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CNN TONIGHT

The American Sniper Trial; The Aaron Hernandez Murder Trial; Interview with Rick Santorum; Is Religion Under Attack?; FBI Investigating Chapel Hill Shootings

Aired February 17, 2015 - 22:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: We may never get answers to all the questions about the death of Malcolm X but tonight we have the latest on the search for the truth in two true crime stories making headlines.

This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

With "American Sniper" going for Oscar gold, new revelations from the real-life trial. What the man accused of killing Chris Kyle said to a police officer as he sat in the back of a patrol car?

And what former New England Patriot star Aaron Hernandez was doing in his attorney's car at 2:00 in the morning at a police station parking lot?

Plus ISIS launches a major offensive in Kurdish, Iraq, just days after the terrorist released a shocking video showing 21 Egyptian Christians being beheaded.

So as the world battles ISIS, why does Attorney General Eric Holder say we are not in a time of war? And why is the phrase Islamic extremism not front and center at this week's White House summit?

We're going to get to all of that tonight but I want to begin with the "American Sniper" trial.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eddie Ray Routh is placed into a police car moments after authorities chased him down on a Texas highway. He's breathing heavy and teary-eyed. The officer asked if he's OK, and Routh says, "I'm just so nervous about what's been happening in my life today. I don't know what's been happening. I've been so paranoid, schizophrenic all day. I don't know what to even think of the world right now. I don't know if I'm insane or sane."

The judge isn't allowing courtroom audio to broadcast until after the trial ends. At times Routh appears agitated in the video. He squirms around in the backseat. Other times he rests his head with his eyes closed.

People who know Routh like Tim Xerland say the former Marine changed before the killings of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.

TIM XERLAND, FRIEND OF EDDIE ROUTH: I did notice a change several months before all this took place. It's hard to describe exactly. But it just seemed like he was a little bit more jumpy.

BRADLEY COOPER, ACTOR, "AMERICAN SNIPER": I got a woman and a kid 20 yards out. Moving towards the convoy.

LAVANDERA: The legend of Chris Kyle was well-established by the time he took Routh to that countryside gun range. But Routh seemed to be more frustrated and annoyed with the two men who were trying to help him.

The small arsenal of weapons Chris Kyle brought to the range that day were shown to the jury, which included these five long rifles and several handguns, including one of Kyle's rifles labeled "American Sniper." But according to defense attorneys Routh in his psychotic state thought he was walking into a showdown on that range.

From inside the jail where Routh has spent the last two years, he spoke with a writer from the "New Yorker" magazine three months after the shootings. Prosecutors played some of that conversation today. Routh sounds annoyed at Kyle and Littlefield and says, "So we're shooting pistols here, huh? Hmm, OK, again, that's pretty much saying duel, mother."

Later in the interview, he's asked what sparked the killings and Routh blames Chad Littlefield for not shooting with him. "I was like, what the -- are you doing here, man. This isn't a spectator's sport, it's a shooting sport. You shoot. And that's what got me all, you know, wired up." He also said, "I took care of business and then I got in the truck and left."

As prosecutors said in their opening statements --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the term used for folks like him is troubled. When you see her testimony, this is a troubled young man.

LAVANDERA: But prosecutors say this troubled man wasn't insane. They say these are the actions of a cold blooded killer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And, Don, one of those other bizarre moments in that -- in the trial today, in that phone conversation with the writer from the "New Yorker" magazine on the way -- in the drive out to the gun range, Eddie Ray Routh was telling him that Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield had taken him to a fast food restaurant. And he says he was annoyed by that, saying, like they were trying to force-feed me.

A very bizarre exchange with that writer.

LEMON: It certainly is.

So, Ed, Jody Routh, Eddie's mother, testified today. What did she say? LAVANDERA: Well, she was one of the first witnesses that the defense

team called. The prosecution rested earlier in the day. She talked about how just days before the murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield that Eddie Ray Routh had been admitted into the VA Hospital Dallas and then released. And she talked about how she had begged them to keep him inside the hospital.

And she also talked the cocktail of medications that Eddie Ray Routh had been on over the previous months including at one point nine different psychological medications.

LEMON: Ed Lavandera, thank you very much. We're going to talk more about that now.

So I want to bring in the judges. Time for them to weigh in. Belvin Perry is a former chief judge who presided over the Casey Anthony trial. And Alex Ferrer is a former police officer and a former Florida Circuit Court judge and the host of television's "Judge Alex."

So, Judge Perry, let's talk more about that emotional testimony from Routh's mother. And she went into detail about him spending time in mental wards and all the medication he was on. You heard Ed Lavandera allude to that. She said, "I just wanted to get help for my son."

There are 10 women on this jury. How do you think this played with them?

BELVIN PERRY, FORMER CHIEF JUDGE, PRESIDED OVER CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL: Well, well, Don, they're going to look at the following factors. They're going to look at -- that's his mom. They are going to look at the fact that he is a deeply flawed individual that has some psychological problems. But when they take all of those problems and take all the drugs he was taking, they're going to look at his conduct.

They're going to look at his statements. That I had to take care of business. That I took care of business, then I got in the truck and I left. They are going to be asked to look at his conduct, not before, but look at his conduct during and after that particular event.

LEMON: So, Judge Alex, yesterday there was a confession tape that they saw in which Routh told an officer that he understood what he did was wrong. Today, the jury heard a tape where Routh said this, he says, "I have been so paranoid schizophrenic all day."

I know it's difficult to get an insanity defense, but do you think an jury will believe that Routh is legally insane, Judge?

JUDGE ALEX FERRER, HOST, "JUDGE ALEX": Well, they certainly could. I mean, it is very difficult. I think maybe 1 in 10 are successful. What you had yesterday in the confession was you had a little bit of everybody. The prosecution got him to admit several times -- or I should say the police did, that he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Now of course the defense will get up there and say, listen, how much weight can you give to a crazy guy telling you he's not crazy? Well, that may be true, but that statement, when you pair it up with him fleeing the scene, when you paired it up with him saying I fled, using those words, when you paired it up with him saying, I wish I could apologize to the families, it shows a consciousness of what he did was wrong.

And people generally tend to lump crazy as a category. Legal insanity is very specific. And in Texas especially, it's a disease or defect that causes you not to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. So all the prosecution has to say is look, maybe he has mental illness. Maybe he has mental issues. Maybe they were exacerbated by him smoking wet marijuana and drinking whiskey. But he knew what he did was wrong.

PERRY: That's what I want to --

FERRER: He knew it when he was doing it and he's guilty.

LEMON: That's what I asked, you're talking about pair it up with this, pair it up with that. What about when you pair it with his drug and alcohol use on the day of the shooting? How does that impact his -- an insanity defense, Judge?

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Judge Ferrer.

FERRER: OK. Well, voluntary intoxication is not a defense to a capital crime. So if you get yourself -- if you exacerbate your situation by drink alcohol and taking drugs, you're still responsible for what happens.

LEMON: OK. So let's talk to -- I want to read another part of Routh's recorded -- this is the phone call. This is from a "New Yorker" author here and here's what he said -- he wrote the day of the shooting. He said it's -- he said it smelled like -- is this the right one I have?

Yes. "It smelled like cologne," talking about when he was in the car. "I guess it was love and hate. It smelled like cologne. You know. It smelled like sweet cologne." And then the rest -- there are parts of it that are inaudible. This is, "I guess it was love and hate. You know, I was smelling love and hate. They were giving me some love and some hate."

Can -- can a jury interpret all of Routh's comment as being contrived? As he -- this seems like maybe an act, as if he is trying to act insane, Judge Perry.

PERRY: Certainly they can. Here we have a guy that committed a horrible, atrocious murder. And he has to do something after the fact, either admit what he did and say that he is ready to accept his punishment or he is going to have to -- what we call in (INAUDIBLE) as malinger, or he's going to have to lay the groundwork for an insanity defense.

But either way, his conduct at the time, and the fact that he acknowledges on more than several occasions, he knew the difference between right and wrong. And it's going to be a very tough road for the defense to overcome. But we still have to wait to hear what the experts have to say and what they are basing their opinions on.

LEMON: Also in that same "New Yorker" interview, he contradicts himself here. Because he said that he first -- he said in that interview that he shot Littlefield first and then Kyle. And that contradicts what he said in that confession to police, Judge Ferrer. Is that significant?

FERRER: Yes and no. I mean, there's no question that the jury -- typically if a witness contradicts themselves, you know, it's an indication of deception at least. But you are dealing with somebody who I think everybody would agree has some form of mental illness. :Probably exacerbated it by what he drank and smoked that day.

I'm not really sure how he killed two individuals, both of whom were armed, shooting them separately each, six or seven times with a different weapon. I'm still dying to find out the answer to that question. But no, I don't think that's the significant point in the case. I think there's a lot of other factors. And as Judge Perry pointed out, we're on the state side of the case. I expect to get a lot better for the defense as we move into their side which we started today.

LEMON: All right. Gentlemen, stay with me. We have a lot more to come.

When we come right back, I want to get you both to react on today's testimony in the Aaron Hernandez case. And what happened in the former New England Patriots' man-cave minutes after Odin Lloyd was shot to death.

Also war of words. With outrage upon outrage from ISIS, the White House begins a summit on violent extremism with no mention of Islamic extremism. I'm going to ask Rick Santorum about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I want to turn to the other trial making headlines tonight. The murder trial of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez.

Susan Candiotti has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 2:00 a.m. and New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez is in a police station parking lot, after voluntarily meeting with detectives. He gets into his lawyer's car. Several hours after Odin Lloyd' body is found, shot dead in an industrial park, keys to a car rented by Hernandez found on Lloyd's body lead police to question him.

An outdoor police department security camera shows Hernandez and his lawyer who walks away. With the car's interior light on, Hernandez dismantles his BlackBerry, removing and cover. MICHAEL ELLIOTT: Inside the vehicle it appeared that he took his

phone and took it apart.

CANDIOTTI: Jurors watch him pick up another phone. But first, he quickly puts his own phone back together and makes a call on the borrowed phone.

ELLIOTT: So he is using one phone, either texting or calling and the other is on his lap. Apart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how long did you watch him in the camera?

ELLIOTT: Around 20 minutes.

CANDIOTTI: Without the jury present, the judge says Hernandez calls Ernest Wallace, later also charged with murdering Lloyd. Wallace seen on video coming home with Hernandez minutes after Lloyd is shot.

Jurors are not told that second phone belongs to his lawyer nor that Hernandez was calling Wallace. The defense plays down the phone swap.

JAMIE SULTAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You saw him slide off the back cover and pop out the battery?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

SULTAN: Is that what you saw?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

SULTAN: All right, you didn't see him smashing his phone, did you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

SULTAN: You didn't see him destroying his phone, did you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

SULTAN: And you're away, are you not, that that phone was later turned over to state police, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe so, yes.

CANDIOTTI: Jurors also learned about another surveillance camera. In Hernandez's basement, his man-cave, a quick bar, big screen TV and pool table. When the camera is put in, he asked the installer how to disable it.

MARK ARCHAMBAULT: He asked if it was possible to shut off the camera in the basement because he didn't want his fiancee to see him hanging out with his friends. I said, well, we could label the cameras and you can just unplug them. And he said, well, that sounds like a good idea. Why don't we do that?

CANDIOTTI: That camera cable is labeled man-cave. Significant because that's the only camera in the house prosecutors say is turned off when Hernandez comes home and goes to his basement minutes after Lloyd is shot. A gun allegedly in his hand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: Now jurors are also shown two potentially very critical pieces of evidence. A wad of blue Bubblelicious bubble gum, and a 45 caliber shell casing, both were found in a rental car that was returned by Hernandez. A rental car the prosecutor say Hernandez used to drive Odin Lloyd to an industrial park before Odin Lloyd was shot to death.

Now that blue bubble gum prosecutors say had the Hernandez's DNA on it, consistent with his DNA. And that 45 caliber shell case, well, Don, prosecutors say that it matched the 45 caliber shell casings that were found at the murder scene -- Don.

LEMON: OK. At the murder scene. But what about in Hernandez's home? Did detectives find any ammunition there as well?

CANDIOTTI: There is testimony about that, too. Yes. They showed a box of 22 caliber ammo that they said was found in the basement of Hernandez's home. Now remember he's also charged not only with murder but with illegal possession of ammunition. That ammunition. As well that ammo went with, prosecutors say, a .22 caliber gun that was found tossed in the woods in the -- sometime after Odin Lloyd's murder and was later recovered by investigators.

LEMON: Susan Candiotti, thank you very much.

Our judges are back to react to that now. Joining me, Belvin Perry and Judge Alex Ferrer.

OK, Judge Perry, you first. The ammunition, shell casing found. The murder weapon, I believe to be a .45 caliber firearm was never found. How important it is for juries to see a murder weapon?

PERRY: It's important but it is not fatal to the case. Oftentimes in homicide, weapons are never recovered. But you have powerful circumstantial evidence. The shell casing and the other things that tend to show or have a connection to Mr. Hernandez. So it's not fatal to the state's case.

LEMON: OK. Judge Alex, I want to get this straight. Hernandez's attorney left him in his car with his phone and Hernandez's own phone and then walked away while Hernandez called an alleged accomplice. Why would an attorney do that?

FERRER: Well, I mean, there's a lot of reasons an attorney might leave his client in the car under those circumstances. One of the nefarious ones is he knows he's going to make a phone call that the lawyer definitely does not want to hear.

The action of taking the battery out of the phone, I mean, it could be anything innocent but it also could be that he knows or has been told by his lawyer that the police are able to -- if they have a wiretap warrant -- activate a phone even when it's off and listen in on conversations unless you take the battery out. So he may have done it in order to make sure that they couldn't listen

in on the conversation he was about to have on the other -- on the other phone with who is -- the person who's now a co-defendant.

LEMON: Should he have an expectation of privacy in a public parking lot? Judge Ferrer?

(CROSSTALK)

FERRER: You certainly can have an expectation of -- you certainly can have an expectation of privacy anywhere. It may not be reasonable. And that's --

LEMON: In a police parking lot? Well-lit police parking lot when, you know, he's there with an attorney, there's an expectation of privacy?

FERRER: Yes -- no, I'm saying people can have an expectation of privacy all they want. What the law protects is a reasonable expectation of privacy. But more importantly than that, it wouldn't matter if the police had a warrant. You know, the expectation of privacy helps you when the police don't have a warrant because then you can say, you should have gotten a warrant, I have an expectation of privacy.

But if the police got a wiretap warrant and were going to be listening in on his conversations, he'd be kind of out of luck at that point.

LEMON: OK. So Judge Perry, what about this explanation about why he wanted to unplug the camera in his man-cave? Do you think the jury will buy that?

PERRY: Well, they could believe his story or they could believe that he had something that he did not want them to see that was of a criminal nature. Those are two choices. I would sort of bet on the latter choice that he had something to hide.

LEMON: But he is dismantling his phone --

FERRER: Don?

LEMON: Go ahead, Judge.

FERRER: I was just going to say, you know, as Judge Perry pointed out this is a circumstantial case but it is a strong circumstantial case. I mean, some of the pieces that they have are -- his shoe print that matches his shoe at the scene where Lloyd's body was found. The .45 caliber casing that matches casings that were found at the scene of the shooting where his body was found, was found in the car that Hernandez rented and also has Hernandez's DNA on the -- on the casing itself.

Hernandez has told somebody else, a friend of his, a few days before the shooting or a short time before the shooting that he bought a .45 caliber handgun. So you've got a lot of pieces that tie a .45 caliber handgun with a casing that matches the casings on the scene and match the weapon that was used or the type of weapon that was used to kill Lloyd. So as all these pieces start coming together, yes, it's a circumstantial case but a powerful one.

LEMON: But I mean, it was -- if I'm not mistaken, though, I think the .45 caliber casing was found in the garbage can at the rental car agency. Wasn't necessarily found in the car. Is that a big difference?

FERRER: That may be true.

LEMON: OK.

FERRER: It might be where he found where he rented the car.

LEMON: OK. OK so both dismantling the phone. Right? And you talked about the circumstantial evidence here. Dismantling the phone, unplugging the camera in his man-cave. Most people will view that as suspicious activity on the part of Hernandez. Don't you think, Judge Perry?

PERRY: They will view it as suspicious activity. But as Judge Alex say it, all those circumstances just don't happen. There are going to be one or two suspicious things. But when you start having multiple things that over what one may call suspicious, they tend to make a very strong chain of evidence that oftentimes leads to a conviction.

LEMON: There is one right after the other right after the other. Right? These many, you know, just don't have it.

Thank you very much, Judges. I appreciate it.

The White House convenes an international summit to combat violent extremism. So why is nobody using the terms Islamic extremism or radical Islam?

We're going to talk about it with a former senator, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: ISIS on the offensive in Iraq tonight launching a major attack in Irbil, the Kurdish capital. Meanwhile, the White House convenes a summit on how to combat violent extremism with up to 60 nations taking part. But officials are going out of their way to avoid calling radical Islam a central threat.

That has a lot of people scratching their heads as is a comment by Attorney General Eric Holder that we're not in a time of war.

Joining me now, former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum, a former GOP president candidate and the author of "Bella's Gift." A great book.

Senator, thanks for joining us.

RICK SANTORUM, FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Don. I appreciate you having me on. LEMON: The White House is holding a summit but not using the phrase

Islamic extremism. ISIS has just killed 21 Egyptian Christians. Do you feel the administration is being accurate about the nature of the threat?

SANTORUM: No, I think I join people from frankly both sides of the aisle on this.

And, Don, just to be very fair and very honest about this, I gave a speech back in 2006 at the National Press Club. And a few days after that speech, I was in a meeting with President Bush and I handed him that speech. And I said, Mr. President, you have to start identifying who the enemy is. We're not going to win this war unless we identify the enemy and bring the world together to fight the scourge within Islam.

And so what -- what President Obama is doing unfortunately is a continuation of the policy of what President Bush did, which is to ignore the reality, that this is a serious problem within Islam and we have to understand that they are engaged in a holy war using -- the videos that I see, I see these people holding the Quran more than accurately more often than I see it -- you know, other Muslims.

These are serious people who have a serious, you know, vision of what their faith dictates. It's a vision based on, you know, 7th century Islam but it is nevertheless a serious vision.

LEMON: You say --

SANTORUM: And it has to be confronted.

LEMON: You say there is a cancer within Islam and Islam needs to clean house. Why do you say that?

SANTORUM: Well, look, these people are doing -- are imitating early Islam. I mean, this is -- this is simply people quoting the sacred text, the Quran, and following those text to a tee, based upon what -- you know, early Islamic conquering happened at the time of Mohammed. And there's -- they're applying this same tactics, the beheadings and all of these things which of course, you know, in the modern world just seems barbaric. But back then, I mean everyone was sort of doing this. So it was -- these were not -- not, you know outrageous tactics. You know 1400 years ago --

(CROSSTALK)

SANTORUM: Where they are, and -- these folks are applying the same types of principles in the modern world, that was shocking everybody and it shouldn't be shocking the Muslim world and not just...

LEMON: In all --

SANTORUM: The rest of the world.

LEMON: In all fairness though, moderate Muslims will say that -- that is the perversion of their religion that is not represent Islam. SANTORUM: Well, it may not represent Islam today, I would agree with

that. The most -- the clearly most Muslims, the vast majority of Muslims don't approve of this. The point is what are they doing to stop it? And -- we have to -- we have to do to have a serious leader and the president of the United States whose going to lead the fight against this, because no one else is going to do it. And that means that we have to -- we have to repair the damage that the president has done pulling the troops out of Iraq in the first place. And I -- listen to General Jackie (ph) just a couple of week ago, testify that 10,000 troops to be there to support the Iraqi government, to support the Kurds. We need to be arming the Kurds, we need to be arming and helping more with the Jordanians, they're willing to fight, we need be engage in a massive air attack -- and to support and offensive by the Kurds and by the Jordanians...

LEMON: Do you think --

SANTORUM: Hopefully, the Iraqis, and we need to eliminate ISIS in Iraq. We need to get them out of that country, and we need to do it now.

LEMON: Do you think that we are in a time of war? Because today, Attorney General Eric Holder said that we are not a time of war, so what do you think? The U.S. and the coalition forces that conducted nearly 2,300 air strikes hitting more than 4,800 targets in Iraq and Syria since August of 2014. If this is not a time of war, then what is it?

SANTORUM: Well, that's -- that's sort of the confusing thing to suggest that we are not at war and then to suggest that we are acting to defeat ISIS. Well, how can we be acting to defeat ISIS if we are not engaging them in war? That's -- that's really the -- you don't know which side is saying -- they are speaking out of both sides of their mouth. But the reality is I think that Eric Holder represents the values that the president brought to this fight, which is really -- this is not a war. This is a public relations stunt to show that we're doing something but no really engage in the --

LEMON: Why the hesitancy there, do you think? Look at what he says not to Islamic extremism and to say we're not a time of war. Why the hesitancy?

SANTORUM: I think it's political correctness. I think people are afraid to -- like the president particularly -- you know, averse to saying anything negative about Islam and I understand the political sensitivities, no one wants to say anything negative about anybody. But, when you look at the fact that people say a very, very small percentage of Muslims are these radicals. Well, let's say it's 5 percent, well there's 1.2 billion Muslims, that's 60 million people. I mean, this is -- you can say it's small but, remember only 7 percent of Nazi's -- 77 percent of Germans were Nazi so -- it's who has the power, who's wielding that power and who is leading.

LEMON: OK.

SANTORUM: And right now, ISIS is leading and attracting a lot of people.

LEMON: I have a short allot of time. I want to get to a bunch of things...

SANTORUM: Sure.

LEMON: Including your book. But I just want to put up this poll. This is a poll, because you're the former head of -- former chair of the Senate foreign relations committee. It's now just a 47 percent of Americans supports sending U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS. So - and you think that obviously that we need to do more. Just quickly, do you that we need to send ground troops?

SANTORUM: Absolutely...

LEMON: OK. OK.

SANTORUM: That I support with General Kane (ph) I've been -- I'm not a military expert but he is, and he suggested 10,000 troops to help support the Kurds and the Iraqi forces. Again, to eliminate the threat of ISIS within Iraq has to be our first priority.

LEMON: You took issue with President Obama who marched the national breakfast when he compared Islamic extremism to the Christian crusades. You said that he insulted every person of faith, why?

SANTORUM: Well, because to compare something that happened -- you know, 1,000 years ago to what -- saying that we can't point out the barbarity of what's happening, in the name of their faith. I mean, there's the -- looked at the -- I've -- I've watched that beheading. I mean, I've made myself watch it so it can be seared in my mind and I listen to what they were saying. It's very, very clear that this is -- this current -- you know, passion to bring back that barbarity in this particular -- in this particular group of Muslims. And we -- we have every right to be on our high horse.

LEMON: OK.

SANTORUM: We have every right to judge that action.

LEMON: Alright, I want to move on now and talk about your new book. It's called Bella's Gift, and you wrote it with your wife Karen and your daughter Elizabeth. What has -- having a special needs daughter taught you about life and your faith. Has it -- has it soften you, it made you more human in a way?

SANTORUM: Well, I don't know about more human. I'm pretty sure that anyway, maybe it's humane, how about that? But no, yeah, certainly having a child with a disability opens your eyes to number one, the gift of everyday. I mean, this a little girl who's fragile and someone who wasn't supposed to live for but a few days and a few weeks and really it showed me the power of love, because her mom and her brother and sisters and I mean -- the constant love we gift. In fact, every chapter of the book begins with the word love. And it really does teach us that - you know, that powerful -- that powerful gift that love is and we -- we feel very blessed to have an opportunity to serve her. She can't really do much for herself. But we are blessed that we can love her and even more blessed that she can love us back and, I guess that -- that makes you more humane over the course of time, no question about it.

LEMON: Some people think you know politicians are not exactly human, but I have to ask you, we know -- we've sort of you know, we would sparred on the campaign trial last time when you run. I'm wondering if I'm going to be out there asking tough questions and getting a tough answers back from you this time. Are you going to --

SANTORUM: I don't -- I don't know if big guys like you, you have your own show you got to go out there and do these things anymore, but if -- if they let you out there - you may be seeing me. I'm not going to make any decisions until probably late spring or early summer and -- well, in between that time, we'll go out and test the message and talk a lot about national security and how important it is...

LEMON: OK.

SANTORUM: To help average workers in America to be able to rise. Those are the two issues that we're going to focus a lot time of attention.

LEMON: So that is a solid maybe, I see it there.

SANTORUM: Solid maybe.

LEMON: Can we put the book back up? The book is called Bella's Gift and it was written with Senator Santorum and his wife Karen and his daughter Elizabeth. Thank you Senator.

SANTORUM: Don, thank you so much for having me on.

LEMON: You're welcome. When we come right back is religion under attack? Growing anti-Semitism in Europe, Christians beheaded in Libya and assault on religious institutions here in the United States. What the world is going on? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: What sure seems like religion, religious institutions and people who practice their faith are being targeted around the world, CNN's Jean Casarez looks at what's really going on.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Minutes before the terrorist attack outside the Synagogue in Denmark on Saturday, suspect Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein pledges his loyalty to ISIS on Facebook. Last month in Paris before four hostages are killed in a kosher supermarket by gunman Amedy Coulibaly, he also pledges his allegiance to ISIS. North Carolina, last week, three Muslims students shot and killed allegedly by a man who spoke out on social media, harshly against organize religion. The FBI in U.S. attorney's office now conducting an inquiry as to whether this is a hate crime. Coincidence? Or is there an international attack on faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBERT MCFADDEN, FORMER SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, NCIS: With some of the things that are happening right now, such as the spread of the toxic ideology, that is the Islamic state. Certainly, it's a concern that manifests itself in things like a mass slaughter of Egyptian cop to Christians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: On Sunday, in the video release, ISIS apparently singles out Egyptian-Christians in a mass execution in Libya. Egypt retaliates by targeting ISIS in Libya with air strikes. And closed at home a Hindu temple in Washington State is desecrated with a swastika and the words, Get Out, right before Hindu celebrates the great night of Shiva. Also over the weekend St. Francis of Asisi Polish Catholic church in Denver has the head and hands of its namesake statue broken off. Days before the season of lent begins, and this on Saturday. At an Islamic center in West Warwick Rhode Island, graffiti using red paint with the words like, "This is a hate crime." The principal of the school says the vandalism shows hatred against Islam, Allah and the prophet Mohammed. In Texas, a building on the property of a Houston Islamic Center engulf in flames last Friday. Police have arrested a homeless for Arson, but he insist it was an accident yet, this comments now posted on the center social media page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCFADDEN: The government security will do all it can. The public needs to do its part to maintain a heads up and report things to authorities. We can't let them profoundly impact us than the bad guys, because that's the essence of terrorism.

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CASAREZ: And it is actually too soon to tell if this is a coincidence, a Trent, or much, more. Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

LEMON: Right now, I want to know what religious leaders think about this.

Joining me now Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Lust, Reverend Albert Cutie, a priest and author of Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love, and Imam Mohamed Magid -- Magid from the old Dallas area Muslim society. Thanks for joining us this evening. I want to know from all of you if you are fearful that your house of worship may become a target of terrorism. Father Cutie?

REV. ALBERT CUTIE, AUTHOR OF DILEMMA: A PRIEST'S STRUGGLE WITH FAITH AND LOVE: Well, I would feel worried if any religious group is attacked because of their faith. And I think that, that would be my fundamental concern. I don't think that I'm particularly afraid of my group being attacked, none in out context but I really do feel sad when it happens to any religious group.

LEMON: Rabbi Shmuley?

RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, AUTHOR OF KOSHER LUST: Synagogues are definitely targets, yes, I am concerned.

LEMON: And what about you -- what about you Imam Mohamed Magid?

IMAM MOHAMED MAGID, PRESIDENT OF ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA: For sure I'm concerned about the Muslim community. We have seen three people lost their life in North Carolina.

LEMON: Were going to talk more about this in much more -- an extended segment coming right after this break. When we come right back, President Barack Obama, walking a fine line when it comes to religion and extremism, even avoiding the phrase Islamic extremism. Is he losing the war of word?

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LEMON: We're talking about religious -- religion being under attack and also war of words has broken out armed religion and the extremism and it reaches all the way to the White House. Back with me now is Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Reverend Albert Cutie and Imam Mohamed Magid. So, I want to ask you -- this, Imam, you said that you were concerned about attacks on Muslims inside of -- inside the place of worship.

MAGID: Yes, I'm worried because of the crime being committed against our people, in chapel help. (ph) Those are the most active, integrated and energetic young people who happened to be --

LEMON: And it happened outside of a mosque.

MAGID: Yes, can you imagine someone knocked somebody's door and killed people inside their home? If that happened, that is a possibility that somebody is attacked in a place of worship. We have seen attacks on mosques in Texas. We have are as Muslim community working with the larger community, Christians and Jewish leaders. This time together against any of the religious bigotry, in matter of fact we created coalition to address this issue of religious intolerance.

LEMON: Right.

MAGID: And in United States, I think I'm working also in the issue abroad as well.

LEMON: I want to get to Rabbi Shmuley, but (inaudible) because you said that you were concerned about it happening in temples and synagogues as well among Jews. Why is that?

BOTEACH: Well, I wish it weren't true and I don't wanna play a game of suffering one upmanship. (ph) But it's open season on the Jews, that's a fact --

LEMON: And we're talking about all religions here?

BOTEACH: True.

LEMON: Right.

BOTEACH: But the -- it is synagogues that were targeted right now in Copenhagen. It's a Jewish deli that was targeted in France. It was a JCC, a Jewish museum targeted in Belgium. It was a JCC in Kansas City. These are all events over the past three months. Let alone, all the threats against Jews and the threats against the state of Israel. So of course we are concerned, because Jew anti-Semitism is growing by leaps and bounce. We don't even know if the Jewish communities of Europe are (inaudible) now thank God of the United States, we don't see that kind of (inaudible) against Jews. But I want to condemn intolerance can send any religion, and of course the three Muslims are murdered, that's an Obamanation. (ph) Having said that, my Muslim brothers and sisters as I've consistently said have got to speak up on the radical element that's taking over part of their religion and it's becoming a threat. And I will condemn any extremism in the name of my faith, and I trust that my brother Imam Magid will do the same in the name of it.

LEMON: Alright, that brings us to this time (ph). Today, the Obama administration begins its three-day summit. President Obama -- is he correct in calling this summit -- summit countering violent extremism instead of violent Islamic extremism? Does it really matter, the terminological here Imam?

MAGID: Yes, of course it matters. Islam does not endorse killing of innocent people. As a matter of fact, there is a verse in the holy Koran it said that whoever takes a life of an innocent person, as you have taken the life of all humanity. And whoever saves one life as you have save the life for all of humanity. This also a verse in the old testament by the way...

LEMON: Yeah.

MAGID: Therefore, we as Muslim around the world condemn any kind of violent extremism and terrorism being done in the name of Islam.

LEMON: So you think that the terminology matters in the sense...

MAGID: Absolutely.

LEMON: And you are happy with them not calling -- the administration not calling it Islamic extremism?

MAGID: Absolutely, because Islam does not approve of extremist ideology or a violence extremism and killing innocent people.

LEMON: Father Cutie, does the terminology matters? Should it be called Islamic extremism?

CUTIE: No, I think the terminology is right the way the president said it. I think the big problem that we have is that we have to end the cycle of hate. You know as a follower of Jesus is a Christian, we believe in a God of love and I believe that my brothers here on this panel also believe in the God of love. And I think that is the problem when religious people are fighting back and forth because of one particular radical group that is doing this horrible hatred and promoting these hate crimes. I got to tell you, every time I hear about anti-Semitism in Europe, it affects me and we pray for that in my church. Every time I hear about -- you know Islam or Muslims being attacked unjustly, that affects us, and we pray for those people in our church. But you know our people today are very concerned about what's happening with Christians throughout the world, because they feel that Christians are being targeted by many of these groups, and they feel that somehow the message is not being told clearly. There isn't enough denouncing not just from the Islamic community that is moderate and understands the problem, we would like see more religious leaders come forward and say, hey, this is wrong...

LEMON: You mean religious leaders of --

CUTIE: Why hate goes against God?

LEMON: You mean of all faiths, right? Is that what are you saying?

CUTIE: Of all faiths.

LEMON: Yeah.

CUTIES: Yes, we need into speak out. We need to be more prophetic.

LEMON: So the conversation --

CUTIE; All of us should be prophetic.

LEMON: The conversation has been about whether -- whether Islam is a more violent religion, right? Do you think rabbi, that anyone religion can be any more violent than any other?

BOTEACH: Well, religions have been violent throughout history but in different epochs and era's, definitely. I mean, President Obama said that Christianity was very violent in the time of crusaders, that's true. But that was 1,000 years ago, right now, most terrorism is being perpetuated in the name of Islam. Now if every Muslim was a phenomenal ambassador like Imam Magid my brother, then Islam would flourish as in the days ago, but that's not happening right now. And the White House conference on violent extremism can mean -- I don't know, could think of head to head, a contact to the NFL, it means nothing, and it's maxed of cowardness (ph). We have to boldly and bravely confront the great and urgent challenges of our time and today, it's violence in the name of Islam. And I want my Muslim brothers and sisters to be never tarred by that brush. (ph) And that's why it's important to say it's extremist Islam. And to hear voices like Imam Magid who come along and say, this is not Islam. But if you don't even call the conference by that name, how can you condemn it? I fear that the White House is not leading and it's using euphemisms that create just confusion and it make us ineffective and combating terrorist.

LEMON: OK rabbi, I want Imam to respond to that. I'm sorry I have very little time here, pardon Imam. It will take long.

MAGID: I would like to say that extremism is in every religion. We as Muslim community was standing yearly against any kind of use of Islam to justify killing innocent people. I really condemn killing of the Egyptian (inaudible) in Egypt. And matter of fact, I travelled with Egyptian -Christians to Middle East, to promote religious tolerance in the Middle East. I also, I stood on the ground of the Holocaust Museum, condemning any anti-Semitism and it took Imam's to Europe, with this the Holocaust...

LEMON: Imam, I have to go but I understand that you are going to be -- you're going to be at the White House for that summit with the president...

MAGID: Yes.

LEMON: And you -- you met with him just a few weeks ago, and you're also going to discuss it more with him. We'd like to invite you back, all of you back. Thank you very much.

CUTIE: Thank you.

BOTEACH: Thank you so much.

MAGID: Thank you.

LEMON: We'll be right back.

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LEMNON: My Hollywood entertainment version of this. The countdown has begun to Hollywood's biggest night and we bring you all the red carpet action live. Join me along with "NEW DAY's" Michaela Pereira, Sunday beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern. And after the awards, we've got all of your -- your all access pass to the A-list parties, plus all the memorable moments. Our special, "AND THE WINNER IS...", starts right after the ceremony. So maker sure you're tune in.

Thank you very much for watching. I really appreciate it. I'm Don Lemon, that's it for us tonight. I'm going to see you back here tomorrow night at 10 p.m. Eastern for CNN tonight. "AC360" starts right now.