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CNN Live Saturday

Milosevic May be Extradited, Military Remains on Alert

Aired June 23, 2001 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with two important stories. A decision to extradite an accused war criminal and a terrorist threat against U.S. interests. First to Yugoslavia, where the cabinet has just cleared the way for Slobodan Milosevic to be extradited to the war crimes tribunal at The Hague. The decree is controversial in Belgrade, and it does not effect until Sunday. Seven members boycotted the Cabinet members, where ministers acted against the former Yugoslav strongman, after being threatened with a loss of world aid.

And our other top story: a new terrorist threat against the United States. A U.S. official says it came from two intelligence sources and although it's vague, the United States is taking the threat seriously, especially in the Persian Gulf region. Ships in the U.S. Fifth Fleet quickly left Bahrain, went to sea. And the U.S. Marines quit a training exercise in Jordan. The State Department issued a worldwide caution to Americans, told them to keep a low profile, change around their travel routines and treat mail and strangers with caution.

President Bush is spending this weekend at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, but he's keeping a close eye on both these important developments. CNN's Major Garrett joins us from Crawford with the latest -- Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president is monitoring both of these situations. An administration official just a few moments ago telling CNN that the situation dealing with Slobodan Milosevic and that decree to extradite him to undergo trial at The Hague for international war crimes is, quote, "a potentially positive step." This administration official also going on to say, "It's a good step in the right direction, but we're watching to see when he's actually extradited."

Now the Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, had originally opposed the idea of extraditing Milosevic to face those war crimes tribunal charges, instead, preferring to have him tried in Yugoslavia. But intense international pressure from the United States, among many other countries, and the threat of losing not only direct aid from the United States and other countries, but access to vitally important International Monetary Fund and World Bank loans apparently have led this new Yugoslav government to make this change in tactics and put Mr. Milosevic on the path toward extradition, to face those war crimes tribunal charges in The Hague. Another story the president is monitoring from the ranch here in Crawford, as you said, heightened state of security. A new threat originally believed to have come from the Osama bin Laden terrorist organization. The threat conditions called Threat Conditions Delta. It is the highest level of security threat that the U.S. military operates under. Extreme precautions are being taken, as you said.

The Fifth Fleet been put out to sea. Many of those ships were already out to sea, but those that were not, they were ported in Bahrain, now out to sea. Those Marine exercises in Jordan canceled. Those hundreds of Marines been taken out of Jordan, put on the USS Boxer out to sea as well.

All of this, U.S. officials believe could be related to the indictments released in the United States earlier this week dealing with the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996. That left 19 U.S. airmen killed and injured hundreds of others. Those indictments against 13 Saudis and one Lebanese.

It is believed that those indictments and the upcoming anniversary of that Khobar Towers bombing on Monday, that's the fifth anniversary of that, has led to an environment where the security threat actually was posed. The security officials and the U.S. government are not sure if it is related to a particular region of the world or a particular timetable. They're taking no chances, putting all U.S. military assets on the highest level of alert and also issuing, as you said, those State Department warnings to be extra careful in all embassy related duties -- Donna.

KELLEY: Major Garrett in Crawford, Texas. Thanks very much.

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