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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.S. Analyzes Purported Al Qaeda Tape

Aired October 09, 2002 - 06:07   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yet another mysterious audiotape has turned up. U.S. intelligence officials are now trying to determine if the voice on the tape is a leading al Qaeda figure. It sounds like an interview is being conducted on that tape involving Ayman al-Zawahiri.
On the tape, the speaker says, the terror group's leadership is still in place. I am quoting now, the voice says: "Neither America nor its allies have been able to harm the leadership of al Qaeda and Taliban, including Mullah Omar and Sheikh Osama bin Laden. May Allah protect them all. They are both in good health, along with all of the sincere Mujahideen directing the battle against the American crusader assault on Afghanistan."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "AL QUDS AL ARABI": What I gather from this tape and other tapes is that they are extremely confident, and it seems, you know, they've got capabilities, because they are threatening many actions against the West and against the United States in particular. So, it seems, you know, they've got the capabilities, and those people, when they say something, you know, they deliver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Besides targeting the United States, the tape also threatens France and Germany if they continue supporting America.

And for more on reaction to this audiotape, we turn to CNN senior international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar, who is in London.

Good morning -- Sheila. What else can you tell us?

Good morning, Carol.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard there from Abdel Bari Atwan. He's the editor of the "Al Quds" newspaper published here in London, but he is also one of those journalists who has traveled to Afghanistan at an earlier time to meet with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

He also says that while he cannot be 100 percent sure, and we will have to wait for the verdict of U.S. intelligence, he believes the voice on the tape is that of Dr. al-Zawahiri, the man speaking with an Egyptian accent, using the same kind of language, says Abdel Bari Atwan, that is familiar from previous statements from Mr. al- Zawahiri. Now, there are a couple of things on this tape. We heard an earlier -- a tape earlier this week, rather, that we believe might have come from Osama bin Laden. We know that U.S. intelligence has now confirmed that, in fact, the voice on that tape was Osama bin Laden.

The big question there, though: When was the tape made? We're also told that there were no clues in the tape to when that tape was made.

In this tape, in contrast, there are some clues, Carol. There's a reference to the war in Afghanistan after one year. The one-year anniversary of that war was, of course, earlier this week.

There's a reference to two attacks against Germany and France. There was an attack in May in Karachi, which targeted French engineers, an attack in April in Tunisia, which killed German tourists. And it would seem, although it's not specific, that they may be references to those events.

And most interesting, there's a reference to the coming conflict with Iraq, where the voice on the tape says, a campaign against Iraq has aims that go beyond Iraq into the Arab-Islamic world.

And while that doesn't help us pin down when the tape was made, if indeed this is the voice of al-Zawahiri, it does suggest that the person is speaking at a time where at least some of these events have taken place and may indicate that in fact the tape was relatively recently made -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, but the only way to make sure the voice is really al-Zawahiri is scientifically. Are there any other existing audiotapes of this man's voice?

MACVICAR: There are some other tapes of his voice, and clearly, U.S. intelligence officials will be in possession of some of those tapes, and it's their verdict that we'll be waiting for.

As I said, people who are familiar with the voice of Dr. al- Zawahiri, who either met him or have listened to his voice before on audiotapes, say it certainly sounds like it could be him. But of course, we will be waiting the verdict of the U.S. intelligence before we can say for sure that this is, in fact, the voice of Ayman al- Zawahiri.

COSTELLO: Waiting with interest. Sheila MacVicar, thank you very much -- reporting live from London this morning.

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 October 9, 2002 - 06:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yet another mysterious audiotape has turned up. U.S. intelligence officials are now trying to determine if the voice on the tape is a leading al Qaeda figure. It sounds like an interview is being conducted on that tape involving Ayman al-Zawahiri.
On the tape, the speaker says, the terror group's leadership is still in place. I am quoting now, the voice says: "Neither America nor its allies have been able to harm the leadership of al Qaeda and Taliban, including Mullah Omar and Sheikh Osama bin Laden. May Allah protect them all. They are both in good health, along with all of the sincere Mujahideen directing the battle against the American crusader assault on Afghanistan."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "AL QUDS AL ARABI": What I gather from this tape and other tapes is that they are extremely confident, and it seems, you know, they've got capabilities, because they are threatening many actions against the West and against the United States in particular. So, it seems, you know, they've got the capabilities, and those people, when they say something, you know, they deliver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Besides targeting the United States, the tape also threatens France and Germany if they continue supporting America.

And for more on reaction to this audiotape, we turn to CNN senior international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar, who is in London.

Good morning -- Sheila. What else can you tell us?

Good morning, Carol.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard there from Abdel Bari Atwan. He's the editor of the "Al Quds" newspaper published here in London, but he is also one of those journalists who has traveled to Afghanistan at an earlier time to meet with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

He also says that while he cannot be 100 percent sure, and we will have to wait for the verdict of U.S. intelligence, he believes the voice on the tape is that of Dr. al-Zawahiri, the man speaking with an Egyptian accent, using the same kind of language, says Abdel Bari Atwan, that is familiar from previous statements from Mr. al- Zawahiri. Now, there are a couple of things on this tape. We heard an earlier -- a tape earlier this week, rather, that we believe might have come from Osama bin Laden. We know that U.S. intelligence has now confirmed that, in fact, the voice on that tape was Osama bin Laden.

The big question there, though: When was the tape made? We're also told that there were no clues in the tape to when that tape was made.

In this tape, in contrast, there are some clues, Carol. There's a reference to the war in Afghanistan after one year. The one-year anniversary of that war was, of course, earlier this week.

There's a reference to two attacks against Germany and France. There was an attack in May in Karachi, which targeted French engineers, an attack in April in Tunisia, which killed German tourists. And it would seem, although it's not specific, that they may be references to those events.

And most interesting, there's a reference to the coming conflict with Iraq, where the voice on the tape says, a campaign against Iraq has aims that go beyond Iraq into the Arab-Islamic world.

And while that doesn't help us pin down when the tape was made, if indeed this is the voice of al-Zawahiri, it does suggest that the person is speaking at a time where at least some of these events have taken place and may indicate that in fact the tape was relatively recently made -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, but the only way to make sure the voice is really al-Zawahiri is scientifically. Are there any other existing audiotapes of this man's voice?

MACVICAR: There are some other tapes of his voice, and clearly, U.S. intelligence officials will be in possession of some of those tapes, and it's their verdict that we'll be waiting for.

As I said, people who are familiar with the voice of Dr. al- Zawahiri, who either met him or have listened to his voice before on audiotapes, say it certainly sounds like it could be him. But of course, we will be waiting the verdict of the U.S. intelligence before we can say for sure that this is, in fact, the voice of Ayman al- Zawahiri.

COSTELLO: Waiting with interest. Sheila MacVicar, thank you very much -- reporting live from London this morning.

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