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CNN Live Today

Las Vegas Man Overhears Possible Terrorist Plans

Aired June 21, 2002 - 11:00   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And up first here on CNN, cellular intrigue. The FBI is now talking with a man who may -- may have overheard plans for a terrorist attack on Las Vegas on his cell phone.

Justice Correspondent, Kelli Arena, is on that story this morning. She joins us live now. What can you tell us?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well Carol, Michael Hamdan says that he picked up the call on his cell phone this past Saturday while in Las Vegas and heard people talking about what he thinks is a plot to bomb Las Vegas on the fourth of July. Now the call was in Arabic, and Hamdan, who was born in Lebanon, understands the language.

So instead of hanging up, he began to listen. And he said it sounded like a group of people at one end talking with an individual at the other end of the call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HAMDAN, BUSINESSMAN: He was saying that we are here in the city of corruption, in the city of gambling and prostitution, in the city of unbelievers. And they are talking about freedom, we are going to hit them in the day of freedom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: No Hamdan took the day of freedom to mean our 4th of July, and that some of the people on the line were already in Las Vegas. And this morning, a spokesman at FBI headquarters here in Washington confirmed to CNN that they are taking it seriously, and now we're trying to find confirmation of what the man says heard on this cell phone call.

One official says that the FBI hopes to know a lot more about it before the day is over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Is there any way, though, they can find out where that call may have come from?

ARENA: Well, they are trying, Carol. As you know, technology does provide many clues, and that is what they are looking into. That, and also to find out if there's any intelligence that came in from anywhere else that would confirm what he says he heard. COSTELLO: All right. Kelli Arena, reporting live for us, thank you for that report.

ARENA: You're welcome.

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