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Caught in the Internet: Soldier Charged With Trying to Help Al Qaeda

Aired February 19, 2004 - 06:12   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: The Army has released formal charges against Specialist Ryan Anderson, the National Guard soldier caught in a sting operation at Fort Lewis, Washington. Anderson is charged with trying to give information to the enemy, the al Qaeda terror network, a charge that could get him the death penalty if he is convicted.
Anderson is also a Muslim who uses the name Amir Abdul Rashid. Authorities say he thought he was talking to al Qaeda members in an Internet chat room, but he was actually chatting with U.S. military personnel.

More on this now from CNN producer Paul Courson. Let's head live to Washington.

Good morning -- Paul.

PAUL COURSON, CNN PRODUCER: Morning.

COSTELLO: You know the astounding thing is that this kid thought that no one would look in Internet chat rooms.

COURSON: Well it's interesting, we don't yet know which came first, the government's sting operation or him allegedly shopping around information to people he thought were al Qaeda members. We spoke last week, right after his arrest, with a member of the Muslim community in Seattle, Washington who said that this -- a person identifying himself by the same Muslim name as this gentlemen here had been sending e-mails to the Muslim community saying hey, I've got some secrets and also would you like to join a gun club out our way.

So this is a high school yearbook photo, by the way. He's a little older than that, 26 now, but it's about the only picture we have got.

But what I am saying, Carol, is that we don't know which came first, the government acting in response to reports that he may have been allegedly trying to sell information to al Qaeda or just what else was going on. It was recent activity, though.

COSTELLO: I want to -- I want to -- I want to read to people something that he allegedly put on the Internet and this was supposedly to al Qaeda. He said "I wish to meet with you. I share your cause. I wish to continue through conversations and personal meetings." Do we know what he allegedly passed along? Did he -- did he pass along important information, too, on the Internet supposedly? COURSON: We don't know whether he actually got the information across to anyone. But according to the charging document that came out late yesterday afternoon, he did have the idea of passing this information along. We had a news conference yesterday at Fort -- at Fort Lewis in Washington State and it was alleged then that it was happening very, very recently.

COSTELLO: And what might happen to him if he is convicted of this?

COURSON: Well this right now is the information that would be presented in a civilian court, for example, to a grand jury. It still needs to be investigated. Right now these charges are handed out to be investigated by a military system and then we will find out if the charges have enough sustenance to move forward with a prosecution.

COSTELLO: You know it makes you wonder why he joined the National Guard and what the screening process is, doesn't it?

COURSON: Well we spoke with a military attorney, a civilian attorney expert in military law, this morning. And he said you know there are people out there who are among the more radical, if there is a continuum, and he may very well have had some different philosophies and ideas and just happen to be in the U.S. military and in a position to perhaps allegedly pedal these secrets to al Qaeda.

COSTELLO: Well I'm sure we'll hear much more about this. Paul Courson live from D.C. this morning. Thank you.

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





Help Al Qaeda>


Aired February 19, 2004 - 06:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Army has released formal charges against Specialist Ryan Anderson, the National Guard soldier caught in a sting operation at Fort Lewis, Washington. Anderson is charged with trying to give information to the enemy, the al Qaeda terror network, a charge that could get him the death penalty if he is convicted.
Anderson is also a Muslim who uses the name Amir Abdul Rashid. Authorities say he thought he was talking to al Qaeda members in an Internet chat room, but he was actually chatting with U.S. military personnel.

More on this now from CNN producer Paul Courson. Let's head live to Washington.

Good morning -- Paul.

PAUL COURSON, CNN PRODUCER: Morning.

COSTELLO: You know the astounding thing is that this kid thought that no one would look in Internet chat rooms.

COURSON: Well it's interesting, we don't yet know which came first, the government's sting operation or him allegedly shopping around information to people he thought were al Qaeda members. We spoke last week, right after his arrest, with a member of the Muslim community in Seattle, Washington who said that this -- a person identifying himself by the same Muslim name as this gentlemen here had been sending e-mails to the Muslim community saying hey, I've got some secrets and also would you like to join a gun club out our way.

So this is a high school yearbook photo, by the way. He's a little older than that, 26 now, but it's about the only picture we have got.

But what I am saying, Carol, is that we don't know which came first, the government acting in response to reports that he may have been allegedly trying to sell information to al Qaeda or just what else was going on. It was recent activity, though.

COSTELLO: I want to -- I want to -- I want to read to people something that he allegedly put on the Internet and this was supposedly to al Qaeda. He said "I wish to meet with you. I share your cause. I wish to continue through conversations and personal meetings." Do we know what he allegedly passed along? Did he -- did he pass along important information, too, on the Internet supposedly? COURSON: We don't know whether he actually got the information across to anyone. But according to the charging document that came out late yesterday afternoon, he did have the idea of passing this information along. We had a news conference yesterday at Fort -- at Fort Lewis in Washington State and it was alleged then that it was happening very, very recently.

COSTELLO: And what might happen to him if he is convicted of this?

COURSON: Well this right now is the information that would be presented in a civilian court, for example, to a grand jury. It still needs to be investigated. Right now these charges are handed out to be investigated by a military system and then we will find out if the charges have enough sustenance to move forward with a prosecution.

COSTELLO: You know it makes you wonder why he joined the National Guard and what the screening process is, doesn't it?

COURSON: Well we spoke with a military attorney, a civilian attorney expert in military law, this morning. And he said you know there are people out there who are among the more radical, if there is a continuum, and he may very well have had some different philosophies and ideas and just happen to be in the U.S. military and in a position to perhaps allegedly pedal these secrets to al Qaeda.

COSTELLO: Well I'm sure we'll hear much more about this. Paul Courson live from D.C. this morning. Thank you.

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





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