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The Situation Room

Top Bomb Maker Killed in U.S. Strike; ISIS Enemy Hit by U.S.- Led Strike; Sources Say Obama Reaching Out to Iran about ISIS; Interview with Mike Rogers; Report: 'Trojan Horse' in Vital U.S. Computers; GOP Sweeps Arkansas Elections

Aired November 06, 2014 - 17:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, breaking news -- bomb maker killed. An al Qaeda explosives genius apparently taken out in a U.S. airstrike in Syria.

Does the terror threat from his group remain imminent?

I'll ask the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Mike Rogers. He's standing by live.

Bin Laden bombshell -- a former U.S. Navy SEAL says he's the one who fired the shot that killed the world's most wanted terrorist.

Why is his claim sparking a huge controversy right now?

Kidnapping nightmare -- we're learning new details of a young woman's horrifying ordeal and the combination of high tech tools that led to her rescue.

And DNA link -- a new report says Jesse Matthew, the man accused of abducting the Virginia college student, Hannah Graham, is now being tied to an earlier assault by forensic evidence.

I'm Wolf Blitzer.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: We're following the breaking news, the apparent death of one of the most dangerous operatives in the entire global al Qaeda network, a bomb making genius intent on creating explosive devices that could get through airport security.

A source now telling CNN that David Drugeon, a French citizen, is believed to have been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Syria.

We're covering that story and much more this hour with our correspondents, our guests, including the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers.

Let's begin with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

She's working the breaking news for us. What are you picking up over there -- Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Wolf.

Pentagon officials are looking at this very closely. They do now believe that David Drugeon, a French jihadist who is a member of the Khorasan Group in Syria was killed overnight in a series of U.S. airstrikes. Five Khorasan Group targets were hit. But Drugeon was in a vehicle traveling down a road in Syria when he was hit by a missile from a U.S. military drone.

So what does this tell us?

What it tells us is they had very specific intelligence about where he was going to be and when he was going to be there. That's why they went against that vehicle firing a missile at it.

Is it 100 percent?

No. But several officials now tell us there is every reason to believe Drugeon is dead. The Khorasan Group, of course, one of the most dangerous al Qaeda operatives, core al Qaeda, that moved to Syria a few years ago. Experts in those bomb making techniques, bombs that can potentially get past Western and U.S. airport security screening measures.

That's why they have been called an imminent threat. Nobody thinks Khorasan is down and out with just this strike, but they did manage, they believe, to take out a very key operative -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And there's no doubt the U.S., the president of the United States, has authorized the U.S. military to go ahead and engage in these targeted killings of terrorist leaders, right?

STARR: That is correct. I mean that is something that has existed for many years now. A lot of talk in Washington about updating those authorizations.

But the U.S. military, the Central Intelligence Agency has the authority that, with the president's orders, to go against what you're calling very targeted killings. And this gets back to the intelligence. To do these targeted killings legally, they have to have the precise intelligence and be able to demonstrate who they think is, at that point in time, that point on the ground, and that there is no other way to get that person -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Thanks very much.

Let's get some more breaking news right now.

Our Senate Intelligence Committee, Nick Paton Walsh, is on the ground in Turkey near the Syrian border -- Nick, what's the latest that you're hearing about that strike? NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly while it's clear that the U.S. believed they were striking purely Khorasan, who they consider a threat to the United States, they also hit Al-Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate in Northern Syria, considered a terrorist organization by the United States who are like the umbrella organization under which Khorasan function. Now, they also hit, more confusingly, another group who had a building -- potentially involved in these strikes. We've seen witness calls -- Al-Nusra reports saying that one of the (INAUDIBLE) was hit to an organization known as Ahrar al-Sham. Now, they are conservative by ideology, but comparatively moderate. They're not described as a terror organization and they're not considered to be linked to al Qaeda by any real observers.

So many are asking why precisely did Ahrar al-Sham find themselves on the crosshairs last night.

Well, it's also causing many Syrians a degree of dismay to grow, as well, because many Syrians even consider targeting Nusra to be an issue, too, because Nusra are fighting very effectively against the regime, seen by Syrians as their protector, even more so, Ahrar al- Sham.

And Ahrar al-Sham put out a statement saying that women and children have been being killed in these strikes and asking Syrian rebels to unite at this particular point.

We'll have to see how if stand by that statement and where this goes from now. But this has added, in the eyes of many Syrians, to the impression the U.S. airstrikes are, in fact, not helping Syria's rebels, but attacking some of them and, in fact, assisting the regime in its final effect -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nick, thanks very much.

Be careful over there.

Nick Paton Walsh on the border between Turkey and Syria.

Still more breaking news. Sources now telling CNN President Obama is reaching out to Iran -- Iran about military action against ISIS.

Our chief national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto, is working this story for us.

And it's pretty amazing what we're hearing right now.

Tell our viewers what you have learned.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is what we're just able to report, that the U.S. has opened communication channels with Iran -- this is via the Iraqis -- regarding military action against ISIS, a senior U.S. military official and a senior Western diplomat tells CNN.

These channels do not include coordinating military action against ISIS targets, these sources said, but are seen as necessary to de- conflict U.S. and Iranian military operations. These channels are informal, I'm told, conducted on a case by case basis via the Iraqi military. The channels, however, have become necessary, says a U.S. military official, because the U.S. and Iran are now operating in the same spaces.

As a result, accommodations must be made indirectly, this official said. And this includes air space management so that U.S. and Iranian aircraft do not conflict while carrying out military operations in the same air space.

It's interesting to have this, because earlier today, asked about this, General Lloyd Austin, he's the commander of Central Command, he was denying, yet again, any coop -- any coordination, rather, with Iran. But we're told that there is indirect coordination via the Iraqi military to avoid such conflict of U.S. and Iranian military assets in the region.

This happens as the president also sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, seeking cooperation against ISIS, as the campaign increasingly targets both ISIS and the Khorasan Group.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Bomb maker David Drugeon was central to administration concerns about the Khorasan Group's plans to attack the US. And those fears helped spark U.S. airstrikes in Syria. With the overall air campaign now three months old, President Obama is moving ahead with plans to seek further authorization from Congress.

JOSH EARNEST, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It is beneficial to the broader effort if we send a very clear signal to the international community, both to our allies and to our enemies, that the executive branch and the legislative branch are on the same page when it comes to the strategy.

SCIUTTO: Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, long a proponent of passing a new authorization, said the president believes the existing authority, which was passed just after 9/11 and directed specifically at al Qaeda, is weak and outdated, a change from the administration's position to date, which is it has sufficient authority.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: This was a president, who was a constitutional scholar and I think has a very deep conviction that he doesn't want to leave to the next presidency an unbridled authority to make war.

SCIUTTO: A new authorization would specifically target ISIS. And a Democratic source tells CNN it might also leave the door open to deploying U.S. ground troops, an option the president has ruled out, but Republican lawmakers will not.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I'd like to see an authorization that, frankly, does not restrict the commander-in-chief.

SCIUTTO: As the president prepares to go to a GOP-controlled Congress for help, he is also reaching out to Iran. Mr. Obama addressing a letter to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, last month, saying that the U.S. and Iran have shared interests in fighting ISIS. But the prospects for cooperation hinged on resolving the nuclear issue, as well.

On working with Iran, Republican leaders are decidedly less open.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I don't trust the Iranians. I don't think we need to bring them into this. And I would hope that the negotiations that are underway are serious negotiations. But I have my doubts.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SCIUTTO: The deadline for a nuclear agreement is nearing. It's November 24th, which, you'll remember, was already an extension of the original deadline in July. Secretary Kerry will travel to Vienna that weekend to help push through a final deal.

And, you know, this letter, Wolf, first confirmed by our own Elise Labott, from the president to the Supreme Leader of Iran, it's interesting because he is, in effect, the president, connecting these two issues. Cooperation with Iran on ISIS and cooperation with Iran on the nuclear agreement, two areas of tremendous contention. And yet you see these two long time adversaries with shared interests. And it's those shared interests that give U.S. officials a sense that possibly a deal is possible. And we're already seeing unusual military coordination regarding ISIS.

BLITZER: Yes. This is a big deal. It's not every day the president of the United States writes a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran. It's a major deal, indeed.

Thanks very much for that news.

SCIUTTO: Thank you.

BLITZER: Jim Sciutto

Let's talk about all of the breaking news, and there's lots of it, with the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan.

Congressman, Mr. Chairman, thanks very much for joining us.

I want to get through all of these points, so we've got a lot to discuss.

Let's talk about first this French bomb maker who works with ISIS, David Drugeon, as he's called.

Can you confirm he was the target of a U.S. Airstrike and is now dead?

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI), CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: We don't have confirmation yet. I can tell you that the United States has targeted al Qaeda elements operating in Syria, as well as ISIS organizations that operate in Syria, as well.

BLITZER: Is he a big deal, this guy?

ROGERS: He is a big deal. He's, you know, he is part of this infrastructure that al Qaeda has built. And, you know, we get caught up in calling them the Khorasan group. It's really important to understand that these are senior veteran al Qaeda affiliate members that are in Syria at the behest of Zawahiri, the leader of al Qaeda. And, you know, I think to say that they're separate and distinct is probably not accurate. This is just a pretty large, well structured cell of al Qaeda.

So they're operating and we're operating in Syria. This individual is important because he was bringing and trying to foster the technology that we know existed in other parts of al Qaeda affiliates, mainly al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. We know that they were having at least discussions about sharing technology that is -- that was really, really very concerning. And I think this was an important step to try to continue to disrupt and dismantle al Qaeda's ability to launch an attack on the West.

BLITZER: And you don't have a problem with the president's decision to go ahead and continue and to escalate these targeted killings or assassinations of al Qaeda and other terrorists?

ROGERS: This is a group that is an enemy combatant of the United States. They've declared war on the United States. They have authorized -- I believe the president has authorizations on al Qaeda still in standing, authorized by Congress. They have -- you know, just because we've got some of their leadership doesn't mean they've gone away. This is still a viable organization that is constructing itself surreptitiously in places that are not governed space to plan and finance and train for operations against the West, including the United States of America.

So I believe the president is on solid ground in continuing to dis -- to engage and disrupt these activities, Wolf.

BLITZER: And very quickly before we have to take a commercial break and continue this conversation, you heard Nick Paton Walsh -- he's there on the border between Turkey and Syria -- say one of the latest U.S. Strikes hit a building where there were Syrian rebels, but that some Syrian moderates who oppose the regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus, they were killed in this strike.

Have you heard that?

ROGERS: I haven't seen any battle damage assessment that would indicate that there was any strike on moderates in Syria. And certainly we'll go over that data.

I would just be cautious that there are al-Sham interests in Syria who are working closely with both Al-Nusra and others who are a proclaimed al Qaeda affiliate and interested in engaging attacks against the West. BLITZER: So Al-Nusra is a terrorist organization. Obviously, ISIS is. Al Qaeda is. This other group, Al-Sham, is that formally considered a terrorist organization linked to al Qaeda?

ROGERS: There are elements of a group that identifies itself as Al- Sham that has been in association with al Qaeda affiliates. We know that much.

BLITZER: All right.

I want you to stand by, Mr. Chairman.

We have a lot more to talk about, including this letter that the president of the United States wrote to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

What's going on?

Stay with us.

More on the breaking news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We've got more breaking news. ABC News now reporting a destructive what they call Trojan horse malware program has penetrated the software that runs much of the nation's critical infrastructure and is poised to cause what ABC News is calling "an economic catastrophe." They're citing the Department of Homeland Security. They're saying this malware was inserted by hackers believed to be sponsored by the Russian government. It represents a very serious threat.

Let's bring back the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Mike Rogers.

What do you make of this report, Mr. Chairman?

ROGERS: Well, unfortunately, it's not surprising that a nation state has been working to insert malware both on critical infrastructure around the country, including financial networks and other things. I can't talk about the specifics of any case that you just mentioned. But let me -- this is something we need to understand.

The Russians, the Chinese, we have seen activities from the Iranians, who are using cyber to try to conduct both destructive and espionage- type cyber attacks. And the threat is real and it's serious. And unfortunately, the government hasn't configured itself quite yet to deal with this threat.

There is a report that came out maybe about 18 months ago by a company called Mandiant, which -- who has now changed. But that company put out a public report that showed that the nation state of China had successfully penetrated some of our critical infrastructure.

And so if China, who has -- doesn't have the same capability as Russia does when it comes to cyber, you can bet that these other nation states are going to find their way into these systems, which is why those of us, like me, have been saying we are going to have to deal with this in a real and meaningful way, including allowing the government to share information with our private sector so they can protect their own networks.

BLITZER: We're going to have much more on this breaking news coming up. It's obviously a very, very disturbing development.

But I want to get your thoughts on this -- these reports -- and we have confirmed them -- that the president of the United States has now written a leader directly to the Supreme Leader, Khamenei of Iran, seeking some cooperation.

What do you make of this?

ROGERS: Well, the administration certainly hasn't confirmed it, but they haven't denied it either. And so I think what has happened now is the administration is working their way up. They've improved themselves to a confusing policy in Syria and Iraq.

I have to tell you, this is really dangerous things that they are participating in, in this sense. We have now got a Sunni-led nation, Arab League partnership that's real and it's concrete and it's getting some depth like I haven't seen in years. These are exactly the kinds of things that undermine our allies and friends at the time we don't need it.

So Iran is -- think about where Iran is today. There are bad actors in Yemen, Bahrain. There are bad actors in Iraq. They have U.S. soldiers' blood on their hands during the time that we were in Iraq and the Department of Defense certainly confirms that.

This is not -- this is not a nation state you want to get in bed with. If you do that, somebody is not going to get a good night's sleep.

This is dangerous stuff that they're doing. And I -- I hope that the administration reconsiders.

I argue it's almost reckless. The enemy of our enemy isn't necessarily our friend, certainly in this case.

BLITZER: So you're worried about this potential deal that the United States, the permanent members of the Security Council, Germany. They're trying to work out a deal to restrict or at least limit Iran's nuclear weapons, if they have a nuclear weapons program, their nuclear program in general.

Are you encouraged that they're -- they might get a deal?

Are you worried about this?

What's your assessment?

ROGERS: Well, again, they started those negotiations in secret, which caused real strains with our Arab League partners and Israel, as well, because, again, remember, our biggest fear -- the whole reason we set up sanctions -- and the president wasn't for that, but he came along, thankfully. The whole reason that bipartisan effort to put sanctions on Iran to stop their development of a nuclear weapon is because if they get it, it triggers a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, because Sunni nations are not going to stand for Iran, a Shia nation, having a nuclear weapon given their bad actors, you know, how aggressive they are with their Sunni-led Force, their intelligence sources in and around the region, causing bad things to happen. They're still very aggressive in doing that.

So when you're living in that neighborhood, you see a bad actor doing bad things in the community and the United States rewarding them for it. This is why we're having a hard time understanding the administration's position on this. They're going to have to, A, come to Congress and try to clarify this, I think, as soon as they can, number one.

And number two, this December 24th date is important. The last meeting, what they did is they gave Iran cash and gifts so that they could continue to negotiate. We got nothing for it.

And so when you see that kind of pattern of negotiating, you start to believe that maybe they just want a deal and they don't want to get the deal right.

BLITZER: All right.

ROGERS: And that's what I'm concerned about.

BLITZER: When you say cash, you mean an easing of the sanctions and they made some money as a result of the easing of the sanctions (INAUDIBLE)...

ROGERS: And they freed up billions of dollars in cash for them. So -- and that's the one thing that they needed more than anything.

BLITZER: Yes.

All right, Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Mr. Chairman, thanks very much for joining us.

ROGERS: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: There's more breaking news coming up including a claim by a former Navy SEAL sparking controversy. He says he fired the shot that killed Osama bin Laden.

And take a look at this: a boat fire happening right now off the coast of Florida. We have details on the -- this breaking news when we come back. Look at this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're following breaking news here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Look at this. Live pictures coming in. A boat fire off south Florida. Our CNN affiliate, WSVN reports a good Samaritan pulled six people to safety after their boat caught fire off the Florida Keys. Officials say the fire may be burning for a while because the boat had 400 gallons of fuel onboard. Fortunately everyone is OK.

There's more breaking news ahead. But first, the dust hasn't even settled from the midterm election this week, and there's new battle lines already being drawn. Listen to the House speaker, John Boehner, and what he had to say about potential executive action by President Obama on immigration reform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I believe if the president continues to act on his own, he is going to poison the well. When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself. And he's going to burn himself if he continues to go down this path. The American people made it clear election day. They want to get things done, and they don't want the president acting on a unilateral basis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Republicans not only gained control of the Senate. They also picked up new seats in the House of Representatives, and they won two dozen governorships, including the state of Arkansas.

Let's get some more from the governor elect of Arkansas, the former Republican congressman, Asa Hutchinson.

Governor-elect, congratulations. Thanks very much for joining us.

ASA HUTCHINSON, GOVERNOR-ELECT OF ARKANSAS: Great to be with you, Wolf. Glad to be with you.

BLITZER: All right. Let's talk a little bit about what happened in Arkansas. The Democrats, the big losers in your state. Republicans now control every congressional seat in your -- in your state. Right?

HUTCHINSON: That's correct. It's been a long time in waiting. We've had -- really lagged behind the rest of the south in joining the Republican wave, but I think it caught up this year, clearly. And we've had a clean sweep of our state constitutional officers gained in the legislature, as well as the federal congressional delegation.

BLITZER: What were the biggest reasons, in your opinion, that the Democrats were crushed in Arkansas?

HUTCHINSON: Well, I think it's two-fold. I mean, all politics is local as Tip O'Neill has always said here in Arkansas, I mean, our race hinged upon growing the economy, computer coding in the high schools, about a tax cut that's so important to our middle class.

At the same time, it was a combination of the strength of the Republican Party and how we've grown and recruited very good candidates this year. But then secondly, obviously the sentiment that Washington, the

federal government has overreached, that has extended into every area of our lives, and it was a vote to say, government is not the solution in every arena of life and politics. And so the people pushed back on that and resisted what the federal government is doing.

BLITZER: Because Republicans didn't even -- didn't only win the governorships of states like yours in Arkansas, but they also won in largely Democratic states like Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois.

Here's the question. Governor Christie, Chris Christie of New Jersey, is the chairman of the national Republican Governors Association. How much credit do you give him? He ran Arkansas's campaign with you.

HUTCHINSON: He gets a lot of credit because, one, he helped raise a lot of money that was very important in the governors' races, and it was allocated. It was a great team effort that they did as to how they used those resources. And so he gets credit for that. Of course, he was in and did a great job in campaigning here. Those things don't make all the difference, but they really boost your campaign. And, of course, the fundraising and the ad campaign was very helpful, as well.

BLITZER: You think he would have made a good president, Governor Christie?

HUTCHINSON: Well, I think we've got a lot of candidates on our side that would make good candidates for president. He gets accolades for the way he led the RGA. Other good candidates, as you know, out there. And so the competition will be there. And that's what the process is about, is to see whose ideas match the needs of the American people and lead our country in the right direction.

And I think he's been a strong voice in New Jersey. I talk about a conservative being elected to New Jersey. He ought to have hats off to him for that.

BLITZER: Your fellow southerner, Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator, he was reelected for South Carolina. He was with me 24 hours ago here in THE SITUATION ROOM, and he said this election was not necessarily a major mandate for Republicans. But they were running away from Democrats. And he suggested that herd, as he called it, that could turn against Republicans pretty quickly. You've got to be worried that, if you don't do the right thing in office, that herd, as he said, they could go back to the Democrats?

HUTCHINSON: Well, of course that's the case, and Republicans gained control here in Arkansas of the executive branch, the legislative branch, and we have to perform. And that's true nationally, as well. Nationally, of course, you balance the power with the president.

But, you know, the voters expect, one, for you to fulfill your promises as to what you campaigned on and, secondly, that you work not just within the Republican side but to reach out to Democrats, and that's really what we've been doing the last few days, is building our transition team but also communicating with our Democrat colleagues in saying we want to work together.

I hope that Washington can learn from that, as well, and that there's a lot of soul searching as to what the voters are trying to say. I think that President Clinton, who had a big loss in a midterm election, he reached out across the aisle.

BLITZER: Governor-elect, thanks very much for joining us.

HUTCHINSON: Great to be with you, Wolf. Thank you.

BLITZER: Good luck with Arkansas, a great state. Spent some quality time over the years there, as well.

Up next, dramatic new details about the rescue of a woman whose abduction was caught on video. We're going to hear from the federal agent whose team found her alive and arrested the man police are calling a thug.

Also, a huge controversy erupts as a former Navy SEAL prepares to step into the spotlight, claiming to be the man who killed Osama bin Laden.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're learning dramatic new details about the high-tech tools and old-fashion detective work that led to the arrest of a kidnapping suspect police are now describing as a thug. It helped rescue a woman whose horrifying abduction was all caught on camera. CNN's Alexandra Field has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEISHA GAITHER, CARLESHA'S MOTHER: I'm taking my baby home. Thank you.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Philadelphia nursing assistant Carlesha Freeland-Gaither is now home safe, four days after being abducted. A surveillance camera captured the video of her being forced into a car on Sunday night. The 22-year-old was on her way home after visiting her godson.

Tips poured into the Philadelphia Police Department. One tipster recognized the suspect in another surveillance video taken at this ATM and alerted law enforcement of his identity.

But it was one tip from investigators in Virginia that helped crack the case. They say the man seen in the video is 37-year-old Delvin Barnes, the same man wanted in connection with a separate abduction case in Virginia.

Authorities tracked Barnes' car, seen in the video, using a GPS installed by the dealership where he bought the car. And on Wednesday, authorities found Freeland-Gaither in Barnes' car in Jessup, Maryland, more than 100 miles from where Freeland-Gaither was abducted.

COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: He's a vicious predator. He's off the streets, and hopefully, he'll be in jail for the rest of his life. That's the only thing he deserves.

FIELD: Carlesha Freeland-Gaither is out of the hospital today. Philadelphia police say she has minor injuries. Her mother Keisha giving all the credit for her daughter's rescue to Philadelphia detectives.

GAITHER: He sat in any kitchen in front of me and told me, "I'm bringing your daughter home. I'm bringing your daughter home."

I said, "All right."

He said, "No, I'm bringing your daughter home." And he brought my baby home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: Barnes will face federal charges in this case, but first he's being extradited to Virginia to answer charges related to last month's abduction of a 16-year-old -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Alexandra Field joining us from Philadelphia. Thanks very much for that.

Let's get some more now. Joining us, the federal agent whose team made the arrest and the dramatic rescue. Tim Jones is with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. So thanks very much for coming in. So how did you guys do it?

TIM JONES, ATF: Basically, we received a lot of good information from the ATF office out of Richmond. So, based on their police work and their cooperation with the local authorities down there, they were able to get a location utilizing a GPS. As soon as that information was obtained, they sent it to us at the Baltimore field division with ATF and passed it on to me.

Fortunately, we had an agent from our group who just happened to be five minutes from the location where we believed the car was, and I was able to dispatch him to that spot. And he was able to locate the vehicle.

BLITZER: So this wasn't just a matter of luck. This was a lot of hard work.

JONES: It was a combination of all three, I believe, because you had the partnerships that ATF Richmond cultivate with the local authorities down there. They were able to put the pieces together, provide that information to us. Thankfully, we were in a position to act on it as soon as we received it. And then we had the agents in my group that had the experience and ability to do the right thing once they located the vehicle.

BLITZER: What can you tell us about the suspect, Delvin Barnes, who's been described as the vicious predator?

JONES: I would agree with those statements. The information we received from Richmond was that he had outstanding state warrants on him for a series of violent offenses, to include attempted murder and some sexual assaults. And once they were able to piece that together or put that combination together that it could be related to the abduction out of Philadelphia, as well, we knew we were dealing with a very serious and violent individual.

BLITZER: Have you ever seen a kidnapping like this all caught on videotape?

JONES: I haven't. And I've been in law enforcement for 20 years, and the last 16 I've been with ATF. And a lot of times we focus so much on dealing with those violent offenders. And you can see the aftermath of what they do. But we were so fortunate in this instance to intervene before it got to that culmination and allow the victim to be reunited with her family.

BLITZER: Was she just randomly targeted by this suspect?

JONES: I don't have any information on that at this point. I have been in touch with the Philadelphia police detectives, actually was speaking with them when we were approaching the vehicle to determine who was inside the vehicle. They've been great to work with, but they would have the best information.

BLITZER: And this GPS technology attached to his car, that was critical, right?

JONES: It was. But it was just a tool that we utilized. So the GPS allows us to be in the ballpark, but it still takes the agents on the ground to get in that area, locate the item we're looking for, which in this case was that vehicle, and once we found the vehicle, take the appropriate action to intervene and save the woman.

BLITZER: Congratulations to you and all your colleagues for a job well down. And fortunately, this woman is OK.

JONES: Absolutely. Thank you, sir.

BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us. Timothy Jones with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives.

The raid that killed Osama bin Laden now back in the news. Up next, the huge controversy now erupting over a former Navy SEALs' claim he is the one who shot and killed the terrorist leader.

Also, we have dramatic new evidence against the man accused of kidnapping the University of Virginia student, Hannah Graham.