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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bali Bombings Confession

Aired November 22, 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: A major breakthrough in the investigation into the Bali nightclub bombings last month. Police say the key suspect in the case has now confessed to planning and carrying out the attack that killed more than 180 people. And he apparently also had his hand in other bombings across Indonesia.
CNN's Atika Shubert joins us by videophone from Jakarta with more.

Good morning.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Indonesia's national police chief kicked off the preliminary questioning of a suspect known as Imam Sumudra. That's the self-confessed mastermind behind the Bali bombing attacks.

Now, police say he didn't only admit to the Bali bombings, he also admitted to a string of other terrorist attacks (AUDIO GAP) bombs that went off on Christmas Day in the year 2000 here.

Now, police say the questioning has really just started. It usually lasts for several days, but Sumudra has already clarified a lot of the missing details on the Bali bombing in particular. Police say that Sumudra was the man who coordinated the attacks, led all of the other actors involved in the attacks, and that he was the man that chose the location, the nightclub in Bali.

Now, the reason Sumudra says he chose those nightspots is because they were frequented by foreigners, and he reasoned that many Americans would be going there. And that confirms the confession of another Bali suspect that, in fact, the objective of the attack was to -- quote -- "kill as many Americans as possible."

Now, another interesting development in this case that still is coming in is that one of the bombers apparently died in the bombing attack, as he was placing one of the bombs inside a bar. It exploded, killing him.

Now, we're still trying to confirm media reports that it was suicide bombing. The police say that they would still like to do some more DNA tests before they say it was an actual suicide bomb.

Now, perhaps one of the most frightening parts of Sumudra's confession to date is that he was working on new terrorist plots. Now, police have not given any details on what those new plots might be. However, they do say they are hoping for more information that they do believe Sumudra's confession will lead to more arrests of terror suspects in the future -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Atika Shubert, thanks.

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 22, 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: A major breakthrough in the investigation into the Bali nightclub bombings last month. Police say the key suspect in the case has now confessed to planning and carrying out the attack that killed more than 180 people. And he apparently also had his hand in other bombings across Indonesia.
CNN's Atika Shubert joins us by videophone from Jakarta with more.

Good morning.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Indonesia's national police chief kicked off the preliminary questioning of a suspect known as Imam Sumudra. That's the self-confessed mastermind behind the Bali bombing attacks.

Now, police say he didn't only admit to the Bali bombings, he also admitted to a string of other terrorist attacks (AUDIO GAP) bombs that went off on Christmas Day in the year 2000 here.

Now, police say the questioning has really just started. It usually lasts for several days, but Sumudra has already clarified a lot of the missing details on the Bali bombing in particular. Police say that Sumudra was the man who coordinated the attacks, led all of the other actors involved in the attacks, and that he was the man that chose the location, the nightclub in Bali.

Now, the reason Sumudra says he chose those nightspots is because they were frequented by foreigners, and he reasoned that many Americans would be going there. And that confirms the confession of another Bali suspect that, in fact, the objective of the attack was to -- quote -- "kill as many Americans as possible."

Now, another interesting development in this case that still is coming in is that one of the bombers apparently died in the bombing attack, as he was placing one of the bombs inside a bar. It exploded, killing him.

Now, we're still trying to confirm media reports that it was suicide bombing. The police say that they would still like to do some more DNA tests before they say it was an actual suicide bomb.

Now, perhaps one of the most frightening parts of Sumudra's confession to date is that he was working on new terrorist plots. Now, police have not given any details on what those new plots might be. However, they do say they are hoping for more information that they do believe Sumudra's confession will lead to more arrests of terror suspects in the future -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Atika Shubert, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.