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CNN Live At Daybreak
New Concerns About Five Men Wanted by FBI
Aired December 31, 2002 - 05:09 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn back to the U.S. now, where there are some new concerns this morning about five men wanted by the FBI. Are they members of a terrorist cell?
Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena looks into that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The nationwide Manhattan is still on for these five men. The FBI and its 18,000 state and local law enforcement partners have made finding them a top priority. Intelligence suggests that on or about December 24, they illegally entered the United States through Canada.
DANIEL BENJAMIN, STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: We used to boast that that was the longest unfortified border in the world. Now it's not something we're quite as happy about.
ARENA: The FBI was alerted to the men in the course of a separate investigation into a Pakistani smuggling ring that provided fake documents. Sources say the five received phony British passports and said their intent was to enter the United States illegally. The FBI has no evidence they did nor are officials sure where the men come from, though they are believed to be Pakistani. Officials also do not know whether the names they are using are legitimate.
The only thing the FBI is sure of is what the men look like. BENJAMIN: It's a perfect example of life in the age of terrorism. It tells us very little. There is relatively little likelihood that the public will be able to turn much up. It would be complete happenstance. And it gives us no idea of the importance of this, of these people.
ARENA: Still, law enforcement sources say their level of concern is high. That's because intelligence sources refer to the five as a group, as one source said, a possible terror cell.
J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: We're going into the new year's eve season and it looks like they came into the Northeast. You know, you've got New York, one of the biggest new year's celebrations going.
ARENA: Officials say New York's governor, George Pataki, was immediately brought into the loop.
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI, NEW YORK: We have some reasonable basis to believe that they came across the Canadian border into New York State. We don't know where they are now.
ARENA (on camera): Even without a great deal of information, the FBI says it can't take any chances, as intelligence continues to pour in suggesting al Qaeda could be planning more attacks.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 31, 2002 - 05:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn back to the U.S. now, where there are some new concerns this morning about five men wanted by the FBI. Are they members of a terrorist cell?
Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena looks into that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The nationwide Manhattan is still on for these five men. The FBI and its 18,000 state and local law enforcement partners have made finding them a top priority. Intelligence suggests that on or about December 24, they illegally entered the United States through Canada.
DANIEL BENJAMIN, STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: We used to boast that that was the longest unfortified border in the world. Now it's not something we're quite as happy about.
ARENA: The FBI was alerted to the men in the course of a separate investigation into a Pakistani smuggling ring that provided fake documents. Sources say the five received phony British passports and said their intent was to enter the United States illegally. The FBI has no evidence they did nor are officials sure where the men come from, though they are believed to be Pakistani. Officials also do not know whether the names they are using are legitimate.
The only thing the FBI is sure of is what the men look like. BENJAMIN: It's a perfect example of life in the age of terrorism. It tells us very little. There is relatively little likelihood that the public will be able to turn much up. It would be complete happenstance. And it gives us no idea of the importance of this, of these people.
ARENA: Still, law enforcement sources say their level of concern is high. That's because intelligence sources refer to the five as a group, as one source said, a possible terror cell.
J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: We're going into the new year's eve season and it looks like they came into the Northeast. You know, you've got New York, one of the biggest new year's celebrations going.
ARENA: Officials say New York's governor, George Pataki, was immediately brought into the loop.
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI, NEW YORK: We have some reasonable basis to believe that they came across the Canadian border into New York State. We don't know where they are now.
ARENA (on camera): Even without a great deal of information, the FBI says it can't take any chances, as intelligence continues to pour in suggesting al Qaeda could be planning more attacks.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
