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LEGAL VIEW WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

Lava Continues to Threaten Pahoa, Hawaii; Captured ISIS Militants Speak Out; Father Disappears from Football Stadium

Aired October 28, 2014 - 12:30   ET

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


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right over here, that roadblock, that's the way the lava's headed. And this is the main road of the town.

Lava on main street in Pahoa on the big island at 2,000 degree river, a molten rock is just a few hundred feet away from the town and there is no way to stop it. Residents run a moment's notice to evacuate as the super heated stone threatens the town of 950.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody (inaudible) was -- we can't see the future, the flow does what the flow does.

SAVIDGE: Hawaii's name is killer Kilauea volcano has continuously erupted since 1983, usually with spectacular lava flows or so, eventually reaching the sea. But in June, a new flow starting headed the opposite way to the northeast. The dark whose in mask (ph) consuming everything in his path.

The next per se (ph) the lava his victim, speed as it heads directly for Pahoa. Hawaii's governor, signing a request asking for a presidential disaster declaration and for bed (ph) relaying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As it gets closer, the key is communication with the community, keeping people in farm, and everything continue to work around the (inaudible).

SAVIDGE: Officials going door to door warning residents as the flow inches dangerously flows. Already, several roads (ph) had been forced that close as the lava overtakes them. With many residents fearing they'll be cut off, Hawaii country is rebuilding ultimate gravel roads around the expected path of the lava. People down wind (ph) from the smoke had been advice to stay in doors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had asthma myself and the smoke conditions, if they increase are going to be hard on some people.

SAVIDGE: It actually has been raining off and on here. But the experts say does have absolutely no impact on the relentlessness of the lava. So the only hope this town has is that it either suddenly stops or turns direction. Otherwise, the same force of nature that created the Hawaiian Islands are very well destroyed this town. Back to you.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: Oh Martin, so incredible. I've been there. And I have seen the Kilauea lava flows. For a tourist attraction, it's one of the top on the list that is not something you want to see when it's anywhere near where you live.

So Chad Myers is great at this. He's looking at the science subject. And he's also looking where this lava is going and why, let's take a peek (ph).

CHAD MYERS, WEATHER ANCHOR: Ashleigh, there's been flowing lava on the Big Island at Hawaii for many years. And Kilauea to the Pahoa events from more than 30 years. But the lava has always flowed toward the ocean, not toward the town up here to the northeast even if Kilauea flow moved down toward the ocean created a bigger island because of it.

But as we move the lava to the northeast and not to the southeast, we run into more villages, more towns here. So we can take this crack (ph) right through here through the erupted Mountain Pahoa and we've taking it down to the northeast rather than the south east into this town.

Now the advanced has been happening for many months now and we've seen this advance between 15, 10 yards per hour all the way along here. It's slowed down a little bit overnight. And slow down has occurred because there have been some cracks in the lava tube.

The lava tube is the hardened black crust that you see and all of a sudden inside that crust there is there is the lava still flowing, flowing down hill. If you take that tube, and you break it, it's like cutting your garden hoes. You're not going to have as much pressure to watch your car. And so we've taking some of the pressure of the end of the tube and so therefore taking some of the advance pressure towards the northeast and pushing it other places.

If these continues, that could really help, we could really see this initial part of the tube, it may eventually even hardened all the way through and stop the lava flow when it traps, that so far isn't the forecast, but the more cracks we get, up the hill, the better this could be. Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: All right, Chad, thank you for that. I want to take you live to Canada right now where Canadians (inaudible) there was sex to the 24-year-old soldier who is gun down in a terror attack in Ottawa last week. That's the Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the middle of your screen attending the funeral for Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

It is in home town of Hamilton in the province of Ontario, the regimen of funeral service in is only for family and invited guest. So beautiful. Look at the setup. The cascade (inaudible) and the Canadians flag in the center. Thousands upon thousands of supporters by the way lying in the street as his body would carried enough procession of the cubic funeral Corporal Cirillo with standing guards guard at Canada's National War Memorial. It's such a beautiful site to the type of person.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: They're on their videos, they look like killing machines and that's probably an understatement that ISIS fighters don't win every battle. And ones we're hold of the battlefield, these prisoners sure don't look or sound like the blood thirsty valets who are bent on total domination, at least not the prisoners.

With CNN's Ivan Watson had the opportunity to interview in captivity in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): We are in a prison run by the Kurdish militants here in Northern Syria, and we're being introduced to prisoners that the Kurdish tell us were members of ISIS.

(voice-over): The prisoners are brought in blindfolded and quickly begin to wonder whether they're being forced to speak to us. During our visit here, the guards who asked not to be shown, do not allow us to see the cells where the prisoners are being held. This man trembles with fear as the prison guard removes his blindfold.

I introduced myself as an American journalist and he begins to relax a little

SULEIMAN, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT: Asala Malay Kum.

WATSON (voice-over): He tells me he's a Syrian named Suleiman. He confesses to being part of an ISIS cell that planted and detonated a remote-controlled car bomb outside the Kurdish base. And says he received around US$3600 for completing the job.

(on-camera): What is the idea of that ISIS is fighting for?

SULEIMAN: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said there were fighting for Islam and justice. They were lying to us, they took advantage of our minds and our poverty.

WATSON (voice-over): One of the prisoners the guards bring out is barely a man.

(on-camera): Your name is Kareem, how old are you?

KAREEM, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am 19-years-old.

WATSON (voice-over): But Kareem (ph) tells me, he'd fought alongside ISIS all across Syria for more than a year.

(on-camera): Where were you injured?

(voice-over): And he has the battle scars to prove it.

KAREEM: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They gave us drugs, hallucinogenic pills that would make you go to battle, not caring if you live or die.

WATSON (voice-over): Before he's captured the Kurds, Kareem claims he saw ISIS behead many of its prisoners.

(on-camera): Why does ISIS cut people's heads off?

KAREEM: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever ISIS goes into an area, the Eyes (ph) of ISIS, the people there who don't adhere to there Islamic law are apostates. Everything has to follows ISIS's way. Even women who don't cover their faces, women would also get their head chopped off.

WATSON (voice-over): The final prisoner is Jaber, a former school teacher and father of two who also confesses to a car bombing.

(on-camera): What would have happened to me if -- when you were with ISIS, you guys had found me, an American journalist?

JABER, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With ISIS, your faith would be death. There are different kinds of death. They would torture you for sure, they might decapitate you or cut off your hands. They will not simply shoot a bullet in your head.

WATSON (voice-over): Each, impossible for CNN to confirm whether anything the prisoners tell us was true or whether these men were coached by their captors. The Kurdish prison guard say, if set free, every one of these men would likely go back and rejoin ISIS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Unbelievable. And Ivan Watson who's just been doing some of the most stellar work in country joins us live now. Ivan, I know we're on a long satellite delay, but I'm going to throw this question at you about how it is you got that access in that prison? Can you sort of set the scene for why you are there and how you got there?

WATSON: Well, we crossed the border from Iraqi-Kurdistan to the Kurdish controlled-part of Northern Syria where the Kurds have basically have been in charge for about three years and they've been fighting ISIS on the ground in a vicious war now for over a year. I think showing us these prisoners is part of their propaganda war that they are fighting with ISIS. They want to demystify their opponents, spread the word of some of their alleged atrocities and let us see these men looking weak and defenseless in front of us.

It was strange to hear from one of these men after the other, I asked all of them what would happen if you have encountered when you were with ISIS, when you were free, and each of them said, "You would be killed. You are an American journalist," and the 19-year-old we talked said, "Yes, we would chop your head off."

BANFIELD: Ivan, I'm not sure if I'm, you know, improperly reading into this, but I didn't see a whole of, you know, contrition or repentance in the face, at least, of that 19-year-old who seem to relish the question about why behead people. He didn't seem sorry?

WATSON: Well, first of all, these men are prisoners. They were not speaking freely. So we really have to keep that in mind. They are prisoners and some of them were looking at their guards who were present throughout the interview, almost trying to make sure that they were saying the right thing. All of them said that they made mistakes by joining ISIS. Saying they were motivated by money or that their families had been threatened.

But the Kurdish said in particular, the19-year-old, they claimed that he was the most deadly, the most dangerous of the three prisoners that he was, as they put it, the most brainwashed. That's not something I can confirm, but man, not only did he have those horrific scars in his abdomen, but he'd been shot in the arm as well, he'd been all over the battlefield. He'd met many foreign fighters from different places. He'd said he'd seen many beheadings as well and it makes you wonder if he partook in some of these extreme acts of violence, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Certainly seemed to display what could pass as a smile if he describe it for you. Ivan, phenomenal reporting. We're just also proud of the work you do and, you know, be careful, even your crew. Just excellent work, thank you. Ivan Watson live for us on this great story.

You know, ISIS has this pretty interesting pitch to get those fighters to set up. It looks like a movie trailer complete with especially effects, et cetera. And they're using it a lot to try to hook Westerners. They're doing pretty well at it too, but guess what, there's something else that work to fight right back against them, and it doesn't involve police and it doesn't involve surveillance. You might be surprised what works against these guys.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: So, it's been pretty amazing to see the video of John Cantlie, the British hostage being held by ISIS in Syria, seemingly appear as though he's almost like war correspondent for ISIS instead of a hostage being held by them under the threat of death. But this is what they do. They are so good with their propaganda machine. But you know something? There is something that can counter it. And CNN's Kyung Lah has this report on the ISIS message and what authorities are doing to stop it.

(BEING VIDEO TAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The propaganda videos have all the high production of American TV, complete with English from a Canadian.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I originally come from Canada.

LAH: Even the action movie special effects Western audiences know. Then there's this one, a movie trailer, "Coming soon," it ends. While this may verge on your parody, ISIS and its social media message has been surprisingly attractive and effective. Authorities say Ottawa gunmen, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, wanted to go to Syria. He was in the Canadian Capitol trying to get a passport. It's not yet clear what motivated his attack. Just days ago, three unidentified teenage girls, two aged 15 and one 17, after apparently talking online with ISIS recruiters fly from Denver with plans to join ISIS. They stopped in Germany. Douglas McAuthur McCain grows up a basketball-loving kid in suburban Minneapolis. He joins ISIS in Syria and died there, all Westerners and not isolated cases. Intelligence experts say 1,000 Westerners have joined ISIS, more than 100 of them American.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: ISIS is reaching out to people on social media in real time, interacting with them in real time.

LAH: The way law enforcement has traditionally dealt with homegrown terror, surveillance but indictment. Well, here in Southern California, most of American leaders say, "In the age of social media, you simply cannot arrest your way out of this problem. If you want to defeat it, help must come from the community."

After the Boston Marathon bombing, the Muslim Public Affairs Council rolled out the Safe Spaces Initiative. Modeled after a gang prevention program, the idea is to work on prevention in places like Mosques, intervene, and if necessary, call the police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Crazy Loco from Pasadena, and Pink Lady...

LAH: This men who claim to be Los Angeles' gang members shot video of themselves in Syria, fighting for the Assad regime, not ISIS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still gang banging (EXPLETIVE DELETED) homie. Got the G though, homie.

LAH: But the root of the problem is the same, the disenfranchise latching on to a radical idea. Now, community leaders say the U.S. Government appears to be changing its strategy.

SALAM AL-MARAYATI, MUSLIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL: Surveillance hasn't worked, profiling hasn't worked, so let's try this.

LAH: Are you encouraged by that change?

AL-MARAYATI: Yes, very encouraged, but I just feel like it's not happening fast enough.

LAH: ISIS moving at the speed of social media, law enforcement fighting to keep up. Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BANFIELD: Mystery in a middle of a football game. A father enjoying the game with his son just suddenly vanishes from a very crowded football stadium. We've got more on what the police are saying about this bizarre story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

A puzzling mystery, A Denver Bronco fan disappeared during Thursday's game and he hasn't been seen since. His son, Jarod Tonneson, said he went to the bathroom while his father, 53-year-old, Paul Kitterman, waited outside for him. But then when Jarod came out of the bathroom, his dad wasn't there.

Supposedly, Kitterman didn't have any credit cards with him or a cellphone, so trying to find him has been even more of a challenge. Our Jean Casarez joins me now. So strange, so unexpected, but the police thinks there's something (inaudible) here, something felt play related.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I just got up the phone with police and they say, "We don't know where he is. We don't know what happened to him." They said this is an active missing person's investigation. They have no evidence that there is foul play, but they have nothing to rule out foul play. They're now combing (ph) the surveillance video from the stadium where the Denver Broncos play, which is one of the largest stadiums in this country. I was told by police there are hundreds of hours of surveillance video. It doesn't look like they found anything yet.

I spoke with Tia Bakke who is the close friend that invited this man, Paul Kitterman, who is a cattleman by the way in a small town in Colorado, and his stepson, to the game. She said he wouldn't just walk away, that he's not that kind of a person. They believe something bad has happened to him. But she spoke the last words to him, it's that intermission by the bathroom, they were all going to meet at Gate Eight because they were in different seats. When the game was over and they got to Gate Eight, everybody was there but him.

BANFIELD: So it goes without saying they have checked every nook and cranny of the stadium?

CASAREZ: They did. They stayed there until 1:00 in the morning, checking all of that.

BANFIELD: But then what next? If he doesn't have a cellphone, if he doesn't have any credit cards, what's next?

CASAREZ: Well, I asked the police, "Have you executed any search warrants on his cellphone because he had one back at the ranch?"

BANFIELD: OK.

CASAREZ: On his car, on his computer, anything, and they said, "No, but this is a working missing person's investigation. If we did that, we wouldn't probably release it publicly."

BANFIELD: It's just so unbelievable.

CASAREZ: Yes.

BANFIELD: But when you said they looked at the video -- I mean, if you got a stadium, you got surveillance and you got that video, it had to have shown something. I mean, it had to have shown him even waiting there at one point, right? He has like moved off.

CASAREZ: If they caught that small little area on video, one would think they would, but I think the next step is they want to see what happened one way or the other. The family tells me the police told them originally, "We just think he walked away." It is not a crime to walk away, so sorry, but that's not what the police is telling me.

BANFIELD: It's just so strange, just incredibly weird. I sure hope there's some resolution to this. That family must have -- just having such a difficult time. Jean Casarez, thank you for that. Thank you everyone for watching. We've got some important news coming up with Dallas nurses being released today, so we don't want you to miss a moment of it. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer, starts right now.