was in this same district of Schaerbeek, just a 15-minute walk away from this address that was raided yesterday.

He is still at large. There were some false reports in the Belgian media earlier this morning, suggestions that he might have been arrested this morning but I'm told he is still very much being hunted, still at large. He is the most dangerous man potentially in Europe right now.

CAMEROTA: Paul brings up a good point. In terms of the 15 kilos of explosives down in the suitcase, I was unclear from the first translator, which left a little to be desired -- about whether or not that went off or if that was a controlled detonation by police, that suitcase that was left behind.

Did that explode?

DAMON: That was a controlled detonation. And what was interesting that they said, that we hadn't heard before, that was the largest bomb of all. That was the one that was really designed to do the most damage.

And what we don't know yet from that press conference, did the man run away? Did the bomb just not detonate?

And we'll be looking to get more information on that as the days continue.

CAMEROTA: Right, obviously small, precious miracles in this, that that is the biggest one and that, for whatever reason --

ELBAGIR: And the nails inside that one.

CAMEROTA: -- right, as they have just found.

Thank you very much for your expertise. It's been great to have you both here on site with all of your reporting.

The Brussels attacks triggering new security concerns across Europe as well as in the United States.

So how will authorities respond?

Coming up we'll are the top Democrat from the House Intelligence Committee, who'll join us to discuss that. We'll be right back.

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[08:25:00]

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CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: What happened in Brussels felt at home and around the world. The State Department warning U.S. citizens of possible attacks throughout Europe following the terror in Brussels.

What red flags did Brussels miss?

How will the U.S. respond with new security measures here at home?

Let's bring in Congressman Adam Schiff, he is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Thank you for joining us, sir.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIF., RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: You bet. Good to be with you.

CUOMO: Is that a fair criticism, the one that I just suggested, that Belgium missed this in ways that were avoidable?

SCHIFF: It is a fair criticism. Belgium is pretty well overwhelmed not only with the foreign fighters who are returning. They have contributed more per capita to the fight in Syria and Iraq than any other European country.

But also here it's interesting that at the press conference and talking about these two brothers who, I guess, were known to Belgian authorities for criminal activity, there was no indication at the press conference that they were foreign fighters. And this points up a potential homegrown radical problem that's just as significant in Belgium as the problem of returning foreign fighters.

But the fact that these brothers were connected to Abdeslam and yet they were not found after months of searching, after months of trying to disrupt the remaining plotters of those Paris attacks, that is a significant indictment of the efforts by Belgian intelligence and law enforcement.

CUOMO: Is it a reasonable expectation for them to be able to even get as close as they did?

As you know the new reporting is that they were closing in on these brothers who may or may not have been sharing an apartment with Abdeslam. And they just were not close enough soon enough. They say it is a miracle they got that close, given the numbers that the United States deals with, but a fraction of the numbers of returning fighters, the number of radicals and sympathizers and has none of the geographic disadvantages.

SCHIFF: Well, I certainly think it is true that they have an enormous challenge on their hands in many respects far greater than we do in the United States because they have so many foreign fighters that have come back because of their proximity to Syria and Iraq and the free flow of people throughout Europe because of the mass of refugee flows that make it difficult to track people.

But, nonetheless, here you have a situation where they knew some of the players involved in the Paris plot. They knew who was unaccounted for, at least in terms of Saleh Abdeslam and yet people connected him, were not found after months.

He was also not found after months. And I think, with a plot this large, with a hub of activity this big in Brussels, the fact is there are many people within the community who knew about these brothers, had to know about the massive amount of bombmaking material in that search and obviously they are not getting the kind of cooperation from within the community that they really need to supplement their investigative efforts.

CUOMO: Political opponents of President Obama now running for president themselves say this is a wakeup call, that you people on the Democratic side of the ball won't even call this what it is. You know, you play P.C. with this. You don't want to waterboard. You don't want to be tough. That is what Trump says.

Ted Cruz says --