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American Morning
State Department Confirms Bin Laden on Tape
Aired November 13, 2002 - 08:02 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly a year of speculation is over. The State Department is confirming that the tape released yesterday to Al Jazeera Television is of al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden. They still have questions about how the tape was spliced together, whether it was spliced together at all.
Our own Mike Boettcher has analyzed the tape. He joins us now live from Atlanta -- good morning, Mike.
Does it even matter how this tape was spliced together? The fact is the State Department is confirming that it is the voice of Osama bin Laden.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) Paula, and number two, I don't believe it was spliced together because we've gone back through Osama bin Laden's statements in the past and he has never used the word Bali before. So I don't know how it could be spliced together.
Now, this was less of a sermonette aimed at his supporters and more of a direct threat aimed at his enemies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOETTCHER (voice-over): If there was any question whether Osama bin Laden was alive, the audiotape sent to Al Jazeera seemed to settle that, especially the reference to a recent string of attacks around the world.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The killings of Germans in Tunisia and French in Karachi and the bombing of the U.S. tanker in Yemen and the killing of the marines in Failaka and the killings of the British and Australians in Bali and the latest Moscow operation are just some of the attacks here and there, and they're only a reaction to how the Muslims have been treated in response to what god had ordered them.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BOETTCHER: In the past, bin Laden has addressed his messages to his followers. This time the message was aimed at those he termed allies of "the oppressive U.S. government."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So why are your governments allying themselves, allying themselves with America and attacking us in Afghanistan, especially to mention Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and Australia?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BOETTCHER: In Europe, security forces were already on their highest state of alert since 9/11, after a recent threat against France and Germany from bin Laden's lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawhari. So why is bin Laden talking now?
PROF. MAGNUS RANSTORP, ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY: Usually in the past whenever bin Laden has surfaced making a statement, there has been a major attack against a U.S. or Western target.
BOETTCHER: Coalition intelligence officials have been telling CNN for months they believe bin Laden is alive and hiding out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. As for this latest message, U.S. intelligence officials are assessing the tape, comparing it to previous bin Laden statements before they're willing to say it's authentic.
Those who've listened to previous bin Laden tapes say it sounds like him, but with some changes.
HISHAM MELHEM, LEBANESE JOURNALIST: Yes, it sounds like him. But the voice is not as soft as previous tapes by Osama bin Laden and delivery is not as slow as previous delivery.
(AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
BOETTCHER: Osama bin Laden invoked Iraq, Palestine and Chechnya, all places, he said, where Muslims were being murdered. And he ended with a warning: "Just like you kill us, we will kill you."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOETTCHER: Now, taken as a whole, many analysts who have studied the words of this say it appears that this is a warning to coalition partners to the United States, those partners who would support the U.S. in any attack on Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: What else do you think is significant as you've analyzed this tape?
BOETTCHER: Well, again, the way it was directed towards the coalition partners and taken with these warnings that are coming out in Europe. Also what is significant is the fact that they felt comfortable in allowing this tape to be released, in getting it out in about two and a half weeks. It indicates that perhaps there is more confidence out in al Qaeda, that they can communicate better, that they feel more secure in the location they are at.
So all of those taken together are very significant.
ZAHN: Now, what about the references that Osama bin Laden makes to the Chechen rebels? Is, he doesn't, while he doesn't make a direct claim that it was al Qaeda that did that, is that what a listener is supposed to read into it?
BOETTCHER: Yes, I believe so. In fact, with all of these various acts that occurred -- and he also mentioned Jordan and the, he doesn't say the assassination of the U.S. diplomat, but he mentions the incident in Jordan -- all of those taken together, he doesn't say we did this, did that, did that. But he never does. He never has in any past tapes.
But the inference is there and the meaning is very clear.
ZAHN: We heard the expert in your package say that in the past when one of these tapes has been made public, shortly thereafter there is another attack. Put this into perspective the with reporting you've done lately and all the increased chatter around the world that's being analyzed.
BOETTCHER: Well, let's take a look at it. There are terror alerts in the United Kingdom, in Germany. Just this morning, German officials raided, I believe, 25 locations looking for Islamic extremists. They're very fearful of an attack. And this particular high warning came from a tape that was released in late September of Ayman al-Zawhari, the number two to Osama bin Laden, in which he talked about attacking economic targets.
The analysts believe that economic targets, soft targets are the ones that will be aimed for by al Qaeda.
Look at South America, where we reported last week there were meetings of top terrorists in order to plan attacks against the United States and Israel in this hemisphere. Also in Asia, the "New York Times" reporting last week that there were meetings in that part of the world also to plan attacks.
All of this taken together, then you have the bin Laden statement and past history of attacks following such statements. It's something to be worried about, Paula.
ZAHN: And I know, Mike, reporters are expected to detach themselves from what they're covering emotionally, but in this case, when the warnings are so prevalent, I guess it's kind of hard to do that. Has this tape left you shaken?
BOETTCHER: Yes, it has. It's the tone of it, Paula. I mean nowhere in the tape does he speak to his followers. This is a direct threat. And bin Laden is a person who carries through with his threats. That is his past history. And around the world there are many soft economic targets. I mean if you look at the attack in Bali, for example, if you look at tourism, I was just told this morning that there are 97 percent, 98 percent vacancy rates in Bali right now.
ZAHN: Wow.
BOETTCHER: So, you're talking about a bomb blast that could conceivably do, inflict $1 billion or more in damage. So these aren't attacks that just destroy buildings. They destroy economies.
ZAHN: That's a very good point to remind us of.
Mike Boettcher, thanks so much.
Appreciate it.
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 13, 2002 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly a year of speculation is over. The State Department is confirming that the tape released yesterday to Al Jazeera Television is of al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden. They still have questions about how the tape was spliced together, whether it was spliced together at all.
Our own Mike Boettcher has analyzed the tape. He joins us now live from Atlanta -- good morning, Mike.
Does it even matter how this tape was spliced together? The fact is the State Department is confirming that it is the voice of Osama bin Laden.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) Paula, and number two, I don't believe it was spliced together because we've gone back through Osama bin Laden's statements in the past and he has never used the word Bali before. So I don't know how it could be spliced together.
Now, this was less of a sermonette aimed at his supporters and more of a direct threat aimed at his enemies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOETTCHER (voice-over): If there was any question whether Osama bin Laden was alive, the audiotape sent to Al Jazeera seemed to settle that, especially the reference to a recent string of attacks around the world.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The killings of Germans in Tunisia and French in Karachi and the bombing of the U.S. tanker in Yemen and the killing of the marines in Failaka and the killings of the British and Australians in Bali and the latest Moscow operation are just some of the attacks here and there, and they're only a reaction to how the Muslims have been treated in response to what god had ordered them.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BOETTCHER: In the past, bin Laden has addressed his messages to his followers. This time the message was aimed at those he termed allies of "the oppressive U.S. government."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So why are your governments allying themselves, allying themselves with America and attacking us in Afghanistan, especially to mention Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and Australia?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BOETTCHER: In Europe, security forces were already on their highest state of alert since 9/11, after a recent threat against France and Germany from bin Laden's lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawhari. So why is bin Laden talking now?
PROF. MAGNUS RANSTORP, ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY: Usually in the past whenever bin Laden has surfaced making a statement, there has been a major attack against a U.S. or Western target.
BOETTCHER: Coalition intelligence officials have been telling CNN for months they believe bin Laden is alive and hiding out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. As for this latest message, U.S. intelligence officials are assessing the tape, comparing it to previous bin Laden statements before they're willing to say it's authentic.
Those who've listened to previous bin Laden tapes say it sounds like him, but with some changes.
HISHAM MELHEM, LEBANESE JOURNALIST: Yes, it sounds like him. But the voice is not as soft as previous tapes by Osama bin Laden and delivery is not as slow as previous delivery.
(AUDIO CLIP, OSAMA BIN LADEN)
BOETTCHER: Osama bin Laden invoked Iraq, Palestine and Chechnya, all places, he said, where Muslims were being murdered. And he ended with a warning: "Just like you kill us, we will kill you."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOETTCHER: Now, taken as a whole, many analysts who have studied the words of this say it appears that this is a warning to coalition partners to the United States, those partners who would support the U.S. in any attack on Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: What else do you think is significant as you've analyzed this tape?
BOETTCHER: Well, again, the way it was directed towards the coalition partners and taken with these warnings that are coming out in Europe. Also what is significant is the fact that they felt comfortable in allowing this tape to be released, in getting it out in about two and a half weeks. It indicates that perhaps there is more confidence out in al Qaeda, that they can communicate better, that they feel more secure in the location they are at.
So all of those taken together are very significant.
ZAHN: Now, what about the references that Osama bin Laden makes to the Chechen rebels? Is, he doesn't, while he doesn't make a direct claim that it was al Qaeda that did that, is that what a listener is supposed to read into it?
BOETTCHER: Yes, I believe so. In fact, with all of these various acts that occurred -- and he also mentioned Jordan and the, he doesn't say the assassination of the U.S. diplomat, but he mentions the incident in Jordan -- all of those taken together, he doesn't say we did this, did that, did that. But he never does. He never has in any past tapes.
But the inference is there and the meaning is very clear.
ZAHN: We heard the expert in your package say that in the past when one of these tapes has been made public, shortly thereafter there is another attack. Put this into perspective the with reporting you've done lately and all the increased chatter around the world that's being analyzed.
BOETTCHER: Well, let's take a look at it. There are terror alerts in the United Kingdom, in Germany. Just this morning, German officials raided, I believe, 25 locations looking for Islamic extremists. They're very fearful of an attack. And this particular high warning came from a tape that was released in late September of Ayman al-Zawhari, the number two to Osama bin Laden, in which he talked about attacking economic targets.
The analysts believe that economic targets, soft targets are the ones that will be aimed for by al Qaeda.
Look at South America, where we reported last week there were meetings of top terrorists in order to plan attacks against the United States and Israel in this hemisphere. Also in Asia, the "New York Times" reporting last week that there were meetings in that part of the world also to plan attacks.
All of this taken together, then you have the bin Laden statement and past history of attacks following such statements. It's something to be worried about, Paula.
ZAHN: And I know, Mike, reporters are expected to detach themselves from what they're covering emotionally, but in this case, when the warnings are so prevalent, I guess it's kind of hard to do that. Has this tape left you shaken?
BOETTCHER: Yes, it has. It's the tone of it, Paula. I mean nowhere in the tape does he speak to his followers. This is a direct threat. And bin Laden is a person who carries through with his threats. That is his past history. And around the world there are many soft economic targets. I mean if you look at the attack in Bali, for example, if you look at tourism, I was just told this morning that there are 97 percent, 98 percent vacancy rates in Bali right now.
ZAHN: Wow.
BOETTCHER: So, you're talking about a bomb blast that could conceivably do, inflict $1 billion or more in damage. So these aren't attacks that just destroy buildings. They destroy economies.
ZAHN: That's a very good point to remind us of.
Mike Boettcher, thanks so much.
Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
