Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Six People Detained in Raids Across Brussels; U.S. Believes it Knows Name of Fugitive Airport Bomber; Two Americans Killed in Brussels Attacks; U.S. Doctor and Friend Save Lives in Brussels Attacks. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 25, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: So, we want to begin with Senior International Correspondent Nima Elbagir. Nima, a lot has happened last night and this morning. Take us through it.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the sad news about two Americans being amongst the death really cost a different lights on Prime Minister Michel's acknowledgment right at the top of that press conference that we have to do better. So, I have promised, I have told Secretary Kerry that we will do better. We will work together. And those raids, they are intensifying. Six arrested. Three in front of the prosecutor's office. We can show you how those raids are unfolding. But also, I wanted to give you a glimpse inside the apartment where those attacks were plotted. Take a look at this, Alisyn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Overnight, a series of anti-terror raids in several Belgian neighborhoods. All in connection with the Brussels terror attacks. In the early morning hours, investigators sealing off streets, teams in hazmat gear storming this building in Schaerbeek. Forensic experts appearing to concentrate on the third floor apartment. And in a large-scale operation, police arresting at least six people, prosecutors say. Three taken into custody right outside the prosecutor's office. In Paris, police arresting a high level operative in the plot.

And for the first time this morning, a glimpse into the apartment with suicide Khalid Ibrahim el Bakraoui and bomb maker Najim Laachraoui plotted Tuesday's attacks. Raided by police hours after the blast, this video was filmed just after the raids. Fears of more extremism swirling as two unidentified suspects in the Brussels bombings remain on the loose. Belgian state media reporting surveillance video shows a second unidentified man at the Molenbeek metro station. This witness believes he may have spotted one of them.

ERIC PANIA, WITNESS TO METRO ATTACK: He was very nervous. You saw sweat that he was very nervous. He was back and forth in the metro hall. Back and forth, back and forth.

ELBAGIR: Belgian authorities under fire after they admitting they had the opportunity to stop one of the airport suicide bombers. Brahim el-Bakraoui arrested in Turkey last June. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through a translator): I think it is justified

that people asks how it is possible that someone was released early. And we missed the chance when he was in Turkey to detain him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR: Alisyn, since those tragic incident unfolded and police are still searching for those two unidentified suspects.

CAMEROTA: Okay, Nima. Thank you very much for that update. As Nima has reported, six people were detained in the string of new raids across Brussels overnight. So, authorities are still scrambling though to find two of the bombing suspects who were on the run.

CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is live in the Schaerbeek neighborhood where one of those raids took place. Tell us what you have seen, Fred.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It was a massive raid that took place here in the Schaerbeek district with a lot of police officers and really a very wide police cordoned also. In the neighborhood where I am right now at this point after the raid took place, you had a lot of police officers who were in that hazmat gear, in forensic suits, going through the apartment really searching to see whether or not there could be any clues there. From what we have gathered, no one was actually detained at this specific site. But as you said, six people in total were arrested in these overnight raids.

And the most recent information that we just gotten Alisyn is that there was another raid that took place in the forest district, which is also not far from where I am right now. Where apparently also several people were taken into detention. It is unclear whether or not they'll remain in detention but force is also very significant because that was also the site of another terrorist safe house that was raided by police last Tuesday. However, they had a firefight with several people who were inside the house. And two people managed to escape.

Some people believe those could be the Bakraoui brothers, who then conducted the attacks at the airport and at the metro as well. But by and large, when you're on the street out here early today, you can tell that the police have a lot of activity going on. You can hear sirens going on almost the entire time as they're trying to find these two people who are still at large and also try and find out which other people might in some way or shape be involved in these plots as well or could have helped facilitate all of this -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Fred, thank you for that. We do have some breaking news that we were just getting into CNN and I want to report right now. Because as U.S. officials say that they believe they do know the identity of that suspect in the light colored jacket and the glasses and the hat. We have seen his picture. He's at the airport, he was pushing a cart alongside the other two suicide bombers. This man on your screen right now, he has been unidentified until now. But U.S officials say they believe they know his identity. We are not

sure of his whereabouts. As far as we know he is still a fugitive at this hour. Belgian police are still searching for him but Belgium police have not put out his name or identity. U.S. officials have not put it out either. Though they are just giving us word that they do know his identity. We want to talk more about this.

[07:05:10] We are joined now by Greg Mathieu, he's a former Belgian government official and the president of the Foundation for Democracy and Government. And also Dr. Ian Lesser, he is a senior director for foreign policy and security for the German Marshall Fund of the U.S.

Greg, it would not be surprising, quite frankly, if the U.S. officials or even Belgian officials, knew the identity of this person. That is a fairly good photo as far as surveillance photos go. Though they haven't released his name. What do you make of the news that we're reporting?

GREG MATHIEU, FORMER ADVISER, BELGIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: I think that shows all important is (INAUDIBLE) operation -- foreign services. This is only altogether that we will catch all those guys. If the U.S. authorities knows his identity, they should tell us and they should also help us to catch him. I mean, this is the only way -- if we stay in our little island and believe that we can do it all alone, this won't happen.

CAMEROTA: We have our Justice Reporter Evan Perez, he has more information on this breaking news. Standby for a moment, we do want to go to Evan. Evan, what have you learned about these developments?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Alisyn, we know that the manhunt is definitely intensifying. The U.S. has helped identify who this is. They believe they know who it is. And now they developed some leads but they passed on to Belgian authorities. The question now is how quickly that person could be hunted down and brought in. We do know that the big concern is that other attacks could be in the offing. And as long as this man is free. He's armed, he's dangerous. They believe that other attacks could be underway.

CAMEROTA: Okay. Evan, stand by. We want you to be part of this conversation. Dr. Lesser, obviously the U.S. has pledged to support Belgium and help them with this investigation. Because Belgium quite frankly seems as though it needs help. You know, we have learned over this past few days just how precious little they have been able to do in terms of intelligence sharing. What's your take on it?

DR. IAN LESSER, SENIOR DIRECTOR, FOREIGN POLICY/SECURITY, GERMAN MARSHALL FUND OF U.S.: Well, of course, there has always been intelligence sharing between agencies and counterterrorism and it's never quite good enough. And we learn that -- we learn that every time there is a major event. In fact, European agencies were very helpful after September 11th. So, there's a long tradition of this. But we will going to have to get much better at it.

CAMEROTA: But we've also heard that there is something uniquely sort of ill-equipped about Belgium authorities. It is the culture that prevents them from sort of acting even when they know something. Sometimes it's logistics. Sometimes it's resources. I mean, am I overstating it, or is this true?

LESSER: Well, there is some truth in this of course. But it is true in many different settings. It is a very big problem. It's a very long term problem. These are very difficult networks to crack. It's a challenge for everybody. If you look at the French experience or others, they have very different systems, very centralized, very different from the Belgian. They face great challenges with it as well. So, yes, it is under resourced here. They need more resources but it's not a challenged that Belgium is facing alone.

CAMEROTA: Greg, do you bristle at my characterization of how ill- equipped Belgium is to deal with some of these things?

MATHIEU: I think this place, this city is one of the place in the world where there was the most intelligence officers present. So --

CAMEROTA: Most intelligence officers and yet there have been many things that slipped through the cracks. Of course it happens. But it seems to happen more in Belgium. People tried to alert them. Turkey alerted them to one of the suicide bombers. Mothers in Molenbeek alerted them that their sons were becoming radicalized.

MATHIEU: That's right.

CAMEROTA: And yet they didn't swoop in and arrest them.

MATHIEU: That's right. This is why we don't need (INAUDIBLE) nowadays, we need actions, we need results, we need concrete measures. We don't need political talks and political posture. We need them to do their job and what they were elected for. And to put more budget and to put more resources because they are needed. And also not to try to solve this by ourselves. The French authorities didn't manage to get the Kouachi brothers before they attacked "Charlie Hebdo". Are they guilty? Yes, they are. Are we guilty today because we didn't prevent those attacks here? Yes, we are. But all together, only altogether we will manage to fight these attacks.

CAMEROTA: Evan, in the U.S., I don't have to tell you, when there is a fugitive on the loose, authorities put out their name as quickly as possible, as well as any surveillance photos, as well as any identifying details because they know that they can use the public's help in capturing them. The U.S. has a great success in that. Why aren't they telling us the name of the man in that light colored jacket here?

PEREZ: Great question. Look, I mean, this is a Belgian investigation. You have to respect the Belgian system. It's a system that is right now being overseen by an investigative magistrate. So there are some legal limitations that the Belgians have to deal with. And look, it's clear from talking to U.S. officials here, Alisyn, it's clear that the intelligence and the law enforcement people, they are working very hard. They are working overtime. They do not want to see their city attacked. There does seems to be a lack of political will higher up in the

Belgian government. There seems to be some problems in dealing with this issue. As you know and I think as Greg knows, a lot of the Belgian political system has been seized up in recent years arguing over whether people speak Flemish or whether they should speak French. And those seem to be the bigger political argument not what to do with the problem growing in Molenbeek and in other parts of Brussels.

[07:10:28] CAMEROTA: Greg, do you agree with that characterization that Belgian often got bogged down in bureaucracy, who speaks what language, which of the police precincts is going to deal with this rather than just going and getting the guy?

MATHIEU: This is a very complex country and we are kind of a lasagna of decision making process which is not facilitating this kind of hiring, of course. But this is the country we are living in. And this is for the authorities and the governments to solve that.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

MATHIEU: I mean, when we talk about National Security, there is no Flemish, there is no Brussels. There are people who ask to work together to catch those guys.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, Dr. Lesser, Tuesday was a tragic wakeup call. How quickly can something as entrenched as the Belgian system change as it has too?

LESSER: The system isn't going to change. But the ability to share information and it is not just in Belgium, it is between Turkey and other countries in Europe.

CAMEROTA: But Turkey said they tried. Turkey said, they alerted the Belgium authorities.

LESSER: You know, Turkey has had its own problems with this very tragically and that's in their own internal setting. It is very hard. It's really tough to do. I think what is very noticeable here is that as difficult as it has been for the authorities to gather the intelligence and act on the security front like they've done it, they're getting better at the public management of the problem, if you compare this to what was done after the attacks in Paris, the city has not shut down. The city is operating. You know, if you shut down the city and you don't have any economic life, the terrorists win. And I think in that respect, Belgium is doing a pretty good job.

CAMEROTA: Yes. And what we got here, I expected the city to be on lockdown and it was not. I mean, it is teaming with people going to work, children out going to school. Greg, what do you know about this peculiar arrest or peculiar details of the arrest from last night? Three men arrested in front of the Belgium prosecutor's office.

MATHIEU: Yes. Yes.

CAMEROTA: That seems troubling. Do we have any more sense of what they were doing there? MATHIEU: Well, I'm not an expert in criminals. But I guess those

guys are happy about what they have done. And they are willing to like walk around and to see the results of their action. I think they are taking pleasure in doing that. They are not hiding anymore. They are known and searched by police. So, they are just waiting for the moment that they will be caught. And my hope is that they don't have explosive belts with them.

CAMEROTA: Yes, of course. Dr. Lesser, Secretary Kerry is here in Brussels. He's pledged his support -- the support of all the U.S. Intelligence gathering apparatus, however they can help. What do you think the U.S. will do with Belgium moving forward? What can they do?

LESSER: Well, I think a lot can be done. I think a lot has already been going on and a lot can be done. Remember, this is the seat of the European Union. NATO is here. I mean, this is a very symbolic place. But it is also a key place to have these kinds of conversations. There are going to be more of them, I'm sure. Publics, politicians, they will rightly want NATO. The European Union to do more. U.S. is a huge international partner for both. So, a lot can be done. And I think, you know, the symbolism of the Secretary coming years is extremely important.

CAMEROTA: Evan, last to you. Do we have any sense on when this person, this suspect's identity will be released? What are your sources telling you?

PEREZ: Well, it's going to be up to the Belgians, Alisyn. The Americans have used their sources, their data bases, their informants. All of these things that are being put towards this investigation. And what they are doing is funneling the information back to the Belgians hoping that that helps them move on some of these suspects. The big concern is that we have dozens of ISIS operatives in Europe. And so, the problem is not only concentrated in Brussels but Germany, France. All of these countries have a big problem to tackle.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. Evan, Greg Mathieu, Dr. Lesser, thank you for your expertise.

LESSER: Great to be with you.

CAMEROTA: Great to have you on NEW DAY. Obviously, we will have continuing coverage of all the breaking details, it has been so much breaking news last night and this morning, we will bring it all to you.

But up next, we're talking to two Brussels survivors. They sprang into action when the bombs went off. You'll hear from them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:18:26] CAMEROTA: We do have this sad breaking news to report this morning that two Americans are among the dead in the Brussels terror attacks. This of course had been feared. Americans had been missing. And now we have had confirmation. Meanwhile, hundreds of people are still in the hospital or at home trying to recover from this attack because so many were injured.

Joining me now are two survivors of the attacks. Dr. Laura Billet and Laura Harper, they were outside of the airport during the attacks and they sprang into action to help the victims until first responders could arrive.

Ladies, thank you so much for being with us.

LAURA HARPER, WITNESSED BOMBING OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Dr. Laura Billiet, I want to start with you. Are you aware that Secretary of State John Kerry just cited you and your heroism in this press conference?

DR. LAURA BILLIET, TREATED VICTIMS AFTER BOMBING: I just heard a sound clip from it, so that is new news to me.

CAMEROTA: Okay. We have that sound bite of John Kerry to play for you and as well as our viewers. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: You should learn from the example of an American doctor, Laura Billet who had just left the airport here in Brussels when she and a friend heard the bombs fell off. She ran to a nearby police station and started to triage victims. She attended to any victims who came through the door, doing what she could to treat shrapnel wound, burns, and other injuries that she had never seen before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Dr. Laura, what is it like to hear John Kerry talk about you?

BILLIET: Well, it's -- like I said before, it feels very strange. I think the real heroes in the situation were the first responders. Laura Harper and I were there and we did what we could but I think anybody also would have done the same under the circumstances.

CAMEROTA: Dr. Laura, I'm not sure about that because what you did is unthinkable to many people. When you heard the explosions, instead of running away, you ran towards the trouble. Can you tell us what happened? You are a trained doctor. I know that you thought that you could help people. But were you scared to run into the airport. And what did you see once you got there?

BILLIET: Well, actually, I didn't run into the airport I was dropping my friend Laura Harper and my brother-in-law off at the airport at the time. And when we heard the bombs go off, we ran away from the bombs towards the police station where we were shuttled in by some people that were standing outside. And then they started moving all of the wounded that could be moved out of the airport to the police station to get them out of harm's way. We didn't know what else was going to happen after that point. So, you know, it was still frightening to be there because we were

kind of waiting to see if there were other bombs or somebody was going to come along with guns. We weren't really sure. And there were a lot of wounded people up in the second floor of the police station. So then we started going and trying to help the people that were there since we were able-bodied and most of them weren't at that point, so.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, I mean, I think that most people, myself included, would be scared just to stay in that area even if it were a police designated area where victims are being brought. But Laura Harper, I want to bring you in because you are not a doctor, you are a lawyer and a mother of three. What did you do after the explosions?

HARPER: I was a coward. I was hiding under a desk. And I asked Laura to pray with me. And we prayed the Lord's prayer. And then Laura said, if there's hurt people I'm going to go help them. And I didn't go immediately. I thought I was going to be sick from the smell and the sights of people with burns and blood on their face. And then Laura came to me and said, you need to come help these girls. And so I did. What little help I could offer.

CAMEROTA: And what were you able to do, Laura?

HARPER: They spoke English and not a lot of people did. And they were scared and hurt. And so I sang with them. And I tried to answer their questions. They were looking for their parents. And I said, you know, just look at all these people helping. There's people helping. It's going to be okay. And I tried to get the paramedics to come quickly to get them because they were small. They were young. And the most injured of the people that I saw.

[07:23:26] CAMEROTA: Boy, Laura, it is just heartbreakingly poignant to hear how you were able to help even though you are not trained to do that. And just try to keep their spirits. How are you doing now three days after the attacks?

HARPER: You know, it's going to take a long time to get over what happened. You know, I'm a person of faith. And so I have to believe that even though there is evil in the world, that there's good in the world and that we long for a place that's better than this. And that place is not in this world. So, it's going to take a long time.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Dr. Billiet, you are a doctor. But no one can really be mentally prepared for this. We went and spoke to the Emergency Room doctors last night. They had done drills. They have had done simulations in the event of a huge catastrophe. But they say they are never trained enough when something like this actually happens. How were you able to sort of summon the strength to help given what you're seeing?

BILLIET: I think, you know, the medical training kicks in. You know, I have certainly seen a lot of people in life and death situations. A lot of people that are really ill and run, you know, CP codes and stuff like that. So, you kind of -- your mind just kind of switches off and goes to sort of, okay, function type of mode where, I mean, it was scary and there were a lot of people that needed help. But, you know, you just sort of switch into that lake, let's get this done kind of mode and just do as much as you can. The hardest part for me because I have never seen a mass casualty situation before was that, you know, there were so many people that needed help.

And then it seems a little bit overwhelming right at first because a lot of people are asking for help or they're begging for help from somebody who is next to them that they care about that they know is injured. And having to tell people like, okay, you know, I will come back, I need to go check something else. That part was really hard because normally, I don't have to do that. When I see somebody that needs help, I can focus a little bit more on them.

And so, I think that is part where the training in mass casualty maybe would have been useful, which I don't have. But, you know, we did the best that we could and I think it was fantastic that the paramedics got there and were able to bring people to the hospital pretty quickly. So, you know, the first responders are the big heroes here. They put themselves in harm's way and he did so much more to get people safe, so.

CAMEROTA: But I mean, people begging for help and not being able to get to them. As a doctor, you know, we can only imagine how much that weighs on you. So now three days later, how are you doing?

BILLIET: I also feel is similarly to Laura Harper. I think it's going to take a lot of processing time. I'm in the middle of a big move, so I haven't really had any time to slow down and think about any of this yet. And I think once I do I will start, you know, sort of feel some of the consequences of what happened. When we had the movers here yesterday, any time anyone dropped an object, I kind of jumped which was surprising to me because I didn't think that the bombs actually sounded that loud when they went off. But I think I have some sort of subconscious tension here that I will have to work through eventually. So, yes, definitely it's going to take time.

CAMEROTA: I know that you both, you both still wanted to help the people here of Brussels, and the victims and I know that you wanted to mention this GoFundMe project in a way that you can help. Laura, tell us what you want our viewers to do.

HARPER: There is a -- I hope -- that you're asking -- there is a website GoFundMe.com/PrayForBrussels. That is raising money for the victims and once a charity has been established to help specifically the victims at the bombings, at the airport and at the metro, those funds will be given to them. So, you know, we are always asking what we can do to help. That's something you can do to help.

CAMEROTA: Yes. It is very nice not to feel helpless and to think that we can still help those who are suffering. Laura Harper, Dr. Laura Billiet, thank you very much for taking time for NEW DAY and sharing your story. We think your both heroes and we appreciate you being here.

HARPER: Thank you.

BILLIET: Thank you. CAMEROTA: All right. We're going to go back now to Michaela with other news in New York. Hey, Mich.

[07:28:13] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: They sure are heroes. And we I think would collectively wrap our arms around them and the other survivors. Thanks for that, Alisyn.

Back here at home, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump insists that he is the one that can take out ISIS. Is there any truth to that? Does he beat other candidates with foreign policy and military experience? We'll look at that ahead on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)