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CNN Live Today

Sniper On Loose: Talking to Sniper

Aired October 23, 2002 - 12:05   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk a little bit more about this so-called dialogue that's being attempted between someone who claims to be the sniper and the police. And as we do, we're awaiting this news conference right behind me here in Rockville, Maryland.
J. Kelly McCann is joining us from our Washington bureau. He's our CNN security analyst, and he has a lot to share about how negotiations between police and suspects are often conducted.

This seems to be some sort of dialogue or negotiation, doesn't it, Kelly?

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Absolutely. In fact, you know, the clear message that he attempted many times to contact the police, and then, you know, the mention of incompetence is vexing. Because he has shown competence, he has shown enough proficiency to do what he ha done and not be caught. The police, however, couldn't answer a phone call, in his opinion; couple that with some erroneous assumptions, Wolf, and you have a situation.

BLITZER: How unusual is this dialogue, this negotiation, that's being conducted through the news media, through these TV cameras? We've heard now five statements read, effectively by Chief Moose very carefully choreographed, that he read to the TV cameras, asking that we replay them as often as we possibly can.

MCCANN: Well, the media, of course, has the largest dissemination of any message. So, if you have lost contact, the easiest way to re-contact would be through the media. And I'm sure that when the chief makes a careful statement, that in that statement are coded messages that would not make sense to you and I, but directly answer or reply to things that the killer may have.

BLITZER: Is this similar to the kind of negotiations you've been personally engaged in, hostage-release negotiations?

MCCANN: No. Hostage negotiations, when you go through the school, there's usually a direct contact -- I mean, a direct physical contact in a barricade situation. This is more analogous to the release of, say, an expatriate who has been abducted by guerrilla, like FARC down in Colombia. Because sometimes, there's no particular place, you don't know where the people are, there are disparate locations. It's a lot more convoluted and a lot more complex.

BLITZER: When you take a look -- and we're showing our viewers a live picture of the microphones. We're expecting Chief Moose to be emerging any moment now to brief us on the latest developments. We'll, of course, carry that live here on CNN.

But as you take a look at this scenario that's unfolded, the possibility that there are two different handwritings, and perhaps more than two different handwritings on these various communications that have been delivered to the police, what do you make of that?

MCCANN: Well, I think that it goes to one of the assumptions, Wolf. You know, we've said that he uses fragmented sentences, and you know, some of it was difficult to discern. What if this is his or her or their second or third language? I mean, you cannot assume that a person who has demonstrated proficiency is ignorant or stupid. His behavior says it all.

So, right there, we may be -- the police did not say that. The police never made any judgment about the level of intelligence or pre- work of this person. But all throughout the media, there have been many analysts and people with opinions who have degraded and put this guy down as a wannabe and an idiot, et cetera, all of which is based on what? You can only base a determination of his capability on what you've seen. And so far, he has not been apprehended, and he has engaged targets proficiently.

BLITZER: All right, Kelly, we now see Chief Moose walking to the microphones. We're going to go right to his news conference.

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 23, 2002 - 12:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk a little bit more about this so-called dialogue that's being attempted between someone who claims to be the sniper and the police. And as we do, we're awaiting this news conference right behind me here in Rockville, Maryland.
J. Kelly McCann is joining us from our Washington bureau. He's our CNN security analyst, and he has a lot to share about how negotiations between police and suspects are often conducted.

This seems to be some sort of dialogue or negotiation, doesn't it, Kelly?

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Absolutely. In fact, you know, the clear message that he attempted many times to contact the police, and then, you know, the mention of incompetence is vexing. Because he has shown competence, he has shown enough proficiency to do what he ha done and not be caught. The police, however, couldn't answer a phone call, in his opinion; couple that with some erroneous assumptions, Wolf, and you have a situation.

BLITZER: How unusual is this dialogue, this negotiation, that's being conducted through the news media, through these TV cameras? We've heard now five statements read, effectively by Chief Moose very carefully choreographed, that he read to the TV cameras, asking that we replay them as often as we possibly can.

MCCANN: Well, the media, of course, has the largest dissemination of any message. So, if you have lost contact, the easiest way to re-contact would be through the media. And I'm sure that when the chief makes a careful statement, that in that statement are coded messages that would not make sense to you and I, but directly answer or reply to things that the killer may have.

BLITZER: Is this similar to the kind of negotiations you've been personally engaged in, hostage-release negotiations?

MCCANN: No. Hostage negotiations, when you go through the school, there's usually a direct contact -- I mean, a direct physical contact in a barricade situation. This is more analogous to the release of, say, an expatriate who has been abducted by guerrilla, like FARC down in Colombia. Because sometimes, there's no particular place, you don't know where the people are, there are disparate locations. It's a lot more convoluted and a lot more complex.

BLITZER: When you take a look -- and we're showing our viewers a live picture of the microphones. We're expecting Chief Moose to be emerging any moment now to brief us on the latest developments. We'll, of course, carry that live here on CNN.

But as you take a look at this scenario that's unfolded, the possibility that there are two different handwritings, and perhaps more than two different handwritings on these various communications that have been delivered to the police, what do you make of that?

MCCANN: Well, I think that it goes to one of the assumptions, Wolf. You know, we've said that he uses fragmented sentences, and you know, some of it was difficult to discern. What if this is his or her or their second or third language? I mean, you cannot assume that a person who has demonstrated proficiency is ignorant or stupid. His behavior says it all.

So, right there, we may be -- the police did not say that. The police never made any judgment about the level of intelligence or pre- work of this person. But all throughout the media, there have been many analysts and people with opinions who have degraded and put this guy down as a wannabe and an idiot, et cetera, all of which is based on what? You can only base a determination of his capability on what you've seen. And so far, he has not been apprehended, and he has engaged targets proficiently.

BLITZER: All right, Kelly, we now see Chief Moose walking to the microphones. We're going to go right to his news conference.

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