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American Morning

Target: Terrorism: Bin Laden Associates to Be Sentenced for 1998 Embassy Bombings

Aired October 18, 2001 - 09:16   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Security is extremely tight only blocks from site of the attack on the World Trade Centers. At the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, four followers of Osama bin Laden are about to be sentenced for are the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is outside the courthouse with more.

Deborah, any major changes since the last time I spoke with you?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, everything is pretty much status quo, everyone waiting for the sentencing to begin. That is expected to happen at about 10:00 this morning. As you mentioned, security in this area is extremely tight. It was tight during the trial, but nothing compared to right now. I have seen several U.S. Marshals carrying big 12-gauge shotguns, Glock semiautomatic pistols, as well as rifles.

Police have not said whether they have received any threats, although they do, at same time, tell us even if they did, they certainly wouldn't be telling us. But every precaution is being taken in this area.

Those four men will soon learn exactly how long they will be locked away. All were found guilty of being part of Osama bin Laden's worldwide terrorist conspiracy to kill Americans. Two of the men, Mohamed al-'Owhali and K.K. Mohamed, were found guilty of mass murder for their roles in the car bombings two of U.S. embassies, one in Nairobi, Kenya, the other in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. This happened back in 1998.

Those two men did face the death penalty; however, a jury this summer simply could not reach a unanimous decision, which they needed to do. That is why all of these men are facing a maximum life sentence -- and because there are so many counts, it is likely that they will be sentenced numerous times. Whether they serve consecutively or concurrently, that is something that we'll later find out.

We are going to hear, for the first time, from two of the convicted terrorists. At least that is what we are being told. Wadih El Hage, Osama bin Laden's personal secretary, a man who ran some of his legitimate businesses, is expected to speak for as long as perhaps 30 minutes. He waived his right at trial to testify, but today, he has something to say.

We also think we are going to hear from man named Mohamed Odeh. He is one of bin Laden's soldiers who trained in al Qaeda, as did the two other actual car bombers.

So again, all of this is to take place this morning. There will be representation from the victims' families, about 10 people likely to take the stand to say exactly what they lost when their loved ones were killed -- Paula.

ZAHN: Deborah, thanks so much.

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