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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Josh Meyer of 'L.A. Times'

Aired July 13, 2002 - 17:03   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another part of the investigation looks at a U.S.-born Muslim convert and his brother as part of the cell. The two reportedly were trying to identify targets for a terrorist attack, and there's no word yet on where they just might be right now.

To discuss the brothers, the cell and the investigation, a reporter who's been working on this story, "L.A. Times" staff writer Josh Meyer. He's in our Washington bureau. Good to see you, Josh.

JOSH MEYER, "L.A. TIMES": Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about these brothers first. Are these American Muslim converts suspicious merely for the fact that they're Muslim converts?

MEYER: No, the FBI is conducting a very active investigation into these two brothers and into other people. And what they're saying is that they've been tied to this radical Muslim cleric in London, Abu-Haf Al-Masri (ph), but also to the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan and to this jihad training camp in Oregon three years ago.

WHITFIELD: What specifically is their suspicious activity involving, those ties?

MEYER: Well, one of the brothers is believed to have provided the Taliban with computers before the September 11 attacks, according to the FBI. He's also believed to have recruited a British citizen into al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. That British citizen is now in custody in Gitmo in Cuba, but also they're just believed to have been scoping out possible sites for terrorist attacks in the United States over the past few months.

WHITFIELD: All right. Now apparently, there are other American citizens -- you and I spoke about this earlier today -- there are other American citizens that are being tied to this supposed camp in Oregon. What do investigators know about these other Americans? And if they know who they are, what's the problem with trying to apprehend them, or bring them in for questioning?

MEYER: Well, the FBI is not really talking about this, as is usually the case with them. But they're clearly investigating this very aggressively. They have several of these people under surveillance, I believe. They're not saying whether they know where they all are, but according to this law enforcement document that was circulated last month, they believe that some of these people are trying to scatter after it became known that one of their leaders, a Muslim cleric in Seattle named Semi Osman, was taken into custody. And he's been charged with immigration fraud, but he's also being investigated for more serious terrorism charges as well.

WHITFIELD: Are your federal sources telling you anything more about how many suspected cells or at least cell activity there just might be on U.S. soil right now?

MEYER: Well, I know they're very concerned about it. I mean, John Ashcroft, the attorney general, said earlier this week that he believes that there's significant al Qaeda terrorist sleeper cells in the United States and that they're trying to infiltrate or smuggle into the country many, many more al Qaeda people by having them pose as businessmen and students and other just regular citizens, so they're very concerned about it, obviously.

WHITFIELD: And if investigators knew specifically about this supposed camp or that there was suspicious activity as early as 1999, why is it then that perhaps more wasn't done to intervene?

MEYER: Well, that's what I think one or two people have said. I do know for a fact -- I've been up there a lot to Seattle -- that they do have one of the more aggressive counter-terrorism squads in the country and they've been doing very good work for many years.

So that's good question. They're not commenting on it, but I think that had they gotten good information, they would have investigated back then. I thin some of this information has just come to light after September 11, though.

WHITFIELD: Right. And perhaps suspicion is that post-9/11, of course, you know, things or flags are raised that perhaps weren't or wouldn't have been raised three years ago.

MEYER: Right. I mean, September 11 changed everything in terms of the counter-terrorism landscape. Three years ago, if some radical Muslims were even doing training in a rural community, that's not necessarily illegal.

WHITFIELD: All right. Josh Meyer of "L.A. Times" joining us from Washington. Thank you very much. Good to see you.

MEYER: Thanks.

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