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New Facts on the Female Terrorist Killed in Paris Raids; France's Army Sees New Enlistment; Debate Continues in U.S. Over Syrian Refugees; Mali Hunts for Terror Suspects. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired November 21, 2015 - 12:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again and thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

So we begin with breaking news in the Paris terror attacks, an investigation and growing concerns across Europe. One suspect has been arrested in Belgium with suspected ties to ISIS and right now there is a serious and possible imminent threat for attacks in multiple locations in Brussels.

Belgium is raising the terror alert there to the highest level. Belgium's prime minister is closing the capital's city metro for the weekend and is warning people to avoid large crowds. The manhunt is still underway there for leading Paris suspect, Salah Abdeslam, who was last seen driving towards the Belgium border.

Meantime, officials have arrested three new suspects in turkey, with suspected ties to ISIS. One of them, accused of scouting the Paris venues, targeted by gunmen and suicide bombers.

Let's go to CNN correspondent, Drew Griffin, who is live for us in Brussels. So what more are you hearing about this serious and possible imminent threat?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: We just heard that the subway system will remain closed here until at least 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. The prime minister going on-air this morning, and is basically telling the people, specifically, of Brussels, not to engage in concerts, theaters, or groups of people.

Not to shop in major shopping areas, and try to avoid being -- gathering in public places, because of a specific and imminent threat. And he mentioned a specific and imminent threat like the attack in Paris, specifically, he talked about that.

There was one arrest that came late last night, early in the morning. It involved a man who supposedly was a friend of Salah Abdeslam, the eighth and on-the-run Paris attacker. That person was arrested in Molenbeek, the suburb now infamous for being connected with this Paris attack.

Some weapons found, but no explosive devices and no explosive suicide belt. There have been on and off false alarms all day today. We witnessed one not far from this location, just about an hour and a half ago, but no real explanation as to what specifically triggered this high threat, this unprecedented threat for the capital of Brussels -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: What has put this country in this place of high threat before, since we don't know, specifically, you know, what the details are, have there been any real, you know, parallel experiences that we might be able to, you know, draw upon?

GRIFFIN: They have this threat management committee that's been in effect since 2006. And in terms of a region, there has never been a level for threat level. They've gotten as high as level three. It was level three earlier this week.

They had what they called a limited or targeted level four threat alert, just for Jewish facilities. And that was in the wake of the Jewish museum shooting that took place a year ago.

But that was a very targeted and specific, talking about -- or Jewish synagogues, Jewish facilities, Jewish community centers, nothing like what we have here, which is an entire city, an entire region, as they call it, under this security threat.

It is unprecedented. It came in the middle of the night and it was quite a shock for the people of Brussels to wake up and learn that they were not going to live life normally today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, we know people are very frightened and on edge. But at the same time, very glad that law enforcement, you know, is trying to send out these warnings and being really on top of it, as best they can. All right, thanks so much. Drew Griffin, appreciate it.

All right, and this amazing story from the aftermath of the Paris attacks, as you can imagine, and the chaos, for those with medical training jumped in to help the injured. And that's exactly what they're trained to do.

Well, such was the case at a cafe, this video showing an off- duty nurse who works at a Paris hospital trying to resuscitate a man on the ground.

[12:05:06]And then the nurse realizes that the man he was trying to save was actually one of the suicide bombers. The nurse who only wanted to use his first name, David, tells us exactly what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID, PARIS NURSE (through translator): I go to this man that I could see out of the corner of my eye. I take him out of this tangle of chairs, tables, and I put him on the floor. He had nothing special. He was just unconscious. He was unconscious.

He had nothing special, but I noticed that on the side of his body, there was an enormous hole, a large hole on his side. But there, again, I don't think at all that it's a suicide bomber.

At that point, for me, it's a client, like others, who suffered from a gas blast and who must have hurt himself, but his wound was huge. I put him on the ground and I start performing CPR. The other guy who was with me takes over for me.

And at that point, we had just unbuttoned the jacket, that's all. We had kept his t-shirt on. It was not really thick. When I was performing CPR, I did not feel anything. At some point, the guy performing the resuscitation with me tells me, maybe we should remove the t-shirt. It's better.

I tell him, yes, you are right, and I ripped the t-shirt, and when I ripped the t-shirt, I saw some wires. I looked up again at the lamps, these heating lamps and I noticed that there is nothing wrong with them.

They're made of a material that becomes distorted quite easily. I saw that there was nothing wrong, nothing wrong with the three of them. On the ground, there was blood and I noticed the first bolts on the ground.

Then I understand immediately. I told myself, it's an explosion that made the wound on his side. It's a suicide bomber, and I knew it was him. At that precise moment when I realized what he was, the emergency services arrived.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: An unbelievable account there, when David, the nurse, told firemen that the man he was trying to save had a lot of wires on him, the emergency crew immediately evacuated the area. The 46-year-old lives in the neighborhood and was having dinner with a friend when the explosion happened.

David says he realizes that he is, indeed, very lucky to be alive. Let's talk more about all the concerns there in Paris and beyond. Joining me right now live from Paris is Nathalie Goulet. She is a sitting French senator.

Senator, had you heard that story of the nurse, David, before? I mean, your impressions of how he would jump in to help, not knowing who it was. Only to find out he was nearly helping to resuscitate one of the suicide bombers.

NATHALIE GOULET, FRENCH SENATOR: Well, no, but you know, it's a fact that any medical staff has to help anybody. So, there is nothing strange.

WHITFIELD: So, Nathalie, let's talk about, you know, this level of concern. Not just in Paris and beyond in France, but in neighboring Belgium. We learned, we have learned that they have -- while they have heightened the security terror threat there.

We also understand that in Molenbeek, where six of the terror attacks had taken place in recent years, this is now the second attack this year in Paris.

That there is a real concern about the porous border between Belgium and France and how it is easy for anyone, such as these terrorists, who are up to no good, to be able to penetrate the borders.

What is your concern about how security needs to be beefened up? How measures should be changed, so that there is more screening of those who are transporting between countries?

GOULET: Well, you know, yesterday, minister of interior had a meeting in Brussels, especially to increase the level, to protect the border. But right now, the European borders are very open and we are just starting.

And then, a person, the European Union didn't want to pass some months ago. And now we really need it to track the travelers. And we also are going to have more staff for the border, but also the maritime border, because we are also sea borders.

So it's all a new blend of organization including new exchange of intelligence because now the threat is everywhere. And you see today, Brussels, the people also scared, and we don't know if maybe tomorrow the Belgium government will not have also an emergency state, a state of emergency.

So something is going to be very scary around. But I think that we have to prevent any new Paris attack, wherever, it's in Amsterdam or Belgium or whatever.

[12:10:05] WHITFIELD: So you mentioned that there needs to be a greater exchange of intelligence between countries. So you are saying, or maybe there is a movement, perhaps you can speak to, that instead of Belgium, France, you know, the U.K., places operating as separate countries, but instead as European nations trying to work together, to share intelligence, so that it is accessible, immediately, as opposed to after something were to happen?

GOULET: Well, you know, the problem is that we are always acting after. We act after Charlie, we act after this Paris attack, and what we have to settle, for sure, it's something that will prevent, but, you know, there are risks.

You will never get it, so what we have to do is try to reduce the fatality, and that starts by more civilians, by more service. And I know that for people from the state, it's very strange to have people under surveillance, who are still free to be in the street and to travel.

At the same time, you know that we have to face a very, very important traffic of passport and I.D. so, you see, it's like an octopus. And if we don't work together, we will not solve the problem. It will take time. It will take a lot of time.

And I think that the French people and the French government really react really, really well. We had yesterday, a very strong anonymity for the state of emergency. And at the same time, we want to keep our statutes, our law regulation.

We don't want any patriot act. You know, it's very strange, but at the same time, we always try to keep the balance, between freedom, liberty, and security. Right now, we are on the verge of more security, but this more security has to go through more European cooperation. Otherwise, we will miss a thing.

WHITFIELD: OK. French Senator Nathalie Goulet, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

All right, still ahead, the search is on for the three suspects included in the Mali hotel attack that killed 19 people including an American mother. A witness says they shot at anything that moved.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:40]

WHITFIELD: In Mali, the search is on for three more terror suspects after gunmen barged into a hotel Friday and opened fire on a crowd of people, when employees said they shot at anything that moved. At least 19 people were killed in the attack before hostages were freed by security forces.

Two of the attackers are also dead. American Anita Datar was among the victims. The 41-year-old mother was a public health worker, who often traveled to Africa and Asia. Her brother says the family is devastated.

Saying this quote, "It's unbelievable to us that she has been killed in this senseless act of violence and terrorism. Anita was one of the kindest and most generous people we know."

Let's talk more about what has happened in Mali. With me now is CNN military analyst, retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling in Orlando and CNN law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes, a former assistant director of the FBI.

So Mali is under a state of emergency while they search for these three other suspects. What's happening behind the scenes in terms of how they go about their investigation?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, Fredricka, they're trying to find out, you know, what intelligence they already had about the al Qaeda affiliated groups, operating in Mali, operating in the region, and they're pretty significant.

They've had, you know, many attacks in Mali in recent times. This is just one more. It's getting, you know, the attention because of the number of people dead, including an American and the fact that it so closely follows the attack in Paris. But the operations of al Qaeda affiliates in the region have been significant for a long time.

WHITFIELD: And so, general, the groups claiming responsibility for this Mali attack, it's not ISIS, as at first there were many who thought maybe this was an extension of is. Instead, it's an extension of al Qaeda. In your view, is this any different or is it an issue of

extremist groups that are in competition with one another, given the proximity to when the Paris attacks happened just one week ago.

LT. GENERAL MARK HERTLING (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, I don't think it's connected at all to the Paris attacks, Fred. This has been an area in which our State Department and the military, specifically, have been watching very closely.

It's called the Islamic Maghreb. It's not only in Mali, but a few other countries that have been affected across the Northern Sahara of Africa. You're talking about five or six groups that operate inside of Mali.

There's Al Mourabitoun (ph), but then there's also been another group that's claimed responsibility and that's (inaudible). Both of those are al Qaeda spin-offs. There are others called the (inaudible) Liberation Front.

So you really just have a bevy of folks to choose from in this area, that are all disenfranchised from government that were not taking care of them. They have a new government. They've asked the French to help them secure the northern part of Mali as well as some of the other countries of this area.

You also have Boko Haram operating in Northern Nigeria, which is close by. So across the deserts of Northern Africa, you have many, many groups like that, that are all doing things to try to destabilize the various governments, which they feel aren't taking care of them.

U.S. Africa command has sent teams down there, in fact, in this particular situation, you had a special forces soldier, not special operator, but special forces, who was more than likely there to help train the Malian special forces as well.

So the U.S. government is attempting to improve the capability of the various African governments to improve their security.

WHITFIELD: So, Tom, from the standpoint of law enforcement trying to, you know, get to the bottom of who and why, there are some common denominators here in terms of recent attacks, even if they're unrelated.

We're talking about attacks being executed by small groups of people, and choosing places like the Radisson Hotel, in this case, like in Paris, concert halls, restaurants, places where people are comfortable, relaxed, and they are simply stunned by something like this happening.

[12:30:00] FUENTES: That's true. But if they attack restaurants and hotels that only the locals use, they won't get the international publicity that they need and want. That's why they attack western hotels and in many of these capitals or major cities throughout Africa and other parts of the world.

There aren't that many western-style hotels to choose from. So typically you're going to have western government officials, business officials staying in one or two hotels in that city and it makes it very easy for them to figure out which hotel will get them maximum publicity on a global basis.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tom Fuentes, Lieutenant General Mark Herdling, thanks so much, Gentlemen. Appreciate it.

HERTLING: Thanks, Fred.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right, up next, a powerful amphetamine circulating throughout the war zones of the Middle East. We'll tell you what it is and how it's being used.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As the attacks in Paris raise new fears about ISIS, we're learning new details today about a drug that may be used to fuel its fighters' brutality. It's a powerful amphetamine circulating throughout the war zones of the Middle East.

And it's illegal, flowing freely on the black market. And jihadist fighters are believed to be using it as a go-pill, so to speak, on the battlefield. CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[12:25:11] BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A captured ISIS militant named Kareem tells CNN how he got his battlefield courage.

KAREEM, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT (through translator): They gave us drugs, hallucinogenic pills that make you go to battle, not caring if you live or die.

TODD: When our CNN team interviewed Kareem last year, he was being held by Kurdish militants in Northern Syria. It was impossible to know if he was telling the truth or if he was being coached by his captors.

But now a U.S. official tells CNN it's believed some jihadist fighters are using the drug Captagon, a dangerous and powerful amphetamine. How would it fuel them on the battlefield?

DR. ROBERT KEISLING, PSYCHIATRIST, MEDSTAR WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: It keeps you awake. You can stay awake for days at a time. You don't have to sleep and it gives you a sense of well-being and euphoria and you think that you're invincible and that nothing can harm you.

TODD: Recently, the U.N.'s drug czar says ISIS and the al Qaeda- affiliated Nusra Front were believed to be smuggling the chemical precursors for Captagon. A U.S. law enforcement official tells CNN there's a robust black market for the drug in the Middle East. Analysts say the profits fund weapons purchases for Jihadist groups. MATTHEW LEVITT, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: Hezbollah, people affiliated with Hezbollah have a long history in the production and sale of Captagon. At one point, there was a fight between Hezbollah-affiliated the persons, because some people were angry they weren't getting a cut of some of this business.

TODD: Captagon was developed in the '60s and was first used to treat people with hyperactivity. It's since been banned in the U.S. and elsewhere. And while some questioned the drug's prevalence among fighters who preach Islamic purity, analysts say Jihadists can find the justification.

(on camera): Is it hypocritical? Is it a violation of cultural religious principles?

DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS, SENIOR FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSES OF DEMOCRACIES: Jihadist scholars would argue that this is not hypocritical. First of all, it's not a drug that's being taken to get high.

TODD (voice-over): Psychiatrist, Robert Keisling, who's treated thousands of addicts, says Captagon is so hallucinogenic, it can make a user hear voices and see things that aren't there.

(on camera): That can hurt you on the battlefield?

KEISLING: Absolutely. But I think they've made the decision that keeping these guys awake for three or four days at a time and giving them a sense of invincibility is worth whatever harm or side effects the drug has.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: But whatever sense of euphoria and invincibility Captagon might produce, Dr. Keisling says there are horrible downsides. Users he says can become psychotic, brain damaged, and of course, can get addicted to the drug for years to come. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right, and more information coming out about the female who died in the Paris raids this week, but investigators are still trying to figure out why she was there. Next, CNN looks for answers in the neighborhood where she grew up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:54] WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We're learning the only female killed in Wednesday's raids in Paris did not blow herself up, as previously believed. Authorities say that she died when the man next to her detonated a suicide vest. Our Atika Shubert has more on the 26-year-old and why she was at the site of the raids with the suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These were the last words of Hasna Aitboulahcen. Earlier, police had said the 26-year-old had detonated an explosives vest as police closed in. But now, forensics teams have determined that the bomb was actually triggered by either the alleged ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, or the other so-far unidentified suspect killed in the operation.

Investigators are now struggling to understand how a young woman described as modern and fun-loving veered into the path of this deadly terror network. Until a few weeks ago, she lived here, with her family. Police brought her mother and brother in for questioning on Thursday.

We're in the neighborhood where Aulnay-sous-Bois and this where Hasna Aitboulahcen was living. It's a rough neighborhood at the best of times, but even as we approached her building, we were threatened by her neighbors. At her old school at the local market, many knew the family, but none would talk to us on camera. By the dance school she once attended, one vendor claimed to have dated her and described her as a party girl who liked to drink and smoke. The local pharmacist described her as a normal, modern young woman. The mayor of Clichy- sous-Bois (ph) where she moved as a teenager told us she had, "a chaotic upbringing." Brought up in a forest home after her parents divorced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was really a girl who was a bit crazy. She loved life and loved having fun. She was a girl who had very little to do with Islam and you never saw her practicing her faith. So when I see this about her, the image of veil and everything that happened on Sunday, that's what really surprised me. And she was a girl that had nothing to do with Islam, so that image of her it's the opposite, because she hadn't represented Islam.

SHUBERT: But investigators don't know how she became so deeply involved with ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud and why she was there on that fateful night that police closed in.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And in the wake of the Paris attacks, France's army is seeing a major spike in young men and women wanting to enlist to defend that country. Our Nic Robertson joins me now from Paris with the latest on that. Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, Fredricka. I mean, we remember of course after the attacks on September 11th in the United States, all the reaction, the patriotic reaction of people. A lot of young men and women joined up to serve that country. France's president here has said the country is a war. I went to a recruiting station, a French army recruiting station. They're having a similar phenomenon here right now.

At a French army recruitment center, young men are signing up."I wanted to join already", 19-year-old Xavier Sophie tells me. "When heard about the attacks it motivated me even more." A few miles from last Fridays attack men and women lining up to find out if they've got what it takes. Recruiters are busier than ever.

"Today, I've received three times the number of completed forms than I would normally have by this time Friday." The recruiter tells me. The writing on the wall here, France's people

need protection. The President says the country's at war. Its citizens are listening.

"The number of people who have contacted us." The commanding officer of recruitment tells me, "has gone up, dramatically, since last Friday's attacks."

Officers here say this spike in recruitment has already exceeded those that came to sign up following the "Charlie Hebdo" attacks in January. And they add all those that volunteered then stay the course.

[12:35:11] My question for the commanding officer is simple, can the army -- can the French army defeat Daesh?

"Of course", he says.

That simple?

"The French soldier, he continues, has a mission to fill. He will fulfill his mission. He will put all of his energy into fulfilling his mission." A mission that will have more firepower if needed in the wake of last week's barbaric attack.

And of course, that's not just going to be encouragement to the ears of the French President here, Francois Hollande, but for the people of France, they will feel that the youth of the country is responding appropriately. A lot of people here are concerned that the government needs to do more. They've seen the ringleader killed, but they fear that there's a potential for more attacks, more terror cells. They really feel the government needs to dig deeper to get to the bottom of this to really make them safe, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much, in Paris.

So the question, whether or not to allow Syrian refugees in the U.S. is fueling heated debates across this country. But how are refugees who are already in America being treated? Next, we'll take you to a community in Georgia with so many migrants, it's known as the Ellis island of the South.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:11] WHITFIELD: All right, heated debate continues here in the U.S. over how to handle the Syrian refugee crisis in light of the recent terror attacks in Paris. One of the main issues up for debate, whether refugees should be allowed a safe haven here in America. A new ABC News "Washington Post" poll finds most Americans are deeply divided on the issue. 54 percent of Americans say the U.S. should not accept Syrian refugees. 43 percent of those surveys say it should. But what about those who have already built their lives here in the U.S. CNN's Nick Valencia visited a refugee community in the suburb of Atlanta and its quite impressive isn't it?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's remarkable to see this community, more than half of them are foreign-born, a town of about 8,000 people. And over the course of last generation, 25 years, they've accepted thousands of refugees and recently dozens of them are from Syria. The locals I spoke who say, let's worked out for the best.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Its Friday and the refugee coffee truck in Clarkston, Georgia, is in the middle of its morning rush.

Behind the counter, a collection of culture. The three baristas, all refugees. Each one from a different part of the world. Achmed Zokni (ph) arrived in the United States two months ago from Syria. Leon Shurbana (ph) he's from Congo. And Eleni Tsegu was born in Ethiopia.

ELENI TSEGU, REFUGEE: These companies they give us like job training. So, in the job training we are sharing our language. He's from Syria, he's from Congo and I'm from Ethiopia. So it's nice and we've been like family.

VALENCIA: Clarkston is perhaps the most diverse square mile in the country, after it was singled out as a good place for refugees to resettle a generation ago. Of the nearly 8,000 people who live here, more than half are foreign-born. Native-born residents like Kitti Murray not only like it that way, but her opening businesses to make sure it stays that way. Six months ago, she started refuge coffee.

KITTI MURRAY, OWNER REFUGE COFFEE: I don't think we could do what we do if there weren't other group assimilating refugees and working with them.

MCKENZIE WREN, DIRECTOR, CLARKSTON COMMUNITY CENTER: Day-to-day is welcoming the world here to the community center.

VALENCIA: As director of Clarkton's community center, McKenzie Wren and plays perhaps the biggest role in Clarkston. She helps the thousands of refugees in the city to transition into American life.

WREN: In the early days about 25 years ago when Clarkston began to change, people were not welcoming refugees with open arms. It's been a long evolution for people to see the benefit was of a truly diverse multi-cultural community.

VALENCIA: Just around the corner at the local mosque, afternoon prayers. The topic of the lecture, how to be nice to your neighbor. Appropriate for the city known to locals as the Ellis Island of the South. In fact, the majority of those here, like Bari Askarbata (ph), are refugees. He's now a U.S. citizen.

Do you think refugees are treated well in Clarkston?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm happy, yes.

VALENCIA: How long have you been there?

MAYOR TED TERRY, CLARKSON GEORGIA: About two years.

VALENCIA: Clarkston's Mayor Ted Terry says, one of his missions is to keep the city diverse.

TERRY: This is a great way for us to show the true principles of America and we are a welcoming nation. We've always been a nation of immigrants.

VALENCIA: And Clarkston is a town that counts them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, nick, it's a safe haven, you established that.

VALENCIA: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: They're very happy, they're living in harmony, but then I wonder, especially in light of what happened in Paris, learning what we've learned about at least one of the terrorists who crossed the border as a Syrian refugee. So, is there concern for their safety there, especially now that people perhaps in larger part know of this existence? A local place.

VALENCIA: Well, I'll start by saying, the majority of the residents there, they love living in Clarkston. They love being around refugees. There is a voice of criticism. Those voices have largely either moved away or died off. Just a simply older generation. Now the city leadership, it's younger and more progressive. And those people who moved to Clarkston or set up businesses in Clarkston, like Kitti Murray, they want this refugee community around them. They want to be around international residents. They believe it adds another flavor to the community and they absolutely love. It's, for all intents and purposes, it's a safe haven for refugees. It's an amazing city.

WHITFIELD: Right, it is amazing. All right, thanks so much, Nic Robertson.

VALENCIA: You bet.

(CROSSTALK)

VALENCIA: I know you know who I am.

WHITFIELD: That's when I ever than done that.

VALENCIA: Thanks, Fred. You bet.

[12:44:40] WHITFIELD: All right. All right. We're going to take a look at all the latest developments on the terror attack in Mali and the decades of instability there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm inside the American museum of natural history. We are set to honor ten everyday people who are doing truly extraordinary things. I'm giving you your very own backstage pass. Let's get going.

Since 2007, CNN heroes an All-Star tribute has been an annual event, from assembling the stage and testing the light to placing the cameras and rolling out the red carpet. This army of seasoned pros knows exactly what it takes to make this evening memorable.

How do you keep it fresh, Kelly.

KELLY FLYNN, SR. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Keep it fresh, 10 new heroes every year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't that clever?

FLYNN: And a great story.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Host Anderson Cooper and a-lister galore turn out to salute our honorees for their work helping others. Rising music star Andra Day was drawn to the evening's positive message.

[12:50:03] ANDRA DAY: CNN HERO: For our purpose of creating a song in the beginning was it something that was encouraging and inspiring and healing for people. So I think it works well with the theme of tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A 20,000-pound blue whale rarely has to share the spotlight, but on this special night, our top 10 CNN Heroes will take center stage.

DR. DANIEL IVANKOVIC, CNN HERO: The minute you walk into the place, you're just overwhelmed, it intense. This event is going to be spectacular.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And maybe motivate all of us to make an impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mali is under a state of emergency as the hunt continues for three more terror suspects. Gunmen barged into a hotel Friday and opened fire on a crowd of people. One employee said they shot at anything that moved. At least 19 people were killed before hostages were freed by security forces. Two of the attackers were also killed. An Al Qaeda-affiliated group is taking partial responsibility.

An American, Anita Datar, was among the victims. The 41-year-old mother was a public health worker who often traveled to Africa and Asia.

CNN international correspondent David McKenzie is in Mali joining us live now. So David, tell us more about this state of emergency in effect and how they are going about searching for those who are responsible for this attack.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, two of the gunmen, as you say, have been killed. They are certainly doing a major military and security operation here in Mali. I'm standing right now outside the Radisson Blu. It's very quiet right now, but there are no guests inside. In fact, inside, there's shattered glass, bullet holes, and blood along the floor. Very tragic and horrifying scenes unfolding on Friday, when these gunmen walked in, it seems, behind a diplomatic car and started firing at anyone who moved, as you described.

We've spoken to people who barricaded themselves in their rooms and put anything they could to stop them from coming through. They said these were Indian gentleman and their colleagues, that the terrorists were trying to push and shoot their way through as the Malian Special Forces assisted by Americans and French were able to get them out. It is a very quick response in this case. So many did go free, but 22 have been killed, tragically, from many different nations. This was clearly an attempt to an attack a hotel behind me that is frequently visited and used by diplomats, westerners, particularly Americans in here Mali. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And David, the victims, you mentioned, you know, very international. Russia is saying six of its citizens were killed. Many guests were attending delegates for peace talks there, in fact. So do investigators think that that, in any way, may have been the motive?

MCKENZIE: Well, as you were talking to your guest earlier in the hour, there isn't a sense that this is directly linked to the horrific Paris attacks recently, but it is obviously, in terms of worldwide terror threats. This is probably dealing with localized issues. They are trying to get the word out to the world by attacking a western asset, like this.

Mali was effectively split by two several years ago, as Islamic groups pushed on the capital, almost taking over the country until French forces intervened in 2013, in a big way, several thousands of them, pushing them back. We're seeing this in different parts of Africa, here in Mali, in Nigeria, in Somalia, where similar to ISIS groups have manage to hold territory, create so-called caliphates and try to push their agenda. There is a ten-day emergency in place here, three days of national mourning starts tomorrow. Certainly, the people I've spoken to here are very much still in shock. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, David McKenzie, thanks so much, in Mali.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:57:40] WHITFIELD: It's been a week of terror and fortitude in Paris, where deadly attacks claimed the lives of 130 people and injured hundreds more. Yet the tragedy has brought people there and around the world together. Here's a look back at some of the most memorable moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER: (SPEAKER FOREIGN LANGUAGE) It's an act of war committed by a terrorist army, Daesh, an army of Jihadists against France.

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberte and egalite and fraternite are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that are values that we share.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKER FOREIGN LANGUAGE) We stand with you, united.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then, suddenly, in a flash, there was chaos. Friday was a night of shock. Saturday was a day of mourning. But on Sunday, we felt determined today to come out, to take our lives back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The headline of it is, I will not succumb to hate. (inaudible) Friday night you stole an exceptional life. The love of my life. The mother of my son. But I will not succumb to hate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We stand free. We stand with taste of life, we stand with happiness. We play games with my son and know they don't win.