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American Morning
U.S. Says It's Foiled Plot to Use Dirty Bomb in Attack on America
Aired June 11, 2002 - 09:01 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: Up front this morning, the U.S. says it has foiled a plot to use a dirty bomb in an attack on America. And it was actually an American who they say was involved. Abdullah al Muhajir, also known Jose Padilla. At this hour, an international conference on terrorism is being held in Saint Andrews, Scotland. And that's where we find our own national correspondent, Mike Boettcher, who has some new information about what did not happen on September 11th, but was possibly in the works.
Good morning, Mike.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Paula.
Absolutely. Saint Andrews used to be and still is the Mecca for golf and increasingly it's becoming the Mecca for the study of terrorism. I'm standing at the University of St. Andrews at the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political violence, where there has been this conference with top intelligence and defense officials and researchers from across the world talking about terrorism. A dirty bomb is one of the subjects.
Let's start with that and a man who wrote this book, "Inside al Qaeda," Ronan Gutaratna, who is a senior research fellow here at the university. We, Ronan, have heard about this arrest in the United States. How penetrated is the United States with an al Qaeda network at the present time, do you believe? You've been looking at this for five years.
DR. RONAN GUTARATNA, AUTHOR, "INSIDE AL QAEDA": Al Qaeda has extensive penetration of both North America and western Europe. In fact, al Qaeda penetrates both territorial and migrant communities. So there is extensive penetration that has taken place over the past 10 years by al Qaeda.
BOETTCHER: Now in your book, you make a startling revelation that the September 11th attacks were to be broader attacks not just in the United States, but in the United Kingdom. Can you tell me about what you found out and what you have written?
GUTARATNA: In parallel with 9/11 attacks, al Qaeda also attempted to take simultaneous targets in the United Kingdom. And, in fact, one target that they mounted reconnaissance, and they sent a team of suicide pilots to Heathrow with the intention of simultaneously crash diving aircraft on to the houses of parliament in Westminster.
BOETTCHER: And Big Ben and other locations, correct?
GUTARATNA: Yes, absolutely. And right now, one member of that attack team is under investigation in India. The U.K. authorities, as well as the Indian authorities, continue to investigate this incident.
BOETTCHER: How was that thwarted, then?
GUTARATNA: It was thwarted because as a result of the attacks in New York and in Washington, D.C., The Heathrow Airport was -- the planes were grounded and the al Qaeda attack team that went to Heathrow, they could not get into a plane in order to mount this attack. So fortunately, because of the high level of alertness, the attack against U.K. targets was prevented.
BOETTCHER: You also report in the book that the September 11th attacks were actually scheduled for September 9th. Tell me about that. What happened?
GUTARATNA: In fact, the attacks were originally planned for September 9th. Almost at the same time Massoud, the Northern Alliance commander, was assassinated. But what happened was the attack teams in the United States, they somehow requested for a postponement of the 9/11 operation that was originally scheduled for the ninth. And as a result, the operational team of al Qaeda that was based in the United Kingdom, they were also requested to postpone the operation for September 11th.
BOETTCHER: The big story now across the world is the fact that the United States is reporting that the a dirty bomb scenario was planned for perhaps Washington, D.C. How serious has al Qaeda been about this in obtaining radioactive materials and building the bomb and other weapons of mass destruction?
GUTARATNA: Al Qaeda is one of the two terrorist organizations in the world, the other being Omshinriku (ph), that has developed a sustained interest to acquire, develop and use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear material. And it is a question of time that an organization like al Qaeda determine (ph) organization like al Qaeda will acquire this material. So it paramount for the U.S., is allies and its coalition partners to destroy an organization that has such determination to use such unconventional material.
BOETTCHER: Thank you very much, Ronan. Ronan Gutaratna, who has just written "Inside al Qaeda." It was - weapons of mass destruction and al Qaeda's desire for them was a major topic here at this conference, Paula.
ZAHN: Mike, we're going to lose the satellite in about 10 seconds, but how did the doctor get this information that revealed these other alleged plots?
BOETTCHER: Well, Ronan Gutaratna - and I've known him for quite some time - has spent many years here at the center researching al Qaeda, along with the other folks here at this center. He talked to al Qaeda members; he talked to intelligence agencies. He has multiple sources, I can tell you, around the world. And that is how he developed that information.
ZAHN: Frightening information, indeed. Mike Boettcher, thank you very much for that live report from Saint Andrews, Scotland.
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