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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Virginia Shooting an "Act of Terrorism"; Michigan Synagogue Attack; Purported Statement by New Iranian Supreme Leader; Iran's Supreme Leader: Strait of Hormuz Will Remain Closed; Police in Michigan Give Update on Synagogue Attack; U.S. Refueling Aircraft Lost Over Western Iraq. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 12, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, the FBI says a fatal shooting at a university in Virginia is now being investigated as an act of terrorism. Authorities say
the shooter is dead after ramming a car loaded with explosives into a synagogue in Michigan. And the Iranian supreme leader's first purported
message since taking power raises some major questions. Without video or audio to accompany the statement, is it proof of life? We'll have that
story and more coming up.
We do begin though with two attacks today here in the United States. A gunman opening fire at Virginia's Old Dominion University and what the FBI
says it is now investigating as an act of terror. And a suspected attacker dead after ramming a car into a synagogue near Detroit, Michigan.
Let's begin there. Emergency responders found what appears to be explosives in the rear of that vehicle. Officials say it later caught fire. At least
eight first responders were taken to hospitals after the attack. Temple Israel is a large complex, as you can see there from the air. It includes a
school and a child care center. The local sheriff says the suspect drove into the building and down a hallway.
President Donald Trump had this to say at the White House in response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Before we begin, I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit, the Detroit
area, following the attack on the Jewish synagogue early today. And I've been briefed, fully briefed, and it's a terrible thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now, former NYPD detective Kirk Burkhalter, now a professor at New York Law School. Good to have you on. Thanks so much for
taking the time.
KIRK BURKHALTER, PROFESSOR, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL AND FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE: Certainly.
SCIUTTO: So, we're waiting an update from the county sheriff and police regarding the synagogue attack here. They have not yet said they're
investigating this as an act of terrorism. But based on what you see here, the target, the method used a car, what appears to be explosives inside the
car. Does it have the hallmarks of terrorism to you?
BURKHALTER: Yes, it certainly does, based on my experience working on these types of cases and being involved in such. So, you know, this lone
wolf attack, however, this perpetrator was heavily armed with the explosive devices, or they appear to be some type of explosive devices. There are
also reports that he possibly fired shots prior to breaching the synagogue and was quite determined.
This clearly was a premeditated attack. I am also troubled by the fact that this occurred on the same day as the attack in Old Dominion University in
Virginia. So, while I am open to the prospect that it could be coincidental, I like to operate from the prospect that they are not, that
they are connected. And then I'm pleasantly surprised if they are not connected.
SCIUTTO: To your point, there's been a lot of reporting about heightened risk of terrorism tied to Iran. And there was some reporting about Iran
activating or attempting to activate sleeper cells around the world, including here in the U.S. What will law enforcement be doing right now to
get at exactly who the attacker, for instance, the synagogue is, but also at Old Dominion University and what their ties might be, including ties
outside the country?
BURKHALTER: So, what's interesting here is certainly law enforcement is going to do a deep dive and, you know, social media, family, neighbors, you
know, anyone that had a connection with these individuals to determine if they have ties to any of the entities overseas.
However, what we saw, we saw a distinctive shift some time ago, maybe 15 years ago or so, where people were radicalized and so forth on their own.
So, they did not have necessarily ties to an organization other than the fact that they were sort of some type of communication or something put out
over the internet that called for individuals to rise up on their own. This way, they could not be traced back to any particular network, such as the
9/11 bombers.
[18:05:00]
So, they may not be any ties, but that does not mean that they were not motivated by everything you mentioned, the war and certainly anti-Semitism.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, you have both possibilities, someone self- radicalized, self-inspired and maybe even self-advocated, but also others who might have been supported in some way or directed in some way by
overseas at this level of sophistication here, using a car as a weapon, guns as well, though it's sadly fairly easy to get guns in this country.
But if there were explosives and we don't we don't know what degree of explosives we're talking about here, homemade, et cetera. But what can law
enforcement do to detect plots like this in advance, or are they fairly easy to get together without raising alarm bells?
BURKHALTER: Well, the problem is, as you mentioned, this is a sophisticated attack. However, this a sophisticated attack does not require
and it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but a level of sophistication, right? So, someone can plan in this sophisticated manner, however, to get
hold of the materials necessary for the attack, such as firearms. And you can make an improvised explosive out of anything.
You know, the only problem with an explosive, the biggest problem is not being there when it goes off. If you remove that concern, it's very
difficult to detect. So, you know, these folks pride themselves on using devices and materials that one can purchase just about anywhere, right?
Walmart, Home Depot, you name it and so forth.
So, what can law enforcement do? Primarily what they do is look for a connection, look for commonality in these attacks and the attackers and the
materials that they used and alert these retail establishments and other law enforcement agencies to be diligent about folks that are purchasing
these types of items and also diligent and people that are engaging in any way, shape or form this type of rhetoric. The individual on Old Dominion --
Dominion rather, has a criminal record, was arrested previously for supporting terrorism.
SCIUTTO: Yes, good point. Well, Professor Burkhalter, please stand by because we are waiting for this news conference to come regarding the
ongoing investigation into the synagogue attack. We're going to bring you that news conference live once it begins.
We should mention more details because another story we're following today, the FBI investigating that deadly shooting at a university in Virginia, Old
Dominion University, as a possible act of terrorism. Police say one victim is dead, two others hospitalized after the shooting. The suspect also dead.
He apparently served years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to aid ISIS. Sources confirmed he is a former member as well of the U.S. Army
National Guard.
No detection -- no connection rather yet determined, the investigation raises questions of possible terror attacks, two of them on the same day,
perhaps somehow connected to the ongoing war against Iran. In just a few moments, I'm going to speak with Colin Clarke. He wrote an article in The
Atlantic titled "What Iran Might Do When It Has Nothing to Lose."
In it, the counterintelligence and terrorism expert says, quote, "Over the past several years, the U.S. government has shifted resources and personnel
away from counterterrorism and toward other priorities. Because of this, the U.S. homeland is arguably more vulnerable than it has been in a long
time."
Republican Senator Ted Cruz seems to agree that Americans should be very concerned about terror threats. He said this on Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): The threat of terrorist attack is higher now than it has been in decades. And there are two causes of it. Number one, we had
four years under Joe Biden of open borders. We had 12 million people flood across the border, basically an open invitation to every terrorist, every
Hamas and Hezbollah and IRGC terrorist come to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Group. Colin, good to have you. Thanks for joining us.
COLIN CLARKE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SOUFAN CENTER AND AUTHOR, "AFTER THE CALIPHATE": Thank you.
SCIUTTO: So, based on what you see of these two incidents today, the Old Dominion shooting, law enforcement already saying they're investigating
this terrorism. But what you see in this attack on the synagogue outside Detroit, you see the hallmarks of terrorism in that attack as well.
CLARKE: Yes. Again, we don't want to, you know, jump the gun here. But clearly, if you look at the targets, right, a synagogue and ROTC cadets,
right, affiliated with the U.S. military, that the target suggests that this was likely going to prove to be an act of terrorism.
[18:10:00]
It would be the fourth since the Iran war started on U.S. soil. Don't forget we had the attack in Austin, and details of that have been more
scant than we're accustomed to, and then the attack in New York City. So, that's four potential terror attacks since the beginning of March.
SCIUTTO: There is, as you know, great concern about Iran activating terrorist cells or terrorists, a call to arms as it were, including in this
country. When you look at these attacks today, the fact that they took place on the same day, granted in different states on different targets,
does that timing suggest to you that that was coordinated, or might have been coordinated, or something special about today?
CLARKE: We don't know, although tomorrow is the final Friday of Ramadan, and tomorrow is actually the day that many counterterrorism experts are
concerned with. But look, the temperature has been raised since the United States went to war with Iran. That's part of what I spoke about in the
article in The Atlantic. And for some individuals, it doesn't really matter that the Islamic State and the Shia State of Iran don't get along and don't
see eye to eye.
Just like after October 7th, because the Islamic State didn't look favorably upon Hamas, that didn't stop individuals motivated by the war in
Gaza from conducting attacks in the name of the Islamic State. So, at a certain point, it all kind of blends together.
SCIUTTO: You have written, as I noted, that DHS moved resources away from detecting these kinds of attacks. Has that impacted the ability of the
Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to prevent this kind of thing?
CLARKE: Well, it certainly seems to be the case, and that's what happens when you make political decisions for security. These were inherently
political decisions, and we're going to end up seeing the impact of that. And again, we're not even halfway through the month of March. We've had
four potential incidents. And, you know, where's the FBI director? He's spending his time over in Milan, hanging out with the USA hockey team,
knowing that we're going to go to war in a week. You know, I think there's bigger fish to fry back home.
SCIUTTO: You heard Senator Cruz there blame Joe Biden, blame open borders. Is there evidence that terror groups, terror cells used the southern border
to enter this country in the last several years?
CLARKE: We know that there have been attempts and there are small numbers. And, you know, why wouldn't they try to do that? But we haven't seen any
evidence of any of these cases where that was the response.
You know, this is often the knee jerk response to anything that goes wrong for the Trump administration. They look all the way back and blame Biden's
open border policies rather than taking accountability for the decisions that this administration made. Again, playing politics with security and
intelligence.
SCIUTTO: Is there a level of sophistication that you and we should be concerned about with cells linked to Iran that you wouldn't see with other
attacks, including lone wolf attacks? The ones you saw today, I mean, a shooting, sadly, in this country is very easy to carry out. I mean, weapons
are widely available. A car with explosives. That's somewhat more sophisticated. But if they are indeed Iranian directed cells, are you
concerned that the attacks could be more ambitious?
CLARKE: It's a great question. The answer plainly is yes. If there are sleeper cells here in the United States and we've had Hezbollah operatives
arrested on U.S. soil, admit to being part of such cells, said that they were intended to activate in the event of a U.S.-Iran war, which we're in
right now, an existential situation for the regime, then I would expect these to be highly trained operatives with significant tradecraft, not
amateurish plots like we've seen in the past.
SCIUTTO: Yes, it's an alarming thought. Colin Clarke, we appreciate you sharing your expertise.
CLARKE: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Still to come on "The Brief," a message attributed to Iran's new supreme leader vowing revenge. What else do we know about that message and
that man there? We'll discuss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SCIUTTO: Now, to the U.S. and Israel's ongoing war with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israelis Iran is now substantially
weaker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We all hope for the toppling of this regime, but even if it doesn't happen, it
will be much weaker. Hopefully it will be overthrown and then the problem will be solved. But anyhow, we're talking about a very different Iran, not
as threatening as it used to be. It's not the same superpower. It's not this huge monster that nothing can be done to face it. And we are acting
together with others against them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Iran, though, is remaining defiant. Iran's regime released a new statement claiming to be from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The statement
read on state television on behalf of the new supreme leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The level of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be used. Studies have been conducted
on opening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be extremely vulnerable. And their activation will carry out if the war
situation continues and based on the observance of interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: We should note CNN is saying purported to be the supreme leader because Khamenei did not give the statement himself and has not been seen
in public since his appointment. A source tells CNN Khamenei is alive, though injured.
The Strait of Hormuz, as we've been telling you, is, of course, a crucial shipping corridor, particularly for oil. It oversees some fifth, one fifth
of the world's oil and liquid natural gas. Iran is suspected in an overnight attack that left two foreign oil tankers ablaze, as you see
there. Thirty crew members were rescued. One was killed.
Joining us now from Kuwait, CNN's Nic Robertson. Nic, I wonder how sources in the region view the progress of the war now, because there was a time
several days ago when the markets calmed. The president seemed to be saying it will be over soon. And the Strait was not quite closed, but that Strait
does appear to be closed. Oil prices are rising. You now have Arab nations buying drone technology from Ukraine, right, to protect themselves. Do they
have the sense that the U.S. is losing control of this war?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Perhaps not losing control, but having the initiative, if you will, slightly taken away from
them. The statement that we heard today that was broadcast from Tehran really speaks to that and certainly tries to claim a new narrative and take
in the initiative with the additional new threats.
Those two oil tankers that were set ablaze, they were sort of at an Iraqi oil terminal facility in the Persian Gulf, just off the coast of Iraq --
Iraqi oil terminal, rather, that literally happened about 45 miles from where we are right now, Kuwait City.
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You know, if you were here a couple of hours ago as we were, you would have seen the city was bustling, there were parents out with kids on their
shoulders, perhaps not as busy as it would normally be. The leaders in these countries here, these Gulf countries, obviously have a huge
responsibility to protect their populations, the population here, despite the fact that an attack got through today heading Kuwait International
Airport, despite the fact a residential building was hit in the early hours of last night and a couple of people were injured.
Most people here sort of feel a sense of protection, even when the war is coming so close and touching their lives more or less. But I think the hard
reality of the statements coming from Tehran and the view that's taken of the United States' ability to direct the course and shape the course of
this war towards a conclusion, I think what we heard from the Kuwaiti government this evening advising its citizens over this coming week, the
last week of Eid, saying don't have big wedding celebrations, don't have big gatherings, family gatherings, and get together as you traditionally
would. And that's done quite simply to try to avoid having big groups of people that could be caught up in an escalation of the conflict. The
rhetoric from Tehran and their proxies in Iraq is focusing on oil facilities, which are in abundance above the ground here and very
vulnerable, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Tell me how your sources view this statement from Iran's new supreme leader, as we noted, not delivered by himself but read on the air
and there have been reports that he's injured. Do they believe, do officials in the region believe that Khamenei is in charge right now?
ROBERTSON: I think they're doing what they've been doing since the get-go in this war, which is really sort of judging what Iran does by its actions
on the ground. You know, it was barely a week ago now when the Iranian president was apologizing to the Gulf states, and then that owl swung
around a few hours later when there were huge impacts in a renewed missile and drone salvo up and down the Gulf, and that's been what's happening this
past week.
So, you know, sources I talk to say that they're measuring the situation by what Iran does, and when Iran threatens, it's been making good on those
threats. You know, I think it was the night, last night or the night before, the Iranian leadership officials were talking about putting mines
in the Strait of Hormuz. Well, the next thing we heard that a couple of vessels were impacted by what appeared to be mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
So, there's a narrative that Iran creates that is then sort of filled not wholly but partially by facts on the ground, and that's the way sources
here tell me they're judging what's going to happen.
SCIUTTO: And one might say the oil market's doing quite similar, right, as we see those prices jump. Nic Robertson in Kuwait, thanks so much.
Still to come on "The Brief," how a question is worded might dramatically affect polling results. We're going to take a look at what the polls show
about how Americans feel about the war with Iran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
SCIUTTO: Police in West Bloomfield, Michigan, holding a press conference now on that synagogue attack. Let's listen in.
SHERIFF MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: Obviously, a horrific thing happened tragically here in Oakland County again. I want to make sure
the local community is aware, first and foremost, is this community works together, hand in glove. This community takes care of each other. And we
have been communicating regularly. I have been texting the chief, not just in West Bloomfield, but every place that's got significant houses of
worship, Jewish facilities, synagogues, temples, you name it, over the past two weeks.
Obviously, what happens around the world sometimes affects us. So, we have to think about it and be prepared for it. So, we've been talking. I text,
actually, the head of security from the temple two days ago and communicated some information to him. So, the first thing the community
should know is that we not just today work together. We work together all the time, our state, our federal and local partners. Number one.
Number two, we train. In our world, preparation is important. We hope and pray it never happens. But that's not a strategy. Preparation is. So, all
of us have been training together for many years for active shooters or active assailants, mass casualty events. And tragically, we've had way more
than our share. So that is ongoing and is in place.
The third thing is important to note. No children and no staff were hurt. So, we know there's evil in the world and we know they only have to get it
right once. And sometimes they do. They may not come on anybody's radar and they show up. But what happens when they show up? That's where training and
preparation kicks in. The security staff did an amazing job. An amazing job. And you'll get some of the details on that, but they stopped the
threat. No kids, no staff were hurt.
Now, there were some injuries and things that had to be taken care of. One of the head of security was taken to the hospital. He got knocked down by
the car when it breached the building. And we've had 30 law enforcement officers taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. So, a lot of our folks
from my SWAT team and other agencies are still in treatment because that building became engulfed on the car. And we'll learn all of that through
the investigation, why it became engulfed in flames, what was the ignition source.
And I think the ATF is taking the origin of that source and origin of the fire. But in any event, what it did, it caused terrible, terrible smoke in
that part of the building. And so, when all of our people collectively went in that building to search out the threat, to remove innocent, a lot of
them took in significant amount of smoke inhalation and they're at the hospital being treated.
So, I also know you're going to have a lot of questions. A lot of those questions can't be answered at this point because it's super preliminary in
the investigation. You know, all of us have thoughts of maybe why this happened, but we don't operate in a world where we can presume something.
We have to determine it through investigation and specificity. And that is a work that's in progress as we speak.
All of us will work seamlessly together to get the answers and then it will be called what it is. Obviously, it's a hateful terror, terrible thing,
right? But what drove this person into action, that has to be determined by the investigation. We can presume, but we have to find those facts and
that's going to happen over the next days in time.
So, we won't be able to get into a lot of the evidentiary questions, but we're available to make sure the community understands that we are still on
a very heightened platform. And the most important thing that I would tell the community, don't be afraid to call us. If we're not your own local
police department, call your local police department.
We'd rather respond to a hundred nothings than miss one real deal. The only way we prevent something like this is to get a call. Something's off with
my son, my brother, my boyfriend, whatever the case. I saw something posted. That's the only way we interdict because people are more likely to
see or hear something before us.
[18:30:00]
So, if you see or hear something, you have to communicate that. And then we can intervene and hopefully prevent. But if we can't prevent, then we
respond and mitigate. That's what happened today, and I think based on the early information, it happened flawlessly.
So, with that, I'll kick it over to my friend, Chief Young, from West Bloomfield Police Department.
CHIEF DALE YOUNG, WEST BLOOMFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you, Sheriff. My name is Dale Young. I'm the police chief of West Bloomfield. I want to
share with you how we got to where we are today. So, today we received a 911 call which came in around 12:19 p.m. It was about an active shooter
situation at Temple Israel where the individual drove into the building.
West Bloomfield officers arrived on scene under five minutes. Temple security officers engaged the individual and neutralized the threat. Our
officers combined with area agencies cleared the building multiple times and safely and successfully evacuated all children and staff. This is an
active crime scene, and we are examining every angle related to this situation. I will now turn this over to the FBI for further comment.
JENNIFER RUNYAN, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Hello. My name is Jennifer Runyan. Last name R-U-N-Y-A-N, and I'm a special agent in charge of the FBI
Detroit field office. This is a deeply disturbing and tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their family, and the entire
Jewish community.
The FBI is here working with our state, local, and federal partners to investigate this incident, and I can confirm that we are leading the
investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. As my partners have said, this is an active and ongoing
investigation with an active crime scene, and I ask for your patience as we process this evidence and pursue every lead that has come to us and that we
have developed thus far.
What I can share is this. There was one subject involved in this incident who is now deceased, and as my partners have said, we've had no victim
fatalities. I will not be able to provide additional information at this time on the subject or his motive, as our goal is to protect the integrity
of this investigation and to ensure that we give you accurate and timely information as soon as we can.
The FBI was notified of active reports -- excuse me, of active shooter at Temple Israel at approximately 12:45. We immediately activated and deployed
all of our crisis response resources, which includes our SWAT team, our crisis negotiation team, our evidence response team, our special agent bomb
techs, our weapons of mass destruction team, our cellular analysis survey team, and our victim services, as well as more than 100 agents and analysts
to ensure that we are actively mitigating and responding to the active threat but also pursuing diligently and methodically every lead that we
have.
My ask to the public is a few things. I know everyone wants information now, but I ask that you be patient, as we are still processing this scene
and still pursuing everything that we can and that has come to us to date.
Second, we've activated a digital media tip line for any witnesses who has photos or videos of the incident today. They can upload those at
www.fbi.gov/westbloomfieldattack, all one word. But the public can also report through our call line at 1-800-CALL-FBI if you have any information
about this incident and/or any other suspicious activity that you see around in your community, your life, your places of worship, your schools.
As the sheriff said, we all need to remain vigilant, and it takes the whole community to ensure that we remain safe. I also understand that congregants
may have left some personal effects at the synagogue, and as soon as we have a reunification site to get those effects to the affected victims, we
will be sure and release that as soon as possible.
I want to thank our partners and the first responders and the security personnel at Temple Israel, who did an excellent job at mitigating this
threat, and we are very grateful for their bravery and their service.
Next, I'd like to bring up or offer up Stephen Inberg, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit.
STEVEN INGBER, CEO, JEWISH FEDERATION OF DETROIT: As the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, I'd love to say I'm shocked or I'm surprised, but
I'm not. This is something that we train for. Thank you to all of the law enforcement officers who stand behind us and the many who don't. Thank you
to our Jewish community security team. This is a tough time.
It is a tough time, but we will get through this. We'll get through this together. We'll get through this stronger, and we'll continue to be loud
and proud of being Jewish. This will not change us. This will not deter us, and we will continue. With that, I'd like to turn it over to Rabbi Ariana
Gordon of Temple Israel.
[18:35:00]
RABBI ARIANNA GORDON, TEMPLE ISRAEL: Thank you so much. As you've heard, there's so much that we don't know. We're going to be processing all of
this in the days and weeks to come. But what I do want to say is a huge thank you to our law enforcement, to our Temple Israel security team, and
to our Early Childhood Center teachers, who were the true rock stars of the day. They ensured that all of our children remained safe and calm
throughout the entire day and got every single child safely reunited with their parents this afternoon. And for that, I can't express my gratitude
enough. We are really appreciative to all of you for making sure that everyone made it home tonight. Thank you for being here.
BOUCHARD: I think that's it. Obviously, we can't get into the evidence or questions, as I said, but I think the message is clear, that we all stand
united and stand together, whether it's federal, state, county, or local. We're committed to keeping this community safe. If you think you can target
the Jewish community in this county or anywhere in this state, you're wrong. We're going to not only stand in front of them to protect them,
we're coming for you.
So, with that, thank you.
SCIUTTO: We were listening to an update there from West Bloomfield, Michigan, on that attack on the synagogue. The headlines there, they say
that they are now treating this as an act of violence against the Jewish community, although earlier police said they were calling this a hateful,
terrible act, but further investigation necessary to determine the two true motives of the attacker.
Still with me now, NYPD Detective Kirk Burkhalter and U.S. national security and counterterrorism expert Colin Clarke. Colin, if I could begin
with you. Listen, it was clearly, I think we could have known going into that, that this was a deliberate attack on the Jewish community here. As
you listen to investigators, what stood out to you?
CLARKE: Well, I think we're lucky that, you know, this could have been far worse. Frankly, this could have been a really horrific incident. And so, in
some cases, we're saved, sometimes it's pure luck. Sometimes it's terrorist ineptitude.
The other is they're being very deliberate and patient with holding back until we have more evidence to point toward motive. And I think that's the
smart thing. There's no reason to get people riled up. I'm fairly confident it'll lead toward that, given the target, given the context of what's
happening in the world right now.
Look, we're focused on events in the United States, and that's the right thing. But there's been two incidents in Norway, one in Canada and another
in Belgium just over the past week. And so, conflict in the Middle East is driving a lot of people toward, you know, what they call targeted violence.
SCIUTTO: It's an important point. I should note that the Michigan attorney general, Dana Nessel, said a short time ago that in her view, that the fact
that this synagogue was named Temple Israel was not an accident, that in terms of a symbolic target, a temple named Israel might be one.
Chief Burkhalter, one thing that stood out to me as well, there'd been some reporting of explosives in the car. The police didn't get into details
about those explosives. They did say, listen, there was a fire, so there was clearly something flammable. But it doesn't seem to be clear from their
statement that it was an explosive device, or were you able to get a sense of where they were leading with that, with their comments on that?
BURKHALTER: No, I was not. And by the way, thanks for the promotion, but I was never a chief.
SCIUTTO: Oh, sorry. Well, you know, better to promote than demote. Yes.
BURKHALTER: But I would agree that the police are being very cautious about the information that they put out. So, we can sit and we can
certainly speculate and we can even connect the dots. However, police don't really do that. They have to have evidence and direct evidence before they
inform the public. Something may look and smell like an explosive device and it certainly probably could be. But it's really the prudent thing to do
is not call it such until the experts test it and determine exactly what it was.
So, I would agree with that. And I agree with my colleague here that, you know, what's important is not to create a panic or cause alarm amongst the
community. And you do so by releasing information once you confirm that that is the case. However, it appears that these were improvised.
You know, an explosive device could be anything from a firecracker to something that causes a lot of destruction. It explodes, right? So, -- but
the nature of it is what we have to see.
SCIUTTO: No question.
BURKHALTER: What -- how it will be determined.
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: I remember being with the NYPD counterterror team and they look for the purchase of quite simple household items like acetone and so on at
hardware stores because quite simple items can be blended in such a way to create an explosive. Colin Clarke, another thing that stood out to me here
is that this guy got his car inside the building, right? He was armed and he had something that set that car on fire, and yet there were no serious
injuries other than -- and no one killed other than the attacker himself. That's a, you know, fairly good combination of response times, I imagine,
but also maybe some good fortune.
CLARKE: Yes, and I think some post hoc vulnerability assessment that's needed. Unfortunately, we talk a lot and we talk in kind of soundbites and
cliches when we talk about terrorism, about how we don't negotiate with terrorists and how we don't change our lives because of terrorists, but we
do change our lives. You'll see ballards and other kind of defensive measures that have been put up in various locations after vehicle attacks.
So, I think hardening soft targets is a necessary measure, unfortunately, but it's really just adapting in this cat and mouse game between terrorists
and counterterrorism authorities.
SCIUTTO: Colin Clarke, Kirk Burkhalter, thanks so much for sticking around as we digest all the news. Appreciate having you on.
BURKHALTER: Quite welcome.
CLARKE: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: And we'll have much more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: This breaking news just into CNN. The U.S. military, Central Command, has confirmed that the U.S. lost a KC-135 refueling plane over
western Iraq. U.S. Central Command says the loss was not due to enemy fire or to friendly fire. They do say in their statement, CENTCOM, that two
planes were involved. One was able to land safely, and that they are continuing to -- rescue efforts are, in the words of the CENTCOM statement,
ongoing.
Joining me now for more on this and the progress of the war, U.S. House Democrat Johnny Olszewski. Congressman, thanks so much for taking the time.
REP. JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI (D-MD): Thanks Jim.
SCIUTTO: First, as we await word on the fate of the crew of that KC-135, I believe a crew of a KC-135 is six, so rescue efforts still underway. It is
certainly a reminder that war, this war, is dangerous, and it's putting U.S. service members at risk.
[18:45:00]
OLSZEWSKI: Yes, absolutely. And just like my thoughts and prayers go out to impacted members of the congregation you just mentioned in your last
segment about the synagogue, my thoughts and prayers go out to all the men and women of our military.
We've already lost seven members in this war with Iran. We know there have been over 150 injuries, and we lift up prayers here in this case in hoping
that these service members are brought back to us safely and without harm.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe this administration properly considered the effects of this war, the broader effects, certainly on U.S. service
members, the possibility of terrorism, and economic effects as we watch oil prices rise? Did they see this coming? Should they have?
OLSZEWSKI: They absolutely should have seen this coming, but I'm sorry to report to your viewers that they absolutely did not take any of this into
consideration. There was no plan presented to Congress or the American people in a war that was a war of choice. The president had ample
opportunity to both make the case for this war as well as have planning for it. And unfortunately, we're seeing the consequences with the economic
impact, the loss of lives. It's really just unfortunate. We have Americans who are still stranded because the State Department had no plan.
But whatever measure you want to try to, you know, use in this war that we're waging, we're not doing well on most accounts. And my concern is,
because there's no plan for what comes after, that's the real concern, not just how we're executing the war now and the actions of our brave men and
women in the military, but what happens after the war is supposed to be over.
SCIUTTO: As you know, efforts in Congress to limit President Trump's ability to wage war against Iran, they have failed. Are you seeing any more
support? Are you hearing any more support from your GOP colleagues to come around and perhaps pass a measure along those lines?
OLSZEWSKI: We actually saw a few members of the Republican Party join us in the War Powers Resolution vote in the House, and I want to commend them
for doing that. I will tell you that on a personal level, any number of my colleagues will share the frustrations and the concerns about the lack of
information, the concerns about whether or not we're committing boots on the ground, the $11 billion of costs where we have billions for bombs, but
nothing for the basics that Americans need here.
And yes, I think as this goes on, as the war cost goes up, as we are potentially committing boots on the ground, as the regime gets stronger and
more radicalized, you know, as we are seeing the nuclear arsenal still there, I think there will be questions about whether or not we need to
revisit that conversation, and it's my hope that we do so.
SCIUTTO: There's a new poll from The Washington Post, which shows something of a split decision on public support for the war. 42 percent
support it. When asked the question, do you support the U.S. military campaign against Iran, 40 percent oppose it. Different from other polls
that we saw prior to that. Last week, a different polling service found 52 percent against 39-4.
I wonder what you hear from your constituents. Do you hear some of them rallying around the president, rallying around the flag, as it were, on
this war?
OLSZEWSKI: Not at all. Actually, we had a town hall just earlier this week on Tuesday where hundreds of residents came out and directly told me that
they were opposed to this war, the spending, the loss of life, the risk to Americans, the impact to our economy.
And, you know, make no mistake about it, Iran is a repressive, brutal regime. They should not be able to have nuclear weapons. And so, I support
those aims. But in the absence of a plan that articulates American interests, how we end up better on the other side of this, what victory
actually looks like, what the plan is to stabilize the country, I don't think Americans want to have a blank check go into this president. And
there's certainly no blind trust that he hasn't earned in this case.
And so, the constituents I hear from are overwhelmingly concerned about and opposed to the war, especially given the vagueness with which it's being
conducted and the mixed messages we're getting even between the administration.
You know, Secretary Hegseth will say one thing and the president will contradict him in the same day. And so that does not instill confidence in
our ability to win this war.
SCIUTTO: Before we go, you mentioned the attack on the synagogue outside of Detroit. We did the shooting at Old Dominion University here in the
state, well, in the state of Virginia, just across the river from here. Are you confident that DHS has both the resources, the personnel, and also, I
might add, the focus necessary to detect and stop terror attacks in this heightened threat environment, or are you concerned, as others are, that is
diverted so much attention to immigration raids that it's not up to the task?
OLSZEWSKI: Well, not only have we diverted attention to immigration raids, but we've gutted the federal workforce. In Maryland alone, we've seen
almost 24,000 employees fired by DOGE.
[18:50:00]
We saw the FBI letting people go who are Middle East experts, right before the war started. And so, I'm one of the Democrats that believes we should
fund the rest of DHS. We should do those standalone bills for FEMA and the Coast Guard, et cetera. And we have to get that done.
But even if it's fully funded, and we know that the big ugly bill put plenty of money in place for ICE and CBP, but I am worried that both the
focus is wrong and they lack the personal resources and the personnel to actually keep our homeland safe. Questions hopefully we'll be asking if we
can get ourselves back to Congress, which is exactly where I think we should be, since that we're, given that we're in this time of war.
SCIUTTO: Congressman Johnny Olszewski, make sure I'm getting your name right. How do I pronounce it?
OLSZEWSKI: It's Johnny Olszewski, but they all call me Johnny O.
SCIUTTO: Olszewski. OK, I'll go with Johnny O next time, but thanks so much for joining.
OLSZEWSKI: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: We will have more on the crash of that U.S. KC-135 refueler, right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: As we noted earlier, the U.S. military has confirmed that a KC- 135 refueling jet has crashed in Iraq. U.S. Central Command says two U.S. aircraft were involved in the incident. One went down in western Iraq, the
second able to land safely. CENTCOM says that this accident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton joins us now on the phone. And, Cedric, first, KC-135, I believe, has a
crew of six. CENTCOM says search and recovery efforts are ongoing. What would that involve at this point? And, I suppose thankfully, western Iraq
is friendly territory for the U.S., so it's not only over hostile territory. But tell us what that search and rescue would look like.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Jim, you know, obviously, this is a potential tragedy in the making. And one of the things
that they'll have to do is they'll have to bring in a lot of different assets for the search and rescue process. They, of course, have to find the
scene of the crash.
Usually, what they'll do is they'll have pre-positioned helicopters that are part of the search and rescue or SAR effort. Those helicopters are
usually manned by people that are pararescue qualified. And the pararescue men are among the most elite of Air Force special operations. And they are
qualified not only medically, but also as in some of the special operations tactics and techniques that they would need to potentially use if they get
into a hostile area.
This, as you said, is not a hostile area, but it could be very rough terrain and requires some real airmanship skills in order to land in, you
know, potentially mountainous terrain or desert terrain, depending on exactly where this crash occurred.
[18:55:00]
SCIUTTO: Now, they have not identified the second aircraft. One could imagine, and we were showing some video of that, that that delicate dance
of an air refueling where the jet -- you know, these are high speeds, flies underneath it and they're able to link up and refuel. That's a -- they're
trained to do it. They do it very well all the time. But it's not the easiest thing in the world to do. And by the way, I should note the KC-135
is a flying fuel tank, right? So that has to be factored into what an accident like this might look like.
LEIGHTON: Yes, absolutely. It is a flying fuel tank. It's basically a 707, an old Boeing 707 airframe. And what it's designed to do is, of course,
refuel aircraft as they're in flight. And they have to -- when they do that refueling operation that you described, they have to match each other's
airspeed. So, when a tanker refuels an aircraft, the tanker will be above the aircraft that it is refueling.
Most likely the aircraft -- the other aircraft involved was probably a fighter. A fighter jet, you know, it could be an F-15, F-16, F-22, any of
the number of fighter aircraft that the U.S. has in its inventory. It could also have been another reconnaissance aircraft, which would be about the
same size as the KC-135. That's also possible. But, you know, at least initial reports seem to make it sound like this was a fighter.
SCIUTTO: Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks so much. Of course, we'll continue to bring you news on that lost aircraft over Iraq.
Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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