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CNN Live Today
New Terror Warning
Aired November 15, 2002 - 10:01 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A new terror warning that draws as much attention for its words, as for what it is threatening. The federal Law Enforcement Bulletin warns of spectacular attacks that would cause mass casualties and severe damage to the economy. Well, this dire language is the most traumatic yet to be contained in any federal bulletin. And our senior White House correspondent John King is following this story for us this morning. Let's go to him now, get the latest.
John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon. We should begin by saying officials here at the White House, officials at the CIA, officials across the United States government, urging us this morning to say, as we report this to the American people and to others, that there is no new specific intelligence, at all, suggesting any attacks here in the United States.
But they do say that one of the reasons this language that some might consider alarmist, is used in this new bulletin is because there is an increase in what they use to term as "chatter," about possible attacks on the United States. One, of course, item of note recently, that audiotape in which most U.S. and analysts believe it is the voice of Osama bin Laden talking about the threat of future attacks in the United States and his hope that there will be future attacks on the United States.
In that bulletin, it goes out to the 56 terrorism task forces around the country, it is then shared with state and local law official agencies -- law enforcement agencies. The FBI says this, "In selecting its next target, sources suggest Al Qaeda may favor spectacular attacks that meet several criteria: high symbolic value, mass casualties, severe damage to the U.S. economy and maximum psychological trauma. The highest priority targets remain within the aviation, petroleum and nuclear sectors, as well as significant national landmarks."
Here at the White House this morning, the Deputy Press Secretary Scott McLellan saying, as of now, there are no plans to raise the national alert status. It is currently at yellow, which means elevated risk of terrorism attack, no plans to go up to orange, which would be high risk of terrorist attack. You might is ask why, if all this language, the possibility of a spectacular attack, why not elevate the threat level in the country? Scott McLellan saying there is no specific intelligence at all about a time, a date, a location or a method of any attack here in the United States. Other U.S. officials telling our David Ensor, look to the testimony of the CIA Director George Tenet a few weeks back in Congress. He used very similar language. U.S. officials saying they have a responsibility to share this intelligence with law enforcement officials. They concede some of the language could frighten people, but they insist no specific information at all suggesting attacks in the United States are imminent, no credible specific information.
Leon.
HARRIS: That's very interesting. John King at the White House. Thanks, John. We'll be talking with you later on throughout the 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 November 15, 2002 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A new terror warning that draws as much attention for its words, as for what it is threatening. The federal Law Enforcement Bulletin warns of spectacular attacks that would cause mass casualties and severe damage to the economy. Well, this dire language is the most traumatic yet to be contained in any federal bulletin. And our senior White House correspondent John King is following this story for us this morning. Let's go to him now, get the latest.
John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon. We should begin by saying officials here at the White House, officials at the CIA, officials across the United States government, urging us this morning to say, as we report this to the American people and to others, that there is no new specific intelligence, at all, suggesting any attacks here in the United States.
But they do say that one of the reasons this language that some might consider alarmist, is used in this new bulletin is because there is an increase in what they use to term as "chatter," about possible attacks on the United States. One, of course, item of note recently, that audiotape in which most U.S. and analysts believe it is the voice of Osama bin Laden talking about the threat of future attacks in the United States and his hope that there will be future attacks on the United States.
In that bulletin, it goes out to the 56 terrorism task forces around the country, it is then shared with state and local law official agencies -- law enforcement agencies. The FBI says this, "In selecting its next target, sources suggest Al Qaeda may favor spectacular attacks that meet several criteria: high symbolic value, mass casualties, severe damage to the U.S. economy and maximum psychological trauma. The highest priority targets remain within the aviation, petroleum and nuclear sectors, as well as significant national landmarks."
Here at the White House this morning, the Deputy Press Secretary Scott McLellan saying, as of now, there are no plans to raise the national alert status. It is currently at yellow, which means elevated risk of terrorism attack, no plans to go up to orange, which would be high risk of terrorist attack. You might is ask why, if all this language, the possibility of a spectacular attack, why not elevate the threat level in the country? Scott McLellan saying there is no specific intelligence at all about a time, a date, a location or a method of any attack here in the United States. Other U.S. officials telling our David Ensor, look to the testimony of the CIA Director George Tenet a few weeks back in Congress. He used very similar language. U.S. officials saying they have a responsibility to share this intelligence with law enforcement officials. They concede some of the language could frighten people, but they insist no specific information at all suggesting attacks in the United States are imminent, no credible specific information.
Leon.
HARRIS: That's very interesting. John King at the White House. Thanks, John. We'll be talking with you later on throughout the 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
