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CNN Live Today

Terrorism on Some British Minds

Aired May 21, 2002 - 13:32   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Terrorism is on British minds these days with many feeling vulnerable, and fearing their country may be the next target.

Our senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, now shows us why in London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): With Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations just days away, some in Britain are feeling increasingly vulnerable to terrorism, especially after the release of more of Osama bin Laden video.

On this video, of uncertain date, bin Laden warns that any country siding with Israel and America is a target for Islamic terrorists.

Joanna Spears is a terrorism expert.

JOANNA SPEARS, TERRORISM EXPERT: It is a possibility that the UK could be high on the target list because Britain has been so robust in its support both for the operation in Afghanistan, and also in its rhetoric about terrorism generally.

RODGERS: Yet as preparations proceed for the celebration of the queen's Golden Jubilee, terror experts here believe the greater threat is not from bin Laden so much as the more familiar nemesis, the real Irish Republican Army. Whatever the threat, however, Britain remain a target rich environment for terrorists of any stripe. Arab experts, however, suggest the threat to London from bin Laden is not that great.

ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR, AL QUDS: I believe the British government is exaggerating, and they would like it consider themselves as a superpower and they are targeted exactly like the United States. But the fact, they are not superpower, and they are not targeted.

RODGERS: It was U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's recent remarks that sparked the latest global terrorism jitters.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The prospect of another attack against the United States is very, very real. RODGERS: The nonspecific nature of the terror threat mentioned by Vice President Cheney, however, following disclosures that the White House did have early warnings about last year's terror attacks, had some here questioning the Bush administration's motives.

SPEARS: I think Cheney is covering his own back, and the White House's back in this announcement.

RODGERS: Britain's intelligence services monitor more than a few Middle East groups based here.

(on camera): But the British are less inclined to frighten the public, and thus do the terrorist's job for them. This country's long experience with the IRA leaves the government here a little more cautious about issuing the kinds of nonspecific terrorist warnings that have been coming out of Washington recently.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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