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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Global Minute'

Aired September 10, 2002 - 05:32   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Eli Flournoy is here from our international desk. Zany stories in our global minute this morning.
ELI FLOURNOY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Maybe this is the world's second largest jacket.

COSTELLO: You wish that were so.

FLOURNOY: I know. I know. I'm jealous.

COSTELLO: I know.

FLOURNOY: I've got the clue anyway.

COSTELLO: We have to talk about serious matters, because you guys have got your hands on some really chilling tapes.

FLOURNOY: Yes, indeed. The Al Jazeera Network out of Qatar has put out some tapes which we have seen excerpts from starting yesterday. You've seen Nic Robertson has been doing some reporting, and Mike Boettcher, some reporting on these tapes, which show a suicide message from the hijackers before going on their mission, which ended up with the 9/11.

COSTELLO: So these are the September 11 hijackers and they're making their...

FLOURNOY: Making their...

COSTELLO: ... their case on tape before they hijacked the planes and crashed them.

FLOURNOY: Right. Similar to some suicide messages that we've seen from suicide bombers coming out of Palestinian territories in the past.

COSTELLO: And you're going to have more tapes released today and apparently Osama bin Laden's voice is on those tapes?

FLOURNOY: Right. We have heard some audio which is believed to be Osama bin Laden's voice speaking, praising the hijackers. This would be following 9/11. Now, it's not clear exactly how much after 9/11 he was speaking there, so it doesn't really give us a clear indication of whether or not he is alive now or not. It appears to be in the time immediately following the 9/11 attacks.

COSTELLO: So what you mean by that, the voice that we hear on the tape could have been put on the tape after the suicide messages were taped?

FLOURNOY: Well, it does appear, yes, that chronologically, the suicide messages were taped before, obviously...

COSTELLO: Yes.

FLOURNOY: They obviously were done before the, before they took off on their flights and then the audio from Osama bin Laden was in response. He's speaking about, praising the acts in response to the strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Now, what we expect to see later today is more of the full tapes. Hopefully, we are expecting Al Jazeera to air those and we're going to be taking a look at those and analyzing those later today, as well.

COSTELLO: Yes, before we decide to air them, I'm sure.

FLOURNOY: Right.

COSTELLO: They're closing American embassies across the world today for the anniversary of September 11.

FLOURNOY: Yes, well, it looks like we have at least a couple instances of that. We are -- I want to take us across to Hong Kong now. A year ago I was in Hong Kong, actually, where, you know, we have our Emer Fleming from our international desk, who's coordinating our coverage in Asia now. And take a look at some security concerns overseas.

Emer how are things -- is there heightened security in Hong Kong there where you are?

EMER FLEMING, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well, there is a little bit of heightened security, but nothing like what CNN in Jakarta, where commemorative services had to be canceled due to very high red alert security issues. Basically, you know, our crew is on standby there should anything happen. But right now there will be no 9/11 commemorative services.

Very near there in Manila, the bureau is open for the moment. It will have a commemorative concert and our Maria Ressa will attend it. But that's still, you know, a possibility. It may, may not stay open. But for the moment, our fingers are crossed that that will go ahead.

But better news in other areas of Asia. Like, for example, in Tokyo, there are two events going on, one in the morning, one in the evening. In the morning, the U.S. ambassador's wife, Nancy Baker, will plant a tree in the very spot where a lot of Japanese people had left so many flowers there a year ago after the 9/11 attacks. And she'll use the mulch from those flowers to plant the tree.

Later that night, at the around, you know, 9:45 there, that's local time, which would be -- I mean 8:45 local time, around the time when the first plane would have hit the tower, they're going to have a moment of silence, candle service followed by some bagpipes, etc. We'll have a crew at both events. Also, in Beijing, the U.S. Embassy will hold a photo exhibit at the nearby National Library and also at the embassy, the Chinese minister of culture will say a few words, as will the U.S. ambassador.

So a lot going on there around Asia.

FLOURNOY: OK, Emer, thanks very much. We'll be keeping a close eye out on, across Asia, to see how things progress as we move towards 9/11.

COSTELLO: Yes.

And, Eli, thank you.

I know you have to get back to work now so we'll let you go.

FLOURNOY: All right, thanks.

COSTELLO: Talk to you again tomorrow.

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