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CNN Live Today
America on Alert
Aired December 22, 2003 - 11:24 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush called his homeland security council to the White House this morning for consultations. The meeting comes a day after the administration raised the terror alert level.
So let's bring in national security correspondent David Ensor to talk a little bit more about what happened today.
David, if you could go behind those doors, how did that conversation go this morning?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're talking about the quantity and quality of intelligence that they're seeing, which is suggesting that an attack is being plotted against the American homeland, and it's greater, apparently, than at any time since the 9/11 attacks of two years ago.
Again, the information is suggesting an interest by al Qaeda in possibly using aircraft as weapons. U.S. intelligence officials say the information is coming from all types of sources, human intelligence, intercepted communications, Web sites and other sources.
And another reason for concern is officials say that last week's audiotape from al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman Al Zawahiri, they believe could be a go signal to a sleeper cell in the United States.
There's no specific information as to targets, officials say, though. They are saying that New York, Washington and Los Angeles are sometimes being mentioned by terrorists.
And as to how long this period of heightened concern will last, officials are saying certainly through the holidays, and probably somewhat beyond that.
Secretary Ridge and other officials say the decision to go orange was judged worthwhile, because they know from experience that increased security at key facilities and increased vigilance by the public has in the past helped to disrupt, or even prevent, terrorist attacks. That is why they've made this difficult decision, knowing, of course, that the in the past people have gotten a little bit jaded with these orange alerts. But this time, the amount of intelligence is to large that the decision was made to go ahead.
And here you see the adjustments being made outside Chicago at a particular facility that changes flags when the color code changes -- Carol.
LIN: Rather dramatic there.
David, what do you make of this chatter, that al Qaeda might still be interested in using airplanes as a, weapon given the heightened security at all the nation's airports, in fact, many of the world's airports? Why would they do that?
ENSOR: Well, al Qaeda has a history of liking to repeat things that worked for it in the past. They like truck bombs. They like aircraft as weapons. They went back to the World Trade Center. They have a tendency to repeat formulae that have worked for them in the past. So that is one of the reasons why there's a feeling that aircraft might be used again. There is also apparently a good deal of chatter and information suggesting that the terrorists are looking at that. One concern, of course, is that they might try to use aircraft coming from another country flying into this country, flying into this country, as weapons. So that is something that authorities are watching very closely -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, national security correspondent David Ensor.
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 22, 2003 - 11:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush called his homeland security council to the White House this morning for consultations. The meeting comes a day after the administration raised the terror alert level.
So let's bring in national security correspondent David Ensor to talk a little bit more about what happened today.
David, if you could go behind those doors, how did that conversation go this morning?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're talking about the quantity and quality of intelligence that they're seeing, which is suggesting that an attack is being plotted against the American homeland, and it's greater, apparently, than at any time since the 9/11 attacks of two years ago.
Again, the information is suggesting an interest by al Qaeda in possibly using aircraft as weapons. U.S. intelligence officials say the information is coming from all types of sources, human intelligence, intercepted communications, Web sites and other sources.
And another reason for concern is officials say that last week's audiotape from al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman Al Zawahiri, they believe could be a go signal to a sleeper cell in the United States.
There's no specific information as to targets, officials say, though. They are saying that New York, Washington and Los Angeles are sometimes being mentioned by terrorists.
And as to how long this period of heightened concern will last, officials are saying certainly through the holidays, and probably somewhat beyond that.
Secretary Ridge and other officials say the decision to go orange was judged worthwhile, because they know from experience that increased security at key facilities and increased vigilance by the public has in the past helped to disrupt, or even prevent, terrorist attacks. That is why they've made this difficult decision, knowing, of course, that the in the past people have gotten a little bit jaded with these orange alerts. But this time, the amount of intelligence is to large that the decision was made to go ahead.
And here you see the adjustments being made outside Chicago at a particular facility that changes flags when the color code changes -- Carol.
LIN: Rather dramatic there.
David, what do you make of this chatter, that al Qaeda might still be interested in using airplanes as a, weapon given the heightened security at all the nation's airports, in fact, many of the world's airports? Why would they do that?
ENSOR: Well, al Qaeda has a history of liking to repeat things that worked for it in the past. They like truck bombs. They like aircraft as weapons. They went back to the World Trade Center. They have a tendency to repeat formulae that have worked for them in the past. So that is one of the reasons why there's a feeling that aircraft might be used again. There is also apparently a good deal of chatter and information suggesting that the terrorists are looking at that. One concern, of course, is that they might try to use aircraft coming from another country flying into this country, flying into this country, as weapons. So that is something that authorities are watching very closely -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, national security correspondent David Ensor.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
