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CNN Live At Daybreak
The Hunt for Bin Laden
Aired December 17, 2002 - 05:43 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: And let's turn now to our special series on the al Qaeda threat. In today's installment, CNN national correspondent Mike Boettcher updates us on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want justice.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Right after 9/11, President Bush made bin Laden the world's most wanted man.
BUSH: There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, "Wanted, dead or alive."
BOETTCHER: But after 15 months, the man with the $25 million bounty on his head remains a fugitive.
MAGNUS RANSTORP, UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS: It's a virtual nightmare to try to find him given the global reach al Qaeda has. And al Qaeda, of course, exists in over 98 countries around the world.
BOETTCHER: A year ago, the American-led forces almost had their man. They captured the Afghan city of Kandahar, a major al Qaeda stronghold. But bin Laden had retreated to the Tora Bora Mountains, a natural fortress near the Pakistan border.
An al Qaeda member later described the ensuing battle on a Web site frequently used by the group. Intelligence sources consider his account of a precision guided bomb hitting bin Laden's bunker reliable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing was left but a big hole and pieces of dead bodies. Was Osama killed? Allah kept Osama bin Laden alive because he left the bunker only two nights before and moved to an area only 200 meters away.
BOETTCHER: Many experts believe bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan or perhaps slipped across the border into Pakistan's northwest territories.
KAMAL HYDER, JOURNALIST: People are dead who support Osama bin Laden, who support his point of view; and yes, they would give their future to this man if he was to come to their houses.
BOETTCHER: As the hunt continues for al Qaeda foot soldiers and field commanders, the U.S. still wants Osama bin Laden dead or alive. He's the symbol of worldwide jihad. And in the war on terrorism, much more than just one man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: CNN's Mike Boettcher.
The ongoing war to uproot al Qaeda depends on accurate intelligence. Tomorrow, CNN's David Ensor will tell us how that effort is faring.
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 December 17, 2002 - 05:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And let's turn now to our special series on the al Qaeda threat. In today's installment, CNN national correspondent Mike Boettcher updates us on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want justice.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Right after 9/11, President Bush made bin Laden the world's most wanted man.
BUSH: There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, "Wanted, dead or alive."
BOETTCHER: But after 15 months, the man with the $25 million bounty on his head remains a fugitive.
MAGNUS RANSTORP, UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS: It's a virtual nightmare to try to find him given the global reach al Qaeda has. And al Qaeda, of course, exists in over 98 countries around the world.
BOETTCHER: A year ago, the American-led forces almost had their man. They captured the Afghan city of Kandahar, a major al Qaeda stronghold. But bin Laden had retreated to the Tora Bora Mountains, a natural fortress near the Pakistan border.
An al Qaeda member later described the ensuing battle on a Web site frequently used by the group. Intelligence sources consider his account of a precision guided bomb hitting bin Laden's bunker reliable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing was left but a big hole and pieces of dead bodies. Was Osama killed? Allah kept Osama bin Laden alive because he left the bunker only two nights before and moved to an area only 200 meters away.
BOETTCHER: Many experts believe bin Laden is hiding in Afghanistan or perhaps slipped across the border into Pakistan's northwest territories.
KAMAL HYDER, JOURNALIST: People are dead who support Osama bin Laden, who support his point of view; and yes, they would give their future to this man if he was to come to their houses.
BOETTCHER: As the hunt continues for al Qaeda foot soldiers and field commanders, the U.S. still wants Osama bin Laden dead or alive. He's the symbol of worldwide jihad. And in the war on terrorism, much more than just one man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: CNN's Mike Boettcher.
The ongoing war to uproot al Qaeda depends on accurate intelligence. Tomorrow, CNN's David Ensor will tell us how that effort is faring.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
