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American Morning
Interview with Eric Margolis
Aired July 31, 2002 - 07:09 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: As we just mentioned, new reports that Osama bin Laden's security guards are being held in U.S. custody are once again fueling speculation that the al Qaeda leader may be dead.
Joining us now from Toronto is Eric Margolis, who has been -- actually met with bin Laden, and is the author of "War at the Top of the World."
Welcome back, Eric -- good to have you with us this morning.
ERIC MARGOLIS, AUTHOR, "WAR AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD": Very good morning to you, Paula.
ZAHN: So what do you make of these reports about some of Osama bin Laden's bodyguards being held at Guantanamo?
MARGOLIS: Intriguing, Paula, but I don't think we can draw any hard conclusion from them.
Typically, bin Laden used to travel with between 20 and 40 very close bodyguards with him. I suspect that during the American bombing of Tora Bora, that is in late last fall, that bin Laden's group was split up, and that some of his bodyguards may have been separated from bin Laden's group.
Certainly when bin Laden escaped, if he escaped, he went across to Pakistan down these ancient smuggler's trails, and he probably did so in the back of a van or in a caravan. He would have been one man, maybe two or three men maximum. He would not have done it with his bodyguards, because the U.S. Air Force and Navy planes were attacking any significant group of men that was moving around.
ZAHN: So what do you think these guys know, who are currently being held in Cuba?
MARGOLIS: They know where he was, I would suspect, and what his modus operandi was, but they don't know where he is now. And it does not prove that he is dead for sure.
ZAHN: What kind of light can they shed on the operation of al Qaeda? Because I know you have long believed that Osama bin Laden's role, you think has been exaggerated at times. You have seen him as nothing more than a figurehead. MARGOLIS: Yes, that's right. He has been sort of a chairman of the board of this international terror group. The CEO of the group is an Egyptian by the name of Ayman al-Zawahari, who has escaped. The location is unknown. He reportedly planned the 9/11 attacks. He is a very clever man. He is a medical doctor.
He and about six other senior executives -- they formed the executive committee, or shura, as it's known, of al Qaeda -- have not been located, and I believe they have gone to Egypt back to the Mideast. And these are the people who are really activating and planning things.
Bin Laden is sort of told after the fact what happened, gives his imprimatur (ph), or approval, and gets the credit, and serves as a lightening rod for the Western reaction when his other men are going about their business largely undetected.
ZAHN: So, Eric, are you basically saying this morning it's irrelevant whether he is dead or alive, given the power structure of al Qaeda and the ability of these guys underneath him to carry out future attacks?
MARGOLIS: Well, it is not as important, Paula, whether he is dead or alive. Bin Ladenism (ph) will outlive bin Laden, that's for sure.
His example has ignited, provoked the appearance of a score of smaller groups that we have never heard of up until now, for example, Soldiers of Allah in Syria, who have come out of the woodwork, and they are run by younger men. They are scattered all over the Muslim world and in western Europe. And these groups are determined to fight the United States, using bin Laden as an example, but without his control or guidance or financial support.
ZAHN: As always, we appreciate your insights. We'd go longer, but we need to go back to the Middle East right now for some breaking news. Eric Margolis, again, thanks for your time this morning.
MARGOLIS: You're welcome.
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