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American Morning

Discussion with Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Aired May 13, 2003 - 08:02   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Colin Powell, we are tracking his tour throughout the Mideast. He continues that today. In fact, he landed last night, just hours before the attacks took place in Riyadh. Colin Powell again continues his tour in Saudi Arabia.
State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel now standing by at D.C. at her post there to bring us more on what we are learning right now from half a world away -- Andrea, good morning again.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Secretary of State Powell was in Amman, Jordan when the attacks happened. He was sound asleep, but aides say that he was awakened and decided that he would continue with his visit. He has arrived in the capital just a short time ago.

U.S. intelligence had been warning for weeks that al Qaeda was in the final phases of planning attacks against American interests in the Saudi capital and although there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks as of yet, before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Powell said that there was no doubt in his mind who was responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, it has the earmarks of al Qaeda and I think it's just part of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations' willingness to kill innocent people in order to push forward a criminal agenda, a terrorist agenda that very often has no purpose, has no meaning other than to strike out in rage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Now, I just spoke with a senior State Department official. Obviously, Bill, a lot of this information is still coming in as security officials are combing the compounds. But the latest information we have is that three expatriate housing compounds were targeted. Two of those compounds were breached by cars which got through security gates.

There was a combination, U.S. officials believe, of both suicide bombers who were inside the cars and cars themselves which were packed with explosives. But no matter what you want to say as to who was behind the attack, today you have hundreds of people who are injured, at least 11 people who are believed to have died, 10 of them Americans. Secretary of State Powell's agenda obviously on the ground there having changed. He arrived expecting to talk about the post-Saddam situation in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Now, clearly, overshadowed by the latest suicide attacks.

Bill, I should note the first in Saudi Arabia since the 1996 bombings of Khobar Towers -- Bill.

HEMMER: Andrea, a quick question. How far in advance is it known for a secretary of state's travel plans? How long would it have been known prior to him arriving there in Riyadh?

KOPPEL: They're usually, State Department officials try to keep that as closely held as possible. They announced it middle of last week. But a couple of weeks ago you'll remember when the new Palestinian prime minister was installed, there was a an indication that Secretary of State Powell would be traveling to the region at some point in the near future -- Bill.

HEMMER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, thanks for the update there -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more now. My guest in Washington, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Wyche Fowler.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for being with us this morning.

WYCHE FOWLER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA: Good morning to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: What kind of information are you getting from inside Saudi Arabia about what took place and who might be responsible for these attacks?

FOWLER: Well, of course, Secretary Powell would have the latest information from the Saudi authorities as to who did it. It looks like al Qaeda. It has all the markings of al Qaeda, the fact, and the fact that the Saudis had been chasing al Qaeda for the last 10 days, expecting that a major attack had been planned and could happen at any time.

We don't know that yet. I did find out last night that one of the sons of a deputy governor of Riyadh, Mr. Al-Blaihed, the younger Saudi, was also apparently killed. So not only do we have American civilians being attacked, but also, I think we're going to find out that there will be other Westerners, as well as Saudis, that were the innocent victims of this attack.

KAGAN: You mentioned the last 10 days. Let's look at the last 10 days, going back to May 1st. The State Department issues a warning expecting that a terrorist attack like this could happen. You have the Saudis with their botched attempt to round up some of these suspected terrorists. Seventeen or 19 of them go ahead and escape anyway.

What is taking place inside Saudi Arabia that the government cannot get a handle on a situation like this when there's a threat that something might be happening?

FOWLER: Well, I think, I don't think we're in a position to criticize quite that severely at this stage. What happened was that responding to much of the intelligence and information that we supplied Saudi Arabia and cooperating with their intelligence, attacks were anticipated by our services and in Saudi Arabia as a result of our possible incursion and then our incursion into Iraq.

The Saudis then, with our help, rounded up all suspected members of al Qaeda, anyone that had any history or that we anticipated might attack us if we attacked Iraq.

KAGAN: But what about these 19 that were able to escape, Mr. Ambassador? Nineteen people just don't escape that easily unless there's some kind of complicity.

FOWLER: Well, I wish I knew the answer to that, Daryn. I know that they went after them. Whether or not it was a botched attempt to round them up, of course, I don't know.

KAGAN: You also say that we can't criticize at this point. But there certainly has been a lot of criticism against the Saudis recently about how they have handled terrorism, how they've tried to crack down. Given what has happened this time around, given, as you're indicating, that perhaps Saudis might be some of the victims, do you think they're getting the message and do you think they're going to change how they deal with people like this?

FOWLER: Well, I think what we ought to concentrate on is what President Bush and Secretary Powell has said, and that is that ever since the bombings in 1996, which sent me to Saudi Arabia, against the military at Khobar -- there were Saudis killed there and there were also Americans killed, sadly, 19 American servicemen. But that was their 9/11. That was their wake up call that they had homegrown terrorism, Saudis inside Saudi Arabia. And ever since that time, in my four and a half years there, there has been an extraordinary cooperation between Americans and Saudis to get to the bottom of this.

Obviously 9/11 in our country, 9/11 in their country, we have not done the job. We have not stopped terrorism. And now we see attacks not only against military, but against civilians.

KAGAN: Clearly a lot...

FOWLER: We've got to do a better job and we've got to do it cooperatively and not point fingers at each other if we are going to prevent this from happening again.

KAGAN: Clearly a lot more work to do on both sides of this situation.

Former Ambassador Wyche Fowler.

Mr. Ambassador, thank you for joining us this morning.

FOWLER: Thank you, Daryn. 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 May 13, 2003 - 08:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Colin Powell, we are tracking his tour throughout the Mideast. He continues that today. In fact, he landed last night, just hours before the attacks took place in Riyadh. Colin Powell again continues his tour in Saudi Arabia.
State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel now standing by at D.C. at her post there to bring us more on what we are learning right now from half a world away -- Andrea, good morning again.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Secretary of State Powell was in Amman, Jordan when the attacks happened. He was sound asleep, but aides say that he was awakened and decided that he would continue with his visit. He has arrived in the capital just a short time ago.

U.S. intelligence had been warning for weeks that al Qaeda was in the final phases of planning attacks against American interests in the Saudi capital and although there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks as of yet, before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Powell said that there was no doubt in his mind who was responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, it has the earmarks of al Qaeda and I think it's just part of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations' willingness to kill innocent people in order to push forward a criminal agenda, a terrorist agenda that very often has no purpose, has no meaning other than to strike out in rage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Now, I just spoke with a senior State Department official. Obviously, Bill, a lot of this information is still coming in as security officials are combing the compounds. But the latest information we have is that three expatriate housing compounds were targeted. Two of those compounds were breached by cars which got through security gates.

There was a combination, U.S. officials believe, of both suicide bombers who were inside the cars and cars themselves which were packed with explosives. But no matter what you want to say as to who was behind the attack, today you have hundreds of people who are injured, at least 11 people who are believed to have died, 10 of them Americans. Secretary of State Powell's agenda obviously on the ground there having changed. He arrived expecting to talk about the post-Saddam situation in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Now, clearly, overshadowed by the latest suicide attacks.

Bill, I should note the first in Saudi Arabia since the 1996 bombings of Khobar Towers -- Bill.

HEMMER: Andrea, a quick question. How far in advance is it known for a secretary of state's travel plans? How long would it have been known prior to him arriving there in Riyadh?

KOPPEL: They're usually, State Department officials try to keep that as closely held as possible. They announced it middle of last week. But a couple of weeks ago you'll remember when the new Palestinian prime minister was installed, there was a an indication that Secretary of State Powell would be traveling to the region at some point in the near future -- Bill.

HEMMER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, thanks for the update there -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more now. My guest in Washington, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Wyche Fowler.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for being with us this morning.

WYCHE FOWLER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA: Good morning to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: What kind of information are you getting from inside Saudi Arabia about what took place and who might be responsible for these attacks?

FOWLER: Well, of course, Secretary Powell would have the latest information from the Saudi authorities as to who did it. It looks like al Qaeda. It has all the markings of al Qaeda, the fact, and the fact that the Saudis had been chasing al Qaeda for the last 10 days, expecting that a major attack had been planned and could happen at any time.

We don't know that yet. I did find out last night that one of the sons of a deputy governor of Riyadh, Mr. Al-Blaihed, the younger Saudi, was also apparently killed. So not only do we have American civilians being attacked, but also, I think we're going to find out that there will be other Westerners, as well as Saudis, that were the innocent victims of this attack.

KAGAN: You mentioned the last 10 days. Let's look at the last 10 days, going back to May 1st. The State Department issues a warning expecting that a terrorist attack like this could happen. You have the Saudis with their botched attempt to round up some of these suspected terrorists. Seventeen or 19 of them go ahead and escape anyway.

What is taking place inside Saudi Arabia that the government cannot get a handle on a situation like this when there's a threat that something might be happening?

FOWLER: Well, I think, I don't think we're in a position to criticize quite that severely at this stage. What happened was that responding to much of the intelligence and information that we supplied Saudi Arabia and cooperating with their intelligence, attacks were anticipated by our services and in Saudi Arabia as a result of our possible incursion and then our incursion into Iraq.

The Saudis then, with our help, rounded up all suspected members of al Qaeda, anyone that had any history or that we anticipated might attack us if we attacked Iraq.

KAGAN: But what about these 19 that were able to escape, Mr. Ambassador? Nineteen people just don't escape that easily unless there's some kind of complicity.

FOWLER: Well, I wish I knew the answer to that, Daryn. I know that they went after them. Whether or not it was a botched attempt to round them up, of course, I don't know.

KAGAN: You also say that we can't criticize at this point. But there certainly has been a lot of criticism against the Saudis recently about how they have handled terrorism, how they've tried to crack down. Given what has happened this time around, given, as you're indicating, that perhaps Saudis might be some of the victims, do you think they're getting the message and do you think they're going to change how they deal with people like this?

FOWLER: Well, I think what we ought to concentrate on is what President Bush and Secretary Powell has said, and that is that ever since the bombings in 1996, which sent me to Saudi Arabia, against the military at Khobar -- there were Saudis killed there and there were also Americans killed, sadly, 19 American servicemen. But that was their 9/11. That was their wake up call that they had homegrown terrorism, Saudis inside Saudi Arabia. And ever since that time, in my four and a half years there, there has been an extraordinary cooperation between Americans and Saudis to get to the bottom of this.

Obviously 9/11 in our country, 9/11 in their country, we have not done the job. We have not stopped terrorism. And now we see attacks not only against military, but against civilians.

KAGAN: Clearly a lot...

FOWLER: We've got to do a better job and we've got to do it cooperatively and not point fingers at each other if we are going to prevent this from happening again.

KAGAN: Clearly a lot more work to do on both sides of this situation.

Former Ambassador Wyche Fowler.

Mr. Ambassador, thank you for joining us this morning.

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