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Manhunt For Suspect In State Trooper Killing; New York Man Accused Of Supporting ISIS; Tapes Reveal Terror Recruiting Tactics; Will Scotland Break Away From The U.K.?

Aired September 17, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Half past the hour, let's take a look at your headlines now. Breaking this morning, ISIS releasing this new video, responding to President Obama's vow to destroy and degrade the terror group.

This video resembles a Hollywood movie trailer. In it, it promises there's more to come. It appears to indicate ISIS would kill U.S. ground forces if they were deployed into Iraq.

And it finishes with sound from President Obama and the words "flames of war, fighting has just begun."

A reversal of fortune for Adrian Peterson. The Minnesota Vikings banning him from all team activities until child abuse charges are resolved. This decision comes a day after the Vikings decided to reinstate Peterson.

In the meantime, Ray Rice is appealing his NFL suspension. Claiming the league punished him twice for the same domestic influence incident, which he says amounts to double jeopardy.

More protesting in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting. This time, protesters packed a county council meeting calling for the immediate arrest of Officer Darren Wilson.

You can hear the crowd chanting, arrest him now and please don't shoot me dead. They want the prosecutor to recuse himself from the Ferguson investigation, they believe he can't be impartial because of his ties to the police force.

A grand jury will decide whether to charge NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, for the death of fellow driver, Kevin Ward Jr. Prosecutors in upstate New York could have dropped the case, but say they decided to present it instead to a grand jury after carefully reviewing all of the evidence.

Stewart says he respects the decision and will continue to fully cooperate. You'll recall ward was killed when he stepped out of his wrecked race car, walked on to the track and was struck and killed by Stewart's car.

The world of NASCAR still reeling from that loss -- Chris. CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. We'll be following that one.

We have a big story this morning, a huge manhunt escalating for Eric Frein, a survivalist suspected of ambushing two state troopers. Please take a look at your screen right now because this man is accused of killing one officer and wounding another.

So hundreds of law enforcement officers are scouring the northern Pennsylvania woods where Frein is most comfortable by the way. And warning the public he may not be finished with his attacks.

Joining us now is CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI assistant Director, Mr. Tom Fuentes. Tom, this is no joke, not the average man, this is not the average threat.

You have said in your thinking about this case, reminds you of Chris Attorney Dorner, in the West Coast, L.A., highly trained, highly deranged and capable of more violence, tell us.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: That's right, Chris, and I think in the Dorner case, he abandoned his vehicle in the San Bernardino Mountains and the authorities thought well maybe he's fled the state. He could be in Mexico because the search for him went on and on for several days.

Well, it turns out he never really left the area. And my fear, and concerns raised at that time as this time, are that the subject may do a home invasion. He may go into somebody's house, and if it's unoccupied, just you know look for food and shelter in that location or if it is occupied, take hostages.

And you know, we don't know if he fled the area. If he was able to steal another car or do a carjacking, you know, originally after he shot the officers or whether he is still there or still on foot in the woods. So he is, he is armed, dangerous and very good possibility in that area.

CUOMO: And so there are two key components here. There are his capabilities and then there is the issue of what his motivation is. And as often as we can you see his picture behind me, we should have his picture up. Because the people who probably give some leads here.

So want to keep the picture up of Frein as much as we can. Tom, let's start with the first one. What are his capabilities, what does that mean in terms of potential weaponry and skill level?

FUENTES: We know at least he has two weapons from the statements of the father. He has the .308 sniper rifle he used to kill the officer and believed to have also have an AK-47. We don't know how much ammunition. We don't know if he had another vehicle, he obviously planned this attack.

It wasn't a spontaneous killing like at a traffic stop or something like that. An unexpected encounter with a police officer. He ambushed them. He was there at that time, at shift change at 11:00 at night Friday night. So this was something he planned to some extent. We don't know to what extent.

Did he have another vehicle parked near where he buried the car in the pond or tried to hide the car? Does he have another driver's license or cash or credit cards or weapons, ammunition? That we don't know at this point of how far he went in his planning to do this event.

CUOMO: Troubling facts, he left his license and his social security cards in the car that he abandoned. Was that some message to let them know who he is or was it him just trying to make an escape? The father says he is an expert marksman that he never misses.

That's very troubling for law enforcement especially when they're dealing with him in terrain where he is comfortable and law enforcement is not usually used to doing a manhunt in these types of rural environments.

That takes us to the most troubling aspect, Tom. Motivation, what are we thinking here? Is this a mentally ill guy? Just a really bad guy? Does he have a specific grievance? What do we know?

FUENTES: It could be all of the about and we don't know specifically, you know what he's stated about anti-government thoughts. And you know, the most obvious sign of the government anywhere is a uniformed police officer. So that could have been the motivation.

And not specifically hating the police, but just the police as a symbol of the government. You know, we had this militia case in 2010, the FBI had in Michigan, the Hooderie militia where their intent was to kill a police officer and ambush the police funeral parade and kill hundreds more in their mind. That's a possibility here.

That maybe he left his license, not just so he got credit for this killing, but maybe he doesn't think he's going to go too far and he's going to die in a blaze of glory here at some point in the next few days.

CUOMO: Well, it's a mixed bag, right. The hope for law enforcement is that he doesn't take to deep flight. He does stay somewhat available. But of course that brings the risk of more bloodshed to the officers, they're the obvious target.

Tom Fuentes, thank you very much for the analysis. Let us know what you learn on this as it goes forward. We'll stay on it.

FUENTES: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Now you take a situation like Frein and you times it by 30,000 to 70,000 people. And you have what the concern is with ISIS. And I want you to hear the raw enthusiasm for terror that CNN has in this audio of a jihadist convincing others to join the cause. You're going to hear it for yourself and you'll get to judge what this threat is all about.

Now, will the United Kingdom be a little bit less united tomorrow? This is really becoming something that could happen. Scotland is about to vote on independence. The numbers are very even, about people wanting it and not wanting it. Will that follow through at the polls? We'll take you through it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning, a new ISIS video called "Flames of War" has surfaced on the internet. It's a direct response it seems to President Obama's vow to quote, "degrade and ultimately destroy" the terror group.

And it appears to threaten U.S. troops. This, as a New York man now faces charges of providing support to the terror group. Mufid Elfgeeh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen is now being charged with trying to help people travel to join ISIS fighters and plotting to murder U.S. service members.

So what could possibly lure American citizens to travel to dangerous war-torn countries to fight against the U.S. in the name of terror? Deborah Feyerick obtained eye-opening tapes that show how terror groups recruit their followers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to jihad and recruitment, the conversation between two Americans, one in Boston, the other in Somalia is as relevant today as it was eight years ago when it was initially recorded.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Come with Ahmed, come with Daniel, come with everybody, come now, though, now.

FEYERICK: An American in Somalia aggressively trying to recruit Boston grad student, Tarik Mehanna, in 2006. Referring to him as brother or Akhi, in Arabic.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: I'm telling you, this is the life, there's no other life except for this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good, though?

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: It's 100 percent. It's 100 percent, Akhi. It's more than you even think it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, I just want to be somewhere where I can pray five times a day.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Akhi, pray five times a day, do you know where I am? You can't even smoke cigarettes, it's illegal.

FEYERICK: The hard sell is laced with religious words and ideas, intended to reel in the potential recruit.

(on camera): What we're hearing so far, does this sound like the same kind of message that's being put out by recruiters today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is exactly the same message that ISIS recruiters over social media, other forums are putting out today. You have to join, it's your religious duty. FEYERICK (voice-over): The friend turned recruiter makes clear everything will be arranged once Mehanna lands.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Check this out, come here, you don't have to have a dime in your pocket, I will set you up with everything. I'll have people to pick you up, and a place for you to stay and heck if you want I could have a wife waiting for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what I want, that's what I'm there for.

FEYERICK: The recruiter refocuses him back on Jihad referring to fighting a as making sandwiches.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Yes, but you know what the truth is once you see the brothers, you're not going to want to get married. You're going to make sandwiches all day and hang with us.

FEYERICK: And getting there is easy, promises the recruiter. Travel first to Dubai. Meet a handler. Then buy a ticket to Somalia.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Don't make your flight until you get to Dubai because once you get to Dubai --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then arrange it from there?

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: Yes. We're going to also set you up with some people so you get, you got somewhat of a visa. There's really no such thing as a visa.

FEYERICK: The eager recruiter is being coached by another American from Alabama, named Omar.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: What was that, Omar?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell him --

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: You're coming as a tourist. So bring tourist clothes and money to buy stuff. But don't bring anything huge, don't bring anything too small. You're a tourist.

FEYERICK: Federal officials say Omar Hamammi is an Al-Shabaab operative and key propagandist for the Somali terror group killed in action in 2013.

UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: He said you should make your intention now and know you get your Ajr, even if you were to die along the way. He's talking if you can leave tomorrow, do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Often the dreams turn to nightmares, the reality there is this brutal civil war where you have different Islamist factions killing each other. A lot of them become disillusioned.

FEYERICK: In the end, Tariq Mehanna was convicted on terror charges, the recruiter returned to the United States and testified against Mehanna at trial and then officials say he allegedly turned his life around. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: It's really amazing to hear those tapes. We were commenting throughout the piece. Deborah Feyerick, thank you so much.

CUOMO: I mean, hopefully they work as an anti-propaganda tool. Hear how much stupidity is coming out of that man's mouth.

Now very serious situation, the kingdom has been united for centuries, but that could all change tomorrow. Scotland is up for grabs, will voters there declare their own independence? We're going to have a live report for you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back. For more than 300 years, Scotland has been a part of Britain, but that could really all change, starting tomorrow, because that's when the Scots head to the polls to vote on breaking away. It is expected to be an incredibly tight race and the turnout is expected to be huge.

Erin McLaughlin is tracking the referendum from London. What do you hear, my friend?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, this race is looking so close. Way too close to call. Now anyone aged 16 and older and a Scottish resident is eligible to vote and just a simple majority is required to win this referendum.

Just this morning, British Prime Minister David Cameron, acknowledging that he is sweating the very real possibility that Scotland could become an independent country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We must be very clear, there is no going back from this. No rerun. This is a once and for all decision. If Scotland votes yes, the U.K. will split and we will go our separate ways forever.

MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): Will Scotland soon be an independent country in the latest poll of polls shows a race too close to call with 51 percent voting no and 49 percent voting yes. The leader of the yes campaign argues as part of a union, Scotland has not been getting a fair deal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A universal law that the best people to govern the nation are going to make the best decision.

MCLAUGHLIN: No campaign says the U.K. needs to stick together to maintain its global standing.

CAMERON: It would be the end of a country that launched enlightenment that abolished slavery, that drove the industrial revolution that defeated fascism, the end of a country that people around the world respect and admire.

MCLAUGHLIN: The historic vote could have major repercussions. The yes campaign says Britain will have to share the pound with an independent Scotland. The British government says it won't. The two camps are also divided about how much oil actually exists in the North Sea.

The yes campaign is optimistic there's enough there to drive the Scottish economy and some say Scotland would have to reapply to be a member of the European Union. A yes vote would mean a new flag for Scotland and possibly for Britain.

The iconic union jack, which signifies the combining of England, Ireland and Scotland's crowns, could look much different if Scotland's blue and white flag is removed. The Scottish capital is likely to remain Edinboro.

As for Britain's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines, they are currently based in Scottish waters. The yes campaign promises to kick them out, but it's not clear where they would go. A winning yes vote would mean Scotland would be a commonwealth, much like Canada and Australia.

The queen likely will remain the head of state. Still, some historians say her role would have to be written into an independent Scotland's new constitution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCLAUGHLIN: Even if a no vote wins tomorrow's referendum and Scotland remains a part of the United Kingdom, Britain will be a changed country. The government has already promised more powers to the Scottish parliament, which has implications for countries elsewhere with strong separatist movements such as Spain and Belgium, even Ukraine is going to be watching what happens tomorrow very closely -- Chris.

CUOMO: True, good point, Erin, it has larger implication and see what happens in this final frenzy what give there is on the part of Britain to try to keep Scotland as part of the U.K. Keep us in the loop. Thank you very much for this, Erin McLaughlin.

Now the president pledged very clearly to the American people again and again and again, this will not be like the last time this is a different kind of war in Iraq. There will be no boots on the ground to battle ISIS, but his lead general is clouding that message.

And the question is will the president keep his commitment and was it a good commitment to make in the first place? We are going to ask former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

BOLDUAN: And breaking overnight, a reversal by the Minnesota Vikings, who have now banned Adrian Peterson until his legal case is resolved. Is the team bowing to sponsors? What is going on?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: Breaking overnight, benched again. Adrian Peterson now out indefinitely. The Vikings reversing course. And Ray Rice appeals and asks that Roger Goodell stay out of it. Big advertisers starting to complain. We have what happens next.

BOLDUAN: Also breaking, a New York man charged with aiding ISIS, recruiting fighters to join the terror group, even plotting to kill U.S. troops himself. This as ISIS releases this new video, essentially goading U.S. troops to come attack them. We have the latest.

PEREIRA: Shocking new details in the death of Joan Rivers. Sources say her doctors added on a procedure she did not sign off on. And get this did one of her doctors take a selfie with her while she was under?

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

BOLDUAN: Good morning and welcome once again to NEW DAY, everybody. It is Wednesday, September 17, 8:00 in the east right now. Breaking overnight, a major about face, I guess, is about all you can call it by the Minnesota Vikings.

The team announcing its star running back, Adrian Peterson, is banned from all team activities pending the outcome of his child abuse case. He had been deactivated when his indictment first became public and reinstated by the Vikings on Monday.

Obviously now, not so much, all of this as major sponsors are now weighing in. Look at this list, McDonald's, Pepsi, Budweiser, all expressing concern about how the league is handling these cases involving violence.

Meantime, Ray Rice, former Baltimore Raven, formally appealed his indefinite suspension and requested that Commissioner Roger Goodell not be part of the proceedings.

CNN's Nischelle Turner has been following all of this for us. A lot to keep track of.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: A lot to digest, everything keeps breaking, something new keeps happening every single day. Now, Ray Rice's appeal didn't surprise us. We expected him to do that by midnight last night, but Adrian Peterson being re-deactivated, well, that one was a bit of a shock.