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In Some of America's Biggest Cities, Suspected Al Qaeda Operatives Being Closely Watched

Aired July 12, 2002 - 13:16   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Kelli Arena has the latest on the government's efforts to track down terrorist nationwide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In some of America's biggest cities, including Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, groups of suspected Al Qaeda operatives are being closely watched by the FBI, government sources say, fewer than 100 in all, CNN has been told, but the most specific detail yet about the possible terrorist threat inside the U.S.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: There remains sleeper terrorist and their supporters in the United States who have not yet been identified in a way that will allow us to take preemptive action against them.

ARENA: Public statements such as these and word that investigators are convinced another attack is being planned raise an obvious question: How equipped is the U.S. to prevent another domestic attack?

SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: The reality is, as long as we are as free a society as America is, we are going to be vulnerable.

ARENA: The onus is mostly on the FBI, because it is charged with collecting intelligence in this country.

Changes are under way: 500 agents will be permanently shifted to counterterrorism, the FBI has new investigative flexibility, and agents in the field have more power to make decisions, but problems persist.

BRIAN JENKINS, RAND CORP.: We still have a long way to go on coordinating intelligence activities and cooperation among agencies in this country. This is a very complex government. There are many sources of collection. Bringing those all together is not a natural thing to do in the intelligence business.

ARENA: Analyzing the loads of information coming in every day is also a problem. One official says the FBI -- quote -- isn't even close when it comes to hiring the analyst needed to decipher important clues. And it will take several years to get there.

Another crucial element: computers.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: We are overhauling our technology as quickly as we can, given how far we are in being behind the technology curve.

ARENA: Agents are still not able to perform sophisticated searches or functions necessary to connect intelligence dots, but an overhaul won't be complete for another two years. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the FBI is developing contacts within terrorist organizations.

JENKINS: It takes years to penetrate these organizations, and even then, terrorist attacks continue to occur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: There's no specific or credible information about another attack against the United States, but then again, there wasn't before September 11th either -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kelli, tell us about this warning out of Pasadena, Texas.

ARENA: Well, actually, the FBI had picked up intelligence regarding Pasadena, California. Intelligence came in that suggested there could be a possible attack against sites there. And the date was attached, July 12th. Well, the sites were oil refineries, and the FBI passed along the information to state and local officials, then said, gee, you know, not a lot of whole lot of oil refineries in Pasadena, California, maybe we should pass on the information to officials in Pasadena, Texas, were there are oil refineries.

And so even, though, there was no intelligence about Texas, they said, let's get the information there, FBI does not attach a whole lot of credibility to this. Sources tell us it came from one individual, it is uncorroborated. So but in these days, Kyra, you know that any bit of information the FBI gets is passed on out of caution for local and state officials. I'm told in California they are taking -- I'm sorry, in Texas, they are taking the threat seriously, upping patrols, and keeping an eye out.

PHILLIPS: That's good news, Kelli Arena, thank you.

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