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CNN NEWSROOM

ISIS Trained Americans; Missing Girl From University of Virginia; Manhunt in Pennsylvania

Aired September 22, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you very much, Wolf Blitzer.

I'm Don Lemon, in for Brooke today. Thank you so much for joining me.

This is just in to CNN. We're getting new information about the 100 or so Americans believed to be actively supporting ISIS and other rebel groups fighting in Syria. Here's what a senior administration official says, that federal law enforcement agents are keeping tabs on Americans that may have joined ISIS and already returned here to the United States. Our chief national security correspondent, Mr. Jim Sciutto, of course, he joins us now to tell us the very latest.

What can you tell us, Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, there have been a lot of numbers that have been floating around, probably been confusing for our viewers, how many Americans actually are connected to ISIS. The operating number we've been told by intelligence officials is about a dozen. Now that number could go up, but that's about a dozen Americans they know fighting for the group. The 100 figure comes to include all Americans fighting for various rebel groups inside Syria.

But what's interesting about what Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, said a short time ago is that that 100 includes not just people on the ground in Syria right now continuing to fight, but ones who have already returned home, just buttressing this point that some of these fighters have already made the journey home or attempted to make the journey home.

And, Don, as you know, this is the real concern of the administration, that what happens when these foreign fighters, Americans, Europeans as well from countries that do not need a visa to travel to the U.S., what happens when they return home to the U.S.? Are they encouraged? Are they energized? Are they trained, are they ordered to carry out attacks and violence here in the U.S. as they've done in Syria?

LEMON: Let's talk a little bit more about that because ISIS is calling for attacks on the U.S. coalition - U.S. and coalition countries. And news regarding the potential international response to these threats, what is it?

SCIUTTO: Well, this is a big focus of what President Obama wants to accomplish at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. That starts tomorrow. He's going to be addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday. Two big parts of the administration strategy here. One is to introduce a binding resolution at the U.N. to get countries to stop this flow of foreign fighters into and out of Syria, not just to Syria, but to other foreign terrorists organizations because there are a lot of countries that either helped this to happen or don't stop it happening. Turkey is a country bordering Syria which has been a real issue because a lot of the fighters go through there.

So what are they actually doing to stop that flow of fighters? The president wants to introduce a resolution that will - that countries will commit themselves to stopping both the flow of fighters and the flow of money. He's also going to convene a summit in Washington at the White House to combat violent extremism at home. You know, to get young people not to be radicalized. How do you do that because, you know what, Don, the concern is not just the folks who go there and fight and maybe come back and carry out attacks, but the folks here in the U.S. or in Europe who go on websites, they get radicalized, they build a bomb, like we saw in Boston for instance, and kill people.

LEMON: Right.

SCIUTTO: And this is what you heard from this latest ISIS message, encouraging people all around the world who might support the ISIS cause to carry out attacks on their own. It's a real concern, homegrown terrorism, as they call it.

LEMON: And Jim will be reporting on this story throughout the day and evening here on CNN. Jim, thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: Thank you.

LEMON: I need to tell you that for the first time the parents of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, they are speaking publicly begging anyone with information on their daughter to come forward. The 18 year old was last seen on September 13th in an area of Charlottesville known as the downtown mall. Using surveillance video and witness statements, authorities tracked Graham where she was seen walking with a man. Police believe that man is Jesse Matthew. Clutching the toy bunny, that was her daughter's prize possession, John and Susan Graham took the mike Sunday and asked for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GRAHAM, FATHER OF HANNAH GRAHAM: I think that the reason that Hannah has such marvelous support is that this is every parents' worst nightmare. I'm certain that everybody in this room, and those watching, knows that what happened to Hannah could happen to their child. We need to find out what happened to Hannah and make sure that it doesn't happen to anybody else.

You have all, I'm sure, read about Hannah. You will have read that Hannah is a second year student at the University of Virginia, a skier, a musician, a softball player. She likes to help people and she's interested in a career in helping others. And just as a little example, last spring break, instead of hanging around on the beach like other students may have done, she spent a week in Tuscaloosa rebuilding houses and helping the recovery from the devastating tornado. That's Hannah.

That's one (ph) Hannah. But Hannah is also our little girl. She's our only daughter and she's James' (ph) little sister.

Did you see Hannah? Did anybody see Hannah? Did you see Hannah? Did you see Hannah? Who saw Hannah? Somebody did. Please, please, please, if you have anything, however insignificant you think it may be, call the police tip line with anything that just might help us to bring Hannah home.

When I returned home from bringing Hannah back to Charlottesville for the beginning of term last month, I found that she had left this little guy behind. This is Hannah's favorite white rabbit, Bebe (ph). He was given to Hannah by one of my friends when she was less than a week old. BeBe helped out in Tuscaloosa and he was Hannah's constant guardian, companion, friend and guardian angel until last month when she chose to return to Charlottesville without him. Constant companion, that is, except for about six months when Hannah was three years old when he was lost at the nursery. We found BeBe and we brought him home to Hannah and to us. All we want to do now is to bring Hannah home safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, more than a week has passed since his daughter disappeared and police are certain that somebody must know something.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, POLICE: And I believe Jesse Matthew and Hannah found theirselves at the Tempo (ph) restaurant. I believe that. Eyewitnesses told us so. And I believe Hannah Graham left Falinis (ph) restaurant with Jesse Matthew. I believe that. In fact, I believe that Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth. Let me say that again, I believe Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth, because it's been a week and we can't find her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Wow.

Up next, Mark Geragos, Sunny Hostin, both here to debate these bizarre twists in this case and whether the police chief, his tone is fair to someone not even being called a suspect.

Plus, we'll have this for you. Police say they're closing in on an alleged cop killer believed to be hiding in the woods. Hear what this Rambo-like survivalist may be carrying and the bizarre story behind this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And as for this job, well, it's not that I have a choice but (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I quit. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. We apologize for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, POLICE: In fact I believe that Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth. Let me say that again, I believe Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth, because it's been a week and we can't find her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's the police chief heading up the search for a missing University of Virginia student. We heard from her parents just before the break. The 18 year old was last seen September 13th.

I want to bring in now my legal minds here. Legal analyst and former the federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin and CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos.

They're not calling, Mark, they're not calling this Jesse Matthew a suspect or person of interest, but you heard the very strong comments from the guy who's heading up the investigation. Is this appropriate for - is this - I don't usually see police do this?

MARK GERAGOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: To me - to me it looks totally inappropriate. I don't know. He's off his meds.

LEMON: Is he crossing a line?

GERAGOS: He look s like he's off his meds.

LEMON: Right.

GERAGOS: I mean he literally - OK, they've got something. They believe they've got a surveillance tape. They believe they - that he is - he clearly is a suspect, even though they're not saying it. But that's kind of not ready for prime time performance I think is inappropriate.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'm not sure. I mean I think that when - I think the public wants to hear passion from law enforcement. I think he's obviously very passionate. And I don't think that he crossed the line in anything that he said.

LEMON: But if you -

HOSTIN: He said, I believe he was the last person to be seen with her. And there is surveillance video that supports that.

LEMON: Sunny, and you're a prosecutor. I know that.

HOSTIN: So the fact that he - that he said that -

LEMON: But if you were representing him, you'd be like, you incriminated my client from the very beginning. He did not stand a chance. Would you not do that?

HOSTIN: Well, there's no question that if he is arrested -

LEMON: OK.

HOSTIN: If there is a trial, of course that's going to come up. They're going to say there was a rush to judgment.

GERAGOS: Well, can I tell you, what's the -- what about the alternative? What if - what if he isn't the - a suspect? What if he isn't the guy?

LEMON: (INAUDIBLE), yes.

GERAGOS: And he's got that tape following him around for the rest of his life?

HOSTIN: But I think when you look at the facts of this case, it's very clear that he was on surveillance video with her. He is the last person to be seen. He was brought into the police precinct to talk to them. He refused to talk, asked for a lawyer and then sped away and drove away.

GERAGOS: Which, by the way -

LEMON: Well, when - well, they said -- the police chief says he willingly went to the police station this weekend. He walked through the front door. He asked for a lawyer.

HOSTIN: He didn't cooperate. He didn't cooperate and then he left.

LEMON: But so then why would - why would they - so they --

GERAGOS: Well, wait a second, but -- asking for a lawyer. Asking for a lawyer is not cooperating?

LEMON: Yes.

GERAGOS: Give me a break.

HOSTIN: Well, it is (ph) cooperating.

GERAGOS: If you were the prosecutor and that was your chief, that was your investigator, you'd be on the phone saying, have that guy sit down. You know it and I know it. You wouldn't let this guy do - that performance.

LEMON: Sunny's being quite (ph).

GERAGOS: Yes, it's the first time (INAUDIBLE) -

LEMON: Oh, my gosh. (INAUDIBLE) first time when you're speechless? He's right, isn't he?

HOSTIN: Well, listen, but I think one thing that's -

LEMON: She won't say it, he's right.

HOSTIN: I think one thing that -

GERAGOS: She can't bring herself to -

HOSTIN: I think one thing that's important to note, I mean, you watch that press conference -

LEMON: Yes.

HOSTIN: And you see those parents. They're in such agony and such pain.

GERAGOS: I agree. I agree.

HOSTIN: Five girls, five women, have disappeared from this area. It is an area that is high in sex trafficking. And oftentimes when I was conducting investigations, I said, the first 24 hours, the golden hours. If you haven't found someone in the first -

GERAGOS: The first 48 (ph).

HOSTIN: The first 48, found (INAUDIBLE) perhaps the person is missing. But after having seen those three women that were found after 10 years, after knowing now a lot about sex trafficking, I am not so convinced that she is no longer with us. So I think that is why we're seeing that this investigation is so very aggressive and so very active because there is a chance that she can be found.

The other thing that I want to say is, I am surprised that no one's talking about the buddy system.

LEMON: Yes.

HOSTIN: She's in college. She's by herself going home from an off- campus party.

LEMON: Yes.

HOSTIN: Ladies, when you're with your girlfriend, you don't let her leave alone. You have to stay together.

LEMON: But she -- didn't she send a friend a text message saying, I'm lost about (INAUDIBLE)?

HOSTIN: I'm lost.

LEMON: But, also, why would they let him go to the police station, said he was uncooperative, he asked for an attorney, and then let him go and then issue an arrest warrant for -- because he sped off, saying that he was reckless. That's to bring him back in, to give him something legitimately to arrest him for, correct? GERAGOS: That's exactly right.

LEMON: But why would they let him go in the first place because they (INAUDIBLE) -

GERAGOS: Because they had nothing they could do. They didn't have anything. They couldn't hold him. They don't have enough.

HOSTIN: (INAUDIBLE).

GERAGOS: And so they concocted the arrest warrant.

HOSTIN: Well, if he did -

GERAGOS: Concocted is exactly the correct (ph) word (ph).

HOSTIN: If he did recklessly drive away, then, you know, in the business we sort of call that the holding charge, because you don't want him to disappear and you want him to come back. And once you have that charge, then you have something to negotiate with and perhaps for information.

LEMON: For the police - for the police chief to go here, right, to go that far, do you think he has something that we don't know about because he is being completely -- really animated and very passionate?

HOSTIN: Investigators always have something more.

GERAGOS: It looks to me like they - well, yes, they don't reveal -- they're not supposed to reveal.

HOSTIN: Right.

GERAGOS: But he looks incredibly frustrated.

LEMON: Uh-huh.

HOSTIN: And passionate and frustrated and don't we want our law enforcement officers to feel that.

GERAGOS: Well, I understand - yes, I understand the passion. I mean you see the parents and your heart, as anybody who's got a kid, this is your worst nightmare.

HOSTIN: Sure.

GERAGOS: And so I get that. But, at the same time, you can't channel that. It's not Nancy Grace in a, you know, an audition. I mean this is - the guy's law enforcement. He's supposed to be conducting himself in a professional manner.

HOSTIN: I don't know that he was unprofessional. I think it's something that we're unfortunately not used to seeing.

GERAGOS: That wasn't unprofessional. HOSTIN: We're not used to seeing the frustration and the passion that typically law enforcement officers at that level, they're career guys. They're career police chiefs, and police officers, and he's there and he's - and his shoulder is in it.

LEMON: Yes, they're giving me the wrap. What happens next here because they -- they want to arrest him and then, I guess, that all depends on that, right?

HOSTIN: They want to arrest him and they want him to cooperate. They want him to cooperate with this investigation.

LEMON: Yes. Thank you. Lots of passion here too as well. Thank you, Sunny. Thank you, Mark Geragos. Appreciate that.

Hundreds of police scouring the Poconos looking for an alleged cop killer. They are closing in on Eric Frein. But while he is at large, no one feels safe in the area.

And then this, A-list actress Emma Watson taking a stand, saying that just because she's a feminist doesn't mean that she hates men.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We'll get him. Confident talk for those searching for a suspected cop killer. Pennsylvania's governor is confident too, but concerned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TOM CORBETT (R), PENNSYLVANIA: My thoughts and prayers are constantly with those individuals out there, the men and women who are looking for this individual, because they are doing their sworn duty, yet they know that they are putting their life on the line for somebody who has the intended purpose of killing police officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Eric Frein, a Rambo-style survivalist and marksman now on the FBI's most wanted list. He's still on the loose. Four hundred heavily armed law enforcement officers are ramping up their manhunt in the Pocono Mountains, not far from Frein's home. They say they are closing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: We are making significant progress in the investigation and we found several items that Frein has abandoned or hidden for possible future use. Some of those items including an AK-47 style weapon and some other magazines and ammunition, among other things, that we have located to this point in time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So police -- state police also saying that Frein probably still has a hunting rifle with scope. Investigators don't think Frein is a threat to civilians. They say he is targeting police. He allegedly shot and killed one trooper and wounded another. And people are hunkering down nonetheless. Many schools are still closed. Alexandra Field joins us now live from the search area.

Sounds like the noose is tightening on this guy, Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Don, there's been so much tension in this community in the last week that they are really hoping that when police say now that they are closing in on him, that that is, in fact, the case. We're actually at the road blockade on the perimeter of the search area and on the other side of that barrier, hundreds of officers combing these woods, continuing to try and narrow that search area.

We have seen a medevac helicopter circling overhead. Also ambulances on standby here. The goal is to get all of the officers who went into the woods out safely as they pursue this suspect who has been on the run for 10 days now. Don, we heard from state police earlier this morning. They say that there have been some credible tips, reporting sightings of the suspects. That has what prompt - that's what's prompted them to crack down on the area that they are focusing on right now. We'll let you listen in to more of what state police told us about this area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COLONEL GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: We're following up very active - or very aggressively on some of the -- the information that we have right now and we'll see how that plays out through the day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

BIVENS: No, if anything, I would say the search area is narrowing right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How dose do you think you've gotten to him and have you been close to catching him?

BIVENS: We won't know that, I guess, until we actually catch him. But I do believe that we are close to him at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: And, Don, while police say that they found an AK-47, as well as ammunition, that they believe that Frein recently left here in the woods, they want everyone to understand that they believe that this suspect is still certainly armed and dangerous. That's why they're asking the public to be really very vigilant at this point, even though that shelter in place order has been lifted.

LEMON: Alexandra, why are they so confident that he won't hurt civilians?

FIELD: Yes, this has been a confusing situation for people here because, Don, let's return to the point. They've closed schools here for four days in a row. You know you've got school officials saying that they're working with authorities, they want to do everything they can to protect the children. You had a shelter in place order in effect. That was lifted.

So people have said, you know, if they don't have him, why is it safe for me to leave the house? Well, police are saying a couple things. Again, be vigilant. But they are also saying that they have some evidence to support the theory that this is a guy who is truly after law enforcement. That is his target. The governor spoke to that point this morning. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM CORBETT (R), PENNSYLVANIA: He had the opportunity to shoot civilians at the Blooming Grove barracks at the same time that he shot the police officer. So it is our conclusion that he is aimed totally at police officers because there were unarmed civilians right in the exact same location during the course of the shooting and he chose not to shoot at them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: While Frein does appear to targeting police officers, police are telling people here, you know, don't wander into the woods. Stay in your house. Let these officers do their jobs. There are hundreds of them. They are trying very hard to bring this to a peaceful and final resolution shortly here, Don.

LEMON: Alexandra Field, appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Here's a question for you, do you have to be a woman to be a real feminist or can men join that club too? Also, we're going to speak to a man who believes it makes perfect sense on that.

Climate change. Protesters brought their passion and frustration to Wall Street today, saying capitalism is one big reason for global warming.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS, "HARRY POTTER": Catherine Milda Vape (ph). Harry, she's trying to smother (ph) you a love potion.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ACTOR, "HARRY POTTER": Really?

WATSON: Hey, she's only interested in you because she thinks you're the chosen one.

RADCLIFFE: Well, I am the chosen one. OK (ph), sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)