Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Government Upgrades Security Warning in Saudi Arabia

Aired December 07, 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.


JIM MORET, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. government is telling Americans in Saudi Arabia of an upgraded security warning. Embassy staff had been confined to the diplomatic quarter of Riyadh. It's one element in a heightened state of security for Americans abroad and here at home.
Kelly McCann is our CNN security analyst. He's here with us now live from our Washington bureau.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Jim.

MORET: Talk to us about the increased risk, if any, for travelers around this holiday season.

MCCANN: Sure. We've got to split it out and look at the domestic situation and the international situation two different ways. Domestically, I'm not sure that any of the organizations that watch for this kind of threat level to go up have said that there are direct indicators other than the fact that there's just normally a heavier volume of people traveling, which would make it more lucrative for someone to try to do something.

Internationally, it's slightly different. There's ongoing intelligence pointing to the fact that there has been active surveillance done in certain areas and people are being warned to be very, very cautious and vigilant. So there are two disparate kinds of things going on. But domestically, I think that officials have taken great steps to ensure people's safety through the holiday.

MORET: I think, though, that in the past couple of years when we've been warned to be cautious and vigilant, most people have done everything that they can do. Is there anything beyond what we've been doing, beyond this heightened awareness that one should be aware of, particularly now during the holiday season?

MCCANN: You know, that's a good question, Jim. Initially, post 9/11, it had to be like everybody had to be in this kind of thing to assist the government while they made the transition to a higher level of security. That transition having been accomplished now, people can really just be very watchful and report things to this now much more dedicated security structure that's been -- infrastructure that's been created.

Right now, I mean, the air marshal saturation is up, there's 100 percent baggage checking both in carry-on and checked baggage. There are canine patrols randomly sniffing for explosives. Caps II (ph) is in effect, where the computer-aided passenger screening system -- so they pull people for additional screening if there are indicators.

So all of that machinery is ongoing. You will see a higher presence of police and security personnel patrolling. You will see more random kind of field interviews, where people are just questioned about what they're doing and, you know, what they've seen, et cetera. But I think that the machine is enough to ensure safety.

MORET: Kelly, when folks hear about soft targets, one generally thinks, certainly during the shopping season, of shopping malls. Is there anything in your view that people should be more aware of when they're out shopping? I would imagine certainly looking for bags left unattended, that type of thing?

MCCANN: Bags left unattended, and even more specifically, body movements and ways to conceal long-barreled weapons. We know that from the al Qaeda tapes that there were offensive-only tactics that they actually practice, where a carload of people would show up and then arrive with weapons, go into a public place, fire, and then get back in the vehicle and leave. So anything that would be seen as very, very odd, body movements, ways to conceal weapons, things like that, people should be watching for.

However, there is no indication from any of the federal agencies that are looking for these terrorist cells that that kind of plan is in motion. It is just that the tactics for these procedures taught by al Qaeda did include those kinds of things.

MORET: And we just have about 15 seconds left. I don't want to give people a false sense of security, but on the other side, we don't want to give them a false sense of insecurity either, do we?

MCCANN: No, this is what it is now, Jim. I mean, you know, the thing is, it's a little bit like virginity. We lost that on that day in September. And going forward, we're all going to have to understand that security is a part of our everyday life. That's just the way it is going to be.

MORET: CNN security analyst Kelly McCann joining us live from Washington. Thanks for your time today.

MCCANN: Pleasure, Jim.

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 December 7, 2003 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM MORET, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. government is telling Americans in Saudi Arabia of an upgraded security warning. Embassy staff had been confined to the diplomatic quarter of Riyadh. It's one element in a heightened state of security for Americans abroad and here at home.
Kelly McCann is our CNN security analyst. He's here with us now live from our Washington bureau.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Jim.

MORET: Talk to us about the increased risk, if any, for travelers around this holiday season.

MCCANN: Sure. We've got to split it out and look at the domestic situation and the international situation two different ways. Domestically, I'm not sure that any of the organizations that watch for this kind of threat level to go up have said that there are direct indicators other than the fact that there's just normally a heavier volume of people traveling, which would make it more lucrative for someone to try to do something.

Internationally, it's slightly different. There's ongoing intelligence pointing to the fact that there has been active surveillance done in certain areas and people are being warned to be very, very cautious and vigilant. So there are two disparate kinds of things going on. But domestically, I think that officials have taken great steps to ensure people's safety through the holiday.

MORET: I think, though, that in the past couple of years when we've been warned to be cautious and vigilant, most people have done everything that they can do. Is there anything beyond what we've been doing, beyond this heightened awareness that one should be aware of, particularly now during the holiday season?

MCCANN: You know, that's a good question, Jim. Initially, post 9/11, it had to be like everybody had to be in this kind of thing to assist the government while they made the transition to a higher level of security. That transition having been accomplished now, people can really just be very watchful and report things to this now much more dedicated security structure that's been -- infrastructure that's been created.

Right now, I mean, the air marshal saturation is up, there's 100 percent baggage checking both in carry-on and checked baggage. There are canine patrols randomly sniffing for explosives. Caps II (ph) is in effect, where the computer-aided passenger screening system -- so they pull people for additional screening if there are indicators.

So all of that machinery is ongoing. You will see a higher presence of police and security personnel patrolling. You will see more random kind of field interviews, where people are just questioned about what they're doing and, you know, what they've seen, et cetera. But I think that the machine is enough to ensure safety.

MORET: Kelly, when folks hear about soft targets, one generally thinks, certainly during the shopping season, of shopping malls. Is there anything in your view that people should be more aware of when they're out shopping? I would imagine certainly looking for bags left unattended, that type of thing?

MCCANN: Bags left unattended, and even more specifically, body movements and ways to conceal long-barreled weapons. We know that from the al Qaeda tapes that there were offensive-only tactics that they actually practice, where a carload of people would show up and then arrive with weapons, go into a public place, fire, and then get back in the vehicle and leave. So anything that would be seen as very, very odd, body movements, ways to conceal weapons, things like that, people should be watching for.

However, there is no indication from any of the federal agencies that are looking for these terrorist cells that that kind of plan is in motion. It is just that the tactics for these procedures taught by al Qaeda did include those kinds of things.

MORET: And we just have about 15 seconds left. I don't want to give people a false sense of security, but on the other side, we don't want to give them a false sense of insecurity either, do we?

MCCANN: No, this is what it is now, Jim. I mean, you know, the thing is, it's a little bit like virginity. We lost that on that day in September. And going forward, we're all going to have to understand that security is a part of our everyday life. That's just the way it is going to be.

MORET: CNN security analyst Kelly McCann joining us live from Washington. Thanks for your time today.

MCCANN: Pleasure, Jim.

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