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CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: Developments in the Investigation

Aired September 26, 2001 - 14:09   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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The president promised to hunt down and bring to justice everyone who was responsible for the terror attacks of September the 11th. That means a relentless investigation has been ongoing ever since that date. Today we have developments on a number of fronts.

Our Kelli Arena, justice correspondent, Kelli, including one developments that is very disturbing.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, probably on of the most disturbing that we have followed so far.

The FBI is checking the records of all truck drivers licensed to carry hazardous materials. That includes explosives and poison. Now that is according to sources who say that FBI agents remain on high alert regarding the possibility of another terrorist attack.

Now at least one man that we know of is in custody: Nabil AlMarrah (ph) . He was discovered to have a license to carry hazardous material and sources say that he may have links to associates of Osama bin Laden.

Yesterday, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that several people that were possibly connected to the terrorist attacks had fraudulently obtained or tried obtain so-called hazmat licenses. In a development just outside of Washington, D.C. a man named Mohammed Abdi (ph) appeared in federal court on charges of forgery.

But the FBI is interested in him because his name and number were found on a map left in a car registered to one of the alleged hijackers. That hijacker, Nowak Alhamzi (ph). That car was found at Dulles Airport and it also contained cashiers checks made out to a flight school in Phoenix, four drawings of a 757 airplane cockpit, one boxcutter type knife and maps of Washington D.C. and New York.

Important to note, his lawyer says that there is absolutely no evidence, Judy, that he knew the suspected hijacker or any of the other hijackers for that matter.

WOODRUFF: But a connection of some sort.

ARENA: Yes, obviously.

WOODRUFF: Some international developments today too, Kelli. ARENA: Yes, the Spanish government had arrested six Algerians. They are believed to have links to Osama bin Laden. Government officials say that they may have been helping to prepare attacks on U.S. targets in Europe. The Spanish government says that they were part of the Salifist (ph) group for call or combat.

Now that is a group that appears on a list of organizations whose assets were just frozen by the Bush Administration. And we have some developments in Britain. Police have arrested three people under the nation's terrorism law. One of those is believed to be a French citizen who is wanted in connection with planned attacks on U.S. interests in Europe.

WOODRUFF: So a number of European countries now getting into the act. ARENA: Yes. A very international effort, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Kelli Arena, thanks very much.

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