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American Morning
Interview with Editor of Al Quds
Aired November 13, 2002 - 09:44 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: Now we're going to move on to our top story this morning. More on the new terror tape with the voice of Osama Bin Laden on it. Recent attacks are mentioned on the recording and U.S. allies are threatened, but what else can we learn from the recording? Joining us now from London is Abdel Bari Atwan, who happens to be the editor of Al Quds, an Arabic newspaper. And Abdel happened to interview Osama Bin Laden in 1996. Welcome back. Have you had a chance to listen to this audio tape?
ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR, AL QUDS: Yes, I did. I listened to it carefully, definitely for the voice of Osama Bin Laden. It was his tune, it was his language, it was his style. So I think it is an extremely important tape.
ZAHN: And what do you think is the most important thing for us to learn from this tape? We have been airing excerpts throughout the morning, and we're going to have time just, I think, to air one small portion during this interview, but what leapt out to you?
BARI ATWAN: Many things can be learned from this tape. First, Osama Bin Laden is alive and kicking and he would like to prove to everybody that all the stories which were published, whether in Arab press or American press, that he was killed during the Tora Bora bombing is false and it's faulty. He is there. He is still at the top of the Al Qaeda organization. He's blessing those people who committed attacks in Bali and Indonesia and Yemen against the tanker, French tanker, and Kuwait, against American Marines.
So it seems he is in the top, he is in control, and it seems Al Qaeda regrouped again and it's more lethal as it used to be.
ZAHN: Let's talk about that if you believe it's more lethal than it used to be, because Mike Boettcher, our reporter, was saying earlier this morning what seems striking to him is this tape hasn't taken on the tone of a sermon like previous tapes but, in fact, a tape full of direct threats. We're going to listen now to one of the most direct threats he issues. Let's listen.
OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): Why is it acceptable for us to live with fear, murder, destruction, displacement, the orphanage of children and the widowing of women, but peace, security and happiness should be for you? This is not fair. Now is the time to become equals. Just like you kill us, we will kill you.
ZAHN: And in the tape, Osama Bin Laden goes on to mention President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld. How significant is it that he's singled them out in this tape? BARI ATWAN: Actually, yes, because if you listen to them, they are really the warmongering vis-a-vis Iraq and war against terrorism. They are really the most hawkish members of the American administration. So that's why they targeted them, and they single out them in particular. And, yes, this bit of the tape is extremely important. It means Osama Bin Laden is going to also attack civilians. Before, he never did so clearly. So it seems that it would be easier target for him to attack civilian and -- Bali attacks, where the 200 tourists were killed, could be the new style of the Al Qaeda organization attacks. So it could be extremely dangerous.
ZAHN: All right, Abdel Bari Atwan, we're going to have to leave it there because we have some breaking news out of Washington. Thank you very much for your time and patience today.
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 - 09:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we're going to move on to our top story this morning. More on the new terror tape with the voice of Osama Bin Laden on it. Recent attacks are mentioned on the recording and U.S. allies are threatened, but what else can we learn from the recording? Joining us now from London is Abdel Bari Atwan, who happens to be the editor of Al Quds, an Arabic newspaper. And Abdel happened to interview Osama Bin Laden in 1996. Welcome back. Have you had a chance to listen to this audio tape?
ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR, AL QUDS: Yes, I did. I listened to it carefully, definitely for the voice of Osama Bin Laden. It was his tune, it was his language, it was his style. So I think it is an extremely important tape.
ZAHN: And what do you think is the most important thing for us to learn from this tape? We have been airing excerpts throughout the morning, and we're going to have time just, I think, to air one small portion during this interview, but what leapt out to you?
BARI ATWAN: Many things can be learned from this tape. First, Osama Bin Laden is alive and kicking and he would like to prove to everybody that all the stories which were published, whether in Arab press or American press, that he was killed during the Tora Bora bombing is false and it's faulty. He is there. He is still at the top of the Al Qaeda organization. He's blessing those people who committed attacks in Bali and Indonesia and Yemen against the tanker, French tanker, and Kuwait, against American Marines.
So it seems he is in the top, he is in control, and it seems Al Qaeda regrouped again and it's more lethal as it used to be.
ZAHN: Let's talk about that if you believe it's more lethal than it used to be, because Mike Boettcher, our reporter, was saying earlier this morning what seems striking to him is this tape hasn't taken on the tone of a sermon like previous tapes but, in fact, a tape full of direct threats. We're going to listen now to one of the most direct threats he issues. Let's listen.
OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): Why is it acceptable for us to live with fear, murder, destruction, displacement, the orphanage of children and the widowing of women, but peace, security and happiness should be for you? This is not fair. Now is the time to become equals. Just like you kill us, we will kill you.
ZAHN: And in the tape, Osama Bin Laden goes on to mention President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld. How significant is it that he's singled them out in this tape? BARI ATWAN: Actually, yes, because if you listen to them, they are really the warmongering vis-a-vis Iraq and war against terrorism. They are really the most hawkish members of the American administration. So that's why they targeted them, and they single out them in particular. And, yes, this bit of the tape is extremely important. It means Osama Bin Laden is going to also attack civilians. Before, he never did so clearly. So it seems that it would be easier target for him to attack civilian and -- Bali attacks, where the 200 tourists were killed, could be the new style of the Al Qaeda organization attacks. So it could be extremely dangerous.
ZAHN: All right, Abdel Bari Atwan, we're going to have to leave it there because we have some breaking news out of Washington. Thank you very much for your time and patience today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
