MIDAIR STABBING: Investigators look for meaning to its MOTIVE

>> Sandra: WE ARE STILL. WAITING ON KEY ANSWERS ABOUT THE. FLYDUBAI COPILOT OF TRYING TO. TAKE OVER THAT ISRAEL BOUND. FLIGHT. THE CAPTAIN IS RECALLING HOW HE. FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK TO THE. COCKPIT AS ISRAELI OFFICIALS. EXAMINE REPORTS THE SUSPECT HAD. TALKED ABOUT KILLING JEWS. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT JEFF PAUL. REPORTING LIVE OUT OF TEL AVIV.

>> SANDRA, IT'S SAFE TO SAY IT'S. A MIRACLE THAT HERO CAPTAIN OF. THAT FLYDUBAI FLIGHT IS STILL. ALIVE BUT HE IS NOW RECOVERING. IN THE HOSPITAL AND THAT IS. WHERE HE SPOKE FROM. TO INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER. NARENDRA MODI ABOUT THAT. TERRIFYING MOMENT THAT HIS. COPILOT STARTED ATTACKING HIM. MID-AIR. >> AT THAT MOMENT I WAS FIGHTING. FOR MY LIFE. THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN I. REALIZED I HAD SO MANY WOUNDS. I HAD FALLEN DOWN. I REALIZED IF I DON'T GET UP, I.

HAVE BEEN A PILOT FOR 17 YEARS, I'VE BEEN CAPTAIN FOR THE LAST. 11 YEARS. I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE. FLIGHT EVEN WITH MY EYES CLOSED. WHEN I WAS ON THE GROUND I. REALIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IS. GOING DOWN. I TOLD MYSELF THIS IS THE LAST. PUSH. THE DOOR IS RIGHT HERE. I OPENED THE DOOR AND EVERYONE. ELSE.

>> PRIME MINISTER MODI THANKING. CAPTAIN SMIT MACHCHHAR. THE INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING. WHY THIS HAPPENED IS STILL VERY. MUCH UNDERWAY. THE COPILOT WHO AUTHORITIES SAY. ATTACKED CAPTAIN SMIT AND TRIED. TO DOWN THE PLANE WAS. TRANSFERRED TO THE UNITED ARAB. EMIRIRATES. UAE IS LEADING THE INVESTIGATION. WITH THE HELP FROM ISRAEL AND. SAUDI ARABIA. PRIME MINISTER. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYS THE. ATTACKER IS FROM OMAN AND. APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN. RADICALIZED.

WORKING TO DETERMINE IF HE WAS. WORKING WITH ANYONE ELSE OR IN. CONJUNCTION WITH SOME SORT OF. FOREIGN ENTITY. YESTERDAY WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP. WAS ASKED IF IRAN HAD SOME SORT. OF ROLE IN THIS HE SAYS THEY. COULD HAVE. HE SAYS IF IT ENDS UP BEING THE. CASE THEY WILL HIT THEM VERY. HARD. >> Sandra: JEFF PAUL ON THAT. FOR US. THANK YOU. >> John: LET'S DIG DEEPER ON. THIS BY BRINGING IN FORMER. CENTCOM COMMANDER AND RETIRED. FOUR STAR GENERAL JOSEPH NORTEL, NOW DISTINGUISHED SENIOR FELLOW. AT THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE.

AS JEFF PAUL WAS SAYING. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS IT'S. POSSIBLE THIS GUY WAS CONNECTED. TO IRAN FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN. AROUND THE WORLD, THINGS RARELY. HAPPEN IN A VACUUM. NO ONE IS SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT. THIS GUY. >> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, I THINK. WHAT THE AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING. TO DO IS ESTABLISH THE EVIDENCE. COME AND GET THE FACTS ON WHAT. THIS IS BEFORE WE MAKE AN. ANNOUNCEMENT. I THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT. THE SENATE VERY, VERY CLEAR. MESSAGE.

IF THERE IS ACTIVITY IN A ROUND. THERE WILL BE A PRICE TO PAY. BUT --. >> John: LET'S PLAY IT SO. FOLKS AT HOME CAN SEE IT. >> AGAINST IRAN IF THEY ARE. BEHIND IT? >> THEY WILL BE HIT VERY HARD. SPEAKER BY THE US? >> John: HE SAYS THEY WILL BE. HIT REALLY HARD DON'T WORRY. ABOUT IT. IN YOUR EXPERIENCE WHAT WOULD A. RESPONSE ENTAIL FOR SOMETHING.

LIKE THAT? >> WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CAPABILITY. THAT'S STILL IN THE MIDDLE EAST. RIGHT NOW APPEARED MARITIME. CAPABILITY, AIR CAPABILITY. THIS COULD BE A HEAVY PUNCH. AGAINST THOSE THAT WE ATTRIBUTE. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ATTACK. GO AFTER THEM OR THEIR. FACILITIES OR INSTALLATIONS OR. WE COULD GO AFTER A WHOLE. VARIETY OF THINGS. ACROSS IRAN. I THINK WHAT IS MOST EFFECTIVE. OF COURSE IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY GO.

AFTER THE ELEMENT THAT HAS. PERPETETRATED THE OFFENSE AGAINT. US AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'LL. BE LOOKING FOR IN THIS CASE. >> John: YOU COULD LOGICALLY. ASSUME THAT IF THERE WAS A. CONNECTION IT WOULD LIKELY BE. THE IRGC THOUGH THERE HASN'T. BEEN A CONNECTION PROVEN AT THIS. POINT. GENERAL, THERE'S A GROWING. BELIEF THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SORT. OF KEEPING IT COOL RIGHT NOW ON. KINETIC ACTION AGAINST IRAN. BUT AFTER THE MIDTERERMS THAT MY. CHANGE SOMEWHAT. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> WE'VE SEEN REPORTING OF. ANOTHER CARRIER AND ANOTHER. AMPHIBIOUS GROUP MOVING TOWARDS.

THE MIDDLE EAST. I THINK THIS IS DESIGNED TO DO A. COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR. POSTURE IS ROBUST IN THE EVENT. THAT THE PRESIDENT DECIDES THAT. WE NEED TO TAKE FURTHER MILITARY. ACTION AND WE HAVE ALL THE TOOLS. WE NEED. I ALSO THINK IT'S SENDING A. CLEAR MESSAGE HOPEFULLY FOR OUR. NEGOTIATORS BACKING THEM AND. SUBSEQUENTLY TO IRAN THAT WE ARE. VERY, VERY SERIOUS ABOUT. BRINGING THIS TO A CONCLUSION. THE FINANCIAL SANCTIONS APPROACH. WE HAVE TAKEN HERE DOES TAKE A. LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

IT DOES APPEAR IT'S HAVING A. VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON IRAN. BUT AGAIN WE ARE BACKING ALL OF. THIS UP WITH MILITARY POWER TO. ENSURE THAT WE CAN MOVE THIS TO. A CONCLUSION IN SOME PARTICULAR. POINT. >> John: GENERAL, I'M GLAD YOU. BROUGHT UP THE COMING DEPLOYMENT. BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO PUT TOGETHER. A GRAPHIC OF WHAT'S HEADED TO. THE REGION. IT'S THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT. STRIKE GROUP. NIMITZ CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIER, CARRIER AIR WING 11 WITH EF. 35CS, FA18 SUPER HORNETS AS WELL.

AS ANCILLARY AIRCRAFT. THE LAKE ERIE GUIDED MISSILE. CRUISERS A DESTROYER SQUADRON. 23. THEY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE. U.S. MARINE CORPS AMPHIBIOUS. READY GROUP ATTACHED TO THE. USS MEGAN ISLAND AS WELL AS 13. MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT. USS JOHN MURTHA AND THE. USS ANCHORAGE. IN MANY CASES A SHOW OF FORCE IS. GOING TO BE A RAID OF THE. ARABIAN SEA WOULD CAUSE MOST. REGIMES TO BACK DOWN BUT THE. IRANIANS HAVE A HABIT OF NOT. GETTING A MESSAGE.

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO. APPRECIATE THE POSITION THE IRGC. IS IN. FOR THEM THIS IS EXISTENTIAL. THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO. THEY DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT. HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLE APPEAR. THAT'S BEEN VERY WELL. ESTABLISHED. THIS IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE. REGIME TO DEMONSTRATE THIS. STUBBORNNESS AND CANNOT MOVE. FORWARD. THEY ARE TRYING TO EXTRACT AS. MUCH OUT OF THIS. THEY WANT OWNERSHIP OF THE. STRAIT. THEY WANT TO CONTROL THEIR. PROPERTIES AND THEY WANT. SANCTIONS RELIEF. THESE ARE THE THINGS THEY ARE.

GOING TO CONTINUE TO HOLD OUT. FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. >> John: IN TERMS OF THE. STRAIT, TO CLOSE OUTCOME IT. WOULD SEEM IRAN HAS LOST THE. BATTLE OF THE STRAIT HERE. THERE'S ALMOST AS MUCH GETTING. OUT ON A DAILY BASIS NOW AS. THERE WAS PRECONFLICT. >> THAT'S A REAL CREDIT TO THE. UNITED STATES NAVY AND THE GREAT. WORK THAT OUR SAILORS AND. COMMANDERS HAVE DONE IN N THE. FIELD TO OPEN THAT UP. THERE IS STILL I'M SURE SOME. THREATS HERE TO THIS BUT IT. APPEARS THE CONFIDENCE IN THE.

MERCHANT MARINER COMMUNITY IS. GROWING AND THAT'S WHAT'S. ALLOWING THIS OIL TO GET OUT BUY. SO GREAT JOB BY THE U.S. NAVY. >> John: PRESIDENT KEEPS. ENCOURAGING IRAN TO COME TO THE. TABLE AND IF THEY DON'T COME TO. THE TABLE BY THE. 3RD OF NOVEMBER, I THINK IT. MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR. THEM.