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CNN Live At Daybreak
Saudi Bombings May be Beginning of Al Qaeda Campaign Within Kingdom
Aired May 16, 2003 - 05:34 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: A leading Saudi dissident says this week's Saudi bombings are probably the beginning of an al Qaeda campaign within the kingdom. The dissident said he is certain Osama bin Laden gave the green light for the Riyadh attacks. The dissident points to statements attributed to bin Laden during one of this year's Muslim holidays calling for attacks.
And the warning to Americans at Jetta, Saudi Arabia that a terrorist attack may soon happen there comes on the heels of that deadly attack on Monday.
We want to get more on the investigation into that.
Kelli Arena has the latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. investigators are now in Saudi Arabia to help hunt down the terrorists who killed eight Americans. But it's still unclear how much of a role the Saudis will let the U.S. team have.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE SECRETARY: We expect full cooperation in the investigation and I think all indications are from the FBI assessment team is that Saudi Arabia is cooperating.
ARENA: A top priority, reconstructing the truck bombs, just as FBI agents did in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing.
DAVE WILLIAMS, FORMER FBI AGENT: We were able to determine exactly what it was and based on the way it was put together, we had a fairly good idea who may have laid that down.
ARENA: There is still some question about what the U.S. told the Saudis before the attacks. U.S. government sources say that when top White House aide Steven Hadley met urgently with Crown Prince Abdullah, he did not provide intelligence about a specific target. Instead, a senior U.S. official says the Saudis were given an analysis that al Qaeda was in the final phases of planning a major attack in Saudi Arabia and that it would most likely try to hit targets like businesses and housing compounds.
PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Our security agencies took the request seriously, assessed the situation and decided the measures were adequate. ARENA: A week before the attacks, the Saudis did discover a safe house and weapons cache near one of the compounds hit and some U.S. government officials say it is very likely the terrorists used it to case the targets.
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Saudi Arabia must deal with the fact that it has terrorists inside its country.
ARENA (on camera): U.S. officials say that is imperative because intelligence suggests al Qaeda is planning more attacks in the kingdom.
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
Within Kingdom>
Aired May 16, 2003 - 05:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A leading Saudi dissident says this week's Saudi bombings are probably the beginning of an al Qaeda campaign within the kingdom. The dissident said he is certain Osama bin Laden gave the green light for the Riyadh attacks. The dissident points to statements attributed to bin Laden during one of this year's Muslim holidays calling for attacks.
And the warning to Americans at Jetta, Saudi Arabia that a terrorist attack may soon happen there comes on the heels of that deadly attack on Monday.
We want to get more on the investigation into that.
Kelli Arena has the latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. investigators are now in Saudi Arabia to help hunt down the terrorists who killed eight Americans. But it's still unclear how much of a role the Saudis will let the U.S. team have.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE SECRETARY: We expect full cooperation in the investigation and I think all indications are from the FBI assessment team is that Saudi Arabia is cooperating.
ARENA: A top priority, reconstructing the truck bombs, just as FBI agents did in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing.
DAVE WILLIAMS, FORMER FBI AGENT: We were able to determine exactly what it was and based on the way it was put together, we had a fairly good idea who may have laid that down.
ARENA: There is still some question about what the U.S. told the Saudis before the attacks. U.S. government sources say that when top White House aide Steven Hadley met urgently with Crown Prince Abdullah, he did not provide intelligence about a specific target. Instead, a senior U.S. official says the Saudis were given an analysis that al Qaeda was in the final phases of planning a major attack in Saudi Arabia and that it would most likely try to hit targets like businesses and housing compounds.
PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Our security agencies took the request seriously, assessed the situation and decided the measures were adequate. ARENA: A week before the attacks, the Saudis did discover a safe house and weapons cache near one of the compounds hit and some U.S. government officials say it is very likely the terrorists used it to case the targets.
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Saudi Arabia must deal with the fact that it has terrorists inside its country.
ARENA (on camera): U.S. officials say that is imperative because intelligence suggests al Qaeda is planning more attacks in the kingdom.
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
Within Kingdom>
