Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Discussion with Robert Baer

Aired July 24, 2003 - 07:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the 911 report again that goes public today. It's been the subject of a tug of war between Congress and the White House. At issue is just how much the American people should know. The declassification process largely left out the role played by overseas governments.
And Robert Baer, a former CIA case officer, says Saudi Arabia shares the blame.

His new book, "Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude."

Robert Baer is our guest now live in D.C.

Good morning, Robert.

ROBERT BAER, AUTHOR, "SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL": Good morning.

HEMMER: Before we get to the Saudi Arabia connection, the report largely concludes that there is no one smoking gun that indicates how these attacks of September 11 could have been stopped. It's my impression that you disagree with that.

Where is your evidence to say that they could?

BAER: Well, I mean if we had the system we have in place today where the CIA and the FBI share information, we would have been led to the two hijackers in San Diego that set up there in 2000, that started putting the networks in place. And if the FBI had had their identities early on, the chances of them finding them would be pretty good.

HEMMER: So what we know is that the CIA had the identities on August 21st and that's when the FBI was informed, three weeks before the attacks. But who's to say at this point the FBI would have been able to get to southern California, root these men out and stop the attacks before they took place, if, indeed, they were still in California at that time?

BAER: Well, they were staying with an FBI informant. I mean the way it would have worked was the FBI, once they had the names, would have gone to the informant and asked him if he'd seen these people. And he presumably would have said yes, they're staying with me. And then you could have put surveillance on them, done a full financial investigation and linked these people together.

But that's Monday morning quarterbacking and that's why the congressional report doesn't say that we could have absolutely stopped this, that somebody completely messed up.

HEMMER: Yes, let's get back to the report right now. Twenty- eight pages dealing with overseas governments apparently not included in these reports. You believe a strong finger should be pointed at Saudi Arabia. You won't find that in the public report today.

What's your conclusion there, Robert?

BAER: I have, you know, I have no doubt about this. I used to be a former intelligence officer. Look, you know, you've got the Saudi ambassador's wife is sending money to the hijackers indirectly. You've got the networks in Germany all have Saudi partners, the networks in Spain. I'm talking about Atta, the presumed mastermind's network in Spain has a Saudi partner. Fifteen of the hijackers were recruited inside Saudi Arabia.

There's just this web that points back to Riyadh. Now, we're not getting the answers. And this is not to mention, by the way, that one of these people that supported the hijackers was probably a Saudi intelligence agent, Omar al-Bayoumi.

HEMMER: You mentioned a lot of this is hindsight. Part of what we're talking about is, indeed, hindsight, as we look back. And our goggles are clear now. It's a 20-20 focus. But if we look at today right now, take a look at some of the things the Saudi Arabian government has now enacted since that. And the charities, apparently, in Saudi Arabia -- put it up on the screen if we could, here -- now being audited. Assets of the terrorist groups are frozen. More than 2,000 individuals questioned, 250 arrested, 90 al Qaeda suspects referred to courts for trial.

If you put this together, it appears, anyway, on the surface that things are changing in the kingdom.

Good enough at this point?

BAER: No. They are changing. You know, the Saudis are doing a lot to get, you know, to get this movement under control. But, you know, look at the difference between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Pakistan has been arresting the network members one after another. You know, I could go through their names. Saudi Arabia says they're arresting people, but I would like to see the evidence. I would like to see, all right, these people helped the plot, they're in jail, and turn this over to the American authorities and let the public know.

I think that the families, the victims of 9/11 need closure on this.

HEMMER: How stable is that monarchy, do you think?

BAER: It's going to depend on the price of oil. If they can keep up the welfare system, it could go on indefinitely. But if the price of oil goes down and the people are really squeezed, you know, they've got serious demographic problems there. You know, you've got 50 percent of the people under 18. Unemployment is horrendous there among young people and they're going to the mosque. And it's the ability of the reformers to get control of the country. The crown prince is doing a good job and he should be supported.

HEMMER: Robert Baer, thanks for talking.

"Sleeping With the Devil" is your new book out.

We also asked the Saudi government to join us today. That invitation, though, was declined.

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







Aired July 24, 2003 - 07:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the 911 report again that goes public today. It's been the subject of a tug of war between Congress and the White House. At issue is just how much the American people should know. The declassification process largely left out the role played by overseas governments.
And Robert Baer, a former CIA case officer, says Saudi Arabia shares the blame.

His new book, "Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude."

Robert Baer is our guest now live in D.C.

Good morning, Robert.

ROBERT BAER, AUTHOR, "SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL": Good morning.

HEMMER: Before we get to the Saudi Arabia connection, the report largely concludes that there is no one smoking gun that indicates how these attacks of September 11 could have been stopped. It's my impression that you disagree with that.

Where is your evidence to say that they could?

BAER: Well, I mean if we had the system we have in place today where the CIA and the FBI share information, we would have been led to the two hijackers in San Diego that set up there in 2000, that started putting the networks in place. And if the FBI had had their identities early on, the chances of them finding them would be pretty good.

HEMMER: So what we know is that the CIA had the identities on August 21st and that's when the FBI was informed, three weeks before the attacks. But who's to say at this point the FBI would have been able to get to southern California, root these men out and stop the attacks before they took place, if, indeed, they were still in California at that time?

BAER: Well, they were staying with an FBI informant. I mean the way it would have worked was the FBI, once they had the names, would have gone to the informant and asked him if he'd seen these people. And he presumably would have said yes, they're staying with me. And then you could have put surveillance on them, done a full financial investigation and linked these people together.

But that's Monday morning quarterbacking and that's why the congressional report doesn't say that we could have absolutely stopped this, that somebody completely messed up.

HEMMER: Yes, let's get back to the report right now. Twenty- eight pages dealing with overseas governments apparently not included in these reports. You believe a strong finger should be pointed at Saudi Arabia. You won't find that in the public report today.

What's your conclusion there, Robert?

BAER: I have, you know, I have no doubt about this. I used to be a former intelligence officer. Look, you know, you've got the Saudi ambassador's wife is sending money to the hijackers indirectly. You've got the networks in Germany all have Saudi partners, the networks in Spain. I'm talking about Atta, the presumed mastermind's network in Spain has a Saudi partner. Fifteen of the hijackers were recruited inside Saudi Arabia.

There's just this web that points back to Riyadh. Now, we're not getting the answers. And this is not to mention, by the way, that one of these people that supported the hijackers was probably a Saudi intelligence agent, Omar al-Bayoumi.

HEMMER: You mentioned a lot of this is hindsight. Part of what we're talking about is, indeed, hindsight, as we look back. And our goggles are clear now. It's a 20-20 focus. But if we look at today right now, take a look at some of the things the Saudi Arabian government has now enacted since that. And the charities, apparently, in Saudi Arabia -- put it up on the screen if we could, here -- now being audited. Assets of the terrorist groups are frozen. More than 2,000 individuals questioned, 250 arrested, 90 al Qaeda suspects referred to courts for trial.

If you put this together, it appears, anyway, on the surface that things are changing in the kingdom.

Good enough at this point?

BAER: No. They are changing. You know, the Saudis are doing a lot to get, you know, to get this movement under control. But, you know, look at the difference between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Pakistan has been arresting the network members one after another. You know, I could go through their names. Saudi Arabia says they're arresting people, but I would like to see the evidence. I would like to see, all right, these people helped the plot, they're in jail, and turn this over to the American authorities and let the public know.

I think that the families, the victims of 9/11 need closure on this.

HEMMER: How stable is that monarchy, do you think?

BAER: It's going to depend on the price of oil. If they can keep up the welfare system, it could go on indefinitely. But if the price of oil goes down and the people are really squeezed, you know, they've got serious demographic problems there. You know, you've got 50 percent of the people under 18. Unemployment is horrendous there among young people and they're going to the mosque. And it's the ability of the reformers to get control of the country. The crown prince is doing a good job and he should be supported.

HEMMER: Robert Baer, thanks for talking.

"Sleeping With the Devil" is your new book out.

We also asked the Saudi government to join us today. That invitation, though, was declined.

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