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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Eye on the World
Aired January 28, 2004 - 06:25 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: It is a new timeline for finding Osama bin Laden.
Our senior international editor David Clinch is back on the set with more details about that.
A deadline, huh?
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol, good morning.
Yes, we talked about this at 5:00 a.m., there has been a spate of new violence in Afghanistan that we're looking at closely. A Canadian soldier was killed yesterday, a British soldier killed today in specific targeted attacks claimed by the former Taliban. We have been following the story in Afghanistan for months now the Taliban and al Qaeda attempting to regroup.
The U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan today choosing some interesting words when asked about the continuing pursuit of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the former Taliban head, choosing, Brian Hilferty is his name, the military spokesman there, being asked what their expectations are of catching Osama bin Laden. And he said Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar are still threats to the world and we intend to catch them within the next year.
Now that's interesting wording. In fact follows up what something I saw a week or so ago a senior U.S. military commander in the region saying a similar thing when asked by the BBC, I think it was, about their intention, saying we expect to catch Osama bin Laden within the next year.
You were asking me earlier whether that reflects some new intelligence that they have whether they think...
LIN: Yes, what's up with the timetable, why a year?
CLINCH: Well, we're asking them why are they phrasing it this way? Why are they putting it that way, they intend, they expect to catch Osama bin Laden within the next year or so? Obviously we've been reporting yesterday and continue to report today on the 9/11 commission and the continued investigation in the United States into the circumstances of September 11. But the niggling sort of thorn in the side for the Bush administration is the man behind it, Osama bin Laden, and of course his cohort Mullah Omar, where are they, why have they not been caught this many years after the fact?
LIN: Do you think it has something to do with the U.S. elections? I mean by saying...
CLINCH: Well,...
LIN: ... that this administration saying we'll get them in a year, but...
CLINCH: I don't know. I am not paid to think, Carol. I am only paid to know. And we don't know. It's certainly a very interesting question. The timeframe of a year obviously goes beyond the U.S. election, so they are giving themselves some leeway, if you want to put it that way. But it is clearly a priority for them.
LIN: Yes.
CLINCH: And not just a priority, but on record now a goal to catch Osama bin Laden within the year.
LIN: All right, clock's ticking.
CLINCH: All right.
LIN: Thanks very much, David.
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 28, 2004 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It is a new timeline for finding Osama bin Laden.
Our senior international editor David Clinch is back on the set with more details about that.
A deadline, huh?
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol, good morning.
Yes, we talked about this at 5:00 a.m., there has been a spate of new violence in Afghanistan that we're looking at closely. A Canadian soldier was killed yesterday, a British soldier killed today in specific targeted attacks claimed by the former Taliban. We have been following the story in Afghanistan for months now the Taliban and al Qaeda attempting to regroup.
The U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan today choosing some interesting words when asked about the continuing pursuit of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the former Taliban head, choosing, Brian Hilferty is his name, the military spokesman there, being asked what their expectations are of catching Osama bin Laden. And he said Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar are still threats to the world and we intend to catch them within the next year.
Now that's interesting wording. In fact follows up what something I saw a week or so ago a senior U.S. military commander in the region saying a similar thing when asked by the BBC, I think it was, about their intention, saying we expect to catch Osama bin Laden within the next year.
You were asking me earlier whether that reflects some new intelligence that they have whether they think...
LIN: Yes, what's up with the timetable, why a year?
CLINCH: Well, we're asking them why are they phrasing it this way? Why are they putting it that way, they intend, they expect to catch Osama bin Laden within the next year or so? Obviously we've been reporting yesterday and continue to report today on the 9/11 commission and the continued investigation in the United States into the circumstances of September 11. But the niggling sort of thorn in the side for the Bush administration is the man behind it, Osama bin Laden, and of course his cohort Mullah Omar, where are they, why have they not been caught this many years after the fact?
LIN: Do you think it has something to do with the U.S. elections? I mean by saying...
CLINCH: Well,...
LIN: ... that this administration saying we'll get them in a year, but...
CLINCH: I don't know. I am not paid to think, Carol. I am only paid to know. And we don't know. It's certainly a very interesting question. The timeframe of a year obviously goes beyond the U.S. election, so they are giving themselves some leeway, if you want to put it that way. But it is clearly a priority for them.
LIN: Yes.
CLINCH: And not just a priority, but on record now a goal to catch Osama bin Laden within the year.
LIN: All right, clock's ticking.
CLINCH: All right.
LIN: Thanks very much, David.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
