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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: Al Qaeda in Iraq?
Aired May 20, 2003 - 06:09 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: Now to the phones for a "Wake-Up Call." We have word this morning some of al Qaeda's top leaders may be hiding out in Iran.
State Department producer Elise Labott on the line now.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, fill us in. Who are we talking about?
LABOTT: Well, Carol, publicly, the Bush administration is waiting for the investigation to unfold, but privately, officials tell us there is significant evidence those attacks last week in Saudi Arabia were planned and executed by al Qaeda operatives in Iran. There are some indications that the organization's operations chief, Saif al-Adel, was in Iran, and they had played a major role in planning those attacks.
And beyond that, officials say they believe al Qaeda cells do exist in Iran. Members are transiting through the country, at times staying there. And they say the jury is still out on the depth of ties between al Qaeda and the Iranian government.
Now, the White House says the president is taking this information very seriously, and the State Department says the U.S. has been in communication with Iran, trying to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must stop providing safe haven to al Qaeda and to take further steps against terrorism -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, I have something in mind, and I'm sure our audience does, too. What can the United States do? It can't go into Iran and find these al Qaeda terrorists. So, what can it do?
LABOTT: Well, nobody is talking about going into Iran right now. The U.S. has a variety of ways to talk to the Iranians. The Swiss government, for one, acts as sort of a go-between between the U.S. and Iran to pass messages. Plus, U.S. officials have met with the Iranians through the U.N. They sit on a joint task force for Afghanistan. And so, they meet in those types of multilateral channels. And there were a few direct meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials in the lead-up to the war in Iraq about how Iran could provide some limited cooperation.
And now, officials tell us they're hoping to send a fresh message to the Iranians through the U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi. They want him to remind the Iranians that U.S. resolutions related to the war on terrorism do call for member states to deny safe haven and support terrorist groups, and not to provide any -- to start providing information that can prevent future attacks, Carol. And yesterday, you heard both the White House and the State Department reminding the Iranians of their international obligations.
So, it looks as if while they will pass their private messages, they also want a U.N. stamp on this -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Elise Labott, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK 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 20, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the phones for a "Wake-Up Call." We have word this morning some of al Qaeda's top leaders may be hiding out in Iran.
State Department producer Elise Labott on the line now.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, fill us in. Who are we talking about?
LABOTT: Well, Carol, publicly, the Bush administration is waiting for the investigation to unfold, but privately, officials tell us there is significant evidence those attacks last week in Saudi Arabia were planned and executed by al Qaeda operatives in Iran. There are some indications that the organization's operations chief, Saif al-Adel, was in Iran, and they had played a major role in planning those attacks.
And beyond that, officials say they believe al Qaeda cells do exist in Iran. Members are transiting through the country, at times staying there. And they say the jury is still out on the depth of ties between al Qaeda and the Iranian government.
Now, the White House says the president is taking this information very seriously, and the State Department says the U.S. has been in communication with Iran, trying to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must stop providing safe haven to al Qaeda and to take further steps against terrorism -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, I have something in mind, and I'm sure our audience does, too. What can the United States do? It can't go into Iran and find these al Qaeda terrorists. So, what can it do?
LABOTT: Well, nobody is talking about going into Iran right now. The U.S. has a variety of ways to talk to the Iranians. The Swiss government, for one, acts as sort of a go-between between the U.S. and Iran to pass messages. Plus, U.S. officials have met with the Iranians through the U.N. They sit on a joint task force for Afghanistan. And so, they meet in those types of multilateral channels. And there were a few direct meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials in the lead-up to the war in Iraq about how Iran could provide some limited cooperation.
And now, officials tell us they're hoping to send a fresh message to the Iranians through the U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi. They want him to remind the Iranians that U.S. resolutions related to the war on terrorism do call for member states to deny safe haven and support terrorist groups, and not to provide any -- to start providing information that can prevent future attacks, Carol. And yesterday, you heard both the White House and the State Department reminding the Iranians of their international obligations.
So, it looks as if while they will pass their private messages, they also want a U.N. stamp on this -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Elise Labott, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK 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.
