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CNN Live At Daybreak
Terror Plot Foiled?
Aired November 18, 2002 - 06:08 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to London, where security officials believe they foiled a terrorist plot. Even though police aren't confirming anything, local media are reporting the suspects planned to release poison gas in the subway system. Three suspects are due in court today.
CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is live in London.
Walter -- bring us up-to-date.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Here in London, those Londoners who went to work on the Underground -- that is the Tube or the subway -- were a bit more apprehensive this morning.
A short while ago, I spoke with many of them going to work. One young woman emerged from the Tube and said she walked out of there a bit more quickly this morning. Many people are afraid riding the Tube, but they say they have no choice. The reason being, it carries some three million people a day to and from work.
Now, the reason for this scare is all weekend, there were splash headlines across the Sunday newspapers that a terrorist plot had been foiled, one which might have released cyanide gas in the London Underground. The British government is playing that down considerably at this point; for one reason, because it does not want to have a panic.
Nonetheless, there are three North African Muslims in the Bow (ph) Street magistrate's court this morning. They are charged with violation of the terrorism act; that is, it is alleged they had articles in their possession for the instigation, commission and preparation of a terror attack in London.
One newspaper reported that some of those articles included books on how to make gas bombs.
We should point out that no such apparatus has been found in their possession at this point, but Prime Minister Tony Blair was sufficiently alarmed last week to tell MI5 to cut their surveillance and arrest these men. These men are in court now, and MI5, plus the British commuters, are on a high state of alert here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Scary stuff. Walter Rodgers, thank you very 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 18, 2002 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to London, where security officials believe they foiled a terrorist plot. Even though police aren't confirming anything, local media are reporting the suspects planned to release poison gas in the subway system. Three suspects are due in court today.
CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is live in London.
Walter -- bring us up-to-date.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Here in London, those Londoners who went to work on the Underground -- that is the Tube or the subway -- were a bit more apprehensive this morning.
A short while ago, I spoke with many of them going to work. One young woman emerged from the Tube and said she walked out of there a bit more quickly this morning. Many people are afraid riding the Tube, but they say they have no choice. The reason being, it carries some three million people a day to and from work.
Now, the reason for this scare is all weekend, there were splash headlines across the Sunday newspapers that a terrorist plot had been foiled, one which might have released cyanide gas in the London Underground. The British government is playing that down considerably at this point; for one reason, because it does not want to have a panic.
Nonetheless, there are three North African Muslims in the Bow (ph) Street magistrate's court this morning. They are charged with violation of the terrorism act; that is, it is alleged they had articles in their possession for the instigation, commission and preparation of a terror attack in London.
One newspaper reported that some of those articles included books on how to make gas bombs.
We should point out that no such apparatus has been found in their possession at this point, but Prime Minister Tony Blair was sufficiently alarmed last week to tell MI5 to cut their surveillance and arrest these men. These men are in court now, and MI5, plus the British commuters, are on a high state of alert here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Scary stuff. Walter Rodgers, thank you very 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.
