[19:00:10] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR:
OUTFRONT next, breaking news. President Obama breaking his silence talking about a bomb taking down Flight 9268.
Plus, our special report inside a bomb lab. What kind of bomb could ISIS have used?
And Ben Carson says he led a violent past, attacking people with bats, hammers and knives. So, CNN tracked down his childhood friends. Is it true? Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, President Obama weighing in for the first time on how terrorists may have taken down Metrojet Flight 9268. The plane blowing up in midair killing all 224 people on board.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES:
I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board and we're taking that very seriously.
BURNETT:
This, as a U.S. official tells CNN there had been chatter about bomb capabilities prior to the crash and after the crash, an official telling CNN, ISIS terrorists were bragging about the crash and having specific conversations about the bomb's origin. Leading intelligence experts to believe a bomb took down Flight 9268. The Intel also suggests that an airport insider planted a bomb on the plane. That insider or insiders could still be working at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport. Leading the UK government to hold all flights in and out of the luxury resort. Thousands of tourists are stranded there tonight. Tomorrow, special charters will arrive at Sharm El- Sheik to begin bringing them home. The passengers will only be allowed what they can carry onboard. There will be no luggage in the plane's cargo hold.
Pamela Brown is OUTFRONT tonight. And Pamela, these are chilling messages that you are learning about that have been intercepted.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT:
That's right, Erin. They are chilling. And the intelligence is inconclusive right now, I want to point that out, but it's enough to cause widespread concern among U.S. officials, including President Obama, as we just heard, that a bomb was planted on that plane and ISIS could be behind it.
BROWN (voice-over):
Tonight, U.S. intelligence officials say specific chatter from the ISIS affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula following the crash is leading American officials to suspect a bomb may be responsible for bringing down the plane.
REP. PETER KING (R), HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE:
Obviously there's a consensus building around the world that there was explosives and if there was, ISIS would certainly be a prime candidate.
BROWN:
Intelligent sources tell CNN terrorists boasted messages about planting a bomb on the plane but officials caution the chatter alone is not definitive evidence.
DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES:
The chatter is not fool-proof and could be used in ways to throw off someone who you know is listening on your communications.
BROWN:
ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula has shown bomb-making capabilities before but if the terrorists are responsible for smuggling a bomb aboard this flight, it would mark a significant step in their capabilities to launch further attacks.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY:
At this point, we don't have enough information to make our own determination about what exactly occurred but we do have enough information at this point to not rule out the possibility of terrorist involved.
BROWN:
There is no indication so far that passengers or crew aboard the flight had any connection to terror groups so investigators are looking at a possible inside job. A not so sophisticated bomb planted by an employee at Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh Airport.
ANTHONY MAY, FORMER ATF EXPLOSIVE AIRPORT:
Other than some physically being on the plane initiating device, we're really kind of limited to either a timing situation or a barometric pressure switch bringing down an aircraft.
BROWN:
Tonight, Egypt and Russia are still pushing back saying it's too soon to know if terrorism was at play.
BROWN:
And U.S. officials say no final assessment will be made about the cause until forensics evidence and results from those black boxes are made available -- Erin.
BURNETT:
All right. Pamela, thank you very much.
And we're also getting some disturbing new intelligence tonight about the group that claims responsibility for the bombing.
Our terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank is OUTFRONT. Paul, what more are you learning about that tonight?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST:
Well, the intelligence pointing to the idea of an insider involved at Sharm El-Sheikh airports. And this group ISIS -- looking to see who is potentially responsible for this attack and actually has a track record of recruiting insiders inside the Egyptian military and police. And in fact, a senior Egyptian police colonel back in January 2014 passed over insider information which helped the group launched an attack at a security director headquarters in Cairo. So very significant details there, Erin.
BURNETT:
Very significant details. All right. Thank you very much, Paul Cruickshank.
