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CNN Live Today

Tapes Show al Qaeda's Media Savvy

Aired August 23, 2002 - 13:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, terrorism experts say the collection of al Qaeda tapes obtained by CNN shows the group's global reach. We've been reviewing more than 60 tapes for you this week as part of our series, "Terror on Tape." The al Qaeda video library has a wide cross-section of material, showing separate video recordings of militants training, and in combat throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The video library also gives a sense of al Qaeda's media savvy. There are tapes showing al Qaeda's own cameras taping network TV interviews with Osama bin Laden in the late 1990s. The most recent tapes in the library are al Qaeda recordings of news coverage of the September 11 attacks from the international TV networks BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN.

CNN's Mike Boettcher has been involved in this project, and Mike, since we know this is one way, the videotapes, in which al Qaeda communicate. How do expect that they might be communicating now?

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, my sources in the coalition effort against al Qaeda tell me that they are back on the Internet communicating that way. There was a period of time in the late fall and early winter when al Qaeda was on the run, that there was not much noise, as they call it, on the Internet. But that has picked up dramatically in recent months. They are using various ways on the Internet. There are various Web sites, committed Web sites to al Qaeda called alneda.com and some others, but the way they communicate, if they want to really pass something important is to go to commonly used -- according to my sources -- go to commonly used Web sites, and let's say, enter messages on those Web sites, or utilize those particular Web sites in order to pass on messages. But, frankly, Fredricka, for a lot of those cells out there now that have reformed, and they are called "super cells," these are al Qaeda people who have returned to their home countries and formed alliances with terrorist groups on the ground there. They don't need communication. They have already been instructed on how to use, as you have seen in the videotapes, how to make their own explosives, how to fire their own missiles, how to make their own chemicals, so they really don't need to communicate on that level.

WHITFIELD: Now, Mike, if it hasn't been done already, will copies of these tapes be going to federal officials to help them in their ongoing effort in the war against terrorism to extract, perhaps, more information that may lead to the whereabouts of some of these cells or their latest activity?

BOETTCHER: Well, Fredricka, CNN's position is because these tapes deal -- for the reasons of security in the world to people around world, CNN has decided to allow appropriate authorities to take a look at those tapes and make analysis.

WHITFIELD: OK. And what, if anything, are we learning perhaps based on these tapes or any other information about Osama bin Laden's whereabouts?

BOETTCHER: Well, that is being analyzed by us and I am sure other people. They don't give us an exact location where he is, but what I am being told by my sources in the coalition is that there is a stronger belief now that he is alive, and that he is probably, probably in the northwest territories of Pakistan, in the tribal areas, which is an area where Pakistan really exerts no central control. There is no police force there, it is a very lawless area controlled by various tribal war lords and that would be the place they believe he would be now.

WHITFIELD: Well, Mike, have these tapes even been requested perhaps by anyone to be used as evidence in the upcoming conspiracy trials?

BOETTCHER: I have no information about that, Fredricka. None at all.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much. Mike Boettcher. Appreciate it.

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