Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Committee Staffers Meet with FBI Agent Rowley

Aired June 05, 2002 - 07:06   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: Let's start this hour now in Washington. They will be isolated for a second day in a super-secret room at the Capitol Building. The senators and House members investigating intelligence lapses in the run-up to 9/11 to be briefed again behind closed doors.

Kate Snow will be one of the many waiting outside. She joins us live this morning -- Kate, good morning to you.

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Senator Bob Graham, one of the leaders of that committee, tells me that Coleen Rowley -- you remember her. She is the agent out of Minneapolis, a field agent with the FBI. She will be up here today. She will be meeting behind closed doors, not with the members, but with the staff, the investigators, on that committee.

And then later this afternoon, we expect the staff to start briefing the members. They didn't have time to really do that yesterday, because yesterday, we are told, it was more of a business meeting, more about logistics. Yesterday, they met up that stairway behind closed doors in a very top-secret room, an isolated room. The first thing they did was hold a moment of silence for the 9/11 victims. They said after all, that's the reason that they are here.

Now, at the end of yesterday's session, the 37 lawmakers on this panel released a statement about their goals. Here is what they say their scope will cover. Number one, what did the FBI, CIA and other agencies know, and when did they know it? Number two, what did they do about it? What have they learned since September 11? And what can be done to improve intelligence and better guard against another attack?

They emphasize that leaks of information will only hurt this investigation. They said they don't want to run a hearing that's driven by the daily news and by daily leaks. Senator Bob Graham also saying they are not going to get into the witness of the week game. They don't want to call sort of the most flashy witnesses first. Perhaps they might call a witness by tomorrow, Bill, but that would be behind closed doors. But publicly tomorrow, a separate committee holds an open hearing with Coleen Rowley and FBI Director Robert Mueller scheduled to appear tomorrow -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Kate -- Kate Snow on Capitol Hill.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.