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CNN Live At Daybreak
Sea Scare: Terror Threats on Ship
Aired April 24, 2003 - 06:14 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: You're on a cruise to Hawaii and suddenly the ship is crawling with FBI agents and bomb-sniffing dogs. Why, because two notes that appear to be terrorist threats are found in a bathroom.
We get more now from Jai Cunningham of our affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAI CUNNINGHAM, KHON-TV REPORTER: About 75 members of Hawaii's Joint Terrorism Task Force are on board the ship at this hour searching for any credible threat. The search began at around 3:00 yesterday afternoon Hawaii time. Now the passengers remain on board and there is no word when their trip might continue.
(voice-over): The call came into the FBI office in Honolulu. The cruise started in Ensenada, Mexico. But instead of docking in Hilo, as planned, it was ordered to anchor off Oahu so members of the Terrorism Task Force could investigate. Taking bomb-sniffing dogs along, they boarded the cruise ship looking for any evidence of a potential threat.
DANIEL DZWILEWSKI, FBI JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE: The operation is to investigate. We'll be interviewing all passengers, crew. First the threat has to be neutralized in terms of if there's any bombs or any kind of explosives on board, render the vessel safe and then an investigation will ensue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruise ships in general, we've done -- we -- this traditionally and very regularly. Under this situation, this is the first time here in Hawaii.
CUNNINGHAM: The FBI, Coast Guard, Honolulu Police Department and the Sheriff's Department are among the agencies that make up the task force. They've been preparing for situations like this for more than a year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since September 11, the No. 1 priority of the FBI is to prevent future acts of terrorism committed against Americans both here and abroad. The JTTF in Hawaii is clearly working here and we'll aggressively investigate any threats, any intelligence that indicate threats of terrorism will be investigated here in Hawaii very thoroughly.
CUNNINGHAM (on camera): The FBI wouldn't say what was written on those notes, only that there were vague threats. Now if any credible threat is found, the joint task force has a plan to evacuate the ship. But as of this hour, no threat has been found and the search continues.
Reporting from Honolulu Harbor, Jai Cunningham, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Many thanks to Jai Cunningham from our affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
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 April 24, 2003 - 06:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: You're on a cruise to Hawaii and suddenly the ship is crawling with FBI agents and bomb-sniffing dogs. Why, because two notes that appear to be terrorist threats are found in a bathroom.
We get more now from Jai Cunningham of our affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAI CUNNINGHAM, KHON-TV REPORTER: About 75 members of Hawaii's Joint Terrorism Task Force are on board the ship at this hour searching for any credible threat. The search began at around 3:00 yesterday afternoon Hawaii time. Now the passengers remain on board and there is no word when their trip might continue.
(voice-over): The call came into the FBI office in Honolulu. The cruise started in Ensenada, Mexico. But instead of docking in Hilo, as planned, it was ordered to anchor off Oahu so members of the Terrorism Task Force could investigate. Taking bomb-sniffing dogs along, they boarded the cruise ship looking for any evidence of a potential threat.
DANIEL DZWILEWSKI, FBI JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE: The operation is to investigate. We'll be interviewing all passengers, crew. First the threat has to be neutralized in terms of if there's any bombs or any kind of explosives on board, render the vessel safe and then an investigation will ensue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruise ships in general, we've done -- we -- this traditionally and very regularly. Under this situation, this is the first time here in Hawaii.
CUNNINGHAM: The FBI, Coast Guard, Honolulu Police Department and the Sheriff's Department are among the agencies that make up the task force. They've been preparing for situations like this for more than a year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since September 11, the No. 1 priority of the FBI is to prevent future acts of terrorism committed against Americans both here and abroad. The JTTF in Hawaii is clearly working here and we'll aggressively investigate any threats, any intelligence that indicate threats of terrorism will be investigated here in Hawaii very thoroughly.
CUNNINGHAM (on camera): The FBI wouldn't say what was written on those notes, only that there were vague threats. Now if any credible threat is found, the joint task force has a plan to evacuate the ship. But as of this hour, no threat has been found and the search continues.
Reporting from Honolulu Harbor, Jai Cunningham, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Many thanks to Jai Cunningham from our affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
