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CNN International: British Police Name London Attacker as Khalid Masood; No Plan B No Vote On Healthcare; Electronics Ban On Flights Out Of The Middle East Airports Could Hurt, Not Help Safety. Aired: 5-6p ET
Aired March 23, 2017 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Hala Gorani here in London. We're following two major breaking news stories this hour in the British capital. We're learning more about the man behind Wednesday's deadly attack on Parliament.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Paula Newton in New York. In the past few hours, Donald Trump has suffered a major setback with a crucial vote on healthcare suddenly scrapped on Capitol Hill. We will get to that. But right now we go to Hala in London.
GORANI: Thanks, Paula. The investigation is fast-paced and it is developing. We have major developments to bring you just over the last few hours. Some of these important details have emerged. British police have identified the person they say carried out the attack in Westminster that left three people dead and dozens more injured.
The assailant has been named Khalid Masood. He was born in the United Kingdom in 1964. Police had no prior intelligence about his intent to launch a terrorist attack, but he was known to authorities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Some years ago, he was once investigated by MI5, in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.
There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue. And as acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley confirmed last night, our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Also today, ISIS issued a statement. They claim the responsibility for the murderous rampage.
Let's bring in our reporters. Phil Black is at New Scotland Yard, Nic Robertson joins us from Birmingham. Phil, first to you, what more do we know about this attacker?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Hala, as you were touching on there, this was a man who was known to authorities here. Firstly the police because he had a long violence criminal record, one that stretched from 1983 to 2003, and included convictions through a range of offenses including assault and causing grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons.
His most recent conviction was back in 2003 that was for possession of a knife, so not recent contact, but extended contact between the police and Masood.
In addition to that you heard the Prime Minister they're talking about MI5's investigation into this man. This is the domestic security and intelligence service because of suspicion about possible extremism.
Again, it seems that came to nothing. The Prime Minister wasn't very specific there in terms of the timeframe. She said some years ago. But he was a peripheral figured. You heard her say, not part of the current intelligence picture.
So all of this points to the fact that this is a man who was known to authorities because he was convicted violent criminal, known to intelligence sources because of suspected extremism, but none of these was recent and so that's why no one saw this attack coming, Hala.
GORANI: Right. And he's so much older than the typical profile we see involved in this type of attack. Nic Robertson is in Birmingham. Authorities made some arrest. They searched the home of this suspect as well.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They did. The property behind me was the one that overnight police raided -- armed police raided, used a battering ram to get in through the door, we're told by witnesses.
Four people were arrested here, two not far away, a man and a woman with a couple that were arrested, a young man and woman, and here it was three men and one woman that were arrested. There were two other people arrested. One somewhere else in Birmingham and one in London, but it's the four here and the young couple nearby that were arrested.
But right now, police say that they're holding on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
[17:05:08] Now that doesn't necessarily mean they were mixing chemicals to make a bomb. But it does mean in the looser sense of the word that they could be associated with activities that could be conceived in supporting their preparation of a terrorist act.
We also know that the garage -- the car rental agency that the vehicle was rented from, that was used in the attack is just a mile from here. So what is beginning to emerge is a picture of a sort of center of gravity for the police interest and potentially the attacker's involvement in this area of Birmingham.
The police say that he lived in the West Midlands, which could mean this area of Birmingham. However, the police aren't saying what ties the attacker, Khalid Masood to the four people arrested here or the other two, the young couple not far away.
So at the moment it's not clear if they were potentially supporting him or just caught up because they knew him. And we do see in cases like this people arrested in the early days, will be taken in for questioning, after thorough questioning, police recognize that they didn't have a role to play. And they are later released -- Hala.
GORANI: Phil Black at New Scotland Yard. I mean we're talking about this arrest. But let's be clear, police are saying they believe only one person was involved, right?
BLACK: Yes, right. One person involved in terms of carrying out the violence that we saw here yesterday. But what they're looking to determine is to what degree Masood may have had support or encouragement in the preparation, just what led him to do this.
Part of that is working at who his associates were. Another thing they will looking at, and I know we've been talking about this is, just want inspired him to do this. The police here have talked about international terrorism being his inspiration. But what groups specifically, the police here haven't said.
ISIS has claimed him as one of their own. But the authorities here I think say it's a bit too soon to be saying that definitively just yet -- Hala.
GORANI: And to Nic Robertson, we mentioned the authorities searching the home, making all those arrest, not exactly sure what connection it might have. But what would they be at this stage of the investigation looking into, in terms of what they retrieve from the residence?
ROBERTSON: Well, we know that retrieved several boxes for the residence. It's not clear what was in there. But also the premises behind me here, a number of police officers, up to 10, at one time we were told in the day we saw at least or close to half a dozen of the police who were inside the building behind me come out towards the end of the day.
They had been in there all day potentially going through a forensic examination of the building, it's not again clear precisely what this suspicion of preparation to commit a terrorist act means in the case of the people here. But it had a lot -- a lot -- of people scrutiny today and we don't know the scoop and scale of the extent inside the building behind me that they were searching.
The size itself may indicate that or they may be looking for specific things and it take a long time to do that. It isn't clear. But we have seen items in plastic boxes taken from premises here that the police had been searching today -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, Nic Robertson in Birmingham and Phil Black at New Scotland Yard. Thanks very much. As Londoners come together this evening, I want to bring in someone familiar to our regular viewers.
Fawaz Gerges, is a professor at London School of Economics and author of "ISIS: A History." Now, amazingly I learned coming here you were at Parliament when this all happened. You witnessed some of it?
FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Really by accident, Hala. I was passing by going to an interview. And suddenly I head two shots. I did not think very seriously, I thought maybe there were -- but it took two minutes, screaming, shouting. I saw dozens of French students, teenagers crying.
The entire area turned into a war zone. I mean, armed police officers, helicopters. Really going by take out of it even though I work on such themes that it can happen anytime, anywhere. This is criminal activities, just one killer who basically visited horror on the city yesterday.
GORANI: Well, I find it unbelievable that you were there. In fact I was there as well.
GERGES: Yes.
GORANI: I was sitting in on Prime Minister's Questions and we walked out a minute or two before the attack began and just turn right instead of left, and both of our stories I think illustrate just a randomness of these events, and these poor unfortunately people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time -- in the wrong place at the wrong time.
GERGES: It literally is. It can happen anywhere.
GORANI: Yes.
GERGES: Even here.
GORANI: Yes.
GERGES: Because you're talking about what we call lone wolves. You're talking about people who are willing to kill. I mean imagine, he attacked the police officers with a knife. He knew exactly that he was going to be killed. But yet he was willing to kill and get killed in the process.
GORANI: Yes.
GERGES: What can you do about it? People keep saying, you know, how do get rid of this, I mean lone wolf phenomenon? It's almost impossible. Because when a person is determined to, I mean, die for whatever he believes and it's very difficult to get rid of this particular phenomenon.
GORANI: Yes. It this kind of murder-suicide rampage inspired by loosely, I guess by an ideology they half understand anyway. But I found interesting the age of this man, 52. We've never -- I have not in my experience and we've been covering these attacks for years.
[17:10:45] GERGES: The most important distinctive feature about, I mean, Khalid Masood is his age, 52 years old.
GORANI: Yes. GERGES: Most of the previous attackers are in their 20s. They're
deluded. They could easily be brainwashed. This man was older, more mature. He knew what he was doing. He was on the mission. And in this particular sense, this really changes the dynamics that tells me, it's not just the 20s and 30s but even the 50s.
GORANI: But there's something very strange about this. I don't quite get to be honest with you, because someone in their 50s -- and we were talking with one of the specialist Steve Hewitt who is in Manchester right now, is that obviously when you're in your 50s, you are set in a certain kind of way, a lifestyle et cetera. You don't have that kind of passion of being brainwashed and seduced by these types of murderous death cults as much, right?
GERGES: I see it differently.
GORANI: Yes, how?
GERGES: I see differently because he knew exactly what he was doing. He really believed in his mission. He had a criminal background, a violent background.
GORANI: But from 15 years ago.
GERGES: Absolutely. But the man obviously he believed in he was doing.
GORANI: Yes.
GERGES: Because I mean think about it, the second thing about really Khalid Masood who did not have, I mean obviously firearms, explosives, imagine Hala, if had firearms like the cells in Paris and Brussels and other places. This tells me it was very primitive.
GORANI: Yes.
GERGES: Of course using a rented car and a knife. But this is a lone wolf as opposed to cells, and in a way, even though it was very bloody, we should basically celebrate the fact that there are no hardcore cells, organized cells with major weapons and firearms.
GORANI: Yes. And I mean, you mentioned the fact that it was unsophisticated. I wonder based on the claim of responsibility that we got from the ISIS linked to information websites. Was this do you think directly from Syria, or was it inspired? Was it some sort of kind of lame copycat attack?
GERGES: Hala, anyone who carries out any attack in the world today, and particularly in Western countries, ISIS or the so-called Islamic State will take responsibility. What did ISIS in every single case, Khalid Masood has become a foot soldier of ISIS.
My reading, my understanding based on many case, is that basically there was no operational relationship between ISIS and Khalid Masood. It's more motivation and inspiration. GORANI: But that's a different -- I mean you have others who get
money sent to them. They have the plane ticket like that Egyptian who tried to stab the soldier in Louvre. Someone paid for his plane ticket.
GERGES: Yes, or even in Paris and Brussels. In Paris and Brussels you had, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the second man in command of ISIS sending one of his lieutenants to organize the attacks in Paris and in Brussels. What it tells me, there are no major cells in Britain, even though Britain has been bracing itself for major attacks.
You were talking a minute earlier to your correspondents about the arrest. The arrest of the British government have been in the last days are basically to prevent any potential attackers. It also to find out about the background and if there are any other perpetrators. So, the fact is the British government has been very proactive and preventive and in a way, it has so far succeeded in preventing major attacks even though the message was sent yesterday.
GORANI: That's right. Well, hopefully we won't see any more of those any time soon. Fawaz Gerges, as always, thanks so much for joining us.
In Parliament today, lawmakers held a minute of silence as mark of respect to the victims of Wednesday's attack.
Members of Parliament and government officials returned to work in Westminster less than 24 hours after the rampage. Prime Minister Theresa May struck a deviant tone in her speech, saying the best way to defeat terrorism is to just keep living our lives as normal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY: But the greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people. For beyond this walls today, in scenes repeated in towns and cities across the country, millions of people are going about their days and getting on with lives. The streets are as busy as ever, the offices full, the coffee shops and cafes bustling.
[17:15:00] MAY: As I speak, millions will be boarding trains and airplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth. It is in these actions, millions of acts of normality that we find the best response to terrorism. A response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Londoners are indeed carrying on as usual. They got on buses and bikes and headed back to work this morning. You see it there and the Westminster Bridge has reopened as well.
Londoners also stood shoulder to shoulder in a vigil at Trafalgar Square, by observing a minute of silence, lighting candles for the victims of the attack. The U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the crowd, terrorists will not win. The London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of this city said
that evil twisted individuals tried to destroy our shared way of life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: We come together as Londoners tonight, to remember those who have lost their lives and all those affected by the horrific attack yesterday, but also to send a clear message, Londoners will never be cowered by terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, earlier the Mayor told Christiane Amanpour why he believes terrorist will never win. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KHAN: We're reminding ourselves why the terrorist hate us so much. They hate the fact that here in London across our country Christian, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu, Buddhists don't just tolerate each other, we respect each other. We celebrate each other. We embrace each other. We have vibrant democracy. We have civil liberties and human rights.
And that's what they hate. We are policed by consent though and that means working with the communities, being our eyes and ears to provide us with intelligence, to give us information, to help keep us safe. And the police are acting on the intelligence they've got.
There has been raids across the country, not just in Birmingham but in London and other cities across the country. Some arrests have been made. But members of the public, whatever faith they are recognize that police have a very important job to do to investigate this matter, but to keep us safe.
It's the police we ring when we fear for our personal safety. It's the police we ring and give information to if we are suspicious of people within our community.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: Mayor, you have said that this was precisely the nightmare scenario that you were dreading like many mayors in many parts of the world in the current environment. I wonder, I know you don't want to talk politics today but whether you have reaction to the sort of knee jerk tweet that came out of the United States from the President's son, Donald Trump, Jr. referencing an interview you've done months ago and saying you've got to be kidding me regarding the frequency or the likelihood of terrorism in big cities today.
KHAN: Well, I'm not going to respond to a tweet from Donald Trump, Jr. I've been doing far more important things over the last 24 hours. What I do know is that the threat level in London and across the country is severe. That means an attack is highly likely.
I was in New York last year when there was an attack in New York and terrorists hate the fact that whether it's New York, whether it's London, whether it's Paris, whether it's Brussels, whether it's Istanbul, whether it's Madrid. We have diverse communities living together peacefully, and we've got a situation where Parliament is returning to normal today.
City Hall is returning to normal today. Tourists are returning to London today. Businesses are returning to normal today. Just the thing that terrorists hate.
And I'm not going to allow terrorist to divide London, to destroy our way of life. We remain united and we are the greatest city in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. Just as they've reopened the road here behind me and life is getting back to normal. We're getting some sad news from Central London. Met Police says that another person has died as result of the attack here on Wednesday.
That means that the death toll now stands at four. The attacker was also killed. Paula, back to you.
NEWTON: Yes, that's sad news, Hala. I know we will continue to follow the investigation throughout. But for now we're going to take you here Stateside into Washington, apparently, no plan B, and now no vote. The repeal of Obamacare as President Trump first major legislative test, with the votes stacked against it success. It's been put off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:21:50] GORANI: Welcome back. Some unfortunate news to bring you from Central London here, Met Police say another person has died as the result of the attack here on Wednesday, that murderous attack that involved an SUV and the stabbing.
Now that means that the death toll stands at four. The man had been receiving medical treatment in the hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening unfortunately. So obviously another family devastated forever changed and another innocent person killed by a murderous terrorist in an act of senseless violence.
There you have it. That's the sad update from London. We'll see you in a bit with more. Paula, go back to you now in New York.
NEWTON: Indeed Hala, as London tries to get back to normal behind you. We are following up on developments, this side of the ocean. It's a major blow from President Trump in his first major legislative test. Tonight's planned vote on the repeal of Obamacare has been put off at least until tomorrow.
The Chairman of the conservative so-called Freedom Caucus said the votes simply weren't there after a frenzy of meetings failed to produce a deal. Now, it's a difficult balancing act for the President appeasing conservatives without alienating moderates. When we talk about this though, we're all talking about in the family
within that Republican family. The bill needs 216 votes to pass. No, Democrats are expected to support it. That means no more than 21 Republicans can vote against it.
Joining me now John Avlon is a CNN political analyst and editor-in- chief at "The Daily Beast," you know stop saying, "I told you so," I can hear you. You're saying I told you so, but if you look at it. Look, the President has put a lot of his credibility on this. They say he's continuing to talk to people. You know he loves this kind of thing. I mean, there is still hope, right?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure, look. I mean, you know, I think the difficulty is that this is a President who prides himself on perfecting the art of deal. But horse trading in Congress is sometimes a great deal more difficult than real estate.
And what you've got right now is chaos on Capitol Hill. The administration and the House leadership had been promising a vote tonight, they've just postponed it after a long meeting, the President did with the Freedom Caucus.
And as you pointed out, the difficulty is, it is hurting the cats even within his owned caucus. He's got folks on the far-right who don't want to support the bill. He's got to run a dozen centrist Republican, a dwindling breed who he is meeting with later this afternoon to try to convince.
But that's a very difficult balancing act and they're making changes to the bill up until the very last moment, a momentous bill impacting millions of American, trying to undo a central part of Barack Obama's legacy. But Donald Trump and his crew are having a hard time getting the deal done tonight.
NEWTON: And for good reason, you know, we talk about the art of the deal all the time. No, this is the art of war. When you get down to brass tacks in terms of what has to be done on this deal. And you and I both know, you know, when it comes down to it.
If you're a congressman at this point in time, you're trying to deal with what you will face when you go back home and you face those voters. What's at stake here? I mean what's the crux of it that even Donald Trump can't get them to say yes to this deal?
AVLON: Well, look, I mean, healthcare is enormously passionate and personal issue for people. The difficulty is that the opposition to Obamacare has really united the Republican caucus, but the focus beneath the bumper stickers of repeal and replace. The emphasis has been entirely on the repeal, not so much the actual replace.
And so, you've an issues from cost to coverage, to folks on the far- right wanting to sort of cut cost further as much as humanly possible. And the fact that there are 23 House districts that Hillary Clinton won in where Republicans managed to maintain. [17:25:31] AVLON: And the bill is not particularly popular to the
extent that its contents are known and can be known. Add all those factors together and getting a unified front in the 11th hour is incredibly difficult even if you are the alleged art of the deal.
NEWTON: Yes. And when you get down to it, how does Obamacare in and of itself been a game changer even for Republicans. Things that we saw in Obamacare, you know, like preexisting conditions, keeping your kids on until they're 26.
I mean even Republican voters. Is it becoming hard for them to let go of those provisions?
AVLON: Well, the President himself both during the campaign and in State of the Union Address said that any plan would maintain those very broad popular previsions.
Those have, I think been treated and embraced by the American people outside the politicization and polarization that surrounds, the name, the brand Obamacare. So you're right. That's a major factor. I think the other factor that people are confronting is the difference between grandstanding and governing.
And the reality is so much of our political associations today are driven by negative association rather than positive proposals. And once you try to make that leap, you find yourself in a thicket of difficulties that are proving very hard to navigate even with unified Republican control of Washington right now.
NEWTON: Yes, I mean, Trump himself, you know, came up like neophyte a few weeks ago when he said, you know, who knew healthcare can so complicated. No, actually, we all knew that healthcare could be that complicated.
Now, having said that though to give the guy some credit, I mean John, tell me what do you think? Because I'm not so sure that he will wear the blame for this, if they don't get to a vote and if they don't get it through the House, at least on this round?
AVLON: Well, look, he's got to get some legislative wins on his scorecard for the first hundred days. If this falls through, you're looking at a big goose egg. And he can try to pass a buck and pass the blame. I think it's been notable that for men who loves slapping his name on everything, he has been going the extra innings trying to have it not be called Trumpcare.
He doesn't seem to want to own it in that regard. His hard core supporters will support him no matter what, I'm very confident in that. But at some point, you know, the rhetoric has got to meet reality. And if the President, you know, looks towards the end of this first hundred days and doesn't have a major legislative achievement on an objective apples to apples scorecard, that doesn't look good for a President trying to coalesce popularity in what is supposed to be his maximum moment of leverage.
NEWTON: Absolutely. He has put a lot on the line. John Avlon, thank so much for joining us with these late breaking developments here, appreciate it.
AVLON: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, the delay of the vote pushed U.S. stocks to losses. The Dow tipped just slightly into the red as the news was announced, it closed off about five points extending it's week long losing streak. Now, the Dow is off 1.4 percent this month after a string of records of course.
Investors worry the fight over healthcare will distract the Trump administration from its promises of tax cuts and regulation rollbacks.
Ted Weisberg is the President of Seaport Securities and you are the man who is going to tell me. Is that true, Ted tell me? Is it true that, look, if it's debacle with healthcare then that means tax agenda and infrastructure, regulation off the table?
TED WEISBERG, PRESIDENT, SEAPORT SECURITIES: Well, I think we're sort of throwing the baby out with a bath water. And I think that's probably a bit of stretch. And first of all, personally, I think it will get done. Number one, because this is like having petulant children, you know.
NEWTON: No kidding.
WEISBERG: Quite frankly, I don't understand why the Democrats will only embrace some of these changes, because the good news is, healthcare is still going to be in place and this is designed to make it better or to take care with some of the problems. But that's, you know, another issue that doesn't necessarily deal with the stock market.
I think two days ago, we got a kind of shot across the bow, what we might expect because of the uncertainty created by the inability to get this done. But I think it will get done in one form or another. And, you know, listen, nothing is easy in Washington. It's kind of like making sausage, right?
This is the process. And, you know, we're spoiled because we didn't see a lot of that for the last eight years. So it all kind of behind -- whatever was going on, it wasn't very visible. This is quite visible.
And we have a little family fight going on. And I think at the end of the day, it will get resolved and we'll get this healthcare bill. Will we get it tomorrow, I mean through the House? Does it happen tomorrow or does it happen next week? I don't think that's really the issue.
I think the main thing is that, in my view it will happen and I think the market yesterday and today even though they sold off a little today, you know, they didn't really bang him hard today and they certainly didn't bang him hard yesterday. I don't think it's that much of a problem.
NEWTON: Does that mean that the Trump rally though, if I hear you correctly still a ways to go you think? It's not baked in already.
[17:30:11]WEISBERG: Well, we've come a long way in a very short period of time. I think we would have a positive market no matter won the election. I think the market in that respect was pretty agnostic. The fact that it turned out the way it did was kind of putting fuel on that fire.
Market don't go straight up, trees don't grow to the sky. Unfortunately they don't give us a bell and they're not going to tell us when, you know, when we're going to go the other way. So, you know, giving a little back here is really standard operating procedure.
But beyond that, I think the election was an absolute game changer as far as the stock markets.
NEWTON: And it still is.
WEISBERG: And it still is and I think the lines of least resistance are up, not down. And in fact, I think there's a lot of sold out bulls, nothing more embarrassed than a sold out bull. I think there's a lot of money on the sidelines or, you know, waiting, waiting. You know, they're all waiting for the market to come in so they can take advantage of it. The fact is wishing is not a good strategy.
NEWTON: Got to make it happen.
WEISBERG: And I think any selloff is actually a buying opportunity, not a selling opportunity.
NEWTON: Okay, spoken like trader who just came of trading floor, I understand that. Ted, quickly though, one more thing, what can change that and my opinion is any whispers of trade war or any kind of those border taxes can change it?
WEISBERG: Well, there's a lot of things can change it. But I think you really have to look at the big picture. Six months, 12 months, 18 months, two years and I think the change that the market is looking at and the markets like is not what I would call near-term day to day business stuff because all those things are possible.
But I think the prospect of real fiscal change. You know Fed said a couple of years ago that they were doing all they could do with monetary policy and they needed some help in fiscal policy and they've never got it.
NEWTON: And they're happy to see that.
WEISBERG: Well, I don't know if they're happy in that. But now they're going to get it. In some form, they're going to get it. This is a very positive thing.
NEWTON: Have to leave at there. Ted, thanks so much for coming to see us up here. After the break, we'll return to London with more on our breaking news as the death toll unfortunately from Wednesday's attack rises to four. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:34:39] GORANI: Hello, I'm Hala Gorani in London.
NEWTON: And I'm Paula Newton in New York. These are the top news headline we're following for you this hour.
The terror attack at British Parliament has claimed another life. London police say a 75-year-old man that had been receiving medical treatment in a hospital for his injuries has been taken off life support tonight. The death toll now stands at four.
British Police have made eight arrests as they investigate Wednesday's deadly attack. Detective swarm locations in Birmingham and other cities overnight and Thursday morning, they've also identify the attacker as 52- year-old Khalid Masood a British native with a history to violent crime.
In Antwerp, Belgium, authorities say they thwarted an attempted terrorist attack. Now, they intercepted a French man driving toward a busy pedestrian area at a very high speed in the red car you see being towed in the distance there. Authorities says inside were weapons and a canister with an unknown substance.
Official say the U.S. won't be voting on a Republican health care plans Thursday as expected. Party leaders and President Donald Trump have been holding meetings to try and get the votes to pass the measure as Republicans are set to go behind closed doors in the coming hours to discuss that situation.
Israeli police say a teenager has been arrested in connection with bomb threats against Jewish institution and community centers across the U.S. and in several other countries. Now, a police spoke person said the 19-year- old used advanced camouflage technologies to cover this tracks, a motive is still unknown.
The President of Ukraine is calling the killing of a Kremlin critic a quote, "Russian state terrorist act." Denis Voronenkov, a former Russian lawmaker who fled to Ukraine last year was shot and killed outside the Kiev hotel in broad daylight. Official say a suspect is now in custody. The Kremlin spokesman says any claims that Russia is tied to the killing are quote, "absurd."
GORANI: All right, Paula. We'll get back to you in a moment. But to recap, a fourth fatality in the London attack has just been announced. Police say he was a 75-year-old man.
Earlier today, we learned more about the other three victims they were, a police officer, Keith Palmer along with an American tourist and British teacher. These flags represent the nationalities of the victims and casualties in Central London on Wednesday.
There were three children from France, two people from Romania, four from South Korea, one from Poland, one from Ireland, one from China, one person as well from Germany, Italy, America, two from Greece and 12 people from right here in Britain. They all required treatment. The American who lost his life was Kurt Cochran. He was celebrating
his 25th wedding anniversary with wife, Melissa she survived. Another victim was Aysha Frade, she was 43 years old, a teacher of Spanish decent apparently. The mayor of her hometown said she'd live here for several years.
At the United Nation in New York, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who was also a Mayor of London said than an attack on London is an attack on the world. Listen to Johnson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY: You may know that today there are victims in London from 11 nations, which goes to show that an attack on London is an attack on the world. And I can tell you from my talks here in United States with the U.S. government and with partners from around the world, that the world is uniting to defeat the people who launched this attack and to defeat their bankrupt and odious ideology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, that was Boris Johnson. He is in New York today. He was visiting with the Trump White House a couple of days ago in Washington.
Nick Paton Walsh joins me from Westminster with more about the victims and what we know about them -- Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And as the day has gone on, we have learned more about the live tragically lost in the violent acts that began pretty much where I'm standing here on Westminster Bridge.
Now, I don't know vast amounts of details about how people were injured and the sequence, but the Hyundai 4 x 4 vehicle rolls up onto the pavement where I'm standing here. And the vicinity where I am moving down here, it was Kurt Cochran here on his 25th Anniversary with his wife, Melissa. He was killed by that car moving quickly.
Amateur video showing people actually flung into oncoming traffic. One woman in fact, it seems either thrown over or jumping off this bridge in a sort of an attempt to escape further injury and also, too, as well as you said, Aysha Frade 43-year-old Spanish teacher, resident for quite some time here in London killed, too.
The car then continued further across this bridge down to the other side, now past what earlier on this afternoon police lined, it crashed into the railing there. Interesting enough we saw this bridge teeming with people obviously. It is less tonight and in fact behind me, it appears there are police and medical staff that have pulled over a car on this bridge now and having quite an impassioned discussion with one of its occupants.
But that goes to show how the city is still very much on some sense of alert here because it was Khalid Masood who drove that Hyundai further across the bridge.
[17:40:11] PATON WALSH: It crash into the railings, got out and then charged, it seems to get into the Parliament courtyard with that knife. He was then shot dead, but not before he took the life of his third of the four victims during that afternoon and that was PC Keith Palmer killed it seems by that knife wielded by Khalid Masood.
And you said as well now, a 75-year-old man has in fact died of his injuries in hospital, Hala. But that death toll having grown tragically in the last hour or so about 40 people injured, possibly, sure about 10 of those in a pretty serious condition as far as we understand now -- Hala.
GORANI: Right, thanks very much. Nick Paton Walsh, not far from our position here there on Westminster Bridge. Thanks very much. Nick reiterating there the breaking news in the last just half hour or so, we learned from authorities that a fourth person has died as the result of this attack, a 75-year-old man who was taken off life support, who was fighting for his life and unfortunately died as the result of the car attack on the bridge.
Now in a sign of solidarity in Germany, a Union flag was projected on to this side of the famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. There you have it just showing, you know, unity and we saw it with the French flag and the Belgium flag and it just goes to show you that just over the last several years, Paula, in New York, we've had so many of these attacks and we've covered so many of them including one in fact in Germany quite similar to this one except it was with the truck on that Christmas market in Berlin, this one causing the death, of the death of four people.
Paula, back to you in New York.
NEWTON: Yes. And it is obviously heartening just to see all of those tributes, as you said we've had to go through this kind of thing before. I mean Hala, it's also struck me, you were talking Fawaz earlier and, you know, he made it clear. The good news is that they haven't found this kind of hardcore cell there that was part of this terrorist attack according to police.
At the same time Hala, I mean you were there. You were in Parliament when this happened. It must strike you that one person can cause just so much devastation.
GORANI: Yes, and the issue too is that these are very common items. I mean everyone has access to a weapon like a knife, everyone pretty much can rent a car as long as you have a driver's license.
So if you have cause mayhem and damage like on this type of scale, you can, if you have the intent, especially if in the end you accept the fact that you're probably going to get killed.
This is just a pretty typically murder-suicide scenario of someone probably according to officials who is inspired this radical ideology, this twisted ideology, whether it was inspired or a copycat attack or directed from ISIS-controlled territory about, you know, in the end the question is does it really matter? It is just this ideology is finding a home in the twisted minds of some people, but it takes just one person to bring complete chaos to a very busy area like Westminster.
How do you stop it? Every expert you talk to is basically -- I hate to say it -- it's very, very difficult especially if it's a lone wolf type person, especially if it's someone who is not part of network, because how do you monitor someone who is sort of a solo operative. There's no real chatter, they're not really exchanging ideas with anyone.
So, you know, ultimately either you kind of have to sort of figure out a way to make sure that people who have any kind of potential to slide into this type of activity are monitored or, you know, fight the ideology at the base, try to figure out a way abroad to make ISIS less of an attractive option for some of these people, or in the communities.
We were speaking by the way with Lord Admiral Alan West. He was saying in some of these communities to make those communities perhaps more of a part the wider community as well in some instances would probably help combat this.
So, it's a multipronged approach, but a very, very difficult problem to address especially when it is just one individual, Paula.
NEWTON: Well, and if any country has been looking at how to do that multipronged approach. It is Britain as they will continue to do. Our Hala Gorani remains there at the scene for us. We'll get to you just a little bit later on.
And from us, now the future of President Trump's pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare is in jeopardy. The bill doesn't have the support it needs. The vote for tonight is off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:46:46] NEWTON: It is the President's first major legislative test and he just doesn't have the votes. The Press Secretary says there's no Plan B to the repeal of Obamacare. Despite all of that, the House Majority Leader says, don't panic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Don't judge on every other certain time when a bill has to be done by getting it done. And always during the final part, everybody wants to negotiate as much as possible. We've been listening into all sides and we have a very diverse conference. We want to make sure that everybody has had a voice. We've been studying this for six years, more than 113 hearings on moving new legislation. And I think we're at the right point right now and just getting the final deadline done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, in the past few minutes, I've just been watching this break over the wires here. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has just released its report card on the revise healthcare bill.
The CBO estimates the revised bill will cut deficits by $150 billion over the next decade. It doesn't sound like much does it? That's less than half the savings on the first draft of the bill, 24 million Americans are projected to lose their health insurance, that's unchanged from the first bill.
Thank goodness, Mark Preston here again, CNN's senior political analyst. Okay, so give it to us Mark. That just came in from the CBO.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
NEWTON: You know, how does that even that change what is already a very complicated equation among Republicans?
PRESTON: Among Republicans, let's just talk about where we are in moment. You have the President meeting with House Republicans who are on the fence, who are either undecided about whether to vote for this or not vote for this bill or are flat out no.
And then you have his Chief of Staff and his top advisers, at the same time right now who are on Capitol Hill with the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan trying to figure out how to make this work, to the point of this new score -- and for our viewers around the world, basically this is the projection, if this legislation passes, what we would actually see in savings from these mechanism put in place. That's not going to play well with conservatives who want to see more savings.
NEWTON: And that's the reason they kind of put the bill on place. You know for everyone internationally looking at this and saying I don't know why I have to care about the healthcare bill in the United State because we know it's a mess.
Okay, putting that aside, what does that mean for Donald Trump in a lot of what has been on those legislative agenda, things like taxes. Things like infrastructure, even things that some people don't want to see like changes to the trade deals.
PRESTON: Well, and to your point, too, to begin with, when people around the world are saying, why do I care what the healthcare system is in United States? You should care because the bottom line is the more money that is spent to try to take care of the healthcare system and the time that is put into it. Meaning, these members of Congress and President Trump are devoting their time to it, it is less time away from and potentially less money away from foreign aid perhaps, you know, that may go overseas or these members focusing on some issues such as, you know, a very unstable North Korea or the turmoil in the Middle East.
You know, when you think about this bill. This is Donald Trump right now learning that it is very hard to legislate in the United States. It's very difficult to get things done. His first two months, he has been successful in the sense that he has been able to use specific powers that he has to just by fiat say we're not going to have this environment regulation anymore. We're pulling it back.
We're not going to have these particular labor issues in place anymore, we're going to pull this back. Well, now he has a legislation and he can't just by fiat say I want this done. And he's learning it the very, very hard way.
[17:50:12] NEWTON: What do you think thought with the fact that he has been putting a lot of credibility on the line? I know the Democrats say, "Hey, look rookie move." He is putting way too much on the line too soon. But a lot of people want to give him credit for that because he is known as the deal maker.
PRESTON: Right. And what I think he is finding so humbling and although I don't know he could ever be humbled, right?
NEWTON: Humble Trump.
PRESTON: Or humbled -- right -- is that he is realizing that there's 535 voting Members of the United States Congress. Meaning, in order to get a deal, you need to get a simple majority and sometimes just a little bit more than that. It's not just Donald Trump cutting a deal anymore.
He is putting his credibility on the line in some ways, but the question really remain is, will he go too far? I think what's going to be telling in the next couple of days, certainly in the next 24 hours. If he is dealt a defeat, will he turn around and then be vindictive against those who wouldn't give him their votes.
And the reason why I say that is, he has other legislative goals and accomplishments that he wants to reach. And if starts by going after people personally, they may never be with him.
NEWTON: Let's face the facts. Even though Donald Trump doesn't believe the polls, he is at historically low --
PRESTON: Thirty-nine percent right now.
NEWTON: So what are congressmen and senators thinking when they see this?
PRESTON: Well, you know, he -- every President has a honeymoon period, and Donald Trump certainly has had his honeymoon period in some ways.
NEWTON: Such as it was.
PRESTON: Well, such as it was. Especially, you know, when some of the falsehoods that he had said and has gotten away with. I think that they are realizing that they either have to stick by their convictions, and then for the House of Representatives, the 435 people that are running for reelection, you know, in another 18 months or so, they're realizing that Donald Trump isn't going to be one there that's going to be on the ballot, it just going to be them. NEWTON: Now, I won't ask you for prediction, if you don't want to
give one.
PRESTON: Well, sure.
NEWTON: On healthcare, what do you think? Because -- and I just want to say one thing. Remember, this is in the House, then it has to go to the Senate and it could go back to the House.
PRESTON: Right so --
NEWTON: We're just started.
PRESTON: Right. So, you know, couple of things. One is, I think the biggest stumbling block right now for healthcare to be fixed and fixed and fixed in the right way is three simple words "repeal and replace." And the reason why is that Republicans and Donald Trump are so hang up on that instead of saying we're going to go in and just fix healthcare, take out the bad parts, put in the good parts and basically redo Obamacare as we know it.
They are dead fast -- many of them are dead fast on saying, "We've got to totally are repeal and replace it because it sounds good." And by the way, that's what they run on. Predictions, I don't think it gets done in the next 24 hours.
But I do think and in some ways you will see the House of Representatives actually by a slim majority get the bill passed, but to your point is going to the Senate. The Senate is going to do their thing and then they both have to come back together and that's going to be a very messy process.
NEWTON: And in the meantime, a lot of blood on the floor.
PRESTON: Lots of blood.
NEWTON: Republicans.
PRESTON: Right.
NEWTON: Not even --
PRESTON: Not even Democrats.
NEWTON: Mark, thanks again. Appreciate it.
PRESTON: Thanks.
NEWTON: Now the electronics ban on flights out of the Middle East airports could hurt, not help safety. Now let us explain, that's the view from Richard Branson who calls it disturbing. Our interview with him up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:55:15] NEWTON: I want to update you now on our breaking news from London. Met Police say a 75-year-old man has died as result of the attack here on Wednesday. Now, that means the dead toll not stands at four. The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening.
Richard Branson says the carry-on electronics ban from the U.S. and U.K. at many Middle Eastern airports is part of what he called a disturbing trend.
Now, the founder of Virgin Atlantic believes devices might even be safer in the cabin and not checked as cargo.
Now last year, the FAA issued a safety alert highlighting the risks of fire from batteries checked in the cargo hold. Branson spoke to Richard Quest in Kuala Lumpur.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER, VIRGIN ATLANTIC: If they've got a real worry about big devices, you know, putting them in the hold is not necessarily any safer than, you know, keeping them in the cabin.
And in some ways I would have marginally thought it was better if people had them in the cabin and they would, you know, properly checked as they get on the cabin.
And the second thing I just find it slightly discriminatory that they've only chosen airports where American carriers don't actually fly to.
And therefore it only affects carriers like the Emirates and other local carriers, North American carriers. And, you know, I don't know whether that's just a coincidence, but it's quite a strange coincidence if that's the case.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: But do you have confidence in the security of places like Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai?
BRANSON: Yes, because the person who runs the airport used to be, you know, he is an excellent person that used to run Virgin Atlantic and I have every confidence in him and you know -- I mean, Dubai is an incredibly well-run country and I would say as secure as any country in the world.
QUEST: But from where I came from here, let's call spade a shovel. Do you think there's an element of politics in this?
BRANSON: I've been very disturbed by a lot of things that have come out from America recently. And this adds to that disturbance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And that's it for this hour. I'm Paula Newton in New York. We will have much more on breaking news in both Washington and London when CNN returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) END
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: London stands strong. People honor those killed on Wednesday's attack and speak defiantly against terror.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Presidential setback, vote on the new U.S. healthcare bill gets delayed.
WALKER: And fears diminished. Authorities arrest a teenager suspected of threatening Jewish centers in several countries. Thanks for being with us everyone. I am Amara Walker.
HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes. Welcome to "CNN Today."
Welcome everyone, London's Mayor has spoken for many in Britain on the evening after the city's deadly terror attack.
WALKER: He said, "Our response shows the world what it means to be a Londoner." And it has been quite a response. The British flag atop Westminster flies at half-staff. A fourth victim has now died and some 40 --
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