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CNN Live At Daybreak

Lebanese Army Thwarts Terror Attack on Western Target

Aired May 15, 2003 - 06:56   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: This just in to CNN. We want to head live to Beirut. We have Brent Sadler on the phone. Apparently the Lebanese Army has thwarted a terror attack on a Western target -- Brent, can you tell us more about this?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol.

Details emerging here that the Lebanese Army, in conjunction with Syrian military intelligence, have broken up a suspected terror network. They have arrested some nine Lebanese and Palestinians who they say were going to launch a rocket attack against the embassy of the United States at Alkar (ph), which is just north of the Lebanese capital.

In addition to that plan, they were also, according to official sources here, plotting to attack Lebanese military and Syrian military targets in the Bekaa Valley and in the north of Lebanon. And in a third pronged approach to this series of terror strikes they say were being planned, they say that these nine men were also plotting to kidnap Lebanese members of parliament and ministers in an attempt to force the Lebanese authorities to negotiate the release of at least 20 terrorists who are in jail here in Lebanon after being arrested in the aftermath of a vicious shootout in the north of Lebanon some three years ago.

An official authorities here, their sources are saying that they have struck an important blow against a terror group here in Lebanon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I have to ask the question, do we know if they're al Qaeda linked or if this is linked at all to the terror attacks in Saudi Arabia?

SADLER: No. There's no information about that. But the Lebanese have always said that they conducted a major operation three years ago against Islamic extremists, several months before the 9/11 attacks on America. And they always said that Lebanon's military here had launched a first strike against the kind of Islamic terror we've been seeing over the past couple of years here in Lebanon.

So that's why they're saying the detention of these nine is very important in terms of the ongoing global war against terror -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Brent Sadler live from Beirut this morning.

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 15, 2003 - 06:56   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: This just in to CNN. We want to head live to Beirut. We have Brent Sadler on the phone. Apparently the Lebanese Army has thwarted a terror attack on a Western target -- Brent, can you tell us more about this?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol.

Details emerging here that the Lebanese Army, in conjunction with Syrian military intelligence, have broken up a suspected terror network. They have arrested some nine Lebanese and Palestinians who they say were going to launch a rocket attack against the embassy of the United States at Alkar (ph), which is just north of the Lebanese capital.

In addition to that plan, they were also, according to official sources here, plotting to attack Lebanese military and Syrian military targets in the Bekaa Valley and in the north of Lebanon. And in a third pronged approach to this series of terror strikes they say were being planned, they say that these nine men were also plotting to kidnap Lebanese members of parliament and ministers in an attempt to force the Lebanese authorities to negotiate the release of at least 20 terrorists who are in jail here in Lebanon after being arrested in the aftermath of a vicious shootout in the north of Lebanon some three years ago.

An official authorities here, their sources are saying that they have struck an important blow against a terror group here in Lebanon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I have to ask the question, do we know if they're al Qaeda linked or if this is linked at all to the terror attacks in Saudi Arabia?

SADLER: No. There's no information about that. But the Lebanese have always said that they conducted a major operation three years ago against Islamic extremists, several months before the 9/11 attacks on America. And they always said that Lebanon's military here had launched a first strike against the kind of Islamic terror we've been seeing over the past couple of years here in Lebanon.

So that's why they're saying the detention of these nine is very important in terms of the ongoing global war against terror -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Brent Sadler live from Beirut this morning.

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