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NEW DAY

Manhunt for Trooper's Killer Intensifies; Friend of ISIS Hostage Begs for His Life; Efforts Continue to Find Hannah Graham; Pentagon Ready to Hit ISIS Targets in Syria

Aired September 22, 2014 - 06:30   ET

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


ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Chris.

The school has been faced with a really tough decision here, but it is their job to protect the children. And with the suspect still on the loose, Pocono Mountains school district has decided to close schools for a fourth day now. Eric Frein is believed to be armed and dangerous.

The news from that police is that they are closing in on him. They say their search is now focused on an area that's just a few square miles, if not far from Frein's family home. It's the same place where they found a rifle, along with ammunition and magazines which they believe Frein recently left behind.

There have been some reported sightings at the suspect. Police are not able to say whether or not those sightings are credible.

Here is the advantage that Frein has, Chris. We are talking about a heavily wooded area. Police acknowledge that he's very familiar with this landscape. It's near the home that he grew up in. They say, though, that the gap is closing. They have learned the landscape and they are confident that they've got him closely in their reach now.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I hear that some believe he may have left the weapon to be found almost as a taunting gesture. And again that leads -- it's one more piece in the puzzle for police believing that he's targeting them, that that his problem, which leads to something that's a little confusing that happened. There was a shelter in place order for the people in the community, certainly the school settings. It was then lifted.

Why if they haven't found him yet? Why did they lift the order, because they believe he's really just angry at them?

FIELD: Yes. It's certainly -- he confused a lot of people here, to be told that they had to stay in place and to be told that they could actually venture out.

Look, here's the bottom line. Police are telling people to be smart. They're telling people to be vigilant. Don't go venturing off into the woods. You know, stay in your home when you can lock your doors, take appropriate measures to insure your own safety.

At the same time, police are saying that they believe that Eric Frein is targeting law enforcement specifically. They say that it appears that he has plotted for this confrontation for months, if not years. So, they really believe that they are his focus. They want the public to be safe. They want the public to be smart, but everyone's got to help. It's a really tricky situation that we don't know what the next move is.

CUOMO: I guess when something is going on this long, they have to start to balance the welfare of the community moving on with its life, with the threat that may be in its midst.

Alexander Field, thank you very much. Let us know what else you figure out.

There is a lot of news this morning, so let's get you over to John Berman, in for Michaela.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, so much, Chris.

Safety concerns in the White House, after two security scares, Omar Gonzalez of Texas, a decorated 42-year-old Iraq war vet who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress is due in court this morning. He jumped the fence on Pennsylvania Avenue Friday and entered the executive mansion armed with a knife. On Saturday, a New Jersey man was arrested after driving up to a security barrier and trying to enter the White House grounds.

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart sat down ahead of the U.N. General Assembly for their latest discussions on Iran's nuclear program. Talks have been stalled for months over Iran's refusal to significantly back off against uranium enrichment. Senior Iranian officials tell "Reuters" that flexibility on Iranian issues could make Iran more likely to work with the United States in the fight against ISIS.

Global leaders and thinkers converging at the annual Clinton Global Initiative Conference in New York. Former President Bill Clinton and potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton are expected at today's opening panel. The event is meant to spur partnership to solve the world's most pressing challenges.

Overnight, two American airlines flights were forced to make unscheduled landings at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. Flight 1359 was heading to California but had to return to DFW and make a emergency landing, after experiencing a mechanical issue. The second flight was headed to Buenos Aires and return to DFW after experiencing an issue with cabin pressure. No one luckily was injured in either incident.

Still looking out at the weather. Meteorologist Indra Peterson is keeping track of that and so much.

Good morning, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I got it all, Berman.

Yes, we saw a couple of showers out there yesterday. But even that is making its way offshore this morning, into the Northeast. So, we are starting to transition, guys.

We have low pressure moving out, high pressure moving in. So, what does mean to you?

Yes, we have that cold air that came in with that cold front. So, with that, you are looking at that temperature difference, and we're talking about windy conditions up to 20 to 25 miles per hour. It's not that bad. You're just going to feel the difference, especially if you're in places like, I don't know, Cleveland, that is a 20 degree temperature drop today, already gusting about 25 miles per hour.

Don't worry, it's not going to be lacking, temperatures are climbing back up over the next several days. It's actually going to feel pretty good out there. A lot of 70s will be in play. Otherwise, down in the Southeast, yes, a couple of scattered showers, nothing like we saw really all summer. Definitely kind of drying out.

Unless, of course, you are in Florida, they were talking two to four inches of rain over the next several days. There you go. It is the last day of summer here. So, it feels like maybe seeing 50s in the Northeast. It doesn't feel like summer to me. Keep in mind, by 10:00 or so tonight, it's all ends here officially.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It is gorgeous today, though, and sort of maybe some California weather for you there.

PETERSONS: I'll take it, right, for the next two to three days that we actually have it.

KEILAR: Yes, thanks, Indra.

PETERSONS: Sure.

CUOMO: The best season, in this part of the country.

PETERSONS: Fall.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Right? Foliage.

BERMAN: You're getting hate mails from all the other seasons right now. It's take offense, that you are absolutely discouraging --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Mother Nature.

BERMAN: Seasonal interest groups now are up in arms.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: All right. He's fun.

All right. So, another situation to tell you about with ISIS. They're doing what they do best, trying to scare people with their disregard for human life. Desperate pleas for the friends of British aid worker Alan Henning. Again, he could be facing death at the hands of ISIS. Will their words be heated this time? We are live with details next.

KEILAR: And the latest in the search for missing UVA student Hannah Graham, police issuing a warrant for the man last seen with her. This after he left the police station. We'll talk live with the police chief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: An emotional plea from the wife of a man whose life is in the hands of ISIS terrorists. Alan Henning was kidnapped by masked gunmen while he was on an aid mission in Syria last December. Over the weekend, his wife Barbara released a message begging his captors to release him or at least respond to her messages. His friends, including a doctor who traveled with Henning in Syria are also making a plea for his freedom.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is live in London with more -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna.

Alan Henning is a human being with a family and with a heart of gold. He is not a pawn in some grizzly terror gain. That is the message that family and friends were trying to put across when I visited them in his hometown. .

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAN HENNING, TAXI DRIVER: I've spoke to the family and they're all OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this the first time you've spent Christmas away from them?

HENNING: Ye, it is hard.

PENHAUL (voice-over): Taxi driver Alan Henning on a mercy mission to Syria. That was Christmas Day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got some presents from other members of the convoy, didn't you?

HENNING: I got a nice t-shirt, aid for Syria t-shirt. Some aftershave, and some chocolates and some biscuits. They're all great lads.

PENHAUL: Father of two Henning was the only non-Muslim on the British aid convoy.

Fellow volunteer Dr. Shameela Islam-Zulfiqar and her family drove with him.

DR. SHAMEELA ISLAM-ZULFIQAR, AID WORKER: He really wanted to make sure that he was counted as somebody that got up and did something, not just made a donation and sat in the comfort of their own home.

PENHAUL: Members of the 50-vehicle convoy affectionately nicknamed him "Gadget".

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: Dr. Gadget, as my children called him. He traveled with us on several convoys, has the love for all things are technical, and he really was, is the guy that fixes everything.

HENNING: Here we go. Five is through, we're behind eight.

PENHAUL: The convoy was taking ambulances to civilians caught up in the war. Henning dedicated his vehicle to a British doctor purportedly murdered by the Syrian regime a week earlier.

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: To save the life of one means to save the whole of mankind. You know, it's one of my favorite quotes. It was a quote Alan was hoping to put on the side of the ambulance.

PENHAUL: At the Turkey-Syria border, Henning volunteered to cross over into the battle zone with a ten person advance party. They recorded their cautious progress, greeting refugees as they went. Moments after that video was taken, Dr. Shameela received a desperate call.

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: We received a phone call about half an hour later. It was very distressed, distraught individual on the other end of the phone to say that gadget had been taken after an arm gunmen had come in. We thought it was just a temporary measure, that they were just going, with him being a non-Muslim and being visibly English, that they would just question him further and then they would let him go.

PENHAUL: But as ISIS and rebel factions clashed, that didn't happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just dropped the bomb here. They just dropped the bomb, as you can see, it's very, very close to us. Allahu Akbar.

PENHAUL: The convoy advanced team recorded this explosion as it led back to the border.

Back in Henning's hardscrabble hometown in Northern England, well- wishers have tied yellow ribbons to lamp posts and street seen itself. None of his work at the minicabs company nor of any of the neighbors down the street are talking. All are hoping.

Now, with ISIS threatening to execute Henning, there is a sense time in short.

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: It's really difficult. I'm just dreading it -- you know, we know the deadline is coming up. We know that we've got a very small -- you know, time is running out.

PENHAUL: But nobody is giving up.

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: I have a message for is. As your sister in Islam, I would implore you and beg of you, please spare the life of this innocent man.

PENHAUL: I asked her how to think of Henning in his hour in need?

ISLAM-ZULFIQAR: Just that smile, his concern and care for everyone around him and his beat of his beautiful golden heart.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: So, appeals are coming from all quarters for Alan Henning's life. We do know, of course, that the mother of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff issued a plea for his life shortly before he was murdered. The big question now, is ISIS listening? Brianna?

KEILAR: That is a big question, and that is a very good picture of Alan Henning that you shared with us. Karl Penhaul, thank you so much.

CUOMO: Alright, back here at home, hundreds of volunteers are hitting the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): Trying to find 18-year-old Hannah Graham. There she is on your screen. She's a University of Virginia student. Vanished ten days ago.

Cops are desperate to speak to a man following her on surveillance tape, that's who you see there. There was a bizarre meeting that occurred at the police station this weekend that ended with the man speeding away. We have the latest ahead.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA POLICE: 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 VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (on camera): That the chief of police of Charlottesville, Virginia speaking very passionately about the disappearance of 18- year-old Hannah Graham.

Graham vanished September 13th, is believed to have been last seen with 32-year-old Jesse Matthew. Now, Matthew oddly arrived at the police station this weekend, but only asked for a lawyer supposedly and then eventually wound up speeding away. Now an arrest warrant is out for Matthew on suspicion of reckless

driving, not connected to the case. He has not been called a person of interest in the Graham case yet either, despite the passion of the chief. So let's talk to the chief, Timothy Longo, and find out exactly what's going on.

Chief, thank you for joining us. Do you have any new information?

LONGO: No, Chris. I really wish we did. I just want to make this one point clear, that after Mr. Matthew left the police station, he went to another location in Albemarle County and that's where he was observed by state police and federal officials getting into a car and then speeding off. We haven't heard from him since. As you've indicated, there are two arrest warrants for him charging him with reckless driving. We hope to hear from him.

CUOMO: Anything from the apartment? Anything from the car?

You looked at his apartment and car before he came into the police station. Anything interesting?

LONGO: Yes, hopefully we'll hear from the department of forensic science today with regard to what we might have recovered out of the car particularly. Either today or tomorrow. We are hopeful that we'll get some evidence to look through that will start putting this puzzle back together again.

CUOMO: Now, this is very unusual what happened here, Chief. Not somebody going missing, but the way Mr. Matthew wound up coming to the police station himself, tell us about it.

LONGO: Well, it was pretty clear that we wanted to talk to Jesse Matthew. Jesse was the last person we believe to have seen Hannah before she disappeared. He came into the station, he was with family members. He spoke to a detective very cordially for a bit of time before his attorney arrived. Once the attorney arrived, they spoke briefly. Then they left. And as I said yesterday, we don't know any more about Hannah's disappearance now than we did when Jesse Matthew walked into the building.

CUOMO: Alright, because it was confusing. There were reports that he had come there and asked for a lawyer. That didn't make any sense, you know. You don't go to the police station and ask for a lawyer. So, a lawyer met him there. What you call a cordial discussion with a police officer.

Did he feel he was being tested? Did he seem that he was being accused? What would force him to leave without giving any information?

LONGO: You know, I don't know what his thinking was at the time. And he did, in fact, when he came into the station, he did ask for a lawyer at that time. He did not have one with him. The court cannot appoint one. He has not been charged with a crime. So the commonwealth attorney provided him with a list of attorneys. He chose one. We contacted that person, and that person came to represent him. CUOMO: So he walks into, have you ever heard of that before? A guy

walks into the police station, knows the cops want to talk to him, starts talking and asks them to find him a lawyer. Didn't come in lawyered up even though he came with family. Its odd.

LONGO: Well, it's certainly an odd situation but again, Chris, I don't know what his state of mind was when he came in or what his intentions were. Obviously, I'm not privy to the discussions that he had with his attorney. Frankly, I don't even know if that attorney has been retained.

CUOMO: So he leaves, he doesn't take off. He gets to leave. He's obviously allowed to leave. Leaves with an attorney. And then later on, he is observed by some of your guys who were trying not to be seen by him and he starts speeding. Is this a guy who was just speeding, or do you think he knew that he was being followed?

LONGO: Oh, no, this wasn't a covert surveillance, it was over. I believe he knew they were there. They observed him jump into a car as I've said before and speed off and continue to drive in such a reckless manner that these authorities, both state and federal, had to disengage for their safety and the safety of other motorists on the road.

CUOMO: So do you know where he is?

LONGO: We had a suspicion where he may have been last night. It is my understanding that that did not pan out. At this point I don't know where he is.

We're taking whatever efforts we have, utilizing whatever resources we have to try to locate him so that we can take him into custody on those warrants. Obviously, our investigation is very aggressive. We have a number of leads to follow up on today, a number that we followed up on last night.

The ultimate goal here is to find this young lady. We are doing as much as we can with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to search the city and our surrounding county as well.

CUOMO: Help us understand, Chief. So this is the man you want to talk to, the girl is still missing. When he sees the cops, he takes off, but they don't pursue because he was driving so fast.

Isn't that exactly a situation when you would want to pursue somebody, or are you just not allowed to by state law?

LONGO: Well, again, I can't speak for the law enforcement officers that were engaged with him. I don't know what type of vehicle they were driving, whether they had the capacity to engage in an emergency pursuit.

I do know, and I think it's important to keep this in mind, we don't have a probable cause warrant for Jesse with respect to this disappearance. The commonwealth does not believe there is sufficient probable cause at this point. This investigation's still ongoing. He was not wanted for any other crime than his driving behavior. And of course we have to balance that driving behavior against the risk it might pose to other people. They made an objective decision not to pursue.

CUOMO: And, you know what, that's the right way to do the job. You do not want to wind up bringing someone in the wrong way and wind up blowing your case. And obviously, seeing you have a prejudice in this situation.

Have you tried reaching out to the lawyer who showed up there? Does he have any information?

LONGO: I don't know that we did yesterday. Certainly, we may take that course of action today. Again, I don't know whether or not that attorney was retained after the two walked out this building.

CUOMO: Chief Longo, thank you very much. Appreciate you answering the questions I'm peppering you with. But obviously, everybody's really curious about this situation, want the girl to be found and we'll do anything we can to help, Chief. So feel free to reach out if there's any word - -

LONGO: Thanks so much.

CUOMO: - - we can get out, any pictures or anything.

LONGO: I sure will. Thank you, Chris. Good morning to you.

CUOMO: Good morning to you as well. Alright. So, where is Hannah? We don't know, ten days now, that's one of the stories we are following. There is a lot of news to get to on this Monday, so let's do it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More weekend U.S. air strikes against ISIS in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would assume that ISIL is taking the United States very, very seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two incidents at the White House within 24 hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have great respect for the secret service, but this is absolutely inexcusable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An international health crisis unprecedented in modern times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The news that America was coming (inaudible) is a relief to (inaudible) and Liberians.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on the jury's inability to reach a verdict, I declare that mistried..

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like we didn't get justice for Joyce.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome back to NEW DAY.

We're watching two big stories about American security, both at home and abroad.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CUOMO (voice-over): This week President Obama is going to head to the U.N. and ask the world to join him in the fight against ISIS. He will propose that member nations join America in prosecuting people who try to join ISIS. This as investigators try to learn more about the ISIS leader speaking in this new video in near perfect English.

KEILAR voice-over): Also, we have a brand-new video of that security scare at home.

Look at this. That is a man with a knife jumping the fence at the White House, running across the lawn there. He made it all the way into the building. And as you can imagine, there are new questions about the secret service this morning. We'll get into that in just a moment.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

KEILAR (on camera): But first, Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with the latest on the battle against ISIS.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna.

Well, now it is all in President Obama's hands, the decision when and if to strike ISIS targets in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: More weekend U.S. air strikes against ISIS in Iraq. Close to 200 so far. And the Pentagon says it's ready to hit ISIS targets inside Syria at any moment, once President Obama gives final approval.

And he takes his case this week to the United Nations, his U.N. ambassador arguing he has overwhelming support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not having problems getting countries to commit.

STARR: In a rare event, the president will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting Wednesday himself, a demonstration of his commitment to build a consensus to take on ISIS. And CNN has now learned he is hoping to get approval for a resolution calling for countries to crack down on their citizens traveling abroad to join terrorist groups like ISIS.

Still no Arab nations have openly agreed to send ground troops or take part in air strikes inside Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry is already at the U.N. lobbying allies for help, even talking to Iran. Republican Congressman Peter King says the president should not wait to build a coalition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't be holding back. We should attack, and strike, and do all we can to the commanding control centers that ISIS has in Syria.

STARR: And no word on whether Turkey now might allow U.S. planes to fly from bases there after the weekend release of nearly 50 Turkish diplomats held hostage by ISIS for three months.

Meanwhile, a mass exodus of Syrian refugees seeking safe haven in Turkey. Officials there opening eight check points along the border. One U.N. official says she's seen 100,000 people cross in just two days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see them now, digging their own graves.

STARR: This ISIS militant speaking seemingly perfect English in a new 55-minute-long propaganda video has U.S. officials thinking he could be an American. They're still doing voice analysis, but are concerned, they say, that this could be the first time an American is portrayed as an ISSI leader.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the flames of war are only beginning to intensify.