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American Morning
Terror Threat
Aired September 12, 2003 - 08:33 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk now about the State Department, that warnings that there are increasing signs that Al Qaida is preparing to attack Americans overseas. The Bush administration has issued a worldwide caution for U.S. citizens.
With us now from Washington to talk about the potential threat to Americans, Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana and also Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri.
Gentlemen, good morning. It's nice to see you.
Senator Bayh, let's begin with you. There have been previous warnings, as we all well know. How does this one rank in your mind?
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: Soledad, this one is similar in some respects based upon the kind of chatter that we pick up in the intelligence arena. But the things that make it a little more troubling are that it comes in the heels of this latest bin Laden tape and, of course, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Now does that mean that an attack is going to be targeted on that date? Maybe not. But all else being equal, that kind of significance would not be lost on the bad guys.
O'BRIEN: So then, Senator Bond, how worried should the general population be?
SEN. CHRISTOPHER BOND (R), MISSOURI: Well, first, the warning was for the Americans overseas. And we in the United States have been on the alert really since 9/11. And I think that there are a couple of things to remember. Number one, we have put in place major new law enforcement and anti-terrorism activities. The FBI here in the United States, says that they have disrupted over 100 terrorist attacks planned on our soil. And the aggressive efforts by the United States to carry the war on terrorism to their homelands has made it more difficult for them to strike us here in this country.
But still, there are vulnerabilities, and I think it is well that all U.S. citizens take normal precautions, but not be deterred by terrorist threats from going about our normal lives.
O'BRIEN: But, Senator...
BOND: The terrorists win if we're terrorized.
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, Senator Bond, but the warning, in a nutshell, says, as you say, there could be attacks on American citizens... BOND: Abroad, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... abroad. But they can also not rule out domestic attacks as well. So then, why not, sir, change the coded warning system?
BOND: Well, I think that they give the best warnings that they can.
Intelligence is a very inexact science and we do not yet have as good an intelligence network as we should have. And that's why Senator Bayh and I and the others on the Intelligence Committee are working to continue to improve our intelligence gathering. And that mean equipment, that means resources, human assets, and that means of communication.
We can't know for sure what the terrorists are going to do, but when we do pick up chatter, as Evan indicated, we do get warnings and we are doing a much better job than we ever did before, but it's not 100 percent.
O'BRIEN: Senator Bayh, let's talk a little bit about the intelligence on Osama bin Laden. Give me a sense of whether there is a sense that there is a basic understanding of where he may be or is it just that no one has a clue where he is at this point.
BAYH: Soledad, to the best of our knowledge, he's along the Afghan/Pakistani border, a very mountainous area there, probably the size of the state of Wisconsin. I'm often asked, I'm sure your viewers wonder why if we have a general idea of where he is, we can't get him. But it's very rugged. He has the sympathies of some of the tribal groups there. He moves around. He's no longer using electronic communications, the kind of thing that would allow us to target his precise location.
But I'm convinced, Soledad, we will eventually bring him to justice -- either kill or capture him -- it's just a matter of time.
O'BRIEN: What convinces you of that, sir?
BAYH: Well, we're bringing the full resources of the United States government to bear on this. Our intelligence agents working with allied countries. Eventually, Soledad, someone will turn on him. They're fanatics, but they're not always honorable and he'll make a mistake. They always do. And then, he will get his just desserts.
O'BRIEN: Senator Bond, the president we heard say the other day that Iraq is now defunct in the war on terror. Was there ever a sense going into the war that this would be the fallout? The new front would move to Iraq.
BOND: Well, the president said all along that the war on terror is going to be a long-term war. And I think there are tragedies as American service men and women are put in harm's way and killed and injured. But we have our best fighting forces in Iraq, right now. We are drawing all the terrorists in to fight against our best mobilized forces.
And I think the important to remember is, by carrying the war to the terrorists, we're fighting the battle against terrorism in Baghdad, not Boston or Boise or Boilver(ph) or Butler, Missouri. We are fighting on their turf and disrupting their efforts by a very strong offensive action which...
O'BRIEN: So forgive me...
BOND: That's the best shot we can take.
O'BRIEN: I'm just going to ask you then. So that you're telling me that this was a strategy to essentially use the U.S. troops who are there as magnets to draw terrorists into Iraq. Is that part of a strategy?
BOND: No, but that's the way it has worked out. And the terrorists are coming in, they're schooling up. And we found a group in Afghanistan of 200 Taliban and attacked and killed a very significant number of them. When they come together to carry out their malevolent activities, then, to the extent that we have intelligence, we go after them. And, as I said, we're working everyday in the intelligence oversight area to help ensure that we have the best intelligence on where the terrorists are.
O'BRIEN: Senator Christopher Bond is Republican from Missouri and Senator Evan Bayh is a Democrat from Indiana.
Gentlemen, thanks for your time this morning. Certainly, appreciate it.
BAYH: Thank you.
BOND: Thank you.
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 September 12, 2003 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk now about the State Department, that warnings that there are increasing signs that Al Qaida is preparing to attack Americans overseas. The Bush administration has issued a worldwide caution for U.S. citizens.
With us now from Washington to talk about the potential threat to Americans, Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana and also Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri.
Gentlemen, good morning. It's nice to see you.
Senator Bayh, let's begin with you. There have been previous warnings, as we all well know. How does this one rank in your mind?
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: Soledad, this one is similar in some respects based upon the kind of chatter that we pick up in the intelligence arena. But the things that make it a little more troubling are that it comes in the heels of this latest bin Laden tape and, of course, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Now does that mean that an attack is going to be targeted on that date? Maybe not. But all else being equal, that kind of significance would not be lost on the bad guys.
O'BRIEN: So then, Senator Bond, how worried should the general population be?
SEN. CHRISTOPHER BOND (R), MISSOURI: Well, first, the warning was for the Americans overseas. And we in the United States have been on the alert really since 9/11. And I think that there are a couple of things to remember. Number one, we have put in place major new law enforcement and anti-terrorism activities. The FBI here in the United States, says that they have disrupted over 100 terrorist attacks planned on our soil. And the aggressive efforts by the United States to carry the war on terrorism to their homelands has made it more difficult for them to strike us here in this country.
But still, there are vulnerabilities, and I think it is well that all U.S. citizens take normal precautions, but not be deterred by terrorist threats from going about our normal lives.
O'BRIEN: But, Senator...
BOND: The terrorists win if we're terrorized.
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, Senator Bond, but the warning, in a nutshell, says, as you say, there could be attacks on American citizens... BOND: Abroad, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... abroad. But they can also not rule out domestic attacks as well. So then, why not, sir, change the coded warning system?
BOND: Well, I think that they give the best warnings that they can.
Intelligence is a very inexact science and we do not yet have as good an intelligence network as we should have. And that's why Senator Bayh and I and the others on the Intelligence Committee are working to continue to improve our intelligence gathering. And that mean equipment, that means resources, human assets, and that means of communication.
We can't know for sure what the terrorists are going to do, but when we do pick up chatter, as Evan indicated, we do get warnings and we are doing a much better job than we ever did before, but it's not 100 percent.
O'BRIEN: Senator Bayh, let's talk a little bit about the intelligence on Osama bin Laden. Give me a sense of whether there is a sense that there is a basic understanding of where he may be or is it just that no one has a clue where he is at this point.
BAYH: Soledad, to the best of our knowledge, he's along the Afghan/Pakistani border, a very mountainous area there, probably the size of the state of Wisconsin. I'm often asked, I'm sure your viewers wonder why if we have a general idea of where he is, we can't get him. But it's very rugged. He has the sympathies of some of the tribal groups there. He moves around. He's no longer using electronic communications, the kind of thing that would allow us to target his precise location.
But I'm convinced, Soledad, we will eventually bring him to justice -- either kill or capture him -- it's just a matter of time.
O'BRIEN: What convinces you of that, sir?
BAYH: Well, we're bringing the full resources of the United States government to bear on this. Our intelligence agents working with allied countries. Eventually, Soledad, someone will turn on him. They're fanatics, but they're not always honorable and he'll make a mistake. They always do. And then, he will get his just desserts.
O'BRIEN: Senator Bond, the president we heard say the other day that Iraq is now defunct in the war on terror. Was there ever a sense going into the war that this would be the fallout? The new front would move to Iraq.
BOND: Well, the president said all along that the war on terror is going to be a long-term war. And I think there are tragedies as American service men and women are put in harm's way and killed and injured. But we have our best fighting forces in Iraq, right now. We are drawing all the terrorists in to fight against our best mobilized forces.
And I think the important to remember is, by carrying the war to the terrorists, we're fighting the battle against terrorism in Baghdad, not Boston or Boise or Boilver(ph) or Butler, Missouri. We are fighting on their turf and disrupting their efforts by a very strong offensive action which...
O'BRIEN: So forgive me...
BOND: That's the best shot we can take.
O'BRIEN: I'm just going to ask you then. So that you're telling me that this was a strategy to essentially use the U.S. troops who are there as magnets to draw terrorists into Iraq. Is that part of a strategy?
BOND: No, but that's the way it has worked out. And the terrorists are coming in, they're schooling up. And we found a group in Afghanistan of 200 Taliban and attacked and killed a very significant number of them. When they come together to carry out their malevolent activities, then, to the extent that we have intelligence, we go after them. And, as I said, we're working everyday in the intelligence oversight area to help ensure that we have the best intelligence on where the terrorists are.
O'BRIEN: Senator Christopher Bond is Republican from Missouri and Senator Evan Bayh is a Democrat from Indiana.
Gentlemen, thanks for your time this morning. Certainly, appreciate it.
BAYH: Thank you.
BOND: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
