[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] He claims the homeland security chief's account also has been breached. And, tonight, we're learning about the motive behind the attack and the threat to go public with stolen secrets. Iran connection some of America's most dangerous adversaries are now teaming up for a major military offensive. Now a ruthless Iranian commander appears to be on the ground near the battlefield with American blood on his hands. And 911 war of words. Donald Trump is adding new fuel to his feud with Jeb Bush over the attacks on America and whether George W. Bush could have done more to keep the nation safe. We're standing by to hear from Donald Trump live this hour. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in
[The Situation Room. Announcer:] This is CNN breaking news. Breaking news tonight, an alleged hacker tells CNN he's preparing to leak information stolen from some of America's top national security officials. The U.S. is investigating his claim that he broke into the private e-mail accounts used by the CIA director and the homeland security secretary. We're also told high-level Cabinet members could be next. Also this hour, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump asking for Secret Service protection and guess what? He's likely to be getting it soon. His top rival, Dr. Ben Carson, also has asked for federal security as well. We're waiting to hear from Donald Trump. He's on the campaign trail in South Carolina this hour. Our correspondents and analysts, they are also standing by, along with Senate Intelligence Committee member James Risch. I will ask him what he knows about any e-mail security breaches. First, let's go to our justice reporter, Evan Perez. Evan, what are you learning about these alleged breaches and the motive? Do they have classified information?
[Evan Perez, Cnn Justice Correspondent:] Wolf, we're told this alleged hacker claims to CNN he's part of a group that broke into private accounts of CIA director John Brennan and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to protest U.S. foreign policy on Israel and the Palestinians. And on recent days, he's posted taunts on Twitter at the CIA and DHS officials and he's published information he says he stole from Brennan's AOL account. One document is a list reported to be members of the Senate intelligence community with security clearances and another document he claims he stole is the government form Brennan would have filled out in order to get his top security clearance. Brennan would have provided this while he was still a private citizen and before he took a job with the Obama administration. We have a statement from the CIA that says: "We're aware of the reports that surfaced on social media and have referred the matter to the appropriate authorities." Wolf, as you said, the FBI and the Secret Service are both investigating this because they consider this to be a serious case.
[Blitzer:] How are the CIA and Department of Homeland Security reacting?
[Perez:] They are not confirming yet that this has actually happened, but just from talking to officials, it's clear they are taking this very, very seriously. We're talking about like you said, the instances of some of the documents that they have posted that may include people who were members of the intelligence community and this hacker claims that he has data on other Cabinet officials.
[Blitzer:] How sophisticated was this operation?
[Perez:] We're told not very sophisticated. Even the hacker himself says he frankly just tricked someone into changing and resetting passwords. This is a very common tactic people use to break into accounts and to take over people's Twitter or Apple iCloud accounts, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Evan Perez, very disturbing information. Thanks very much. There's more breaking news tonight. CNN has learned that U.S. pilots have been told not to engage Russian jets making aggressive moves in the skies over Syria. Syrian government forces are waging a new offensive against rebel fighters around the city of Aleppo with air support from Russia and ground support from Iran. Tonight, another dangerous complication, a shadow Iranian commander appears to be on the ground right now in Syria. Brian Todd is looking into this for us. Brian, what is happening on the battlefield?
[Brian Todd, Cnn Correspondent:] Wolf, tonight, a U.S. intelligence official tells us Iran's military support to the Assad regime on the ground in Syria continues to grow. There are strong indications Iran's partnership with Vladimir Putin is getting stronger tonight. Sources say these recent images of a powerful and notorious Iranian general apparently near the battlefield in Western Syria reinforce our recent reporting that Iran is doubling down in Syria and putting its top commanders at risk.
[Todd:] His reputation for ruthlessness is legendary, his military skill unquestioned and he's now regularly being spotted on key battlegrounds in Syria, this picture from Iran's semi-official news agency showing Iranian General Qassem Suleimani seemingly posing with troops in Syria the latest evidence of Iran's growing involvement with Russia there. Other photos posted on social media have captions which claim Suleimani was in Western Syria in recent days speaking not only to Syrian troops, but to fighters from Hezbollah, considered a terror group by the U.S. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of these photos or when they were taken. But if Suleimani is in Western Syria, experts say it foreshadows danger.
[Patrick Clawson, Washington Institute For Near East Policy:] It would be another piece of evidence that the Iranians are planning to be heavily involved in what appears to be a planned major offensive in the area.
[Todd:] U.S. officials tell CNN there could be more than 2,000 Iranian troops, up to 6,000 Syrians and more than 2,000 Hezbollah fighters on the ground near Aleppo in an offensive aimed at recapturing that city from anti-Assad forces. It's a dangerous alliance that has Washington worried.
[Faysal Itani, The Atlantic Council:] It's quite significant. This has been an escalating trend we have seen over the past year in particular. As the regime's performance militarily has faltered, the Iranians have stepped in to fill that role and actually have established a strong political and military presence in the country. We have gotten to a stage where essentially these battles are being planned and led on the battlefield by Iranians.
[Todd:] Suleimani leads the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. He's a shadowy commander with a lot of American blood on his hands from the Iraq War.
[Clawson:] He spearheaded the effort to build bombs that were very effective killing American forces and used advance explosive devices.
[Todd:] U.S. officials say Suleimani was also involved in a notorious plot on American soil overseeing Quds Force operatives who in 2011 tried and failed to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States at Washington's upscale Cafe Milano. Iran denies involvement. Despite his reputation for commanding operations from afar, there are strong indications that Iranian commanders right under General Suleimani are vulnerable in Syria. The Iranian government recently confirmed that this man, General Hossein Hamadani, a top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, was killed by ISIS near Aleppo. A U.S. intelligence official called that a psychological blow to forces fighting for Bashar al-Assad, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Brian, the Iranians have also lost some other key military leaders there as well and not that long ago.
[Todd:] That's right. Wolf, right around the time that Hamadani was reported killed, there have been reports that Iran lost at least four other commanders in recent days. That's a sign that Syria could be turning into a real quagmire for the Iranians.
[Blitzer:] Brian Todd reporting, thank you. Joining us now, a top member of both the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, James Risch of Idaho. Senator, thanks very much for coming in. Can you confirm for us that Suleimani is now in Syria, this top Quds commander?
[Sen. James Risch , Idaho:] Well, I would only confirm it from the open sources that you have. I really can't go there as far as the intelligence information we have, but this should come as a surprise really to no one. He has been heavily engaged. As you know, one of the first red flags that went off was when he made the trip to Moscow. And it was shortly after that things really started to happen. I know the report that you said your reporter said that this has been a troubling trend for the last year-and-a-half. That's true, but it is really, really ratcheted up over the last couple of months. We're seeing what is happening here. And this alliance between Iran, Russia, Hezbollah and Assad's forces in Syria, first of all, it is a powerful coalition that's coming together here. No one is opposing them. No one is doing anything about it. They are obviously preparing the attack on Aleppo, as you reported, and that's going to be a tough situation for the people trying to defend Aleppo.
[Blitzer:] General Suleimani, who was directly involved, you heard Brian's report, in going after U.S. military personnel in Iraq working with Shia militia, creating improvised explosive devices, and apparently he's got a lot of American blood on his hands. As far as you know, is he on the U.S. target list right now? Is the U.S. trying to either capture him or kill him?
[Risch:] To my knowledge, I would say no to both of those. Right now, the current administration has been doing the things they have been doing with Iran, negotiating with them, entered into this agreement that just happened. And just from watching administration, I believe that they just put Iran on the shelf and are going to let things go from here, which is to a lot of us who were against the whole thing from the beginning, it's very troubling.
[Blitzer:] Are there 2,000 Iranian military personnel in Syria right now?
[Risch:] Wolf, I can't give you the exact number for obvious reasons. That's classified. I would say this. Open sources have reported that there are at least that many in Syria right now. That shouldn't surprise anyone. The more troubling thing for us is, as we all know, there are billions of dollars that are about to change hands and go to Iran. What troubles me is that that money, not all of it, of course, but a very substantial amount of those billions that they are going to get, are going to be used to put more people on the ground in Syria, put more weapons on the ground in Syria. And it is simply not a good situation. As you know, Syria as you know, Iran is in control of Hezbollah and the same thing is going to happen there.
[Blitzer:] And there are about 2,000 Hezbollah troops inside Syria as well? That's what we just reported.
[Risch:] Right. There are at least 1,500, maybe more than that, maybe even more than what you reported on. And with this growing threat on Aleppo, one wouldn't be surprised to see that number grow more.
[Blitzer:] You're talking about those billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets that are about to be unfrozen because of the Iran nuclear deal and you're saying they could do with that money whatever they want to do.
[Risch:] Exactly. Those of us that were critical were pressing the negotiators to say, look, get some sideboards on this money. And they said, oh, don't worry about it, things are so bad in Iran that they are going to use it for social purposes. Look, when they were broke, they were funding these operations in Syria and putting substantial amount of money in there. That is obviously a high priority for the Iranian nation. What are they going to do when they got real money in hand?
[Blitzer:] Senator, stand by. We have more to talk about, including the very disturbing reports that the director of the CIA, the secretary of homeland security may have had their private e-mail accounts hacked. Much more with Jim Risch when we come back.