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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
New al Qaeda Tape Comes to Light; Bush Deploys Anti-Aircraft Missiles Around Capitol, Stepping Up Patrols Over Metropolitan Area
Aired May 21, 2003 - 17:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): An al Qaeda call to arms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And may the next days convey to you -- God willing -- good news.
BLITZER: Ominous words said to come from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. But where might they strike? And how? Is the country prepared?
The military joins the nation on High alert.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will haunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the Earth.
BLITZER: Airport arrests. Did the Saudis prevent their own 9/11?
Too good to be true. Researchers take a new look at the famous Atkins diet.
And is this the reality TV? Ripped from the headlines. A landmark for "Law & Order." We'll speak with the people behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Wednesday, May 21, 2003. Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.
We have a development coming in just now. The Pentagon has moved to protect the Washington D.C. area, quietly deploying anti-aircraft missiles around the nation's capitol and stepping up air patrols over the entire metropolitan area.
Let's get the latest from our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you may recall the Pentagon has done this twice before -- once on the anniversary of September 11 and then again in February.
Again, they're deploying these stinger missiles mounted on the back of Humvees as an increase in the air defense posture around the nation's capitol.
Also part of the plan -- quietly stepping up some of those air patrols. They're not 24/7, but U.S. F-16s will be flying extra patrols in the Washington area. Some of them will be part of a training exercise announced previously by the North American Air Command for those F-16s to conduct low-level flights over parts of the Washington area. But again, the Pentagon has no specific Intelligence that Washington is a target, that these are merely prudent steps as they've taken in the past when there's an increased threat of terrorist activity.
BLITZER: Jamie, very briefly. New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle -- any other major metropolitan area will get this kind of protection as well?
MCINTYRE: No word of any other city other than Washington getting this kind of protection -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thanks very much.
Already on high alert, Americans heard more chilling words today. An audiotape said to come from Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant calls on Muslims around the world to attack interests of The United States and three other nations -- and specifically to target Jews.
The recording aired by Al-Jazeera has not yet been authenticated, but an earlier al Qaeda tape was followed, as we all remember, by terror attacks.
Let's begin with our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, who is picking up this part of the story -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was first (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Al-Jazeera. As you say, they did have a 15-minute tape. What they aired was a four-minute portion of it. It was heavily edited and because of the accent of the person on the tape and because of other reasons, it appears that perhaps, just perhaps, despite the strong message here, perhaps this was not Ayman Al- Zawahiri.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Heavily edited and occasionally inaudible above background noise, this message calls for attacks on U.S., British, Australian, and Norwegian embassies and interests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Protests, demonstrations, and conferences will not be enough. You will only benefit by taking arms and using them against the enemies -- the Americans and the Jews. Protests are a waste of time.
ROBERTSON: Not clear if the audiotape is of Ayman Al-Zawahiri's voice. Although it is Egyptian accented like Al-Zawahiri, it sounds much younger than the al Qaeda leader. Al-Zawahiri or not, the tape tells Muslims the war in Iraq is a prelude to U.S. and Israeli domination of the region aided and abetted by Arab leaders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Here are the rulers of the Muslims granting airports, bases, and facilities, and allowing the ships to cross their territorial waters and supplying them with fuel and food and granting permission to the planes to cross the air spaces and to launch air raids from the airports.
ROBERTSON: Apparently recorded some time after the war in Iraq began, the broadcast portion of the audiotape makes no direct reference to the attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco last week. It does, however, offer support for the Iraqi people and hint at more attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Know that you are not alone in this battle, for your brethren, the Mujahideen, are chasing your enemies. The Mujahedeen in Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and in the heart of America and the West are punishing severely these crusaders, and may the next phase convey to you, God willing, good news.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Now it's not clear if this good news is a reference to those attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco last week or if it's a reference to attacks likely to come, but because this has been in the past the modus operandi of al Qaeda to deliver a message and shortly after that message there to be some form of attack, it's very likely that this is being taken extremely serious whether or not it's Ayman Al-Zawahiri's voice on the tape -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Chilling words from Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Nic Robertson in Atlanta, thanks very much for that report.
The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill right now. Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where does that stand today?
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The Intelligence community has been taking the information that's been accumulated by the survey teams that are out in the country. The survey teams now have covered, oh, some not trivial, but not major fraction, of the total potential sites. It's a very time-consuming operation, and they've taken the information generated by the survey teams and begun the process of analyzing it.
And the Intelligence community is increasingly developing conviction about the two mobile laboratories which you've been reading about in the press and which have been briefed by people from the Intelligence community. At what point they will say something definitive, I don't know, but that's for them, not me. I think we should probably -- do you have something here, Mr. Chairman? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Other than to say we just finished an hour with the secretary and our elected leadership meeting and are now prepared to spend another hour in the policy committee with the secretary for which we are grateful, Mr. Secretary -- no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you're a former House member. Did you get dragged into any of that when you were upstairs?
RUMSFELD: No, I didn't, fortunately. The president's working on that, and the speaker is working on that and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Secretary, there's a hypothesis that's been advanced in the press that Saddam's -- the people who are working for him in these weapons of mass destruction programs -- may have been conning him and telling him that they produced much more than they had in fact done, for whatever reasons. Do you think there's any possibility that that hypothesis may turn out to be accurate?
RUMSFELD: Well, first, I've never heard the hypothesis and having never heard it, it is also true that I've never heard it from anyone and anything approximating an authoritative position. Therefore, I would not give much credence to it.
BLITZER: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld speaking with reporters in Capitol Hill in between briefings from members of Congress.
One thing he did say earlier in his comments, he wouldn't comment actually on what Jamie McIntyre reported at the top of this program -- that the U.S. military, the Pentagon, quietly, without a whole lot of fanfare, has started deploying anti-aircraft missile systems around the nation's capitol for protective purposes.
We'll continue to monitor what the defense secretary is telling members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
It's still far from clear what if anything the terrorists may have in mind, but police nationwide are scrambling to prepare for possible attacks. Let's go live to our Justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She has details -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the situation is not uniform at all from city to city. Some smaller jurisdictions aren't doing anything differently, and some say it is a matter of money. Others say they don't think the threat pertains to them, but in the bigger cities there is a very visible difference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): In New York, more patrols at bridges and tunnels. In Los Angeles, air travelers are subject to random searches. The country is on high alert, but officials say there are still no specifics about the threat.
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: I want to point out that we have no specificity as to targets. We have no specificity as to exact time.
ARENA: What officials do have is a high level of chatter -- or intercepted communications -- about possible attacks against The United States. Officials are hearing similar threat information from interrogations of people in custody.
But is an attack imminent? Officials say intelligence gathered since the bombings in Saudi Arabia suggest terrorists could strike in the -- quote -- "immediate future," but they quickly add the information points more toward the Gulf region than the United States.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDER SECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY: There is concern worldwide as to the increased terrorist activity. We know that there is an interest in targeting the United States. Our security measures have been somewhat effective, but we know that they continue to try to exploit any vulnerabilities.
ARENA: As a result, flight restrictions in the U.S. are in effect, including the airspace over large sports stadiums. There is more scrutiny at the nation's borders and an increased security presence in the nation's ports.
A major concern remains soft targets like shopping malls or sports arenas, especially when there are a large number of people gathered.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: There is an endless number of soft targets. You can't predict -- you can't predict where they're going to strike and you can't harden every target. There isn't enough money in the Treasury to do that. So what you try to do is you prioritize.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Some officials say they believe it's prudent to keep the level of orange at least through the Memorial Day festivities, but that is a decision that is reconsidered daily -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington, thanks very much for that report.
And they've been mobilizing police and running disaster drills for emergency personnel, but can America's cities handle a real terror attack?
CNN's Jason Carroll is standing by in New York, but let's begin with CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti in Miami -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Well, today the Florida Marlins are on the road in Montreal, freeing up the stadium for this terror drill, which was nine months in the planning.
Here's the set-up: Marlins baseball game, it's the seventh inning, the Marlins hit a home run and 7,000 fans stand up to cheer when a terrorist sets off some unknown chemical agents. There is panic. The question is how well can rescue crews respond?
Well, authorities set off a percussion grenade to get things going.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, deploy!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And that was the start. Some 2,500 fire rescue personnel responding, hazardous material units putting on their suits. So did FBI SWAT teams to go inside the stadium. However we were not allowed inside so we couldn't see what was going on there. What we did see was about a thousand student posing as victims running for it outside the stadium going through, for example, decontamination showers. All of this in 90-degree heat, brutal conditions as they often are in South Florida.
Meantime, local hospitals were set up to receive victims, some arriving by ambulance, some were walk-ins and so the question is -- how did everybody do?
Well, at the end of day we're getting an initial report card. According to the people in charge, it seems as though they felt the people wearing those hazardous material suits could have gotten them on faster and that they didn't get inside the stadium for at least an hour. Authorities here think they can do better.
Also, that those suits are very hot, not sure what can be done about that. But overall, authorities say they found -- quote -- no gaping holes.
Now for that heightened state of alert in New York City, we join my colleague Jason Carroll, who is in Manhattan at the USS Intrepid -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Susan, it's very easy to sigh see the security measures that are in place, especially at the Fleet Week festivities. Much harder to see some of the ships that made their up the Hudson River, especially through all the fog and through all the rain.
Thousands of people are expected to come out throughout the weekend to take part in the Fleet Week festivities. New York City is a city that is used to, accustomed to hosting large-scale events. This is a city that has been under a heightened state of alert ever since 9/11.
Governor Pataki saying that we should expect to see an increased police presence at key sites out here at Fleet Week. We've noticed many police folks like the one that you see there, patrolling the area throughout the day. In addition to that, we should expect to see additional national security -- national -- National Guard troops out as well as state police patrolling the city, various sites such as bridges and tunnels and tourist attractions. The U.S. Coast Guard has increased its presence as well by enlarging the security zone in New York Harbor. So that's going on out here as well.
The U.S. military saying that they want everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities at Fleet Week. They want people to come out and see the ships. More importantly, they want them to come out and see the men and the women who serve on those ships -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jason Carroll in New York, Susan Candiotti Miami. Thanks to both of you for that report.
Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day is this: "Will the increased terror threat make you change your Memorial Day weekend plans?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.
While you're there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
High school hazing coming up. Find out who's now been charged in that Illinois hazing incident. Guess what? It's not the kids this time.
Plus, new information this hour -- the real skinny on the Dr. Atkins diet. Does it really work better than the tradition diets?
And later, keeping "Law and Order" on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which actor was the first to join the cast of "Law & Order"? Jerry Orbach? Paul Sorvino? Benjamin Bratt? Chris Noth? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Just a short while ago, two more adults and one student were charged in the violent hazing incident involving students at a Chicago area high school.
Our Chicago bureau chief, Jeff Flock, is following all of these developments.
It gets a little bit crazier every day out there, it looks like, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: You know, Wolf, this had been the unanswered question: Who provided the alcohol that fueled the hazing binge? Well, now authorities think they know, as perhaps we take a look at what occurred.
Two adults have been charged with misdemeanors, one Christine Neal (ph), the mother of one of the boys charged last week. She is accused of buying three kegs of beer to be consumed by minors.
Also charged, a 49-year-old woman, Marcy Speawack (ph). Her daughter is a junior and she apparently hosted the junior girls party the morning of May 4, which was the day the thing took place. She is a charged with allowing her home to be used for underage drinking and there was a big admonition today from the states attorney spokesman of Cook County to any parents who were thinking of doing anything like this in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE GOBEL, COOK CO. ASSISTANT STATE'S ATTORNEY: I'd just like to caution parents and tell parents that they need to be aware of what their kids are doing, number one. And they cannot provide alcohol to the kids when they're underage. Many parties get out of control, as you can see by the tapes in this case. I think alcohol clearly heightened the violence in this case and parents are partly to blame for what occurred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And, Wolf, one final note, that is -- today is the deadline for students to decide whether or not to take a deal with the school district that would allow them to get their diplomas on time if they would agree to go along with the discipline which includes expulsion. We don't know how many have taken the deal as yet. Back to you.
BLITZER: Jeff Flock, thanks very much. Jeff Flock reporting from Illinois, just outside Chicago.
We are just getting this in from the Associated Press in New Haven, Connecticut. There has been an explosion at the Yale University Law School. Police tell the AP the explosion occurred in what's being described at the mail room at the law school that a floor may have partially collapsed as a result of that explosion. A spokeswoman for the FBI, New Haven is saying that the agency's joint terrorism task force has been dispatched to the scene. Although a lot of questions remain unanswered.
Once again, an explosion in the mail room at Yale University, in the law school. Fire dispatcher says crews are also on the scene. We're beginning to double check to see what exactly is going at Yale University. The Associated Press does say in their brief dispatch that has just been filed, the incident does come as the elevated terror alert has gone into effect. President Bush a Yale alumnus, of course, visited the state of Connecticut earlier today and spoke at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony.
No more information. No more details. Once again, an explosion at the Yale University Law School in the mail room. One floor has apparently collapsed. We'll continue to check developments and see what we can on this disturbing development at Yale.
In the meantime, terror arrests, more on that. That's coming up. Did Saudi Arabia stop a September 11 style terrorist attack?
Also, the controversial Dr. Atkins diet -- just released information paints a new picture. You need to know this information if you want to lose weight and use the Atkins formula. We'll have a live report on information being released right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're following a developing story out of New Haven, Connecticut. Yale University, the law school there, we are getting word that there's been an explosion at the mail room at Yale University Law School -- apparently, according to the Associated Press, one floor has collapsed. No word on injuries. We are getting word from the spokeswoman for the FBI in the area that the counterterrorism task force in the Connecticut area of New Haven has been alerted. Police and other first responders on the way right now to the Yale University Law School. We have no idea what's going on, other than we can confirm there has been an explosion, apparently in the mail room at Yale University.
We are going to continue to check out this story, get some more details. We'll go there as soon as we can. In the meantime, let's check out some other important developments unfolding right now.
Saudi officials say three al Qaeda suspects were arrested on the verge of carrying out a September 11 type suicide attack in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. The men were arrested at the Jeddah Airport on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Sheila MacVicar in Riyadh. The more we learn about what happened at Jeddah Airport on Monday night, the scarier the story gets. Three men were arrested at Jeddah Airport after an alert security guard there noticed that one of the men was behaving in an odd fashion. The Saudi authorities realized that one of the three was on their wanted list. They pulled them aside and searched them. When they searched them, they found knives and what are being described to CNN as documents like a last will and testament, something that sounds pretty familiar from investigators of 9/11.
It turns out, says the Saudi security source to CNN, that these men had intended to try to hijack a Saudia Airlines plane and fly it into a building in downtown Jeddah. Now, we are being told by Saudi security authorities that these men are being linked to al Qaeda, that they're probably members of the same cell which carried out last week's bombing attack here in the city. We know that they are under interrogation and it's believed that they will have a lot to tell authorities, not only about their plot, but perhaps about other plots and those who may be preparing to carry them out.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Sheila MacVicar reporting for us from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Important developments unfolding in Saudi Arabia.
Important developments apparently unfolding in New Haven, Connecticut, as well, at the Yale University Law School. There has been an explosion, apparently in the mail room, one floor, according to the Associated Press, apparently collapsed. Firefighters, police on the scene, FBI agents as well. They're beginning to check out what exactly is going on. We're checking it out as well. We'll get some more information as we get it ourselves.
In the meantime, protecting yourself during what's now an orange alert. Security expert Brian Jenkins on what you should do, what you need to do to deal with this terrorist threat. That's coming up.
And new questions about the world famous Dr. Atkins diet, and how well it works against other diet plans. New information just released this hour. We'll bring it for you.
Plus, 13 years on the air and still with an edge. I'll speak with the creator and one of the stars of the network hit, "Law and Order." All that and much more, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. For our viewers just joining us. There's an important development unfolding in New Haven, Connecticut, right now. An explosion apparently at Yale University in the mail room, we're told. The Associated Press reporting that apparently one floor has at least partially collapsed. No word on injuries.
We have these pictures just coming. We're told police, firefighters on the scene. The Associated Press reporting now from New Haven that smoke can be seen rising from downtown New Haven, near the university. Yale University Law School is in New Haven, Connecticut.
We're looking at pictures now that we are getting in from our affiliate WTNH up in Connecticut. The university law school clearly one of the most prestigious in the United States.
No indication whatsoever what is responsible for this explosion. But it is, obviously, something that's causing some considerable concern. Apparently near the mail room at Yale University.
Brian Jenkins, the counterterrorism expert from the Rand Corporation is with me in the Washington bureau. I know we have sketchy information. Smoke being seen from near Yale University. What do you make of this? What's your initial gut tell you, Brian?
BRIAN JENKINS, TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, obviously, it's too early to know any details, we don't even know if it is a bomb. But despite the fact we're on High alert we need keep in mind that there are several hundred bombing incidents that occur every year in this country and in most of those cases the motive is simply people settling personal scores. BLITZER: And that presumably could happen at Yale University too. A disgruntled student or anything along those lines. It doesn't mean to suggest -- and I want to urge our viewers not to jump to any conclusions.
JENKINS: I think it would be perilous to jump with any conclusions that this is in any way connected to the alert.
BLITZER: All right, let's talk a little bit, Brian, while I have you about the whole going into this Memorial Day, holiday weekend. The terror alert having gone from Yellow to Orange, from Elevated to High. What do our viewers need to know right now? They're beginning to think about travel and going away for the summer months as well.
JENKINS: Well, I mean you have to keep in mind when you hear these threats that there are several words that are going reoccur again and again.
One is the chatter, the intelligence. What is this based upon? These alert medals (ph) are simply a way of consolidating all of the available intelligence and communicating a judgment, and the operative word here is judgment, to the states and to the law enforcement agencies and to those in the private sector with secure responsibilities.
They have specific security plans that they will put into place depending on their perception of the threat in their particular area. It's not -- it does not tell us how afraid we should be. And so that brings us to the next important term here and that's statistics. Even the heightened probability of a terrorist attack does not translate into heightened danger for every individual American.
So it's certainly not a basis for altering plans.
BLITZER: People should go about, but be a little bit more vigilant.
And I just want to reiterate to viewers, we're looking at that videotape we were getting from New Haven, Connecticut, videotape around Yale University, the law school.
We don't know what the cause of this apparent explosion is. We don't know if it's terrorism or it's anything else. But we are seeing this police, firefighter, FBI activity unfolding at the Yale University Law School on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, right now.
Let's continue talking about -- the government keeps saying Homeland Security officials, mayors, police commissioners, if individual citizens see anything suspicious go ahead and report that. What do you make of that?
JENKINS: Well, look, the kind of threat we're going to see communicated publicly are the threats that are necessarily vaguer. If we had specific threat information, then the authorities would act upon that. So when we issue a public alert, then it indicates that there may be a probability of attack, higher possibility of an attack. But we don't have the details.
And therefore we depend on turning the country into a vast neighborhood watch. People -- it's not that we know precisely what to look for. But if we have tens of millions of people who are being vigilant, then one of them might indeed pick up something that might be helpful.
BLITZER: Brian, stand by. We have on the phone James Foye. He's a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven.
James, tell us what you know about what's happening at the Yale University?
JAMES FOYE, NEW HAVEN SPOKESMAN: Yes, sir. There was an explosion at the Yale Law School. The building was empty, no one was injured. It was contained in one room. And the police and fire have not (ph) determined what caused this explosion.
BLITZER: What is the suspicion? What do they suspect?
FOYE: Well, again, they're in the middle of an investigation. They'll check every avenue to see what could possibly cause this explosion.
Again, I've heard reports that it was in a mail room here in the building. But again, I can't confirm. But right now they're checking every lead. They're sweeping the building to see if there's anything else suspicious in the building right now. But again, the building is empty. Luckily it happened when school is out here at Yale.
BLITZER: So the law school, school has adjourned for the semester, is that right?
FOYE: Yes. Actually, Yale commencement is on Monday.
BLITZER: It was on Monday, or it's going to be on Monday?
FOYE: It's coming up on Monday.
BLITZER: So there was no one in the building at that time? Was this the main building of the Yale Law School or one of the other buildings?
FOYE: I don't believe it's the main building. I could be wrong. I'm not familiar with Yale's sprawling campus in New Haven, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I could tell you that.
But again, I know the building was empty. It was contained in one room. And again, the police and fire checking to see what else is happening in the building.
BLITZER: All right. We're going to continue to check out as well. James Foye, a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven, Connecticut joining us. Building was empty. No one apparently has been injured. The explosion contained to one room at one building at Yale Law School. Maybe the mail room of that building, but we just don't know. More investigation underway.
We're looking at this live picture now of the Yale University and the campus in New Haven. We'll keep this picture up as we continue our conversation with Brian Jenkins, the famed counterterrorism expert.
I want to restress, stress importantly for our viewers once again, Brian, as you have stressed, we don't know what the cause of this explosion is. Could be something a lot less sinister than terrorism.
JENKINS: It may not even be a bomb. It could be some type of explosion, occurring with, who knows? A boiler room, electrical explosion. We have no details yet. We'll just have to wait and see.
BLITZER: Yes, so let's not overly speculate on what's going on. But we're going to continue to get some more information.
As you plan your summer, you plan the days ahead and you think of what could possibly go wrong, do you believe that al Qaeda, in this diminished capacity right now has the wherewithal to undertake a major terror strike against a target here in the United States?
JENKINS: It depends on how you define major terror strike. It's certainly possible that without all of these exertations (ph) coming out of the Middle East from tapes purportedly from bin Laden a couple of months ago, now most recently from his No. 2 Sheikh Zawahiri, that they could inspire some individual or small conspiracy to carry out some act. An act that could cause casualties.
I mean we did have incidents in our recent history where small bands of conspirators, two or three people, have carried out bombings that have resulted in casualties. That is a possibility anywhere in the world.
BLITZER: All right, Brian Jenkins. I'm going to ask you to stand by because we'll continue to get some more developments in what's happening at Yale.
But a I also want to bring in our Jeanne Meserve. She's following an important story as Americans once again head into this holiday weekend under the code Orange terror alert. Many are wondering what exactly they're being told to brace for. Jeanne, tell us what's going on.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you know there's a lot of talk about the possibility of a terrorist attack using a biological, chemical or radiological weapon. But there are other means of attack that might be harder to stop and use materials that are easier to get and easier to use.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): A sarin gas attack on a baseball game. The scenario for a drill in Florida Wednesday. Last week bioweapons and dirty bombs were the fictional weapons of choice in a multi-city exercise, costing $16 million.
Do these drills miss the mark? Are these so-called weapons of mass destruction the real threat?
AMY SMITHSON, STIMSON CENTER: If one is to judge by statistical data, the overwhelming favorites for terrorists are the things like guns and bombs.
MESERVE: Of the 77 attacks throughout the world in 2002 classified by the State Department as being anti-U.S., 66 were bombings, eight were armed attacks. None used weapons of mass destruction.
HARRY "SKIP" BRANDON, FORMER FBI, COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF: As a practical matter to use any kind of weapon of mass destruction, it takes an awful lot of handling, an awful lot of training. It's hard. It's not impossible. we have to worry about it. But it's hard.
MESERVE: In moving the threat level up to orange, homeland security officials highlighted the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco that you used chillingly simple means to achiever destruction and death.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY DEPT: Those would include use of small armed equipped assault team, large vehicle- borne explosive devices and suicide bombers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Though experts say the probability of terrorists using a weapon of mass destruction may be low, the consequences could be high and it should not be ignored. But they warn officials should be careful not to let priorities gets out of whack -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve here in Washington. Thanks very much, Jeanne.
Let's go back to the story we're following, a breaking story out of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Apparently there's been an explosion in one room, in one building on the Yale University campus. Smoke has been seen in the area. We spoke with a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven, James Foye, who says there have been no injuries.
The building was empty at the time. We have no idea what the cause of this explosion was. Certainly we can't rush to any judgment.
We are getting some reaction, though, from eyewitnesses on the scene. I believe we have some of that from our affiliates right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What building were you in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the law school. I was in the main school of the Yale Law School Library and we heard a really very, very loud kind of shaking kind of sound and we didn't -- it sounded like it was outside of the building somewhere, but then everyone told us to leave and so we all kind of ran out and the building and sirens went out. That's all. But it was pretty loud.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people described it as an earthquake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I've never been an earthquake, but it sounded like -- actually, that was what exactly what I thought. It felt like this was probably what it feels like when the Earth move a little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone's got to get off the sideway!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But -- we -- I -- we didn't know what was happening and so we left. And then, you know, there was some kind of debris and stuff on the main floor. Somebody saw a door go off, but...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What could you see when you were walking out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just -- I just saw sort of just, like, some sort of clouds of dust and stuff of the law school. But we were really concerned with getting out of the building and with looking into what was going on, so -- yes, I mean, I didn't -- I just grabbed my computer and ran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What floor were you....
BLITZER: There's some eyewitness -- an eyewitness account of what he saw, what he heard.
Brian Jenkins is still with me here in our Washington bureau. Brian, a loud explosion. That was pretty loud. It sounds like a little bit more serious, although we don't know what it was. It sounds considerably more serious than maybe we suspected early on.
JENKINS: Clearly an explosion. Clearly some type of a shockwave if he felt the Earth move or felt the building, then there's some kick to this. So that's not going to be a small electrical panel fire or something like that. That's something with greater force. Again, we don't what it is.
BLITZER: And it could be something innocent, a boiler or anything. But it does sound like it's something potentially significant, at least.
JENKINS: That's right.
BLITZER: But we don't want to leave viewers with any conclusion that it was, in fact, terrorism. We simply don't know. We're going to continue to monitor the situation.
Let me just briefly recap what we do know. An explosion has occurred one building on Yale University in the law school, in one room, we're told, by a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven. The spokesman named James Foye. He says no one has been injured. The building was apparently empty at the time, although a lot of other students, as we just saw from that eyewitness, clearly felt -- clearly felt the sound -- clearly felt the shock of that loud explosion at that one building on the Yale University campus.
And we know that a lot of first responders, police, fire and indeed, we're told by the Associated Press, representatives, agents of the FBI, the counterterrorism task force have now arrived on the scene.
You're looking at these live pictures of the beautiful Yale Campus in New Harvard, Connecticut.
I don't remember, Brian -- maybe you do. We don't know if this is terrorism -- where universities have been used as a terror target by a political group, by an Arab or a Middle Eastern type of Islamic organization.
JENKINS: If we were to look at their list of targets, those things that they've attacked in the past and those things that they have mentioned their training manuals and others, no, universities don't figure in their target list.
Again, the kinds of things we've seen in this country, the kinds of explosions we've seen caused by bombs in this country are often individuals settling personal scores, people unhappy about something that has happened to them individually and either sending a letter bomb or setting off some type of a small bomb at some place that is the cause of that unhappiness.
BLITZER: And I think we have to reiterate to our viewers it's presumably totally coincidental that the president was in Connecticut at the Coast Guard Academy delivering the commencement address in New London, Connecticut as opposed to New Haven, Connecticut.
The president had gone to Yale as an undergraduate student, went to Harvard Business School. Never attended Yale Law School, so when the Associated Press was reporting this earlier that the president had been in Connecticut earlier, had been an alumnus, of course is an alumnus of Yale, presumably totally coincidental.
We have no idea what the cause of this explosion is, although presumably, police, fire department, law enforcement authorities might be briefing us soon and we'll get some additional information.
When we hear this though, the nation is already clearly jittery right now. This will only strengthen that sense of insecurity.
JENKINS: Of course. People are on edge. The fact that we're in a state of high alert, any event that happens will heighten the sense of alarm that we -- that already has been created.
But again, people have to keep in mind that these things happen. This is not by itself necessarily an unusual event. It's not necessarily connected at all with the causes for the alert, that in fact as we go into a holiday weekend the greatest danger that people will still have in this country is getting in their automobiles and driving. That is the riskiest thing we do in our lives. BLITZER: And I know based on our many conversations since 9/11, you feel there has been significant improvement in homeland security since 9/11.
JENKINS: Certainly homeland security has increased and we've also made progress against the terrorists themselves. We have wiped out their training basis in Afghanistan. We have captured or killed a portion of their leadership. We have made the operational difficult -- environment for them a lot more difficult.
But it's not over yet. While we have been doing these things, they have been reorganized, restructuring, recruiting, and they have to carry out some kind of actions in order to keep the cash flowing with, the contributions coming in, and to keep the recruits coming in, and to maintain a central role in jihad. And that's why we've seen these recent attacks.
BLITZER: All right. Brian, please stand by with us.
Our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, is getting some new information from her sources over at the State Department on another terror-related development. Andrea, tell us what you have.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, any one who clicks on to the State Department's Web site can now see that there is a new alert that is out there. All Americans living in Norway should be aware that the U.S. embassy in Oslo is going to be closed to be public on Thursday.
The State Department Web site making very clear that they say the decision was made following Wednesday's broadcast on Al-Jazeera by a broadcasted statement purported to be from Osama bin Laden's No. 2, Dr. Al Zawahiri. The State Department saying that this is a move made really for prudent reasons. As we all know now, as we've been reporting all day long, in that broadcast the person who alleges to be Dr. Al Zawahiri threatens Americans and others, both from the United States, from Great Britain, from Australia and from Norway.
Now as to why Norway was included in this list, some are speculating that it could be that Norway has become part of this stabilization force in Iraq. They're going to be sending a couple of hundred forces to Iraq to help out with security post-Saddam Hussein. And in fact, the Norwegian prime minister is due to meet with President Bush later this month.
So the latest news on the embassy front is that the U.S. embassy in Norway is going to be closed in Oslo, in the capital on Thursday, Wolf as they reevaluate and try to make sure that all of the security measures that they can be taking to protect American citizens in that country are in order.
BLITZER: All right. Well, Andrea, what jumps to my mind as I hear this, the U.S. embassy in Oslo, Norway being closed tomorrow -- Ayman Al-Zawahiri reportedly purportedly saying today, mentioning Norway in this audio tape made available by Al-Jazeera. Does this -- does this suggest to you that at least top State Department officials believe this was, in fact, Ayman Al Zawahiri making this audiotape and as a result there's some credibility to what he says specifically referring to Norway?
KOPPEL: Not necessarily. In fact, we heard from Secretary of State Powell just a short time ago and he was asked about this -- about this audiotape and said that the United States is not sure whether or not it is authentic .
But irrespective of its authenticity, Secretary Powell says that he felt that it was irresponsible for Al-Jazeera to be broadcasting a tape which would try to inflame passions of Muslims around the world and in fact he had a conversation with the foreign minister of Qatar, where Al-Jazeera is based, asking that government to do what it can to stop the broadcast, but Secretary Powell acknowledged that it was already too late. The broadcast was out there on the airwaves. It is unclear to U.S. officials that we've spoken with whether or not this tape is authentic. But Wolf, it is not uncommon, certainly in the climate since 9/11, for various embassies and consulates around the world to make decisions really in a better safe than sorry mode to shut down their embassies' services to the public so that they can review security matters, really just to be on the safe side -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department with important information. Andrea, thanks very much.
I am joined here once again by Brian Jenkins, the counterterrorism expert from the Rand Corporation. I want to get back to Yale University in a second, Brian, but when you hear the State Department shutting down, at least for a day, the U.S. embassy in Oslo, on this day that someone, purportedly Ayman al-Zawahiri, warning against a terror attack in Norway, what does it say to you, especially in the aftermath of the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran in Saudi Arabia being shut down this week as well?
JENKINS: Well, it suggests that it's a prudent precautionary movement. Whether we think this is Sheikh Zawahiri or not is not the important issue. The fact is that this may still have inspirational value to those who are out there, who are loyal to al Qaeda, loyal to bin Laden, that this is a summons to action. They will be less concerned about the authenticity. The message is an authentic message.
BLITZER: All right. Let's go back to Yale University. We have some live pictures of what's happening on the campus of Yale University right now. You are looking at New Haven, Connecticut, the home of Yale. This is what we can report right now. An explosion occurred in one room, in one building on the Yale University campus at the university law school. We have no reports of any injuries. Indeed a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven telling us only a few may minutes ago the building was empty, school was not in session, that the graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Monday, but smoke clearly could be seen rising from the downtown area, where the Yale University campus is. We also heard from one eyewitness only a few minutes ago, suggesting it was a loud explosion and that the earth in fact, the earth had moved. It almost felt like an earthquake to some of the students in the area. This is very worrying development, although we have no indication what is the cause of this explosion, no indication it's terrorism, or no indication what it is. We do know that there are no reports of injuries right now, but there are plenty of firefighters, police officers and indeed FBI agents have now been dispatched to comb the area to look at the scene, to try to determine what exactly may have caused this explosion.
We are also told by the Associated Press that one floor in the building, in this one building may have partially collapsed as a result of this explosion. And Brian Jenkins, talk to us a little bit about the importance right now to get more information before we jump to any conclusions.
JENKINS: Well, I think that's the most important thing. Because what we see here really is a stream of frightening images and words coming through. We hear these threat coming purportedly from al Qaeda. We have seen a number of actual terrorist incidents. We hear about an embassy closing down in Norway. We see pictures of the Yale camp with smoke coming out of a building. All of this suggests a connectivity that really we want to be careful and not leap to the conclusions that we are really at peril here, that send people diving under their kitchen tables.
BLITZER: It does underscore, though, how one relatively modest incident could panic an entire nation, if you will, given the sensitivities, the sense of jitteriness, if that's a word, that's out there right now.
JENKINS: It is legitimate. Certainly we are on edge, but really how we react to this is up to us, and in fact our homeland security begins at home. And it really depends on how we are going to react to these things. Are we going to be tossed into panic? Are we going to alter our lifestyles? Or are we going to become as we live with these threats, as we see these events, more sophisticated about this, more realistic in our appraisal of our individual risk, and indeed to a certain extent, stoic about these things that happen in the world and go on with our lives and not give in to the kind of terror that terrorists want to create. Biggest thing we have right now is that we will have terrorism, even without benefit of the terrorists.
BLITZER: And that presumably could be unfolding as we speak right now. Let's hope that people keep this in perspective, not jump to any conclusions.
In the aftermath of the war in Iraq, were you surprised that during the war and really since the war here in the United States, there's been no significant terror attack orchestrated by Iraqi supporters, supporters of the former leader, the dictator Saddam Hussein?
JENKINS: I think we certainly had to anticipate that as a possibility going into the war. Certainly we had to anticipate that either Iraqi agents or those who were enraged by the fact that we went to war, those who might be sympathizers with Saddam Hussein might carry out some kind of action.
Now, because we were so concerned about that, security was extremely tight, intelligence was -- was working all out, as we have been since September 11, and to be sure, we know about some attacks in the world that in fact were thwarted. We did also see a number of smaller events take place, but fortunately, we did not have a surge of terrorism that went along with the war. I, frankly, did not expect to see an offensive rage (ph) by al Qaeda. I don't think that al Qaeda was an ally of Saddam Hussein. I think al Qaeda saw the war in Iraq as a recruiting opportunity, which they are now exploiting.
BLITZER: All right, Brian, as you're speaking, I'm getting some more information. We are now learning from a spokesman for Yale University that this was, in fact, some sort of "device." That's the word that's being used, "a device" that exploded in a classroom, apparently not -- not in the mail room, but likely a device, we are told by the spokesman in a classroom in this one building at the Yale University Law School that caused this very loud, thunderous explosion. Smoke can still be seen coming from this building. We are not sure what kind of device, but clearly not a boiler or not some sort of accidental, if you will, explosion. Likely a device in a classroom.
So we are getting more information. We are getting some more information right now. In fact, one of our affiliates is speaking to an authority, to an official from the campus right now. Let's see if we can listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure at this point. My understanding is that the mail room was empty at the time. I can't speak to how many people may have been in the building. I do believe (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some students, but I really...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And again, the mayor is planning to come over here and tell us what he knows?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. It's my understanding the mayor, as well as the acting chief of police, the fire chief will be coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Karen, thank you very much. Karen Wilton (ph), the chief executive officer for the city of New Haven. Again, we'll bring you as much information as we can.
Right now we're going to go to some interviews around the area shortly after the explosion.
BLITZER: All right. That's our affiliate from our affiliate in New Haven. You heard that the mayor and the police chief on the way over to the campus. We're reporting now based on what we've gotten. You've seen from the spokesman from the campus, likely it's a device, some sort of device that was put in a classroom in this one building on the campus of Yale University, which is in the center of the city, which is in New Haven, Connecticut, downtown. It's an urban campus, if you will, a beautiful campus, but right in the middle of New Haven. When you hear the word device, that raises the fear factor to a certain degree, doesn't it, Brian?
JENKINS: It does take it up a notch, but again, we have to keep in mind that there are hundreds of bombing incidents that take place in this country every year. Most of them do not get this national attention, because most of them don't take place the day after we go up to an orange terrorist alert.
BLITZER: And even if it was a device, and we believe it is a device, even if it was a device, we don't have any indication it could be terrorism. It could be some disgruntled student. It could be a myriad of regions (sic). In fact, law enforcement authorities are telling our own justice correspondent Kelli Arena right now, there's no indication of terrorism per se involved, at least at this point. They have no indication of terrorism. But they are, as a prudent precaution, sending the joint terrorism task force, representatives at least, to New Haven. Button this up for us, because we have to go.
JENKINS: Well, again, we don't know where the investigation is going to go yet, but the fact is that if we look at past statistics, most bombings are carried out by individuals with personal motives, and that's probably what we have here.
BLITZER: One of the best in the business, bringing us some excellent perspective. Brian Jenkins, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
We are going to continue to follow what's happening on Yale University. Much more coming up, beginning with "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." Lou is standing by to pick up our coverage.
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Aircraft Missiles Around Capitol, Stepping Up Patrols Over Metropolitan Area>
Aired May 21, 2003 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): An al Qaeda call to arms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And may the next days convey to you -- God willing -- good news.
BLITZER: Ominous words said to come from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. But where might they strike? And how? Is the country prepared?
The military joins the nation on High alert.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will haunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the Earth.
BLITZER: Airport arrests. Did the Saudis prevent their own 9/11?
Too good to be true. Researchers take a new look at the famous Atkins diet.
And is this the reality TV? Ripped from the headlines. A landmark for "Law & Order." We'll speak with the people behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Wednesday, May 21, 2003. Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.
We have a development coming in just now. The Pentagon has moved to protect the Washington D.C. area, quietly deploying anti-aircraft missiles around the nation's capitol and stepping up air patrols over the entire metropolitan area.
Let's get the latest from our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you may recall the Pentagon has done this twice before -- once on the anniversary of September 11 and then again in February.
Again, they're deploying these stinger missiles mounted on the back of Humvees as an increase in the air defense posture around the nation's capitol.
Also part of the plan -- quietly stepping up some of those air patrols. They're not 24/7, but U.S. F-16s will be flying extra patrols in the Washington area. Some of them will be part of a training exercise announced previously by the North American Air Command for those F-16s to conduct low-level flights over parts of the Washington area. But again, the Pentagon has no specific Intelligence that Washington is a target, that these are merely prudent steps as they've taken in the past when there's an increased threat of terrorist activity.
BLITZER: Jamie, very briefly. New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle -- any other major metropolitan area will get this kind of protection as well?
MCINTYRE: No word of any other city other than Washington getting this kind of protection -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thanks very much.
Already on high alert, Americans heard more chilling words today. An audiotape said to come from Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant calls on Muslims around the world to attack interests of The United States and three other nations -- and specifically to target Jews.
The recording aired by Al-Jazeera has not yet been authenticated, but an earlier al Qaeda tape was followed, as we all remember, by terror attacks.
Let's begin with our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, who is picking up this part of the story -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was first (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Al-Jazeera. As you say, they did have a 15-minute tape. What they aired was a four-minute portion of it. It was heavily edited and because of the accent of the person on the tape and because of other reasons, it appears that perhaps, just perhaps, despite the strong message here, perhaps this was not Ayman Al- Zawahiri.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Heavily edited and occasionally inaudible above background noise, this message calls for attacks on U.S., British, Australian, and Norwegian embassies and interests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Protests, demonstrations, and conferences will not be enough. You will only benefit by taking arms and using them against the enemies -- the Americans and the Jews. Protests are a waste of time.
ROBERTSON: Not clear if the audiotape is of Ayman Al-Zawahiri's voice. Although it is Egyptian accented like Al-Zawahiri, it sounds much younger than the al Qaeda leader. Al-Zawahiri or not, the tape tells Muslims the war in Iraq is a prelude to U.S. and Israeli domination of the region aided and abetted by Arab leaders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Here are the rulers of the Muslims granting airports, bases, and facilities, and allowing the ships to cross their territorial waters and supplying them with fuel and food and granting permission to the planes to cross the air spaces and to launch air raids from the airports.
ROBERTSON: Apparently recorded some time after the war in Iraq began, the broadcast portion of the audiotape makes no direct reference to the attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco last week. It does, however, offer support for the Iraqi people and hint at more attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Know that you are not alone in this battle, for your brethren, the Mujahideen, are chasing your enemies. The Mujahedeen in Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and in the heart of America and the West are punishing severely these crusaders, and may the next phase convey to you, God willing, good news.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Now it's not clear if this good news is a reference to those attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco last week or if it's a reference to attacks likely to come, but because this has been in the past the modus operandi of al Qaeda to deliver a message and shortly after that message there to be some form of attack, it's very likely that this is being taken extremely serious whether or not it's Ayman Al-Zawahiri's voice on the tape -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Chilling words from Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Nic Robertson in Atlanta, thanks very much for that report.
The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill right now. Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where does that stand today?
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The Intelligence community has been taking the information that's been accumulated by the survey teams that are out in the country. The survey teams now have covered, oh, some not trivial, but not major fraction, of the total potential sites. It's a very time-consuming operation, and they've taken the information generated by the survey teams and begun the process of analyzing it.
And the Intelligence community is increasingly developing conviction about the two mobile laboratories which you've been reading about in the press and which have been briefed by people from the Intelligence community. At what point they will say something definitive, I don't know, but that's for them, not me. I think we should probably -- do you have something here, Mr. Chairman? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Other than to say we just finished an hour with the secretary and our elected leadership meeting and are now prepared to spend another hour in the policy committee with the secretary for which we are grateful, Mr. Secretary -- no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you're a former House member. Did you get dragged into any of that when you were upstairs?
RUMSFELD: No, I didn't, fortunately. The president's working on that, and the speaker is working on that and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Secretary, there's a hypothesis that's been advanced in the press that Saddam's -- the people who are working for him in these weapons of mass destruction programs -- may have been conning him and telling him that they produced much more than they had in fact done, for whatever reasons. Do you think there's any possibility that that hypothesis may turn out to be accurate?
RUMSFELD: Well, first, I've never heard the hypothesis and having never heard it, it is also true that I've never heard it from anyone and anything approximating an authoritative position. Therefore, I would not give much credence to it.
BLITZER: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld speaking with reporters in Capitol Hill in between briefings from members of Congress.
One thing he did say earlier in his comments, he wouldn't comment actually on what Jamie McIntyre reported at the top of this program -- that the U.S. military, the Pentagon, quietly, without a whole lot of fanfare, has started deploying anti-aircraft missile systems around the nation's capitol for protective purposes.
We'll continue to monitor what the defense secretary is telling members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
It's still far from clear what if anything the terrorists may have in mind, but police nationwide are scrambling to prepare for possible attacks. Let's go live to our Justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She has details -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the situation is not uniform at all from city to city. Some smaller jurisdictions aren't doing anything differently, and some say it is a matter of money. Others say they don't think the threat pertains to them, but in the bigger cities there is a very visible difference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): In New York, more patrols at bridges and tunnels. In Los Angeles, air travelers are subject to random searches. The country is on high alert, but officials say there are still no specifics about the threat.
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: I want to point out that we have no specificity as to targets. We have no specificity as to exact time.
ARENA: What officials do have is a high level of chatter -- or intercepted communications -- about possible attacks against The United States. Officials are hearing similar threat information from interrogations of people in custody.
But is an attack imminent? Officials say intelligence gathered since the bombings in Saudi Arabia suggest terrorists could strike in the -- quote -- "immediate future," but they quickly add the information points more toward the Gulf region than the United States.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDER SECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY: There is concern worldwide as to the increased terrorist activity. We know that there is an interest in targeting the United States. Our security measures have been somewhat effective, but we know that they continue to try to exploit any vulnerabilities.
ARENA: As a result, flight restrictions in the U.S. are in effect, including the airspace over large sports stadiums. There is more scrutiny at the nation's borders and an increased security presence in the nation's ports.
A major concern remains soft targets like shopping malls or sports arenas, especially when there are a large number of people gathered.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: There is an endless number of soft targets. You can't predict -- you can't predict where they're going to strike and you can't harden every target. There isn't enough money in the Treasury to do that. So what you try to do is you prioritize.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Some officials say they believe it's prudent to keep the level of orange at least through the Memorial Day festivities, but that is a decision that is reconsidered daily -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington, thanks very much for that report.
And they've been mobilizing police and running disaster drills for emergency personnel, but can America's cities handle a real terror attack?
CNN's Jason Carroll is standing by in New York, but let's begin with CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti in Miami -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Well, today the Florida Marlins are on the road in Montreal, freeing up the stadium for this terror drill, which was nine months in the planning.
Here's the set-up: Marlins baseball game, it's the seventh inning, the Marlins hit a home run and 7,000 fans stand up to cheer when a terrorist sets off some unknown chemical agents. There is panic. The question is how well can rescue crews respond?
Well, authorities set off a percussion grenade to get things going.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, deploy!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And that was the start. Some 2,500 fire rescue personnel responding, hazardous material units putting on their suits. So did FBI SWAT teams to go inside the stadium. However we were not allowed inside so we couldn't see what was going on there. What we did see was about a thousand student posing as victims running for it outside the stadium going through, for example, decontamination showers. All of this in 90-degree heat, brutal conditions as they often are in South Florida.
Meantime, local hospitals were set up to receive victims, some arriving by ambulance, some were walk-ins and so the question is -- how did everybody do?
Well, at the end of day we're getting an initial report card. According to the people in charge, it seems as though they felt the people wearing those hazardous material suits could have gotten them on faster and that they didn't get inside the stadium for at least an hour. Authorities here think they can do better.
Also, that those suits are very hot, not sure what can be done about that. But overall, authorities say they found -- quote -- no gaping holes.
Now for that heightened state of alert in New York City, we join my colleague Jason Carroll, who is in Manhattan at the USS Intrepid -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Susan, it's very easy to sigh see the security measures that are in place, especially at the Fleet Week festivities. Much harder to see some of the ships that made their up the Hudson River, especially through all the fog and through all the rain.
Thousands of people are expected to come out throughout the weekend to take part in the Fleet Week festivities. New York City is a city that is used to, accustomed to hosting large-scale events. This is a city that has been under a heightened state of alert ever since 9/11.
Governor Pataki saying that we should expect to see an increased police presence at key sites out here at Fleet Week. We've noticed many police folks like the one that you see there, patrolling the area throughout the day. In addition to that, we should expect to see additional national security -- national -- National Guard troops out as well as state police patrolling the city, various sites such as bridges and tunnels and tourist attractions. The U.S. Coast Guard has increased its presence as well by enlarging the security zone in New York Harbor. So that's going on out here as well.
The U.S. military saying that they want everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities at Fleet Week. They want people to come out and see the ships. More importantly, they want them to come out and see the men and the women who serve on those ships -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jason Carroll in New York, Susan Candiotti Miami. Thanks to both of you for that report.
Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day is this: "Will the increased terror threat make you change your Memorial Day weekend plans?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.
While you're there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
High school hazing coming up. Find out who's now been charged in that Illinois hazing incident. Guess what? It's not the kids this time.
Plus, new information this hour -- the real skinny on the Dr. Atkins diet. Does it really work better than the tradition diets?
And later, keeping "Law and Order" on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which actor was the first to join the cast of "Law & Order"? Jerry Orbach? Paul Sorvino? Benjamin Bratt? Chris Noth? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Just a short while ago, two more adults and one student were charged in the violent hazing incident involving students at a Chicago area high school.
Our Chicago bureau chief, Jeff Flock, is following all of these developments.
It gets a little bit crazier every day out there, it looks like, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: You know, Wolf, this had been the unanswered question: Who provided the alcohol that fueled the hazing binge? Well, now authorities think they know, as perhaps we take a look at what occurred.
Two adults have been charged with misdemeanors, one Christine Neal (ph), the mother of one of the boys charged last week. She is accused of buying three kegs of beer to be consumed by minors.
Also charged, a 49-year-old woman, Marcy Speawack (ph). Her daughter is a junior and she apparently hosted the junior girls party the morning of May 4, which was the day the thing took place. She is a charged with allowing her home to be used for underage drinking and there was a big admonition today from the states attorney spokesman of Cook County to any parents who were thinking of doing anything like this in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE GOBEL, COOK CO. ASSISTANT STATE'S ATTORNEY: I'd just like to caution parents and tell parents that they need to be aware of what their kids are doing, number one. And they cannot provide alcohol to the kids when they're underage. Many parties get out of control, as you can see by the tapes in this case. I think alcohol clearly heightened the violence in this case and parents are partly to blame for what occurred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And, Wolf, one final note, that is -- today is the deadline for students to decide whether or not to take a deal with the school district that would allow them to get their diplomas on time if they would agree to go along with the discipline which includes expulsion. We don't know how many have taken the deal as yet. Back to you.
BLITZER: Jeff Flock, thanks very much. Jeff Flock reporting from Illinois, just outside Chicago.
We are just getting this in from the Associated Press in New Haven, Connecticut. There has been an explosion at the Yale University Law School. Police tell the AP the explosion occurred in what's being described at the mail room at the law school that a floor may have partially collapsed as a result of that explosion. A spokeswoman for the FBI, New Haven is saying that the agency's joint terrorism task force has been dispatched to the scene. Although a lot of questions remain unanswered.
Once again, an explosion in the mail room at Yale University, in the law school. Fire dispatcher says crews are also on the scene. We're beginning to double check to see what exactly is going at Yale University. The Associated Press does say in their brief dispatch that has just been filed, the incident does come as the elevated terror alert has gone into effect. President Bush a Yale alumnus, of course, visited the state of Connecticut earlier today and spoke at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony.
No more information. No more details. Once again, an explosion at the Yale University Law School in the mail room. One floor has apparently collapsed. We'll continue to check developments and see what we can on this disturbing development at Yale.
In the meantime, terror arrests, more on that. That's coming up. Did Saudi Arabia stop a September 11 style terrorist attack?
Also, the controversial Dr. Atkins diet -- just released information paints a new picture. You need to know this information if you want to lose weight and use the Atkins formula. We'll have a live report on information being released right now.
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BLITZER: We're following a developing story out of New Haven, Connecticut. Yale University, the law school there, we are getting word that there's been an explosion at the mail room at Yale University Law School -- apparently, according to the Associated Press, one floor has collapsed. No word on injuries. We are getting word from the spokeswoman for the FBI in the area that the counterterrorism task force in the Connecticut area of New Haven has been alerted. Police and other first responders on the way right now to the Yale University Law School. We have no idea what's going on, other than we can confirm there has been an explosion, apparently in the mail room at Yale University.
We are going to continue to check out this story, get some more details. We'll go there as soon as we can. In the meantime, let's check out some other important developments unfolding right now.
Saudi officials say three al Qaeda suspects were arrested on the verge of carrying out a September 11 type suicide attack in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. The men were arrested at the Jeddah Airport on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Sheila MacVicar in Riyadh. The more we learn about what happened at Jeddah Airport on Monday night, the scarier the story gets. Three men were arrested at Jeddah Airport after an alert security guard there noticed that one of the men was behaving in an odd fashion. The Saudi authorities realized that one of the three was on their wanted list. They pulled them aside and searched them. When they searched them, they found knives and what are being described to CNN as documents like a last will and testament, something that sounds pretty familiar from investigators of 9/11.
It turns out, says the Saudi security source to CNN, that these men had intended to try to hijack a Saudia Airlines plane and fly it into a building in downtown Jeddah. Now, we are being told by Saudi security authorities that these men are being linked to al Qaeda, that they're probably members of the same cell which carried out last week's bombing attack here in the city. We know that they are under interrogation and it's believed that they will have a lot to tell authorities, not only about their plot, but perhaps about other plots and those who may be preparing to carry them out.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Sheila MacVicar reporting for us from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Important developments unfolding in Saudi Arabia.
Important developments apparently unfolding in New Haven, Connecticut, as well, at the Yale University Law School. There has been an explosion, apparently in the mail room, one floor, according to the Associated Press, apparently collapsed. Firefighters, police on the scene, FBI agents as well. They're beginning to check out what exactly is going on. We're checking it out as well. We'll get some more information as we get it ourselves.
In the meantime, protecting yourself during what's now an orange alert. Security expert Brian Jenkins on what you should do, what you need to do to deal with this terrorist threat. That's coming up.
And new questions about the world famous Dr. Atkins diet, and how well it works against other diet plans. New information just released this hour. We'll bring it for you.
Plus, 13 years on the air and still with an edge. I'll speak with the creator and one of the stars of the network hit, "Law and Order." All that and much more, stay with us.
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BLITZER: Welcome back. For our viewers just joining us. There's an important development unfolding in New Haven, Connecticut, right now. An explosion apparently at Yale University in the mail room, we're told. The Associated Press reporting that apparently one floor has at least partially collapsed. No word on injuries.
We have these pictures just coming. We're told police, firefighters on the scene. The Associated Press reporting now from New Haven that smoke can be seen rising from downtown New Haven, near the university. Yale University Law School is in New Haven, Connecticut.
We're looking at pictures now that we are getting in from our affiliate WTNH up in Connecticut. The university law school clearly one of the most prestigious in the United States.
No indication whatsoever what is responsible for this explosion. But it is, obviously, something that's causing some considerable concern. Apparently near the mail room at Yale University.
Brian Jenkins, the counterterrorism expert from the Rand Corporation is with me in the Washington bureau. I know we have sketchy information. Smoke being seen from near Yale University. What do you make of this? What's your initial gut tell you, Brian?
BRIAN JENKINS, TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, obviously, it's too early to know any details, we don't even know if it is a bomb. But despite the fact we're on High alert we need keep in mind that there are several hundred bombing incidents that occur every year in this country and in most of those cases the motive is simply people settling personal scores. BLITZER: And that presumably could happen at Yale University too. A disgruntled student or anything along those lines. It doesn't mean to suggest -- and I want to urge our viewers not to jump to any conclusions.
JENKINS: I think it would be perilous to jump with any conclusions that this is in any way connected to the alert.
BLITZER: All right, let's talk a little bit, Brian, while I have you about the whole going into this Memorial Day, holiday weekend. The terror alert having gone from Yellow to Orange, from Elevated to High. What do our viewers need to know right now? They're beginning to think about travel and going away for the summer months as well.
JENKINS: Well, I mean you have to keep in mind when you hear these threats that there are several words that are going reoccur again and again.
One is the chatter, the intelligence. What is this based upon? These alert medals (ph) are simply a way of consolidating all of the available intelligence and communicating a judgment, and the operative word here is judgment, to the states and to the law enforcement agencies and to those in the private sector with secure responsibilities.
They have specific security plans that they will put into place depending on their perception of the threat in their particular area. It's not -- it does not tell us how afraid we should be. And so that brings us to the next important term here and that's statistics. Even the heightened probability of a terrorist attack does not translate into heightened danger for every individual American.
So it's certainly not a basis for altering plans.
BLITZER: People should go about, but be a little bit more vigilant.
And I just want to reiterate to viewers, we're looking at that videotape we were getting from New Haven, Connecticut, videotape around Yale University, the law school.
We don't know what the cause of this apparent explosion is. We don't know if it's terrorism or it's anything else. But we are seeing this police, firefighter, FBI activity unfolding at the Yale University Law School on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, right now.
Let's continue talking about -- the government keeps saying Homeland Security officials, mayors, police commissioners, if individual citizens see anything suspicious go ahead and report that. What do you make of that?
JENKINS: Well, look, the kind of threat we're going to see communicated publicly are the threats that are necessarily vaguer. If we had specific threat information, then the authorities would act upon that. So when we issue a public alert, then it indicates that there may be a probability of attack, higher possibility of an attack. But we don't have the details.
And therefore we depend on turning the country into a vast neighborhood watch. People -- it's not that we know precisely what to look for. But if we have tens of millions of people who are being vigilant, then one of them might indeed pick up something that might be helpful.
BLITZER: Brian, stand by. We have on the phone James Foye. He's a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven.
James, tell us what you know about what's happening at the Yale University?
JAMES FOYE, NEW HAVEN SPOKESMAN: Yes, sir. There was an explosion at the Yale Law School. The building was empty, no one was injured. It was contained in one room. And the police and fire have not (ph) determined what caused this explosion.
BLITZER: What is the suspicion? What do they suspect?
FOYE: Well, again, they're in the middle of an investigation. They'll check every avenue to see what could possibly cause this explosion.
Again, I've heard reports that it was in a mail room here in the building. But again, I can't confirm. But right now they're checking every lead. They're sweeping the building to see if there's anything else suspicious in the building right now. But again, the building is empty. Luckily it happened when school is out here at Yale.
BLITZER: So the law school, school has adjourned for the semester, is that right?
FOYE: Yes. Actually, Yale commencement is on Monday.
BLITZER: It was on Monday, or it's going to be on Monday?
FOYE: It's coming up on Monday.
BLITZER: So there was no one in the building at that time? Was this the main building of the Yale Law School or one of the other buildings?
FOYE: I don't believe it's the main building. I could be wrong. I'm not familiar with Yale's sprawling campus in New Haven, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I could tell you that.
But again, I know the building was empty. It was contained in one room. And again, the police and fire checking to see what else is happening in the building.
BLITZER: All right. We're going to continue to check out as well. James Foye, a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven, Connecticut joining us. Building was empty. No one apparently has been injured. The explosion contained to one room at one building at Yale Law School. Maybe the mail room of that building, but we just don't know. More investigation underway.
We're looking at this live picture now of the Yale University and the campus in New Haven. We'll keep this picture up as we continue our conversation with Brian Jenkins, the famed counterterrorism expert.
I want to restress, stress importantly for our viewers once again, Brian, as you have stressed, we don't know what the cause of this explosion is. Could be something a lot less sinister than terrorism.
JENKINS: It may not even be a bomb. It could be some type of explosion, occurring with, who knows? A boiler room, electrical explosion. We have no details yet. We'll just have to wait and see.
BLITZER: Yes, so let's not overly speculate on what's going on. But we're going to continue to get some more information.
As you plan your summer, you plan the days ahead and you think of what could possibly go wrong, do you believe that al Qaeda, in this diminished capacity right now has the wherewithal to undertake a major terror strike against a target here in the United States?
JENKINS: It depends on how you define major terror strike. It's certainly possible that without all of these exertations (ph) coming out of the Middle East from tapes purportedly from bin Laden a couple of months ago, now most recently from his No. 2 Sheikh Zawahiri, that they could inspire some individual or small conspiracy to carry out some act. An act that could cause casualties.
I mean we did have incidents in our recent history where small bands of conspirators, two or three people, have carried out bombings that have resulted in casualties. That is a possibility anywhere in the world.
BLITZER: All right, Brian Jenkins. I'm going to ask you to stand by because we'll continue to get some more developments in what's happening at Yale.
But a I also want to bring in our Jeanne Meserve. She's following an important story as Americans once again head into this holiday weekend under the code Orange terror alert. Many are wondering what exactly they're being told to brace for. Jeanne, tell us what's going on.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you know there's a lot of talk about the possibility of a terrorist attack using a biological, chemical or radiological weapon. But there are other means of attack that might be harder to stop and use materials that are easier to get and easier to use.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): A sarin gas attack on a baseball game. The scenario for a drill in Florida Wednesday. Last week bioweapons and dirty bombs were the fictional weapons of choice in a multi-city exercise, costing $16 million.
Do these drills miss the mark? Are these so-called weapons of mass destruction the real threat?
AMY SMITHSON, STIMSON CENTER: If one is to judge by statistical data, the overwhelming favorites for terrorists are the things like guns and bombs.
MESERVE: Of the 77 attacks throughout the world in 2002 classified by the State Department as being anti-U.S., 66 were bombings, eight were armed attacks. None used weapons of mass destruction.
HARRY "SKIP" BRANDON, FORMER FBI, COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF: As a practical matter to use any kind of weapon of mass destruction, it takes an awful lot of handling, an awful lot of training. It's hard. It's not impossible. we have to worry about it. But it's hard.
MESERVE: In moving the threat level up to orange, homeland security officials highlighted the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco that you used chillingly simple means to achiever destruction and death.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY DEPT: Those would include use of small armed equipped assault team, large vehicle- borne explosive devices and suicide bombers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Though experts say the probability of terrorists using a weapon of mass destruction may be low, the consequences could be high and it should not be ignored. But they warn officials should be careful not to let priorities gets out of whack -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve here in Washington. Thanks very much, Jeanne.
Let's go back to the story we're following, a breaking story out of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Apparently there's been an explosion in one room, in one building on the Yale University campus. Smoke has been seen in the area. We spoke with a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven, James Foye, who says there have been no injuries.
The building was empty at the time. We have no idea what the cause of this explosion was. Certainly we can't rush to any judgment.
We are getting some reaction, though, from eyewitnesses on the scene. I believe we have some of that from our affiliates right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What building were you in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the law school. I was in the main school of the Yale Law School Library and we heard a really very, very loud kind of shaking kind of sound and we didn't -- it sounded like it was outside of the building somewhere, but then everyone told us to leave and so we all kind of ran out and the building and sirens went out. That's all. But it was pretty loud.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people described it as an earthquake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I've never been an earthquake, but it sounded like -- actually, that was what exactly what I thought. It felt like this was probably what it feels like when the Earth move a little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone's got to get off the sideway!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But -- we -- I -- we didn't know what was happening and so we left. And then, you know, there was some kind of debris and stuff on the main floor. Somebody saw a door go off, but...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What could you see when you were walking out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just -- I just saw sort of just, like, some sort of clouds of dust and stuff of the law school. But we were really concerned with getting out of the building and with looking into what was going on, so -- yes, I mean, I didn't -- I just grabbed my computer and ran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What floor were you....
BLITZER: There's some eyewitness -- an eyewitness account of what he saw, what he heard.
Brian Jenkins is still with me here in our Washington bureau. Brian, a loud explosion. That was pretty loud. It sounds like a little bit more serious, although we don't know what it was. It sounds considerably more serious than maybe we suspected early on.
JENKINS: Clearly an explosion. Clearly some type of a shockwave if he felt the Earth move or felt the building, then there's some kick to this. So that's not going to be a small electrical panel fire or something like that. That's something with greater force. Again, we don't what it is.
BLITZER: And it could be something innocent, a boiler or anything. But it does sound like it's something potentially significant, at least.
JENKINS: That's right.
BLITZER: But we don't want to leave viewers with any conclusion that it was, in fact, terrorism. We simply don't know. We're going to continue to monitor the situation.
Let me just briefly recap what we do know. An explosion has occurred one building on Yale University in the law school, in one room, we're told, by a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven. The spokesman named James Foye. He says no one has been injured. The building was apparently empty at the time, although a lot of other students, as we just saw from that eyewitness, clearly felt -- clearly felt the sound -- clearly felt the shock of that loud explosion at that one building on the Yale University campus.
And we know that a lot of first responders, police, fire and indeed, we're told by the Associated Press, representatives, agents of the FBI, the counterterrorism task force have now arrived on the scene.
You're looking at these live pictures of the beautiful Yale Campus in New Harvard, Connecticut.
I don't remember, Brian -- maybe you do. We don't know if this is terrorism -- where universities have been used as a terror target by a political group, by an Arab or a Middle Eastern type of Islamic organization.
JENKINS: If we were to look at their list of targets, those things that they've attacked in the past and those things that they have mentioned their training manuals and others, no, universities don't figure in their target list.
Again, the kinds of things we've seen in this country, the kinds of explosions we've seen caused by bombs in this country are often individuals settling personal scores, people unhappy about something that has happened to them individually and either sending a letter bomb or setting off some type of a small bomb at some place that is the cause of that unhappiness.
BLITZER: And I think we have to reiterate to our viewers it's presumably totally coincidental that the president was in Connecticut at the Coast Guard Academy delivering the commencement address in New London, Connecticut as opposed to New Haven, Connecticut.
The president had gone to Yale as an undergraduate student, went to Harvard Business School. Never attended Yale Law School, so when the Associated Press was reporting this earlier that the president had been in Connecticut earlier, had been an alumnus, of course is an alumnus of Yale, presumably totally coincidental.
We have no idea what the cause of this explosion is, although presumably, police, fire department, law enforcement authorities might be briefing us soon and we'll get some additional information.
When we hear this though, the nation is already clearly jittery right now. This will only strengthen that sense of insecurity.
JENKINS: Of course. People are on edge. The fact that we're in a state of high alert, any event that happens will heighten the sense of alarm that we -- that already has been created.
But again, people have to keep in mind that these things happen. This is not by itself necessarily an unusual event. It's not necessarily connected at all with the causes for the alert, that in fact as we go into a holiday weekend the greatest danger that people will still have in this country is getting in their automobiles and driving. That is the riskiest thing we do in our lives. BLITZER: And I know based on our many conversations since 9/11, you feel there has been significant improvement in homeland security since 9/11.
JENKINS: Certainly homeland security has increased and we've also made progress against the terrorists themselves. We have wiped out their training basis in Afghanistan. We have captured or killed a portion of their leadership. We have made the operational difficult -- environment for them a lot more difficult.
But it's not over yet. While we have been doing these things, they have been reorganized, restructuring, recruiting, and they have to carry out some kind of actions in order to keep the cash flowing with, the contributions coming in, and to keep the recruits coming in, and to maintain a central role in jihad. And that's why we've seen these recent attacks.
BLITZER: All right. Brian, please stand by with us.
Our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, is getting some new information from her sources over at the State Department on another terror-related development. Andrea, tell us what you have.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, any one who clicks on to the State Department's Web site can now see that there is a new alert that is out there. All Americans living in Norway should be aware that the U.S. embassy in Oslo is going to be closed to be public on Thursday.
The State Department Web site making very clear that they say the decision was made following Wednesday's broadcast on Al-Jazeera by a broadcasted statement purported to be from Osama bin Laden's No. 2, Dr. Al Zawahiri. The State Department saying that this is a move made really for prudent reasons. As we all know now, as we've been reporting all day long, in that broadcast the person who alleges to be Dr. Al Zawahiri threatens Americans and others, both from the United States, from Great Britain, from Australia and from Norway.
Now as to why Norway was included in this list, some are speculating that it could be that Norway has become part of this stabilization force in Iraq. They're going to be sending a couple of hundred forces to Iraq to help out with security post-Saddam Hussein. And in fact, the Norwegian prime minister is due to meet with President Bush later this month.
So the latest news on the embassy front is that the U.S. embassy in Norway is going to be closed in Oslo, in the capital on Thursday, Wolf as they reevaluate and try to make sure that all of the security measures that they can be taking to protect American citizens in that country are in order.
BLITZER: All right. Well, Andrea, what jumps to my mind as I hear this, the U.S. embassy in Oslo, Norway being closed tomorrow -- Ayman Al-Zawahiri reportedly purportedly saying today, mentioning Norway in this audio tape made available by Al-Jazeera. Does this -- does this suggest to you that at least top State Department officials believe this was, in fact, Ayman Al Zawahiri making this audiotape and as a result there's some credibility to what he says specifically referring to Norway?
KOPPEL: Not necessarily. In fact, we heard from Secretary of State Powell just a short time ago and he was asked about this -- about this audiotape and said that the United States is not sure whether or not it is authentic .
But irrespective of its authenticity, Secretary Powell says that he felt that it was irresponsible for Al-Jazeera to be broadcasting a tape which would try to inflame passions of Muslims around the world and in fact he had a conversation with the foreign minister of Qatar, where Al-Jazeera is based, asking that government to do what it can to stop the broadcast, but Secretary Powell acknowledged that it was already too late. The broadcast was out there on the airwaves. It is unclear to U.S. officials that we've spoken with whether or not this tape is authentic. But Wolf, it is not uncommon, certainly in the climate since 9/11, for various embassies and consulates around the world to make decisions really in a better safe than sorry mode to shut down their embassies' services to the public so that they can review security matters, really just to be on the safe side -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department with important information. Andrea, thanks very much.
I am joined here once again by Brian Jenkins, the counterterrorism expert from the Rand Corporation. I want to get back to Yale University in a second, Brian, but when you hear the State Department shutting down, at least for a day, the U.S. embassy in Oslo, on this day that someone, purportedly Ayman al-Zawahiri, warning against a terror attack in Norway, what does it say to you, especially in the aftermath of the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran in Saudi Arabia being shut down this week as well?
JENKINS: Well, it suggests that it's a prudent precautionary movement. Whether we think this is Sheikh Zawahiri or not is not the important issue. The fact is that this may still have inspirational value to those who are out there, who are loyal to al Qaeda, loyal to bin Laden, that this is a summons to action. They will be less concerned about the authenticity. The message is an authentic message.
BLITZER: All right. Let's go back to Yale University. We have some live pictures of what's happening on the campus of Yale University right now. You are looking at New Haven, Connecticut, the home of Yale. This is what we can report right now. An explosion occurred in one room, in one building on the Yale University campus at the university law school. We have no reports of any injuries. Indeed a spokesman for the mayor of New Haven telling us only a few may minutes ago the building was empty, school was not in session, that the graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Monday, but smoke clearly could be seen rising from the downtown area, where the Yale University campus is. We also heard from one eyewitness only a few minutes ago, suggesting it was a loud explosion and that the earth in fact, the earth had moved. It almost felt like an earthquake to some of the students in the area. This is very worrying development, although we have no indication what is the cause of this explosion, no indication it's terrorism, or no indication what it is. We do know that there are no reports of injuries right now, but there are plenty of firefighters, police officers and indeed FBI agents have now been dispatched to comb the area to look at the scene, to try to determine what exactly may have caused this explosion.
We are also told by the Associated Press that one floor in the building, in this one building may have partially collapsed as a result of this explosion. And Brian Jenkins, talk to us a little bit about the importance right now to get more information before we jump to any conclusions.
JENKINS: Well, I think that's the most important thing. Because what we see here really is a stream of frightening images and words coming through. We hear these threat coming purportedly from al Qaeda. We have seen a number of actual terrorist incidents. We hear about an embassy closing down in Norway. We see pictures of the Yale camp with smoke coming out of a building. All of this suggests a connectivity that really we want to be careful and not leap to the conclusions that we are really at peril here, that send people diving under their kitchen tables.
BLITZER: It does underscore, though, how one relatively modest incident could panic an entire nation, if you will, given the sensitivities, the sense of jitteriness, if that's a word, that's out there right now.
JENKINS: It is legitimate. Certainly we are on edge, but really how we react to this is up to us, and in fact our homeland security begins at home. And it really depends on how we are going to react to these things. Are we going to be tossed into panic? Are we going to alter our lifestyles? Or are we going to become as we live with these threats, as we see these events, more sophisticated about this, more realistic in our appraisal of our individual risk, and indeed to a certain extent, stoic about these things that happen in the world and go on with our lives and not give in to the kind of terror that terrorists want to create. Biggest thing we have right now is that we will have terrorism, even without benefit of the terrorists.
BLITZER: And that presumably could be unfolding as we speak right now. Let's hope that people keep this in perspective, not jump to any conclusions.
In the aftermath of the war in Iraq, were you surprised that during the war and really since the war here in the United States, there's been no significant terror attack orchestrated by Iraqi supporters, supporters of the former leader, the dictator Saddam Hussein?
JENKINS: I think we certainly had to anticipate that as a possibility going into the war. Certainly we had to anticipate that either Iraqi agents or those who were enraged by the fact that we went to war, those who might be sympathizers with Saddam Hussein might carry out some kind of action.
Now, because we were so concerned about that, security was extremely tight, intelligence was -- was working all out, as we have been since September 11, and to be sure, we know about some attacks in the world that in fact were thwarted. We did also see a number of smaller events take place, but fortunately, we did not have a surge of terrorism that went along with the war. I, frankly, did not expect to see an offensive rage (ph) by al Qaeda. I don't think that al Qaeda was an ally of Saddam Hussein. I think al Qaeda saw the war in Iraq as a recruiting opportunity, which they are now exploiting.
BLITZER: All right, Brian, as you're speaking, I'm getting some more information. We are now learning from a spokesman for Yale University that this was, in fact, some sort of "device." That's the word that's being used, "a device" that exploded in a classroom, apparently not -- not in the mail room, but likely a device, we are told by the spokesman in a classroom in this one building at the Yale University Law School that caused this very loud, thunderous explosion. Smoke can still be seen coming from this building. We are not sure what kind of device, but clearly not a boiler or not some sort of accidental, if you will, explosion. Likely a device in a classroom.
So we are getting more information. We are getting some more information right now. In fact, one of our affiliates is speaking to an authority, to an official from the campus right now. Let's see if we can listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure at this point. My understanding is that the mail room was empty at the time. I can't speak to how many people may have been in the building. I do believe (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some students, but I really...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And again, the mayor is planning to come over here and tell us what he knows?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. It's my understanding the mayor, as well as the acting chief of police, the fire chief will be coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Karen, thank you very much. Karen Wilton (ph), the chief executive officer for the city of New Haven. Again, we'll bring you as much information as we can.
Right now we're going to go to some interviews around the area shortly after the explosion.
BLITZER: All right. That's our affiliate from our affiliate in New Haven. You heard that the mayor and the police chief on the way over to the campus. We're reporting now based on what we've gotten. You've seen from the spokesman from the campus, likely it's a device, some sort of device that was put in a classroom in this one building on the campus of Yale University, which is in the center of the city, which is in New Haven, Connecticut, downtown. It's an urban campus, if you will, a beautiful campus, but right in the middle of New Haven. When you hear the word device, that raises the fear factor to a certain degree, doesn't it, Brian?
JENKINS: It does take it up a notch, but again, we have to keep in mind that there are hundreds of bombing incidents that take place in this country every year. Most of them do not get this national attention, because most of them don't take place the day after we go up to an orange terrorist alert.
BLITZER: And even if it was a device, and we believe it is a device, even if it was a device, we don't have any indication it could be terrorism. It could be some disgruntled student. It could be a myriad of regions (sic). In fact, law enforcement authorities are telling our own justice correspondent Kelli Arena right now, there's no indication of terrorism per se involved, at least at this point. They have no indication of terrorism. But they are, as a prudent precaution, sending the joint terrorism task force, representatives at least, to New Haven. Button this up for us, because we have to go.
JENKINS: Well, again, we don't know where the investigation is going to go yet, but the fact is that if we look at past statistics, most bombings are carried out by individuals with personal motives, and that's probably what we have here.
BLITZER: One of the best in the business, bringing us some excellent perspective. Brian Jenkins, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
We are going to continue to follow what's happening on Yale University. Much more coming up, beginning with "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." Lou is standing by to pick up our coverage.
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