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CNN Live Today

Investigators Continue Buffalo Terror Probe

Aired September 18, 2002 - 12:16   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators say two alleged members of a Buffalo-area terrorist cell, including the ringleader, are still at large and possibly in Yemen. Six others who allegedly belonged to the same cell could find out this afternoon if they're eligible for bail.
CNN's Jeff Flock is standing by live there in Buffalo.

Hi Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hi to you.

The attorneys for those six men will argue that their clients should get bail. They think maybe the government was being too careful in arresting them. I want to show you some of the tight security that is going on out here behind me, at the U.S. District courthouse in Buffalo, New York.

We've got pictures of the men's arrival, coming in a white van, a police escort, there were bomb-sniffing dogs out in advance of it. Obviously authorities here taking no chances, trying to make sure that these men get in there safely. Members of this community have expressed some real concern about the notion that there may have been an al Qaeda cell here in the suburbs of Buffalo.

Now, on to what the government may have and that's what should come out of this bond hearing today, maybe more evidence that the government may have against these men. I want to show you the picture of Mukhtar -- Mukhtar al-Bakri. CNN law enforcement sources, Susan Candiotti working those hard, confirmed that it was a transmission -- some sort of a transmission from al-Bakri to an unknown person that really sparked all of this. Apparently al-Bakri said, and I quote now, "Goodbye. You won't hear from me again".

Now it was unclear whether that was a phone intercept, apparently it was not a phone intercept. It may have been an e-mail. This was construed by law enforcement as perhaps a reference that he was going to take place -- take part in some sort of suicide terrorist mission. And that's what kicked all of this into gear in terms of arresting the rest of these men. Of course from the other side, the attorneys for the six would say that if the men went overseas and did wind up in a terrorist training camp, it was not their intent. They went over there for religious training and it may have gone awry. They may have been sucked down a road that they didn't intend to go. They'll make that argument today.

Again, Kyra, now it's about two hours away. We should hear if the government has any more evidence beyond that intercept, what else they may have against the other six and of course the two that you mentioned, Kamal Derwish, the one man -- key man who is still at large, is described by law enforcement as the man who organized all of this, the man who recruited these other men. So he may be the biggest fish of all, and he is not going to be in the courtroom today.

That is the latest from Buffalo.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.

Meantime, hundreds of U.S. troops are at a French military base near Yemen. Their mission, it appears: to root out members of al Qaeda who are hiding throughout the horn of Africa.

CNN's Barbara Starr fills us in on what's happening from the Pentagon.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

Well yes, U.S. officials are indeed now confirming that there are about 800 U.S. military troops in the East African nation of Djibouti, along with a small number of CIA paramilitary operatives. About 200 or less of those troops are U.S. special operations forces, Djibouti, of course, being a long-time stronghold of the French military, a close U.S. ally. Now the troops are in the region prepositioned to go after al Qaeda operatives wherever they find them, we are told. As CNN reported back in August, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was giving a special operations forces some new authority to move around the world to look in various countries for top al-Qaeda operatives, wherever they were hiding, track them down, capture or even kill those al Qaeda operatives.

We are not being told exactly where these troops in Djibouti will go, but looking at the map that tells most of the story.

The U.S. has long believed that top al Qaeda operatives are hiding in the nearby nation of Yemen, of course the site of the attack on the USS Cole some months back. They believe that top al Qaeda operatives in Yemen hiding out largely outside of the control of the central government of Yemen.

But the U.S. isn't quite ready, we're told, to launch any operation to go into Yemen. The intelligence is not that solid, not that good. We're told it could change at any time. But at the moment, apparently, no operation is imminent. Troops are on standby. And of course, they're keeping their eye on other areas in the horn of Africa. Another nation of great concern, Somalia, where they also believe al Qaeda operatives may be on the run and hiding out -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you so much.

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






Aired September 18, 2002 - 12:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators say two alleged members of a Buffalo-area terrorist cell, including the ringleader, are still at large and possibly in Yemen. Six others who allegedly belonged to the same cell could find out this afternoon if they're eligible for bail.
CNN's Jeff Flock is standing by live there in Buffalo.

Hi Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hi to you.

The attorneys for those six men will argue that their clients should get bail. They think maybe the government was being too careful in arresting them. I want to show you some of the tight security that is going on out here behind me, at the U.S. District courthouse in Buffalo, New York.

We've got pictures of the men's arrival, coming in a white van, a police escort, there were bomb-sniffing dogs out in advance of it. Obviously authorities here taking no chances, trying to make sure that these men get in there safely. Members of this community have expressed some real concern about the notion that there may have been an al Qaeda cell here in the suburbs of Buffalo.

Now, on to what the government may have and that's what should come out of this bond hearing today, maybe more evidence that the government may have against these men. I want to show you the picture of Mukhtar -- Mukhtar al-Bakri. CNN law enforcement sources, Susan Candiotti working those hard, confirmed that it was a transmission -- some sort of a transmission from al-Bakri to an unknown person that really sparked all of this. Apparently al-Bakri said, and I quote now, "Goodbye. You won't hear from me again".

Now it was unclear whether that was a phone intercept, apparently it was not a phone intercept. It may have been an e-mail. This was construed by law enforcement as perhaps a reference that he was going to take place -- take part in some sort of suicide terrorist mission. And that's what kicked all of this into gear in terms of arresting the rest of these men. Of course from the other side, the attorneys for the six would say that if the men went overseas and did wind up in a terrorist training camp, it was not their intent. They went over there for religious training and it may have gone awry. They may have been sucked down a road that they didn't intend to go. They'll make that argument today.

Again, Kyra, now it's about two hours away. We should hear if the government has any more evidence beyond that intercept, what else they may have against the other six and of course the two that you mentioned, Kamal Derwish, the one man -- key man who is still at large, is described by law enforcement as the man who organized all of this, the man who recruited these other men. So he may be the biggest fish of all, and he is not going to be in the courtroom today.

That is the latest from Buffalo.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.

Meantime, hundreds of U.S. troops are at a French military base near Yemen. Their mission, it appears: to root out members of al Qaeda who are hiding throughout the horn of Africa.

CNN's Barbara Starr fills us in on what's happening from the Pentagon.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

Well yes, U.S. officials are indeed now confirming that there are about 800 U.S. military troops in the East African nation of Djibouti, along with a small number of CIA paramilitary operatives. About 200 or less of those troops are U.S. special operations forces, Djibouti, of course, being a long-time stronghold of the French military, a close U.S. ally. Now the troops are in the region prepositioned to go after al Qaeda operatives wherever they find them, we are told. As CNN reported back in August, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was giving a special operations forces some new authority to move around the world to look in various countries for top al-Qaeda operatives, wherever they were hiding, track them down, capture or even kill those al Qaeda operatives.

We are not being told exactly where these troops in Djibouti will go, but looking at the map that tells most of the story.

The U.S. has long believed that top al Qaeda operatives are hiding in the nearby nation of Yemen, of course the site of the attack on the USS Cole some months back. They believe that top al Qaeda operatives in Yemen hiding out largely outside of the control of the central government of Yemen.

But the U.S. isn't quite ready, we're told, to launch any operation to go into Yemen. The intelligence is not that solid, not that good. We're told it could change at any time. But at the moment, apparently, no operation is imminent. Troops are on standby. And of course, they're keeping their eye on other areas in the horn of Africa. Another nation of great concern, Somalia, where they also believe al Qaeda operatives may be on the run and hiding out -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you so much.

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