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CNN Live At Daybreak
CIA Confirms New bin Laden Tape Authenticity
Aired January 06, 2004 - 05:05 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is Osama. That's what the CIA is saying about the latest recording attributed to the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
As CNN's David Ensor reports, the tape may change, but the song remains the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Central Intelligence Agency officials are confident the voice on the tape is that of Osama bin Laden. Based on recent events bin Laden refers to on the tape, officials say it was recorded in the last few weeks. A new tape, then, but the same message.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's really not news for Osama bin Laden to tell the rest of the world, all those people who, that small minority of people who share his hatred and that evil, that America should be the number one target of their hatred. It's not news.
ENSOR: Still, the tape calls on Muslims to overthrow moderate governments and calls for Jihad against the U.S. Intelligence officials have the same concern their boss had 11 months ago about an earlier tape.
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: And whether this is a signal of impending attack or not is something we're looking at. I can only tell you what the history is.
ENSOR: That history included a bin Laden tape October 6, 2000, followed immediately by the attack on a French oil tanker and then the bombing in Bali. Bin Laden's November 12, 2002 tape was broadcast 12 days before the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya. But there have been more attacks than tapes, and some analysts believe bin Laden may simply want to show he's still around.
PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM ANALYST: I think the most important thing it tells us is that bin Laden is, indeed, alive and that he was alive relatively recently. Secondly, you know, he's continuing to try to influence what's going on. I mean he's calling for, again, you know, a response to the occupation of Iraq and he wants to show that he's in business.
ENSOR (on camera): A recent bin Laden tape turned out to be a compilation of fragments of past recordings, according to U.S. officials. But they say that this one is new and so well recorded that you can even hear him breathing in between the words. Bin Laden, alive and breathing.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: You can watch the Al Jazeera broadcast of the latest message from bin Laden on our Web site. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
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 January 6, 2004 - 05:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is Osama. That's what the CIA is saying about the latest recording attributed to the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
As CNN's David Ensor reports, the tape may change, but the song remains the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Central Intelligence Agency officials are confident the voice on the tape is that of Osama bin Laden. Based on recent events bin Laden refers to on the tape, officials say it was recorded in the last few weeks. A new tape, then, but the same message.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's really not news for Osama bin Laden to tell the rest of the world, all those people who, that small minority of people who share his hatred and that evil, that America should be the number one target of their hatred. It's not news.
ENSOR: Still, the tape calls on Muslims to overthrow moderate governments and calls for Jihad against the U.S. Intelligence officials have the same concern their boss had 11 months ago about an earlier tape.
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: And whether this is a signal of impending attack or not is something we're looking at. I can only tell you what the history is.
ENSOR: That history included a bin Laden tape October 6, 2000, followed immediately by the attack on a French oil tanker and then the bombing in Bali. Bin Laden's November 12, 2002 tape was broadcast 12 days before the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya. But there have been more attacks than tapes, and some analysts believe bin Laden may simply want to show he's still around.
PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM ANALYST: I think the most important thing it tells us is that bin Laden is, indeed, alive and that he was alive relatively recently. Secondly, you know, he's continuing to try to influence what's going on. I mean he's calling for, again, you know, a response to the occupation of Iraq and he wants to show that he's in business.
ENSOR (on camera): A recent bin Laden tape turned out to be a compilation of fragments of past recordings, according to U.S. officials. But they say that this one is new and so well recorded that you can even hear him breathing in between the words. Bin Laden, alive and breathing.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: You can watch the Al Jazeera broadcast of the latest message from bin Laden on our Web site. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
