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U.S. Officials Say United Flight 93 Was Intended to Crash Into White House

Aired May 23, 2002 - 12:31   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: The government in this country now believes that doomed United Flight 93 was intended to crash into the White House. Instead that plane went down in Somerset, Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board. Our national security correspondent David Ensor now looking into the latest on this story, and what investigators are finding out from a key al Qaeda leader.

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DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): U.S. officials say Abu Zubaydah has told them in the last few days that the fourth plane, United Flight 93, was intended to hit the White House on September 11. On balance, one official told me, they believe Zubaydah on this, although officials do look at everything the former senior al Qaeda figure says with a highly skeptical eye. Officials say his willingness to talk about matters that could be useful varies greatly from day to day. Flight 93, of course, ended up in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania after passengers battled the hijackers and all on board were killed.

Officials say Abu Zubaydah's information varies greatly in its reliability, however he has told them things that have not been made public and that they have been able to corroborated using other intelligence methods. In other words, while they are skeptical of what he says, he has given them some useful information, useful in the war on the terror group that he once helped lead.

In addition, other sources confirm that the warning terrorists might try to attack New York's landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge -- that warning also comes in part from Abu Zubaydah.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

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