sherif, this particular sherif basically became interested in the iraq campaign in 2005. >> professorerges thank you so much for your time particularly given the time difference tonight. >> pleasure. >> again, the reports that we have, the information that we've got about whether or not one or both of these brothers was in syria and returned from syria, "usa today" is reporting that both brothers returned from syria this summer. we've heard from bill neely earlier this hour that there are some reports about one of the brothers, about said but not sherif those are unconfirmed reports at this point. obviously it's a matter of intense interest because this attack in paris, however it was inspired, there will be intense international interest in finding out whether there was an operational relationship with an international terror group like isis or al qaeda and what these guys did today. it matters not much in the moment whether or not you were home grown or whether you were sent by somebody else but matters a lot in terms of how these groups are dismantled and attacked by the security f

sherif, this particular sherif basically became interested in the iraq campaign in 2005. >> professor gerges, thank you so much for your time, particularly given the time difference tonight. >> pleasure. >> again, the reports that we have, the information that we've got about whether or not one or both of these brothers was in syria and returned from syria, "usa today" is reporting that both brothers returned from syria this summer. we've heard from bill neely earlier this hour that there are some reports about one of the brothers, about said, but not sherif, those are unconfirmed reports at this point. obviously it's a matter of intense interest because this attack in paris, however it was inspired, there will be intense international interest in finding out whether there was an operational relationship with an international terror group like isis or al qaeda and what these guys did today. it matters not much in the moment whether or not you were home grown or whether you were sent by somebody else, but matters a lot in terms of how these groups are dismantled and attacked by the sec

>> reporter: what we know for sure is that sherif has been in run-ins with the law. recruiting islamists to go to iraq, for example. this is somebody with a long rap sheet but don't know whether or not he traveled overseas, what kind of experience he may have had with weapons. but it does appear he was running in the sort of extremist circles. now, we know less about his brother, said kouachi. those who spent time in the prison system exposed to extreme forms of the islamist, you know, extremi extremism. this is what we know at this point. but we are still waiting for confirmation from french authorities for more background on both of them, specifically, whether or not they travel to syria or iraq recently. >> and that, he was put on trial. i think it was 2008 for trying to encourage others to go overseas to iraq and try to go himself. i think he was sentenced to 18 months but he had already served time while awaiting trial, so didn't actually do any extra prison time as i have read. >> reporter: well, this is somebody who was sort of in and out of the prison system.

two brothers in their early 30s, said and sherif kouachi as well as an accomplice hamid mourai. one told the associated press the suspects were tied to a yemeni terror group, however no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. joining me with the latest pete williams. what do we know about who these people are? >> to be fair we just don't know exactly what the situation is in france tonight. well into the middle of the night. there have been conflicting reports all afternoon about whether an arrest had been made the deputy mayor of paris thought someone was under arrest, then he said no that wasn't true. we were told earlier this evening that from two u.s. counterterrorism officials that one person was dead and two have been arrested but there are other u.s. officials that say they haven't been told that. the french aren't saying much. there's a natural desire by u.s. officials not to get out ahead of the french. so i think in fairness, chris, we have to say we just don't know exactly what the situation is there tonight. this has been something of a moving picture all da