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At Least 63 Dead In Pakistan Park Bombing, 315 Injured; Bernie Sanders Sweeps Democratic Races in Three Crucial States; Sanders: "We Know Who ISIS Is"; The Psychology Of Terrorism; Anti-Immigrant Group Protests At Brussels Memorial. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired March 27, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


[14:00:09] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with breaking news out of Pakistan. At least 63 people have been killed, 200 others injured in a suicide bombing attack at a public park in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Most of the victims are women and children. And Reuters is reporting this bomb exploded just a few feet away from children's swings. We have just learned a Taliban group has claimed responsibility for the attack and has aimed -- aiming it at the Christian festival of Easter. And the group says the attacks would continue.

CNN international producer Sophia Saifi has more from Islamabad.

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER (on the phone): It is a state of emergency in hospitals across the city of Lahore. Lahore is one of the largest cities in Pakistan. And as you know it is Easter Sunday. It is Easter Sunday. It was 6:00 p.m. when the suicide attack took place in this crowded park. We have been told by security officials that the park -- that the part of the park which was attacked was closed, was a children's park, a children's area of the park where children were playing, more crowded than usual. It was Sunday evening. And that is why a lot of the people who have been injured and killed were families who have gone there to celebrate and just enjoy their holiday and their day off.

We are also getting information that the suicide bomber has around ten kilograms of explosives strapped on to him. There has so far been no claim of responsibility, but there is complete chaos at the scene as Pakistani security officials try to figure out and understand what exactly was the reason behind this attack in Lahore.

WHITFIELD: All right, that's Sophia Saifi, again, reporting for us from Islamabad, Pakistan.

So again, that suicide bombing taking place in Lahore, Pakistan. And the claim of responsibility, at least the recent claim is coming from a Taliban splinter group, saying they were targeting the festival of Easter.

We are also following breaking news out of Belgium. Police in Brussels using water cannons now to break up protests at the memorial site to last week's terror attack. Victims, people who gathered at the site to honor victims were confronted by protesters raising their arms in Nazi salutes and shouting anti-immigrant chants. Police in Belgium also carried out 13 new raids this morning. Nine people were taken into custody and four are still being held.

Correspondent Alexandra Field has been in Brussels for us. And, of course, when we're able to connect with her we'll get the latest report. I think Alex is on the phone with us.

OK, Great, Alex. What is the latest and to see this convergence of emotions at a place that was representative of a solemn feeling for those who had been killed, 30 killed, and many injured. All right, looks like we've lost her signal one more time with Alexandra Field.

All right. Let's talk more about overall what is taking place. Fawaz Gerges is with us now. He is the author of "Isis: a history" and he is also chairman of the Middle East studies of the London school of economics.

Good to see you, professor. So now, we have got two dynamics here. You've got this terror attack taking place in Lahore, Pakistan, something like 60 people who have been killed in this. That's the number thus far and many others injured. It's a Taliban splinter group claiming responsibility saying it is targeting the festival of Easter and there may be more attacks to come. How do you assess this on the heels of what has happened just in Brussels?

FAWAZ GERGES, AUTHOR, ISIS: A HISTORY: First of all, we're not surprised because you have multiple extremist groups in Pakistan. You have the Taliban in Pakistan. You have splinter within the Taliban. You have Al-Qaeda global in Pakistan. You have even ISIS in Pakistan. This might come as a surprise to some viewers. And the Taliban in Pakistan have carried out multiple attacks. Not only against the Pakistani government, I mean, officers and offices and targets, but even against civilians, even against minorities, both the Shiite and Christians.

I'm not surprised sadly, I should not say this. I'm not surprised, because you have all-out war between the Pakistani government now and the Taliban in Pakistan and various splinter groups. And this latest attack comes at a very critical moment for Pakistan, because Pakistan is hoping to basically make progress against the fight against the Taliban and the country.

WHITFIELD: And we're talking about different groups claiming responsibility for these very different attacks, Pakistan, and then that taking place in Brussels where ISIS is claiming responsibility. And why I say there are differences, at the same time there are grave similarities with the suicide bomber type approach.

How do you see, even though these are different groups, perhaps they are ideologies may have some commonalities. How do you compare what has happened in Lahore and whether there's some competition even between these terror groups, one trying to outdo the other?

[14:05:33] GERGES: I think you're absolutely correct. We should really -- I mean, make very clear there are major differences. The Taliban in Pakistan has been waging war against the Pakistani government for several years. It has both mainly -- it's a local organization that's trying to basically get rid of the government and establish an Islamic state in Pakistan. The Taliban in Pakistan is one of the most extremists. Had this group that's very close to Al- Qaeda global, Al-Qaeda of Osama bin Laden (INAUDIBLE).

ISIS or the so-called Islamic state is also such surprised to the same ideology. The ideology of Salafist jihadism (ph) and also it has established the so-called caliphate, who centralized the group. So you have multiple organizations, multiple groups that subscribe to the same ideology. The ideology Salafist jihadism (ph) that would like to establish various types of Islamic state and caliphates.

Now even though, for your viewers, even though ISIS have base is in Syria and Iraq, it's spreading now. Spreading to Yemen, spreading to Libya, spreading to Egypt, and now it's investing more resources to attacking western targets. The far enemy, in Paris, in Brussels, the Russian jet over Sinai, attacks basically in the United States and Canada, and other places. So what really unite all these groups is the ideology, yet the tactics basically differ from one country to another.

WHITFIELD: So Professor, I want to bring in Alexandra Field now who is back with us out of Brussels now.

And Alexandra, what you have now is a confluence of events there. You had there at the square a very somber and sizable turnout paying homage to the 30 killed and the many injured during those attacks, but then there was this convergence of those who were gathering in this peaceful way with others who were gathering who were protesting immigration, so to speak.

Describe for me what has happened in the last 24 hours and what is the state of affairs there at the square today right now?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Fred, this is a city that's been through such a major, such a significant trauma this week and it has ignited these really intense emotions. It's what we hear when we are out on the streets talking to people. They are either fearful or sad or shocked or uncertain of how to proceed and what happens in this city next.

So what we saw in the square today was interruption of these emotions, this tension that's spilled over. There were people who were out here trying to memorialize the victims, who were calling for unity, who were here to support immigrants saying we are all sons of immigrants. But at one point, you had this very rowdy crowd, couple hundred people, sort of right wing faction giving these Nazi salutes, setting off fire crackers, expressing anti-immigrant sentiments. And there was this very troubling moment where you saw the two groups divided, just a mound of flowers left for the victims separating them. This is when police converged fully dressed in riot gear, began to

push back the crowd, the several hundred people that had come and started to shout and disrupt in the square. Again, we did see fire crackers that were set off. There were crowd control vehicles that were brought in by the police. They were equipped with water cannons. At one point a little bit of water was let out on demonstrators as they were pushed out of the square and they eventually dispersed.

The whole thing that came to a head very quickly, also came to an end rather quickly, within the space of an hour. But Fred, it really highlighted the significant tensions, the difference of opinion and different feelings that people are having here. Some really supporting the immigrants saying this is a multicultural city, we need to come together. Others acting out of fear and really expressing serious anti-immigrant sentiments here.

WHITFIELD: And I wonder, professor, how concerned you are about that exposure now of this sentiment in this way at a time when European nations are vowing to do better about intelligence sharing that there's been so much criticism that had Belgium done a better job of sharing certain kinds of information, perhaps there would have been a way to prevent what happened last week.

GERGES: You know, the irony, Fred, is that Belgium has been bracing itself with such attacks for several months. Yet the Belgium security forces had failed to prevent the attacks.

I mean, take a look at Salah Abdeslam. Salah Abdeslam was a ring leader of the November 13th attacks in Paris. He escaped and was living in the same neighborhood in which he was born and lived for four months under the nose of the security forces. For four months the same brothers, (INAUDIBLE) were also well known to the security forces, yet both basically attacked the metro station and airport. And this tells you about the failure of the security forces in Belgium and also the lack of coordination among the various security forces.

But the big point -- this is the big point, Fred. We are not just even though there was failure on the part of the security forces, we need to understand why there are so many young European men who are basically attracted to this realistic ideology, the ideology of the so-called Islamic state. I mean, Belgium, in terms of the proportion of the population, it has the largest number of fighters within the so-called Islamic state or ISIS, almost 500 fighters. And this really calls into question the kind of social marginalization, exclusion, the inability the Belgium government to integrate critical sections of its population.

[14:11:25] WHITFIELD: All right. So much to talk about. I want to talk more about that when we get a chance.

Alexandra Field in Brussels. Thanks so much Fawaz Gerges. Of course, stick around with us.

Also coming up we are going to talk more about how ISIS is being pushed out of one Syrian city, how the terror rampage was stopped, and what this could mean in the fight against ISIS. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:09] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

Syria's president says an important achievement has been made today against ISIS. Bashar al-Assad said Syrian forces have liberated the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS control. The terror groups seized control of Palmyra in May and immediately began ransacking and demolishing ancient ruins consider be the among the world's most treasured artifacts.

Fawaz Gerges joining me once again to talk more on this now.

Professor, good to see you again. So is this considered a victory, and if so, for whom?

GERGES: Well, I think it's the second strategic defeat for ISIS in the past year. Remember Fred Kovani (ph). Kovani basically the Kurds with the support of the U.S.-led coalition basically inflicted a major defeat on ISIS and now Palmyra.

Palmyra, ISIS lost about 400 skilled fighters and almost 1,000 injured. It opens the way, all the way, to the Syrian army and its allies to the Syrian-Iraqi borders, to al Raqqah, the capital, the de facto capital of ISIS. And your question is a very intelligent question, because it's a major strategic victory for Assad.

Assad is celebrating this particular moment. In fact, the Russian president just called his counterpart, Syria counterpart, and congratulated him on this particular victory in Palmyra, because basically the Syrians and the Russians are trying to say to the world, in particular the Americans, the Obama administration. Look, you need the Syrian army. You need the Syrian government and the fight against the jihadists, the so-called Islamic state and other extremists, as well, in Syria.

WHITFIELD: So that ISIS was trying to erase, you know, Palmyra by, you know, destroying the historical and cultural artifacts, as well as the people that Bashar al-Assad would be able to reclaim it. Is he able to reclaim everything about it? I mean, and with some hope that people would return to that area, that there would be some way of restoring all that was culturally removed and destroyed?

GERGES: Well, I think I doubt it very much, and that's my own take on it. That Palmyra is a city of 65,000 people. I doubt it very much whether, you know, most people will return, because still there's a battlefield. And also, Fred, I mean, think of how much damage ISIS exacted on this great pride of the desert. They already destroyed two major temples. We do not know the extent of the damage that inflicted on Palmyra. But the reality is, at least the city is saved. We will know the damage, the extent of the damage, in the next few days and next few weeks. And I doubt it very much without the settlement, without a political diplomatic settlement in Syria, I doubt it very much whether the Syrian government can claim to bring about peace and stability in the country. It's a good day for humanity today. It is Peace. WHITFIELD: All right, professor Fawaz Gerges, thank you so much,

appreciate your time.

GERGES: Pleasure, pleasure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Remember to join CNN's Chris Cuomo as he returns to Paris to investigate the terror that struck there. That CNN Special Report airs Wednesday night, 9:00 eastern time.

All right. Now let's turn to the other big story today. We are talking about the race to the White House. Bernie Sanders sweeping Democratic caucuses in three western states. What could this mean for his future in the presidential race?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:22:21] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

Bernie Sanders sweeping democratic races in three crucial states, winning big over Hillary Clinton in Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington state. And on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning, Sanders says he is looking forward to November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think every vote is pivotal. We are now winning in state after state, the Latino vote. We are doing better now that we are out of the south with the African-American vote. We are doing extraordinarily well with young people. And we are -- we think we do have a path toward victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Let's get to CNN correspondent Chris Frates with the latest on this.

Wow, this is a big victory for Bernie Sanders.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, these really were must wins for Sanders. And it give him enough momentum and delegates to keep him in the hunt. Remember, he swept Clinton by really wide margin beating the Democratic front-runner in Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska. But the other thing to remember here, those delegates are awarded proportionally. So despite losing, Clinton still put points on the board.

So let's figure out where things stand now and go to our chalkboard, right. Going into yesterday's contest Sanders trailed Clinton by about 300 clinched delegates and even with sweeping wins yesterday Sanders, he still lags Clinton by about 240 deletes.

Now, there's still unaccounted delegates that will likely go to Sanders, but he won't make any more huge gains. So going forward, Sanders will need to continue to put up big huge wins. He has to win 75 percent of the delegates left to clinch the nomination, 75 percent. That's a huge number.

Now Clinton, for her part, she needs to win just 35 percent of the remaining delegates to become the nominee. And the other thing to remember here, Clinton still holds a commanding lead among so-called super delegates. Those are the party big wigs who are free to choose whoever they like. The Sanders campaign arguing that if they keep winning those power brokers will, of course, come to their side. Clinton, she is trying to win enough clinched delegates they never even considerable here, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And one wonders, you know, what does this do psychologically to the Clinton campaign for him to have this kind of sweep. And then you have New York primary right around the corner, April 19th. That is Hillary Clinton's home state now. So how crucial is a New York primary win for both of them, really, but particularly for Sanders, as you said, you know, he needs that 75 percent of the remaining delegates.

FRATES: Yes, Fred, I mean, this is another huge test. And it's one really where as you point out, Sanders is trying to challenge Clinton on her adoptive home turf. Of course, she represented New York in the Senate and with almost 250 delegates at stake, this New York could be a game changer.

Just today, Sanders called on Clinton to debate him in New York, so far Clinton has not agreed to that debate. He is also playing to barns (INAUDIBLE). He is polling to find out which messages might resonate most with voters there as he takes on Clinton.

And his strategy goes like this, he wants to win in Wisconsin next week and upset Clinton in New York later in April. If Sanders can surprise Clinton, the race really could go until June. But if Clinton can fend off Sanders, it really makes it more difficult for Sanders to continue. Clinton, of course, she wants to shut down Sanders as soon as possible so she can continue working on uniting the party and taking on the Republicans. In fact, that's kind of what we've seen from her in the last few weeks, she's been trying to pivot to the general election and focus her fire on Republicans instead of Sanders. But, you know, with this eye popping 247 delegates at stake I New York, New York second only to California, it really could end up being the nastiest democratic knife fight so far in this race, Fred.

[14:25:53] WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right, thank you so much, Chris Frates. Appreciate it.

All right. Coming up, we are also going to talk with a military expert about the candidates' thoughts on foreign policy and taking down ISIS. Could their theories work?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:29:14] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: Welcome back, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We are following breaking news out of Pakistan. A Taliban group is now taking responsibility for an attack at a park in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. At least 60 people have been killed. The number of injured rising to more than 300. And most of the victims in the suicide bombing are women and children and the Taliban says the timing of the blast was no coincidence. It was meant to happen on Easter Sunday.

CNN international producer Sophia Saifi is on the phone for us from Islamabad.

So Sophia, what more do you know about this Taliban group claiming responsibility?

SAIFI: Well, Fredricka, we know that this group has carried out suicide attacks this month in Pakistan, actually. There was another bloody attack in the city of (inaudible), but Lahore itself, where this attack took place, doesn't see attacks happen as often.

It was a spring evening, women and children, families were out to celebrate Sunday, celebrate Easter, and this attack took place around 6:00 in the evening, close to a children's playground, which is why most of the causalities are actually children.

We know there's a state of emergency in almost all of the hospitals in that city. There is a fear that the death toll may rise, the number of injured may actually go over the 300 mark that we have already, as well, but this is a story that's developing as the evening goes on -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Sophia, what about a response coming from the government since apparently this Taliban group also said they are targeting this festival of Easter, at the same time they are trying to send a very strong statement to the government.

SAIFI: Well, the government has been -- well, the state, the Pakistani state and military has been engaged in, you know, a military operation with these militant groups in the northwest -- in the northern parts of Pakistan and the border with Afghanistan.

There have been military operations ongoing in the largest city in Pakistan, but there has been this ongoing battles between Pakistan and militant groups such as this one, but this is basically pushback, which has been expected and is now playing out in the city, the playground in Pakistan -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Sophia Saifi, thank you so much, from Islamabad on this explosion taking place in Lahore, Pakistan.

All right, now to another big story that we're following, the road to the White House. Bernie Sanders is fresh off his sweep of three western states on Saturday, and today he pivoted to talk about his foreign policy vision.

Domestic issues have been much of the focus of his campaign, but this morning on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper, Sanders talked about the Brussels attacks, ISIS, and how he would handle these very complex issues. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: How would the Bernie Sanders war against ISIS differ from the war that Barack Obama has been leading?

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think in fairness to the president, I know he gets criticized a lot, you know, some of the Republicans think he hasn't been tough enough. His job is twofold.

Number one, to destroy ISIS, and by the way, let's be clear, we are making on the military field real progress. ISIS is on the defensive, they are retreating, they have lost, I think, 30 percent, 40 percent of the territory they held in Iraq in the last year.

So we keep that up, but what the president is also trying to do, and I agree with him, is make sure that the United States, our brave men and women in the military, do not get sucked in to perpetual warfare in the Middle East.

Second of all, obviously, we need better intelligence sharing. We have got to do everything that we can to make sure that we do not have continuation of attacks against our allies in Europe or even here in the United States of America.

TAPPER: How would you determine if a terrorist group posed an imminent threat to the United States? Would they have to attack the United States first?

SANDERS: No, of course not. You know, no, obviously, you want to prevent those attacks before they take place. I think we know who ISIS is, we know those people who are planning attacks against our European allies and against ourselves, and we have got to do everything we can to destroy them.

Look, this ISIS is a barbaric organization. The fight going on there is a fight for the soul of Islam, and at the end of the day it will be Muslim troops on the ground.

We're beginning to see some success there, but the real battle has got to be fought object ground by Muslim nations. I will do everything I can to make sure the United States does not get sucked in to perpetual warfare in the Middle East.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about Bernie Sanders' foreign policy, as well as what the Republican candidates for president are saying about it today.

Joining me right now is Lt. Colonel Rick Francona, who is a CNN military analyst. All right, good to see you. So you heard Bernie Sanders, and, you know, he's laid it out pretty succinctly saying, you know, if president he would hope the U.S. would not get sucked into, you know, perpetual warfare, more intel sharing is important.

And he said, you know, more Muslims have to be in the fight. Of all of that, do you agree with or do you think that is too simple?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I do agree with everything he said, but I think it is a bit simplistic. We have to be very careful about this being sucked into perpetual warfare in the Middle East, I think everyone is concerned about that.

And he applause what the president is doing, but if you look at what's happening in Iraq, we are increasing our troop presence there all the time.

[14:35:06]You know, we started off with a few hundred advisers, now we have thousands of American troops, not only in an advisory role, but in artillery assistance role, conducting special operations, raids not only in Iraq, but in Syria.

We are doing these high value target detentions, you know, so we are getting more and more involved, and if you're going to defeat ISIS, you're probably going to have to do that, because what we're seeing is the incapability of the Muslim armies that he wants to do this, to do just that.

They have to be willing and have to be able. The ones that are able aren't willing, and the ones that are willing aren't able. So we have a problem there, we're going to have to make that happen.

On the intelligent sharing, that's a key problem that we have. We have excellent intelligence now on the ground against ISIS, hence that's why you're seeing all these successful operations inside Iraq, inside Syria, but it's the Europeans that have a real issue here.

We've got to be helping them more and more. The services in Europe aren't that good, and we're going to have to really help them. I think that's a key part. I think that's a good thing he's proposing there.

WHITFIELD: The Republicans also weighing in today on political talk shows, on their foreign policy issues, ISIS, and terrorism as a whole, taking a different kind of hard-lined stance. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to have to have intimate communication and coordination with our friends in the Muslim community. There is no question about it.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): We should readjust NATO, and it's going to have to be either readjusted to take care of terrorism or we're going to have to set up a new coalition, a new group of countries to handle terrorism.

SENATOR TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Islamism is a political and theocratic philosophy that commands it adherence to engage in jihad to murder or violently convert infidels, which they mean anybody else, all of us, and to force us to live under Sharia law and we have to fight Islamism at every level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, as you listen to what the Republicans are saying, those candidates are saying, what are the policy adjustments that, you know, kind of get your attention in their word choice?

FRANCONA: Well, I like the idea that Trump was for reorganizing NATO to get more involved in this. We used NATO to great effect in Afghanistan. If we could replicate that in the fight against ISIS, that would be excellent.

We have a NATO country involved already, we have Turkey, one of our allies, and we've got other NATO allies and we work much better in a NATO environment because we practice it all the time. I think that's a positive.

One of the things, right after the end of that clip, Mr. Cruz saying that he would like to carpet bomb, and, you know, that sends a real shiver up and down the spine of any military person. We don't carpet bomb anymore.

We use virtually everything we drop is precision guided and we go after an effect-based operation. Carpet bombing is a thing of the past. I think he means saturation bombing, but he needs to say that carpet bombing is just the wrong way to go.

WHITFIELD: And then Donald Trump also discussing how he would take on ISIS in a "New York Times" interview today. He said, quote, "I've been saying take the oil, I've been saying that for years, take the oil. They still haven't taken any oil. They still haven't taken it."

Is it quite that simply put? We heard him say it many times on the campaign trail, that's where you, you know, hit the heart of ISIS, by hitting them with oil.

FRANCONA: Well, we've hurt them financially. We took out that big financial distribution center in Mosul. We have gone after the oil. We've shut down much of their ability to move oil, hit the pipes, I mean, the oil trucks that move all this stuff.

We've hit the refineries, so I think we are doing that, and ISIS is really hurting. We see ISIS is cutting the salaries of their fighters in half, and as Mr. Sanders said, they are retreating.

But they are retreating in Syria and Iraq, they are metastasizing around the rest of the world. So it's just as simple as going after them in Syria and Iraq, it's a start. We have to address them everywhere.

WHITFIELD: All right, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, always good to see you, thank you so much.

FRANCONA: Sure thing, Fred.

All right, coming up, they attack when we least expect them. We'll talk about the psychology behind a terror attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:43:08]

WHITFIELD: When terror struck in Brussels, it wasn't just death and damage they were trying to cause. They were also trying to spread fear. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what terrifies so many of us about attacks like the one in Brussels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No mistake, terrorism is a strategic war against our minds. It's weapons, fear, panic, and most importantly, the overwhelming feeling of vulnerability.

(on camera): If we feel vulnerable, we'll be in constant fear. That's exactly what they are trying to achieve. Bombs are set off in places where we gather. The message, we will find you where you work and play in.

Shooting unsuspecting innocent people, the message, there is nowhere to hide. Videos revealing the horrors of rape, mass murder, and beheadings, even beheadings carried out by children. The message, no one is immune.

In fact, following terrorist attacks, studies show it's the most vulnerable of us who suffer longest, especially those with personal histories of trauma.

Almost everyone may be fearful or anxious for a few weeks, the vast majority of us will prove resilient and in this regard, experts say terrorism is a failed strategy, because research shows that terror often backfires.

Making nations stronger and citizens ban together and angry countries join ranks to fight back. But history has also proven terrorism only works if we allow ourselves to be terrorized.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about this. I want to bring in Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-Syrian scholar and a columnist for the "Harvard International Review." So good to see you.

So, in Brussels today, far right anti-immigrant gangs showed up for protests at the site of that memorial for last week's terror attack, so are we now seeing the real Belgium showing itself?

[14:45:13]MAJID RAFIZADEH, IRANIAN-SYRIAN SCHOLAR: Well, I think as you know, Fredricka, there are two different political parties. The right wing definitely is going to use the Brussels attacks in order to score political points against the left about immigration policies.

And I think what is happening is people are conflating immigration and terrorist attacks. Much of these people that are carrying these attacks are actually home grown. People did not, refugees or immigrants coming from other countries, but I think back to your question, yes, I think this issue is going to be prominent issues now in European countries, particularly with the rise of the immigration crisis, and now they have to deal with it publicly.

WHITFIELD: And then so many, of course, ask the question when you see something like this happening in Brussels, happened in Paris, as well, which is how is it that terrorism can be right under the noses of everyone.

But I heard a remarkable number yesterday of 6,000 westerners have been recruited by ISIS and many are able to simply return back to, you know, their countries of whether it be in Brussels or even France where the families have emigrated and go unnoticed.

So, do you think this, what has just happened in Brussels in particular, and Paris, simply highlight how big a potential problem it is that people are able to kind of blend in?

RAFIZADEH: Absolutely. I think there are social and political problems here. I think the social problem is that there are some in Muslim communities that have not assimilated still within the European societies and also I think there are some political issues here as well.

ISIS, I think, is more developed, coordinated, and organized in recruiting people than what we believed before, and as you mentioned the numbers, there are more than 20,000 foreign fighters joining the Islamic State.

I spoke with the Syrian activist inside Syria and they mention that the west still doesn't really see the threat of the Islamic State.

Islamic State can carry attacks at any time -- any time in European countries, and they have more than 50 dormant still attacks that are going to be carried out in European countries.

WHITFIELD: And then here we are looking at video of, you know, recruiting video, so to speak, training video of ISIS, but then as people are trying to heel from what just happened in Brussels, now today you have a suicide bombing taking place in Lahore, Pakistan.

At least 60 people have been killed and a Taliban-related group is claiming responsibility, saying it had every intent of targeting people in this festival of Easter.

Does this exemplify the global problem of terrorism, or does this better highlight kind of a competition between terror groups, who can cause the most mayhem, who can be most destructive and lethal?

RAFIZADEH: I think both, there are several issues here. First, I think, something that -- I listened to your previous segment, none of the candidates actually -- presidential candidates mentioned the Syrian conflict. I think the Syrian conflict here is the disease, and groups like Islamic State or there are more than 1,200 rebel groups, many of them are extremists, these groups are the symptoms, so as far as -- as long as we're not really addressing the Syrian conflict, we can get rid of ISIS.

But there are going to be other groups emerging, and definitely I think with the communication and means of communication increasing with globalization, I think that it's much easier for them to cross borders and carry out attacks and get attention.

And by more attention they get, I think the more they can recruit people and promise them with hopes and jobs and salaries, and et cetera.

WHITFIELD: Majid Rafizadeh, thank you so much for your time, I appreciate the insight.

RAFIZADEH: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, the pope weighing in on ISIS. His Easter message denouncing terrorism.

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[14:53:42]

WHITFIELD: All right, today Christians around the world celebrate Easter and security was heightened to an unprecedented level at this morning's outdoor mass at the Vatican, just five days after the ISIS attacks in Brussels, Belgium. And Pope Francis condemned the terrorism afflicting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

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POPE FRANCIS (through translator): By his resurrection he triumphed over evil and sin. May he draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism that blind and brutal form of violence, which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as we see in different attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and the Ivory Coast.

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WHITFIELD: All right, the pope's message on this Easter Sunday. We'll have much more straight ahead at the top of the hour right after this.

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[14:58:14]

WHITFIELD: All right, it's considered the holiest site in the world for Christians, the site where Jesus is believed to have been buried and rose from the dead. Few, however, may realize the church located there is guarded and protected by a Muslim family. CNN's Orin Lieberman has the story from Jerusalem.

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ORIN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Holy week dawns in Jerusalem, the tension of the old city has melted away. (Inaudible) makes his way through the narrow alleys to his job. He carries with him the obligation of centuries.

His ancestors have held this job, now it is his turn. He's entrusted with the key to the Church of the Holy (inaudible). This is the site where the bible says Jesus Christ was crucified, one of the holiest sites in Christianity.

And its key belongs to a Muslim family, a neutral guardian for a site sacred to so many Christian denominations. He shows us the family cover. Inside is the Koran and a bible. He considers the church a second home.

The contracts for the guardian of the key date back hundreds of years. He shows us the oldest contract in his home. It was written in 1517. This is the family heritage, he says, it's all we own as a family.

This is not only an honor for our family, this is an honor for all Muslims in the world. He has pictures of his great grandfather, who cared for the key at the turn of the last century. In this family, that's recent history.

(on camera): This is the key to one of the holiest places in Christianity and every morning this key opens the door, for 500 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than 850 years.

LIEBERMAN (voice-over): He tells me what we pass to the next generation is not only the key, but also the way you respect other religions. At 4:00 in the morning on holy Thursday, the Armenian orthodox offered their prayers next will be the Franciscans then the Greek orthodox and --