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CNN Live Today
Interview With Paul Eedle
Aired November 10, 2003 - 10:05 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Want to go back to our other lead story. And that is what is taking place out of Saudi Arabia with the huge car bomb over the weekend and get some expertise now. Paul is a veteran journalist who spent the last two years of monitoring al Qaeda Web sites as well as those groups sympathetic to al Qaeda. And he is joining us from London. Paul, thank you for being with us.
PAUL EEDLE, AL QAEDA EXPERT: Good morning.
KAGAN: What can you tell us about these possible threats of additional attacks within Saudi Arabia?
EEDLE: What we're seeing on the net is that there's a flood of material from al Qaeda sympathizers and supporters endorsing the violence in Saudi Arabia. A whole book has been published justifying the attacks in -- back in May. No specific claim of responsibility yet for the latest attack. But an overall message that a major campaign is under way.
KAGAN: We mentioned to our viewers here that you monitor Web sites and you say you see this on the Internet. When you say you see this, what are you actually seeing?
EEDLE: What we're seeing is a number of Web sites and message boards that are run by people clearly close to al Qaeda. There's one particular Web site and one particular e-mail list which publish very similar material often signed by al Qaeda at the bottom of the statements.
And these sites are picked up and the messages repeated elsewhere along the Internet by other supporters. I think we can be fairly confident that they are coming from al Qaeda itself.
KAGAN: And what do you make of the latest target? Not only that it was inside Saudi Arabia, but the particular neighborhood that they selected?
EEDLE: It's interesting that the neighborhood was largely Arab. But then this was true of the attacks in May, as well that Arabs and, indeed, Saudi citizens were as much a target as foreigners.
But al Qaeda's ideology, as it comes over from the Internet, is that Muslims that support or collaborate with America are as bad as infidels.
KAGAN: And what about the similarities between this bombing and the bombing that took place back in May? EEDLE: These are very similar, as far as we can see. The Saudis have been somewhat cagey in what they revealed about this. But it's the same pattern. Picking one of the housing compounds which are like whole suburbs, going right into the heart of the compound and exploding a device that has killed everybody within a radius.
KAGAN: And getting back to your point of making the Saudis who cooperating with the Americans, as bad as Westerners, what do you make of a change in Saudi attitude when it comes to al Qaeda and cooperating with the fight against terrorism?
EEDLE: I think that the May attacks, it's no doubt, were Saudi Arabia's 9/11. And I think that the ruling family has taken that as an opportunity to crackdown on the religious right in the country.
But this is a deeply polarized society. There are very large groups who if they don't all support violence, are certainly deeply opposed to Saudi Arabia's relationship with America.
And on the other hand, you have liberal, Westernized people who command much business. The professions and the media. This is a very deeply split society.
KAGAN: And then finally looking ahead -- and I want to get back to your point here about looking on the Internet. You can see enough activity that makes feel fairly confident that another attack could be on the way. But is there enough there to try to learn what the target might be and try to prevent it?
EEDLE: No, I don't think so. The Internet is used by al Qaeda to magnify the effect of its attacks. So they want to create panic. They want to suggest that there may be further attacks.
However there's a very significant anniversary which is today. On this day in the year 624, the prophet Muhammad won a decisive battle against his enemies in Mecca. And the sites are making much of this anniversary. This is clearly a very, very sensitive time.
KAGAN: We will be watching. Journalist Paul Eedle, thank you for joining us with your expertise from London. Appreciate it.
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 November 10, 2003 - 10:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Want to go back to our other lead story. And that is what is taking place out of Saudi Arabia with the huge car bomb over the weekend and get some expertise now. Paul is a veteran journalist who spent the last two years of monitoring al Qaeda Web sites as well as those groups sympathetic to al Qaeda. And he is joining us from London. Paul, thank you for being with us.
PAUL EEDLE, AL QAEDA EXPERT: Good morning.
KAGAN: What can you tell us about these possible threats of additional attacks within Saudi Arabia?
EEDLE: What we're seeing on the net is that there's a flood of material from al Qaeda sympathizers and supporters endorsing the violence in Saudi Arabia. A whole book has been published justifying the attacks in -- back in May. No specific claim of responsibility yet for the latest attack. But an overall message that a major campaign is under way.
KAGAN: We mentioned to our viewers here that you monitor Web sites and you say you see this on the Internet. When you say you see this, what are you actually seeing?
EEDLE: What we're seeing is a number of Web sites and message boards that are run by people clearly close to al Qaeda. There's one particular Web site and one particular e-mail list which publish very similar material often signed by al Qaeda at the bottom of the statements.
And these sites are picked up and the messages repeated elsewhere along the Internet by other supporters. I think we can be fairly confident that they are coming from al Qaeda itself.
KAGAN: And what do you make of the latest target? Not only that it was inside Saudi Arabia, but the particular neighborhood that they selected?
EEDLE: It's interesting that the neighborhood was largely Arab. But then this was true of the attacks in May, as well that Arabs and, indeed, Saudi citizens were as much a target as foreigners.
But al Qaeda's ideology, as it comes over from the Internet, is that Muslims that support or collaborate with America are as bad as infidels.
KAGAN: And what about the similarities between this bombing and the bombing that took place back in May? EEDLE: These are very similar, as far as we can see. The Saudis have been somewhat cagey in what they revealed about this. But it's the same pattern. Picking one of the housing compounds which are like whole suburbs, going right into the heart of the compound and exploding a device that has killed everybody within a radius.
KAGAN: And getting back to your point of making the Saudis who cooperating with the Americans, as bad as Westerners, what do you make of a change in Saudi attitude when it comes to al Qaeda and cooperating with the fight against terrorism?
EEDLE: I think that the May attacks, it's no doubt, were Saudi Arabia's 9/11. And I think that the ruling family has taken that as an opportunity to crackdown on the religious right in the country.
But this is a deeply polarized society. There are very large groups who if they don't all support violence, are certainly deeply opposed to Saudi Arabia's relationship with America.
And on the other hand, you have liberal, Westernized people who command much business. The professions and the media. This is a very deeply split society.
KAGAN: And then finally looking ahead -- and I want to get back to your point here about looking on the Internet. You can see enough activity that makes feel fairly confident that another attack could be on the way. But is there enough there to try to learn what the target might be and try to prevent it?
EEDLE: No, I don't think so. The Internet is used by al Qaeda to magnify the effect of its attacks. So they want to create panic. They want to suggest that there may be further attacks.
However there's a very significant anniversary which is today. On this day in the year 624, the prophet Muhammad won a decisive battle against his enemies in Mecca. And the sites are making much of this anniversary. This is clearly a very, very sensitive time.
KAGAN: We will be watching. Journalist Paul Eedle, thank you for joining us with your expertise from London. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
