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CNN Live At Daybreak
New Warning, Terror Threat to Planes
Aired July 30, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We realize that many of you might be heading to the airport right now, so we will start with the al Qaeda threat. The Homeland Security Agency tells us on a scale of 10, the credibility of intelligence is a 6 or a 7.
As for specifics, here's CNN's Jeanne Meserve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The intelligence from interrogations and electronic intercepts indicates that al Qaeda could be planning to carry out at least one hijacking by the end of the summer. Possible venues? The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia or the East Coast of the U.S., where there is a relatively high concentration of government, military and economic targets.
An advisory to the aviation industry from the Department of Homeland Security talks about five-man teams taking down aircraft around takeoff or landing, so the hijackers would not need flight training. It says hijackers could try to mislead passengers into thinking they were in a hostage situation, not on a suicide mission, apparently to diminish the likelihood of pre-emptive passenger actions like those taken on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11.
The advisory says the hijackers might try to weaponize items often carried by travelers, like cameras. But no equipment or operatives are known to have been deployed to conduct the operations, and there are no plans to hike the threat level. But the advisory does talk about terrorists possibly trying to exploit regulations, which allow travelers without visas to stop in the U.S. en route to other destinations. The administration is expected to decide this week whether to change that policy and require the visas.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And an example of just how nervous airlines are right now, an American Airlines flight from New York to Tokyo made an emergency landing at a Japanese airport after the crew found what looked like a small knife. Local media had suggested the object was actually a letter opener, but the airline denies that.
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 30, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We realize that many of you might be heading to the airport right now, so we will start with the al Qaeda threat. The Homeland Security Agency tells us on a scale of 10, the credibility of intelligence is a 6 or a 7.
As for specifics, here's CNN's Jeanne Meserve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The intelligence from interrogations and electronic intercepts indicates that al Qaeda could be planning to carry out at least one hijacking by the end of the summer. Possible venues? The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia or the East Coast of the U.S., where there is a relatively high concentration of government, military and economic targets.
An advisory to the aviation industry from the Department of Homeland Security talks about five-man teams taking down aircraft around takeoff or landing, so the hijackers would not need flight training. It says hijackers could try to mislead passengers into thinking they were in a hostage situation, not on a suicide mission, apparently to diminish the likelihood of pre-emptive passenger actions like those taken on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11.
The advisory says the hijackers might try to weaponize items often carried by travelers, like cameras. But no equipment or operatives are known to have been deployed to conduct the operations, and there are no plans to hike the threat level. But the advisory does talk about terrorists possibly trying to exploit regulations, which allow travelers without visas to stop in the U.S. en route to other destinations. The administration is expected to decide this week whether to change that policy and require the visas.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And an example of just how nervous airlines are right now, an American Airlines flight from New York to Tokyo made an emergency landing at a Japanese airport after the crew found what looked like a small knife. Local media had suggested the object was actually a letter opener, but the airline denies that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
