Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

In Upstate New York, Authorities Shatter Alleged Terror Cell

Aired September 16, 2002 - 12:12   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR; Now to upstate New York, where authorities say they have shattered an alleged terror cell operating in a suburb of Buffalo. Six men are now in custody, all accused of being trained by Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network.
CNN's Jeff Flock joins us from Buffalo with more.

Hi, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT Kyra, hello to you.

No one is suggesting that the six men are big fish, as perhaps the other man is. But they are on U.S. soil. And U.S. officials say it would be the first real hard evidence of an Al Qaeda cell here on U.S. soil.

Again, six men now in custody. They are also of Yemeni descent. And there has been out fall the Yemeni community. This is Lackawanna. This is where the arrests took place, in Lackawanna, New York, which is a suburb of Buffalo. Today, in the schools of Lackawanna, additional security guards on, because of concern perhaps of some backlash against those students with the talk of an Al Qaeda cell out there.

We talked to a member of the Yemeni community earlier this morning about what is going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUHAMED ALOANNA, AMERICAN MUSLIM COUNCIL: We basically, you know, told the kids, their parents, you know, not to worry, maintain daily routines, go to school, get the education, leave the security to those people in charge.

So hopefully with the cooperation with the board, the principals, the superindependents and the entire community, we will not have any problems, I am hoping.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: And again, six men we have pictures of five of the six, the ones taken into custody over the weekend, and in about fifteen minutes' time, we will have a picture of the latest man. His name is Mokhtar Al-Bakri (ph). He was taken into custody in Bahrain and brought back here to Gotavia (ph), which is where all of them are being held. But presumably, he was going to make a appearance at the courthouse, and perhaps you see behind me, we are told, in an hour and 15 minutes. We will of course be there. That is the latest from Buffalo, Kyra.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jeff, we will check in with you there, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com