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American Morning

Terrorism Arrests in Detroit, Seattle

Aired August 29, 2002 - 09:01   ET

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Grand juries in Detroit and Seattle indicting six men, accusing them of conspiring to help al Qaeda terrorists. One, an American citizen and Islamic activist in Seattle may have helped to set up a training camp in the state of Oregon. Kelli Arena watching this in Washington with more now -- Kelli, good morning.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. As you said, the first is James Ujaama, and he does stand accused of trying to set up a training camp in Bly, Oregon and with supporting -- providing support and resources to al Qaeda. Here is what prosecutors had to say about the case just yesterday.

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JOHN MCKAY, U.S. ATTORNEY: The purposes of the conspiracy as alleged in the indictment by the grand jury include offering and providing facilities within the United States for those interested in violent jihad training, to provide safe houses in the United States for members of this conspiracy, to recruit individuals interested in violent jihad training and to provide these individuals with training and firearms, military procedures and guerrilla tactics.

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ARENA: Ujaama is an American, and his indictment is part of a larger investigation that officials say is still underway in Seattle. Now separately in Detroit, five men also stand accused of providing support to a terrorist organization. That organization is known as Salafiyya, and it is loosely connected to al Qaeda.

Four men, as you see on the screen, are in custody, and the government names another only by his first name, Abdella. He remains at large. The government claims that they were part of a terrorist sleeper cell. The indictment alleges they were plotting attacks on sites in Turkey, Jordan, and the United States. A senior Justice official has said that a great deal of effort in the war on terror has been focused on dismantling the infrastructure that exists in United States. Now, that includes everything from providing fraudulent documents to financing terrorist acts to taking English language exams for people who could not pass on their own, and therefore wouldn't qualify for a visa.

Now, officials saying that providing support for terrorists is just as serious as actually committing an act of terrorism -- Bill, back to you. HEMMER: Kelli, there are some who suggest that these will be picked up and squeezed for more information, in essence to get bigger fish, are you hearing similar stories there in Washington about the possibility there?

ARENA: Well, definitely in the case of James Ujaama. He was -- according to federal sources part of a larger investigation into a sheikh -- a radical sheikh in London named Abu Hamza. Abu Hamza has been thought for a long time to be a recruiter for al Qaeda. Now, he has never been charged with that, it is something that investigators have been working on for quite some time, and I am told by some federal sources that they hope that James Ujaama will be able to provide some concrete evidence that prosecutors can use against Abu Hamza, so yes, there are obviously goals here to get at people who are higher up in the al Qaeda organization.

HEMMER: A lot of branches on that tree, as you point out. Thank you, Kelli. Kelli Arena in D.C.

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