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CNN Live Today
Sources: CIA Strike Kills Six Terror Suspects in Yemen
Aired November 05, 2002 - 10:18 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story in the war on terror. Sources tell CNN that an al Qaeda leader, suspected of helping plan the attack on the USS Cole, is among those killed in a CIA missile strike in Yemen.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, has been working the story, and he has the latest for us now.
David -- good morning.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, the latest is that it isn't just sources anymore. A senior Bush administration official is confirming that the U.S. was behind the attack on a car in the desert in Yemen that led to the deaths of six al Qaeda individuals, including one senior one.
The attack was by Hellfire missiles fired from a Predator drone aircraft controlled by the Central Intelligence Agency that was flying over Yemen, and watching in particular this man, Abu Ali al-Harthi, also know as Qaed Senyan al-Harthi. He is one of the top al Qaeda leaders. And I think we have a picture of him we can put up. He is one of the top 15, an al Qaeda leader in Yemen. He was a senior bodyguard of Osama bin Laden. He is suspected in involvement -- involvement in the USS Cole attack.
Now, the U.S. has been reluctant until now to confirm its involvement. Officials saying yesterday, they were not going to talk about it, not wanting to create problems for the Yemenis.
But Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in an interview with CNN's Maria Ressa, had this to say:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEP. DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's a very successful tactical operation, and one hopes each time you get a success like that, not only to have gotten rid of somebody dangerous, but to have imposed changes in their tactics and operations and procedures. And sometimes when people are changing, they expose themselves in new ways.
So, we've just got to keep the pressure on everywhere we're able to, and we've got to deny the sanctuaries everywhere we're able to, and we've got to put pressure on every government that is giving these people support to get out of that business. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: Again, this is the man, Abu Ali; Qaed Senyan he's also called. His family name, al-Harthi. He was a senior man in al Qaeda until his death yesterday, one of the 15 top people in al Qaeda, U.S. officials say.
And you have to assume now, Daryn, that the others on that top list are a little more worried today seeing the U.S. for the first time using this tactic of Predator drone aircraft and Hellfire missiles outside of Afghanistan -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And as I understand it, with this Predator aircraft, this is the first time the U.S. has used it outside Afghanistan in this manner, David.
ENSOR: As I said, yes, that's right. It is the first time they've done it outside Afghanistan. And from what you heard from Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz, it may well not be the last.
KAGAN: We will be watching it, as will you. David Ensor, 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 November 5, 2002 - 10:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story in the war on terror. Sources tell CNN that an al Qaeda leader, suspected of helping plan the attack on the USS Cole, is among those killed in a CIA missile strike in Yemen.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, has been working the story, and he has the latest for us now.
David -- good morning.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, the latest is that it isn't just sources anymore. A senior Bush administration official is confirming that the U.S. was behind the attack on a car in the desert in Yemen that led to the deaths of six al Qaeda individuals, including one senior one.
The attack was by Hellfire missiles fired from a Predator drone aircraft controlled by the Central Intelligence Agency that was flying over Yemen, and watching in particular this man, Abu Ali al-Harthi, also know as Qaed Senyan al-Harthi. He is one of the top al Qaeda leaders. And I think we have a picture of him we can put up. He is one of the top 15, an al Qaeda leader in Yemen. He was a senior bodyguard of Osama bin Laden. He is suspected in involvement -- involvement in the USS Cole attack.
Now, the U.S. has been reluctant until now to confirm its involvement. Officials saying yesterday, they were not going to talk about it, not wanting to create problems for the Yemenis.
But Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in an interview with CNN's Maria Ressa, had this to say:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEP. DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's a very successful tactical operation, and one hopes each time you get a success like that, not only to have gotten rid of somebody dangerous, but to have imposed changes in their tactics and operations and procedures. And sometimes when people are changing, they expose themselves in new ways.
So, we've just got to keep the pressure on everywhere we're able to, and we've got to deny the sanctuaries everywhere we're able to, and we've got to put pressure on every government that is giving these people support to get out of that business. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: Again, this is the man, Abu Ali; Qaed Senyan he's also called. His family name, al-Harthi. He was a senior man in al Qaeda until his death yesterday, one of the 15 top people in al Qaeda, U.S. officials say.
And you have to assume now, Daryn, that the others on that top list are a little more worried today seeing the U.S. for the first time using this tactic of Predator drone aircraft and Hellfire missiles outside of Afghanistan -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And as I understand it, with this Predator aircraft, this is the first time the U.S. has used it outside Afghanistan in this manner, David.
ENSOR: As I said, yes, that's right. It is the first time they've done it outside Afghanistan. And from what you heard from Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz, it may well not be the last.
KAGAN: We will be watching it, as will you. David Ensor, 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.
