Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Americans Ambushed: Suspect Arrested

Aired January 23, 2003 - 06:34   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: Saudi Arabia has extradited a man after he reportedly confessed to shooting two Americans in Kuwait earlier this week. One of the Americans was killed.
CNN's Martin Savidge is in Kuwait with more on the investigation. And it's just fascinating that it turns out to be a psychiatrist.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is a pretty interesting detail.

Let me show you the headlines that were on the front page of the English newspaper here, "The Arab Times," talking about in the banner headline the arrest and extradition. And then also we've got the Arabic newspaper here, they actually have a photograph, they say, of the alleged suspect. They've digitized it so you can't clearly see the face, but they have identified the man as Sami Al-Mutayri. He is a psychiatrist, as you point out, said to be in his 30s, who also reportedly spent some time working in Afghanistan during the regime of the Taliban.

Now, according to the Saudi government, Mr. Al-Mutayri was arrested on Wednesday as he attempted to cross the border between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia doing so without a passport. Now that's interesting because most of the Kuwaitis that did go over to Afghanistan in support of the Taliban regime, when they came back to Kuwait, their passports were taken away from them.

There are conflicting reports as to whether or not he has indeed confessed. The Saudi officials say he did confess to the shooting on Tuesday. Kuwaiti authorities here that we have spoken to say that there has not been a confession. And the photograph you saw on the front page of the paper may not be the only photograph of Mr. Al- Mutayri. Reportedly those cameras that monitor the intersection we've been telling you about did get an image of the gunman. Naturally they'll be comparing and looking very carefully at that image.

Let me show you something else today. It rained heavily in Kuwait. That's a rare event. But also, there was a small memorial that took place outside of Tuesday's shooting. The laying of flowers or wreaths at any sort of tragic scene is not custom in the Arab world so you seldom see it. But so moved have been some Kuwaiti people that they decided to show up today with flowers and express their condolences.

Here's some of what the people had to say that were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not the kind of thing (ph) supposed to be happen like that, especially with the Americans. The Americans done a lot of things to us, we should be thankful to them, not to kill them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened doesn't -- it doesn't represent the Kuwaiti people. We can't like blame the whole -- the whole society for one's mistake. We happen to be a very peaceful -- we haven't -- we'd be -- we're very peaceful people. We -- I'm very sorry for what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: And as saddened as they may be about this attack, they also are probably heartened about the fact that there has been an arrest. Many people are waiting to see if more arrests will be forthcoming -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And you'll be waiting, too. Martin Savidge, reporting live from Kuwait City this morning, thank you.

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 January 23, 2003 - 06:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Saudi Arabia has extradited a man after he reportedly confessed to shooting two Americans in Kuwait earlier this week. One of the Americans was killed.
CNN's Martin Savidge is in Kuwait with more on the investigation. And it's just fascinating that it turns out to be a psychiatrist.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is a pretty interesting detail.

Let me show you the headlines that were on the front page of the English newspaper here, "The Arab Times," talking about in the banner headline the arrest and extradition. And then also we've got the Arabic newspaper here, they actually have a photograph, they say, of the alleged suspect. They've digitized it so you can't clearly see the face, but they have identified the man as Sami Al-Mutayri. He is a psychiatrist, as you point out, said to be in his 30s, who also reportedly spent some time working in Afghanistan during the regime of the Taliban.

Now, according to the Saudi government, Mr. Al-Mutayri was arrested on Wednesday as he attempted to cross the border between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia doing so without a passport. Now that's interesting because most of the Kuwaitis that did go over to Afghanistan in support of the Taliban regime, when they came back to Kuwait, their passports were taken away from them.

There are conflicting reports as to whether or not he has indeed confessed. The Saudi officials say he did confess to the shooting on Tuesday. Kuwaiti authorities here that we have spoken to say that there has not been a confession. And the photograph you saw on the front page of the paper may not be the only photograph of Mr. Al- Mutayri. Reportedly those cameras that monitor the intersection we've been telling you about did get an image of the gunman. Naturally they'll be comparing and looking very carefully at that image.

Let me show you something else today. It rained heavily in Kuwait. That's a rare event. But also, there was a small memorial that took place outside of Tuesday's shooting. The laying of flowers or wreaths at any sort of tragic scene is not custom in the Arab world so you seldom see it. But so moved have been some Kuwaiti people that they decided to show up today with flowers and express their condolences.

Here's some of what the people had to say that were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not the kind of thing (ph) supposed to be happen like that, especially with the Americans. The Americans done a lot of things to us, we should be thankful to them, not to kill them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened doesn't -- it doesn't represent the Kuwaiti people. We can't like blame the whole -- the whole society for one's mistake. We happen to be a very peaceful -- we haven't -- we'd be -- we're very peaceful people. We -- I'm very sorry for what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: And as saddened as they may be about this attack, they also are probably heartened about the fact that there has been an arrest. Many people are waiting to see if more arrests will be forthcoming -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And you'll be waiting, too. Martin Savidge, reporting live from Kuwait City this morning, thank you.

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