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New Day Sunday

Extremists Call for Mall Attacks; Ukraine Ceasefire Bolstered by Prisoner Swap

Aired February 22, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mall of America said overnight, quote, "We take any potential threat seriously and respond appropriately. We have implemented extra security precautions and some may be noticeable to guests and others won't be."

And also the West Edmonton Mall said it is aware of a video that was recently released which included a mention of the mall. "We will continue to monitor events with the help of federal and local law enforcement agencies. We will continue to follow the situation, along with law enforcement and will remain vigilant as we always do in similar situations."

Now, at this point, we cannot lay out for our viewers what these security measures are or how they will affect anyone planning to go to those malls, but do know there will be new measures in place -- Christi and Victor.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, ANCHOR: Tom, I remember on several instances, namely back in September of 2013, that you and I having the conversation, while we were covering live, the breaking news of that attack at the mall in Nairobi.

How do you secure these soft targets? Your answer to me was -- you can't guarantee anything. That is so uncomfortable for people.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: That's true, Victor. You can't guarantee it, but what you can look at is what are the conditions -- you know, environmentally what are the resources of potential terrorists at that area. You know, Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, borders Somalia. You cannot only go across the border but they can take boats to the shores of Somalia to the shores of Kenya, their neighboring country, and they were able to. They were able to smuggle the AK-47s, the grenades, and other devices that they used during the attack, and, later, the Kenyan authorities did prosecute four subjects who provided safe houses for the four individuals that conducted the attack.

So, you had an infrastructure. You had safe houses. And you had attempts on previous occasions to conduct attacks in Kenya by al Shabaab because Kenya is one of the African countries supplying military forces into Somalia to try to work for the government to defeat al Shabaab.

So that was a much different situation. I don't think they have the infrastructure to carry out something like that here at the Mall of America. However, putting out these broadcasts like terrorists groups are doing, whether it's ISIS or Yemen or these guys, you know, it does possibly inspire some lone wolf or one or two lone wolves. And, of course, this is America so guns are unbelievably available to bad guys and gang members within these communities.

And so, you could get a couple of guys with guns could run in there and do unbelievable damage. But it won't be on the coordinated attack level that the Westgate Mall in Nairobi attack was. In that situation, though terrorists held those hostages four days almost and over 80 hours. So, that's what I don't think is possible now for them to put on that kind of a coordinated attack here or in Edmonton or in London.

But, yes, they might get one or two of these, you know, people out there watching these broadcasts who get inspired to go out and do it.

BLACKWELL: And, you know, you've reminded and many of our other analysts have reminded us, it is not just the physical attack that is the terrorism or the terror, it is the constant state of crisis. It is inflicting that fear that is the terror. But these malls have said that they will be working on security. We heard from Erin just a moment ago that the Mall of America says that it has implemented extra security precautions and some that will be noticeable and those that won't be. The noticeable ones are obvious, the ones that won't be, detail those for us what you expect those will be.

FUENTES: Well, I think one thing is modern malls have video coverage of their entire parking lots, the access streets that come into their parking lots, the entryways and the major walkways within the mall. Plus, you have individual stores inside that will have their own closed circuit cameras within their stores. Oftentimes in an environment like that, you might have only one or two people monitoring all of the 50 cameras or hundred cameras, however many they have.

In this case, they can bring on more people to be watching more of the cameras simultaneously instead of just having to flip between one screen and another. So, that would be one measure.

More security out in the lots in discrete vehicles and maybe more vehicles in the streets outside, the police ready and the tactical teams in Minneapolis, the city, state, and FBI on high alert on very short leashes to bring the tactical teams in to respond to a situation.

So, I think take type of security. And, frankly, I think many of the people in the public, we have heard these threats over and over again since 9/11 and I think many people just kind of shrug it off, yes, yes, we have heard this before and I'm going shopping.

BLACKWELL: There is that depreciating value after hearing these threats and seeing the videos time after time.

Tom Fuentes, good to have you with us.

FUENTES: Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: And later this morning, we should say, Erin mentioned that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is making the rounds today. Well, he will be on with Gloria Borger to talk about this threat on "STATE OF THE UNION" at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

PAUL: Well, Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels conduct a prisoner swap. Just ahead, you have to wonder, is this a good sign? What does it mean for the fragile cease-fire?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Defense Secretary Ash Carter is on his second day and final day to a visit to Afghanistan. Today, Secretary Carter visits with U.S. troops in Kandahar, and then he heads then to Kuwait for meetings with American military leaders and Kuwaiti officials. Now, he says he made the trip to Afghanistan to access the security situation personally. Of course, this happened less than a week after his confirmation.

On Saturday, Carter said the United States is considering slowing a plan withdraw of U.S. troops from the country to ensure the progress sticks.

Christi?

PAUL: Despite almost daily shelling, there are some new, possibly promising signs that the cease-fire agreement in Ukraine is having an affect. Yesterday, the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists did complete a prisoner swap we've learned. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed 139 soldiers were released from captivity. Then Russian state news says 52 rebels were freed as well.

Here is CNN's Nick Paton Walsh with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Christi, extraordinary to think, as we stood in Central Kiev a year ago, to see the ousting of then President Viktor Yanukovych. The death on the streets seemed alien rare to Ukraine and now, a year later, we are in the heart of a civil conflict here that has claimed over 5,500 lives at least.

And now, this supposed cease-fire we have seen nothing, but potentially the bloodiest moment yet for the Ukraine take place during the cease-fire. I'm talking about, of course, the route really from the key strategic town of Debaltseve. We still last night heard shelling around the city last night and we don't know if anybody was injured or killed during these blasts. But today, now, the slow beginnings of what is supposed to be already happening under the cease-fire deal.

A prisoner swap of 139 prisoners and both sides saying they are going to start withdrawing their heavy weapons from the front line. Now, that isn't consistent with the atmosphere we have been hearing here, because the violence continues. You can hear behind me a children's festival and bit of normalcy here, but so many here who remember the violence. There are so many affected by it.

But I think very few people here consider this a cease-fire. Very few a year on from the beginning of the unrest here in Ukraine think they are going to see the ends of the violence any time soon -- Victor and Christi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you so much, Nick.

This just in from Kharkiv in Ukraine, a blast killed two people and left ten injured. Now, this explosion targeted a march marking the bloody night and crackdown which sparked the year-long conflict that has left parts of eastern Ukraine utterly devastated. We've got live pictures here. This is in Kiev. I don't know if you can make it out there.

But in the center of this crowd, the new Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko is standing here. This marks one year since his predecessor, former President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power. Again live look here at this ceremony in Kiev, another march we said in the capital city of Kiev.

There is one to honor the 49 who died in the events last year, one year ago and those still fighting amid a shaky cease-fire. We will continue to watch what is happening here in the capital.

And the most liberal Oscar movie is? Hhmm. Up next, a behind the curtain peek at the political views of Hollywood's most private celebrities. Of course, this is happening as the country is getting ready to watch Hollywood's biggest night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: OK, movie lovers, are you ready? All tonight's glitter and glamour. Final preps this morning for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, Hollywood's biggest night as it's dubbed kicks off in last 12 hours now.

BLACKWELL: All right. Some of the Oscar's most talked about movies are loaded with themes that prompt political debates across the country. Of course, you have "Selma", "American Sniper", "Boyhood", there are a lots of them.

But in some cases, not at all, but in some cases, you can predict the political messages in the film by looking at the politics of the people who made them. Let's understand this more.

CNN's Chris Moody is joining us now to give us a look behind these scenes literally to see -- well, not literally -- but giving us a look behind the scenes to understand the relationship between the political donations and the year's biggest films -- Chris.

CHRIS MOODY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: See if you can find a connection or at least a correlation between the two. And so, one of the best ways is know politics of somebody is look at their donations.

Now, no matter how private a celebrity is, their donations to a political cause or a candidate has to be public if it's over just a couple of hundred dollars. We found something very interesting. Point one, something almost everyone knows and that is Hollywood is liberal. We found no crews that worked on movies or producers as a whole that put them on the right side of the spectrum.

But on the left side of the spectrum, we found varying degrees. Notably, "American Sniper" was the most moderate, or least liberal film as far the people who worked on it. And on the far left side of the spectrum, you had "Birdman" and "Selma" and "Imitation Game" all earning some of the highest scores.

And so, what we did was we look at the people who worked on the movies, the producers, the directors, even just people on the crew looked and FEC data using a group called Crowdpac that collects all of that data and put them altogether to find those answers.

BLACKWELL: So, what are the big surprises, if there are any, Chris?

MOODY: Well, I think one interesting thing we found is, of course, that as a whole, none of them made it to the right side of the spectrum. Basically, this year at least, conservatives did not make award winning movies.

Now, a lot of people saying, hold on a second, wait a minute, Clint Eastwood made "American Sniper" and he spoke at the Republican National Convention a couple of years ago. That's true. But did you know that he didn't even make a donation to Mitt Romney when he did that? Also, he has donated to Republican and Democratic causes over the years.

And also movies are made by more than just one person. So other people had donated to a lot of Democrats which pushed "American Sniper" to the left side of the political spectrum, but just barely, just by a few points.

BLACKWELL: We see up here, Hollywood political donation, some of the stars there and where their money goes. Does this reinforce -- it sounds like it does -- the line that Hollywood is full of liberals?

MOODY: Well, I think it absolutely does. I think it could serve as a call to conservatives, particularly young conservatives that want to get into film that perhaps they should tell them to go to Hollywood and make movies and represent their ideology a little bit more.

Now, there's a lot of talk how it's difficult for conservatives in Hollywood. I think a lot of them stay very quiet about their beliefs. But certainly this year, the Best Picture nominees were represented by people on the left side of the spectrum for sure, at least the people who made them.

BLACKWELL: OK. People will keep that in mind as they watch the big show tonight.

Chris Moody, thanks so much.

MOODY: Thank you.

PAUL: By the way, you can catch "Hollywood's Biggest Night" right here on CNN. Don Lemon and Michaela Pereira live are the red carpet before everyone celebrates! The best in cinematic achievement at the Academy Awards. Don't miss it! That is tonight at 6:00 Eastern.

NASCAR champ Kurt Busch's suspension is upheld. So, what does that mean for the driver? What's next for his career?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: This week's "Human Factor" focuses on an actress who struggled with and risen above a disorder that affects millions of Americans. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Defective. That's how Wendy Davis labeled herself growing up.

WENDY DAVIS, REALITY SHOW ACTRESS: I had a tough time staying seated in class, always found the window next to my desk and the things that were happening outside of the classroom far more interesting. So I just knew that something was different.

GUPTA: It wasn't until Davis' first-grade daughter was diagnosed with ADHD decades later that she discovered she had it as well.

DAVIS: My entire childhood was explained in that moment.

I became a person who studied twice as hard as anyone else. I just became super diligent in the areas that I was interested in.

GUPTA: For Davis, that was acting. She did find success on TV.

DAVIS: We need to get something straight.

GUPTA: With her award-nominated role on Lifetime's "Army Wives" and with parts on shows ABC's "Scandal."

DAVIS: I have a vivid imagination. Also am very emotional. This may not be such a great quality in a corporate office, but it really just works in my profession.

GUPTA: Now, the actress is passing along her positivity. She volunteers for the nonprofit organization CHADD, which provides education and support for people with ADHD.

DAVIS: I'm really here for those kids who aren't feeling good about themselves, to say that you are different, not defective. You can create an amazing life for yourself.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. Here's a look at some stories developing now.

Police say at least 29 people, including many women and children, have died after a passenger ferry capsized on a river in Bangladesh. The boat was packed with at least 100 people when it overturned on the Pedma River north of the capital. Police say that the ferry collided with a cargo ship and it's feared the toll could go much higher. Dozens of people who were on the ferry are still missing and rescue attempts understandably are still underway.

PAUL: A Minneapolis police officer who was shot after responding to a burglary is doing well this morning we've heard. The police chief says he's in fair condition now. Officials say the officer was not targeted personally but say that he was shot simply because he's a police officer. A suspect has been arrested in connection with the burglary part of that, but authorities are investigating whether there is a link with the shooting.

Also, federal authorities are moving about 3,000 Texas inmates from a county facility to other prisons after a riot broke out. Apparently, it left the facility uninhabitable. Prisoners busted out of their housing units, we're told. They set fire to three of them and then made their way to the prison yard. No one breached the outside gates. Officers used nonlethal force though to regain control of the facility and there were only minor injuries reported.

Nick Gordon, the boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown, is lashing out after he says he has not been allowed to visit her in the hospital. Well, the Brown family fired back saying Gordon could visit, but he had to meet certain conditions but did not say what those conditions are.

The 21-year-old Bobbi Kristina is being treated at an Atlanta hospital. She has been in a coma since being found face down in a bath tub last month.

And NASCAR champ Kurt Busch's indefinite suspension holds. Both of his appeals were denied, which means he's going to miss the season opening Daytona 500. NASCAR officials suspended the driver after a civil court found he likely assaulted his ex-girlfriend. Busch's lawyers say they're going to continue to fight until his client is vindicated.

But this week, Busch's girlfriend talked for the first time since the judge issued his ruling. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA DRISCOLL, EX-GIRLFRIEND OF KURT BUSCH: He was saying some really weird and crazy things, very paranoid and he popped up out of bed and grabbed me by the throat with one hand and with the other hand he grabbed my face and he smashed my head into the wall three times.

I heard some of the most ridiculous accusations in the four days of testimony and it was just -- I can't -- I can't even describe to you how hard it is to sit there and listen to these lies being told about you when you're sit -- and you can't say anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: NASCAR's given no indication as to when Busch will be allowed to resume racing.

Well, we are so glad that you're starting your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.

(MUSIC)

BLACKWELL: This morning, there is a new terror threat. A Somali-based terror group known for attack on a mall in Kenya is threatening to attack Western malls, including here in the U.S.

PAUL: Caged like animals and paraded through the streets, is releasing new propaganda video of the Kurdish fighters they claim to have captured.

BLACKWELL: And it is Hollywood's awards night. Tonight, the red carpet rolls out for the Academy Awards. We'll take a look ahead.

PAUL: Hope Sunday has been good for you. Thanks for starting it with us. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to be with you.

PAUL: Yes, we want to start with the terror group linked to al Qaeda. They're urging attacks on popular shopping malls here in the U.S., in Canada, and in the U.K.

We're talking about the Somalia based group, al Shabaab. It's released a video. CNN is showing a still image. You see this man here, face covered. He's the one urging the attacks. We want to point out that CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of this video.

BLACKWELL: It also gives the GPS coordinates of potential targets.

Two of the possible targets, Minnesota's Mall of America and Canada's West Edmonton Mall. They say they are implement extra security precautions.

Earlier, I asked CNN senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir why al Shabaab would issue this threat now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The worries and the fears of lone wolf attacks in the Europe and the U.S. are very real at the moment. And al Shabaab is piggybacking off of them, it's exploiting them, especially given that U.S. authorities have been very candid about the fact that the Somali American community has very much been recruiting ground zero for ISIS and al Shabaab before it, Victor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. Minneapolis in particular has become a main recruiting ground for al Shabaab. It's home to the largest Somali population in the United States.

CNN's Erin McPike has the reaction from the government -- Erin.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, that's right. I just received a statement from Ned Price. He's the spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House.

I want to read that statement to you. He says protecting public safety and national security is our highest priority. We are aware of the reported call from al Shabaab for attacks against shopping centers around the world to include in the United States. In recent months, the FBI and DHS have worked closely with our state and local public safety counterparts and members of the private sector to include mall owners and operators to prevent and mitigate these types of threats.

And, of course, Victor, we want to point out that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson will be on "STATE OF THE UNION" within an hour from now, obviously, will most likely address these situations, Victor.

BLACKWELL: So, how serious are these malls taking these threats, as we heard from Tom Fuentes, CNN law enforcement, there is some depreciating value over time when you get so many of these. How are they approaching this?

MCPIKE: Well, first, Victor, let us point out that threats as you said do come up from time to time, but there is not necessarily a specific credible threat to the U.S. at this point. We did get statements overnight from the Mall of America as well as the West Edmonton Mall. They put out very similar statements saying that they are taking these very seriously. They are putting extra precautions in place.

What the Mall of America said is that in some of these cases people who go to the mall will be able to notice some of those security measures and at other times they won't, but they are beefing up their security which is important for all of our viewers to know, of course.

BLACKWELL: Also we have the statement there from West Edmonton Mall on our screen for viewers to read along with.

Erin McPike in Washington for us -- Erin, thank you.

MCPIKE: Of course.

PAUL: There's also a new threat and a new video from ISIS this morning. The terror group has released a propaganda video. You see it here, at least a still image of it.