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Attorney General Announces New Terrorism Indictments

Aired April 09, 2002 - 14:07   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In the last hour, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced new terrorism indictments involving a familiar face, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who's serving life plus 65 years for plotting to blow up New York City landmarks, including the World Trade Center.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us now live with more details. She's been following it. Hi, Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Well, justice indicting the lawyer and translator for Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind cleric who is serving a life sentence for plotting to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak back in 1993, and also for plotting to blow up New York City landmarks, bridges and tunnels, in 1995.

The attorney general basically saying the lawyer and translator, during prison visits and subsequent phone calls, helped pass and spread messages between Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman and his alleged terror group, called Gamat al-Islamiya. That group has links to both al Qaeda and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Prosecutors saying it was that help from the lawyer and the translator that helped Sheikh Rahman maintain his influence while in prison.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Sheikh Abdel Rahman has learned the lessons of the al Qaeda manual well. Sheikh Rahman is determined to exploit the rights guaranteed to him under the United States system of justice. The United States cannot and will not stand by and allow this to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: The attorney general says the lawyer is in violation of spreading Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman's message. For example, she once held a press conference saying that Rahman was withdrawing his support of a cease-fire between moderate elements of the jihad group, thereby condoning terrorist acts, giving them the go-ahead.

The lawyer, Lynne Stewart, has represented a number of controversial clients. She has most recently been representing Sammy "the Bull" Gravano in his drug case. Gravano, as you know, is the one who testified against former Mafia Don John Gotti. Now, also in custody is the man who was based in Staten Island. The attorney general is saying that he acted as a surrogate for the sheik, basically spreading the message from Rahman to other groups, even arranging conference calls to let them know exactly what the sheik was thinking. That information allegedly coming from both the lawyer and the translator.

The prison conversations were monitored. The attorney general saying that it was those conversations that actually prompted the U.S. government to put into effect the U.S. Patriot Act, which allowed listening in to attorney-client conversations, in anticipation of preventing certain terrorist acts. And according to the attorney general, because this has happened, from here on in, any conversation that Sheikh Rahman has with any lawyer will be listened in on -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And, Deborah, still no proof if there is a connection between 9-11 and Rahman in the messages he was getting out through this attorney?

FEYERICK: No direct proof. And as a matter of fact, the attorney general did make clear that this was separate from 9-11. You know, he did draw the parallel that Rahman was sort of taking a page out of the al Qaeda manual on how to continue running your operations even if you're in jail. But otherwise, no direct link to that.

PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick, live from New York, thank you so much.

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