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American Morning

Scotland Yard Updates London Bombing Investigation

Aired July 25, 2005 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

S. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back, everybody.
It is exactly half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING, and we are coming to you live from London, where it's 2:30 in the afternoon actually.

Coming up, we are expecting, as we have been telling you all morning, a news conference, a press briefing from Scotland Yard. We're expecting to get some more information on several fronts because, obviously, there are lots of unanswered questions this morning.

First, the manhunt for the four suspects in last Thursday's bombing. Where does that stand exactly? What kind of information are they getting about those four suspects? Are they any closer to any arrests there?

Also, the shooting of the Brazilian national that happened on Friday, the day after the second bombing attempt. What exactly is the police policy now as it goes to shoot-and-kill policy? We'll find out a little more about that ahead.

And then the arrest now, three men in custody -- a third suspect arrested. Exactly who is that person? And what are they doing in custody? And what do police hope they can learn from that person?

That information we're hoping to get from this press briefing just ahead.

First though, let's get right back to Miles. He's in New York this morning.

Hey, Miles. Good morning.

M. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Also ahead in the program, a gigantic dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is crossing the Atlantic. It's said to be about the size of the continental U.S. So we've had hurricanes, heat waves, flash floods, and now this. When are the locusts coming?

We'll talk to a meteorologist from the National Weather Service about what this all means, what effects it might have and actually how it might help dampen hurricanes.

But before we do that, Carol Costello here with the headlines.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Didn't the locusts come last year to Washington, D.C.? I remember that.

M. O'BRIEN: They did, the cicadas.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: So we're looking forward to the dust storms this time.

Good morning to you.

Now in the news, at least 14 are dead, dozens wounded after two suicide attacks in Baghdad. One of the car bombs went off at an Iraqi police checkpoint in the Green Zone; the other near a Baghdad hotel.

The attacks come as work resumes on a new Iraqi constitution. A Sunni group called off its boycott earlier this morning. The constitution expected to be ready next month.

Emergency crews in Baltimore, Maryland, working hard right now to reopen Interstate 95. A Greyhound bus heading to Philadelphia overturned, injuring at least 14 people. One of the injuries appears to be serious. It's not clear what caused this accident, but roads were apparently wet from heavy rain in the area. That's 95 northbound at 895. That's in east Baltimore.

A CNN security watch now -- Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is on Capitol Hill this morning. He's expected to face more tough questions from lawmakers in the House. Chertoff unveiled plans last week to restructure the department, including a greater focus on the Internet and cybersecurity.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

And the countdown continues for the Space Shuttle Discovery.

NASA will try again to launch the shuttle tomorrow morning. A fuel sensor problem delayed the launch for nearly two weeks. NASA is set to give us more details in the next hour, but right now all systems seem to be go.

Be sure to join us here for a special extended edition of AMERICAN MORNING. We'll take you through the launch set for 10:39 a.m. Eastern Time, and Miles will be there for it all.

Right now, it's back to London and Soledad

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks a lot.

Well, many Londoners still willing to ride the city subways. But some jittery commuters are finding other ways to get around town since the attacks. And as we found out, bicycles are suddenly all the rage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CRAIG OUTHWAITE, CYCLE SHOP OWNER: Hundreds of people just walking past the door all the time, and a lot of those people are coming in and buying bikes to get home on.

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Craig Outhwaite, the 25-year-old manager of an Evans Cycle (ph) shop in central London, says after the July 7th bombing, sales jumped 400 percent. They're up again after the second round of attacks.

OUTHWAITE: I've had to employ two more people on the shop floor and an extra mechanic to really cover the amount of bikes that are being sold.

S. O'BRIEN: The bikes aren't cheap. The average one goes for around $1,100. The dramatic increase in sales clearly a sign that some Londoners are fearful of more attacks on public transit.

JULES WILSON, LONDON COMMUTER: These recent events, I think quite a lot of people are going out and buying bikes. Seems quite popular at the moment.

S. O'BRIEN: Jules Wilson says fear isn't the only motivating factor. She's a new mother, wants to lose some weight. But for her, the tipping point, last week's bombings, and she's not alone.

Chris Greenfield, in the store with his 6-year-old son Barnaby (ph), says Londoners' history with the IRA has taught them how to be resilient in the face of terror attacks.

CHRIS GREENFIELD, LONDON COMMUTER: I don't think it will change people long term -- you know, we'll still use the Tube.

S. O'BRIEN: Jules, though, is both worried about her safety and the safety of her baby, and resigned.

WILSON: I'm a bit fatalistic. I just think at the end of the day, you know, I don't know, maybe it's as dangerous riding a bike as it is to go on the Tube to work on public transport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Many more people seem to be walking, and we're told scooter sales are up, too -- Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Any mode of conveyance.

All right, Soledad. Thank you very much.

At least one U.S. citizen and at least seven other foreigners among the dead in Egypt. Suicide bombers attacked three locations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik. It's a popular area for Europeans especially. And now there's great concern that the attacks will hurt the town that relies heavily on tourism.

Here is Sandy Petrykowski.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDY PETRYKOWSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Palm trees, mountains, blue sky and sea, and warm, dry weather year round makes Sharm el-Sheik a little slice of heaven in the Middle East. The Red Sea coastal town is on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, close to Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has hosted so many attempts at brokering Middle East peace here it has been nicknamed "Peace Town."

U.S. Presidents Clinton and Bush, Israel's prime minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, have all met here in separate summits.

President Mubarak has a vacation home in this Red Sea resort, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair spent two holidays here.

In the same way Americans go to sunny Mexico or the Caribbean isles because of the proximity to the continental U.S., Europeans frequent Sharm el-Sheik.

Western Europe is only about four hours from these sunny beaches and some of the world's best coral reefs, and it's a relatively inexpensive trip thanks to package tours and a strong euro versus the Egyptian pound.

Of the $6 billion Egyptian tourism industry, tourism officials say a third of that comes from Sharm el-Sheik.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A third of the income of tourism, of the currency which Egypt needs.

PETRYKOWSKI: Tourism began when Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in the early '80s.

And in the last 20 years, Sharm has transformed from tents and campgrounds to luxury resorts.

In 1997, Egypt's tourism industry was hard-hit when a terrorist attack killed 58 tourists at archaeological sites in Luxor. To bring back the tourists, the Red Sea Riviera (ph) advertising campaign was born, offering direct charter flights to Western and Eastern Europe.

(on camera): Now with these recent bombings on the heels of last October's Taba bombs which killed 34, it may make this slice of heaven more like paradise lost.

Sandy Petrykowski, CNN, Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Now, this morning, Egyptian officials are searching for several Pakistani men wanted in questioning for potential connections to Saturday's attacks. Officials are guarding roads leading out of Sharm el-Sheik in case the suspects try to flee the city. No hurricanes for Florida this week. We're glad to report that to you. Instead, the Sunshine State is getting -- get this -- a sandstorm, kind of.

An enormous cloud of dust is blowing toward the region all the way from the Sahara Desert in Africa. It's full impact should be felt by tomorrow.

Joining us from Miami with more on this is Jim Lushine, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service who -- Jim, you're about 39 days away from retirement, right?

JIM LUSHINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: That's it. I'm getting close now.

M. O'BRIEN: So you've had a long, illustrious career there.

How frequently do you have to talk about dust clouds coming from the Sahara to Florida?

LUSHINE: We've been seeing them now for about 35 years actually looking at satellite pictures. And they're not that uncommon. They occur a half a dozen, a dozen times a year.

This one is actually a fairly large one and significant one, and we're actually seeing some effects here even this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about the effects then.

LUSHINE: Well, mainly it does to the optics; that is, it makes the sunrises, sunsets a little more spectacular. There is some haze in the air, not dissimilar really to what you get on a normal day, say, in New York City with the pollution and so on like that. But it's a little bit unusual here in south Florida, where we have more blue skies.

But it can also play...

(CROSSTALK)

M. O'BRIEN: So, wait -- this is one of the hidden advantages of pollution, we get a better sunset?

LUSHINE: That's actually true. You do get more reds and yellows, and...

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Keep those SUVs going, I guess, huh?

LUSHINE: Yes, that's it.

M. O'BRIEN: So this is actually good Chamber of Commerce weather then?

LUSHINE: Well, in some ways, yes.

Of course, it actually helps keep away some of the thunderstorms and also has some other impacts on the weather itself.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about that.

LUSHINE: It actually inhibits the development of hurricanes, which of course, we've had too many of this year already. And so when we get the dust out there, that stabilizes the atmosphere in such a way that it doesn't really allow the thunderstorms to build up and that keeps the hurricane activity down a little bit.

M. O'BRIEN: Sorry. So the dust actually thwarts the build up of clouds which makes thunderstorms?

LUSHINE: Right. That's it. The stability is one of the ingredients of making thunderstorms. When you have very stable air, like you have with the Saharan dust, that keeps the thunderstorms from building up. That keeps the hurricanes from forming.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, we've got some satellite imagery, which comes from some of the NASA and NOAA satellites that are looking for these things. What causes it initially? What are the root causes? Is it a certain wind pattern which develops over the Sahara that causes this?

LUSHINE: Yes, it's a tropical wave, which is like the seedling for hurricanes, and this tropical wave creates some winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour, that create as dust storm, and we're talking about a large area, like about 300 miles in length. So when that dust then gets trapped up in the air, it comes east on the tradewinds, and then it comes all the way across the ocean, about 3,500 miles, takes about 10 days to get here.

M. O'BRIEN: And does it just keep going, or does it settle out in Florida? What happens after Florida?

LUSHINE: It generally settles out, but it does move a little farther west. Sometimes Texas can get it, sometimes other parts in the southeast United States. It doesn't usually get as far north as the northeast United States. As I mentioned, the pollution up there, you probably wouldn't notice much difference in it anyway.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, and we've been talking about sort of the upside, those nice sunsets. A couple of downsides. Coral reefs are adversely impacted, and some folks might with respiratory problems, might have some problems as well, right?

LUSHINE: Yes, there is a little bit of increase in the particulate matter, so that the air-quality index may be raised just a little bit, but in general, it's not a big affect on people.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, and then the coral reefs are going to OK? Is that a huge problem for them?

LUSHINE: It's not an instantaneous kind of thing. It goes on over years and years, where the pathogens in the dust itself actually cause some problems with the coral reefs. But you know, it's not something that just happens at one particular time. M. O'BRIEN: All right, Jim Lushine, we wish you a good retirement. Jeez, it you're from Miami, where do you retire to, Cleveland? Where do you go?

LUSHINE: I'm going to Alaska.

M. O'BRIEN: You're going to Alaska. All right.

LUSHINE: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Enjoy the retirement.

LUSHINE: Thanks.

M. O'BRIEN: And yes, drop us a line every now and then. We appreciate your insights this morning on that big dust cloud.

LUSHINE: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: We are awaiting another briefing from Scotland Yard. Should be coming up momentarily. As soon as it happens -- There you see the podium, getting some more information on the two bombings and the potential links between those two, both July 7th and 21st. We'll have that for you and much more when AMERICAN MORNING CONTINUES. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Live pictures now coming to you from London, and this, you're hearing right now from the public affairs official. He is in the process of introducing the deputy assistant commissioner and head of the anti-terror branch for the Metropolitan Police, Peter Clarke. He is expected to give an update. Let's listen to him.

PETER CLARKE, LONDON ANTI-TERRORIST SQUAD: A few days ago, we made a public appeal. The appeal was for help in identifying the four men we needed urgently to trace in connection with the attempts to set off four bombs on the transport system in London. (INAUDIBLE) of July. We still (INAUDIBLE) questions about the incidents at the Oval and Warren Street Underground Stations and on a Route 26 bus in Hackney Road at the junction with Columbia Road.

I can tell you that since Thursday, there have been developments in the investigation. I hope that by setting out some of what we have been able to learn over the past few days, the public may be able to contribute even more to the progress for the investigation. Three of the men we wished to trace have all entered Stockwell Underground Station just before 12:25 last Thursday the 21st of July, 2005.

The first man got on to a northern line, northbound train, and shortly afterwards, attempted to set off a bomb between Stockwell and Oval Stations. The train stopped at Oval Station, and he was then chased from the station by extraordinary brave members of the public, who tried to detain him. He left the Oval Station at about 12:35, and ran along Brickston Road toward Brickston. He went on to Normandy Road, Cowley Road, Gosling Way, where at the conjunction with Muston Gardens he threw away his top, which had the New York logo on it. He then went into Cansel (ph) Road, Frederic Crescent and Langton Road. He was last seen at a quarter to 1:00 in Tindal Street.

The second man also went in to Stockwell Underground Station. He was seen walking toward the platforms. We know that at about 12:53, he got on to a number 26 bus in the bank area in the city. He was carrying a gray-and-black rucksack and sat on a seat toward the back of the bus with the bag next to him. He, too, tried to set off a bomb. He got off the bus on Hackney road at about five past 1:00.

We now believe the man on the bus who attempted to set off that bomb to be Muktar Said Ibrahim, also known as Muktar Mohammed Said. We believe he was associated with and has recently visited 58 Curtis House in Ladyswood, London, north 11. He is 27 years old.

And today I'm also releasing another photograph of this man. As we speak, we're currently searching a number of addresses in London, including 58 Curtis House.

A third man entered Stockwell Underground Station at about the same time as the others with a small purple rucksack. He tried to set off a bomb on a northbound Victoria Line train between Oxford Circus and Warren Street Underground Stations. Shortly afterwards, at about 12:40, he was seen without the rucksack in Warren Street Station. He then left the booking hall by vaulting over the ticket barrier toward the exit. We believe this man to be Yasin Hassan Omar. He is 24 years old.

A fourth man who was involved in this series of attacks went into West Forum (ph) Park Underground Station, just after 20 past 12:00 last Thursday. He was wearing a dark blue baseball cap and carrying a small rucksack. He got on a train traveling towards Shepherd's Bush. A short while later, he, too, tried to set off a bomb. He then got off the train, probably by climbing through a window at the end of the carriage, and then made his way along the tracks for about 200 or 300 yards before climbing down into back gardens and making good his escape. He went along McFarland Road, past the BBC building and Wood Lane and was last seen running under the A-40 Road.

Initial forensic examination of the four partially detonated bombs has revealed clear similarities with yet another bomb that was found by a member of the public last Saturday, the 23rd of July. This had apparently been abandoned in an open area at Little Wormwood Scrubs, in West London.

All five of these bombs have been put inside dark-colored rucksacks, or sports bags. All of them were made using the same type of plastic food storage containers. They were manufactured in India, and is exported through one company into this country and then sold in approximately 100 outlets across the United Kingdom. The type we're interested in is this, 6.25-liter size container with, as you can see, a white, plastic lid. It has a label describing it as a "delta 6250 with lid." And also has another colored label on it with a description "family containers, delta, superior quality." Please note that the version ever this container which we are interested in is the ones specifically with a white lid. They are made with different- colored lids, but it's the white-lidded versions that we are interested in. My appeal is to any shopkeepers or shop workers who may have sold five or more of these identical food containers in recent months, perhaps to the same customer.

Do you remember selling any of these items at the same time? Do you remember selling them to men, perhaps, who you recognize from the pictures we have put out today? I'd appeal to anyone who has information about where these men currently are to immediately call 999 for (INAUDIBLE) urgent police response. The public should not approach them. Anyone who believes they know the identities of these men or has any other information about them or their movements, I would ask, please, to contact the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0-800-789-321.

Thank you very much.

DICK FEDORCIO, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SCOTLAND YARD: That's the end of this press briefing. As many of you are aware, there is a meeting this afternoon with community leaders at Scotland Yard, and we anticipate that they'll be media facilities there at the conclusion of that meeting at about 4:30.

Thank you.

We'll come back to you.

S. O'BRIEN: You've been listening to Peter Clarke of the anti- terrorist bureau, and he's been updating folks on -- the press essentially, but also the public as well -- on the latest in their investigation and also, and maybe more importantly, asking for the public's help.

They were able to name two of the four suspects from Thursday's attempted bombing. They revealed more information on the four suspects overall, including the path that they take. Obviously, a glean from some of the half a million cameras potentially all around London.

And they also were specifically looking for a container, a plastic food storage container that they have shown a picture of, and are asking the public for help in tracking down, apparently made by one outlet in India. It's sold at 100 locations throughout Great Britain, and they are hoping that people will come forward with this information.

Of course, they are now connecting the four attempted bombings to the one backpack that was found abandoned, apparently with explosives inside on the West End, days after the attacks had failed to detonate.

So this is the very latest from Scotland Yard. A small update on the progress made in this investigation to some degree, but making a little bit of headway.

And obviously we're going to continue to follow this from London this afternoon here, and morning where you are -- Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Soledad. Appreciate that.

Let's talk a little bit about business now.

Oil prices actually easing up.

Andy, it's always nice when you come by and tell us that.

Andy Serwer here, "Minding Your Business," and your oil prices for that matter.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Indeed.

Good news across the board here, Miles.

Speaking of the board, let's go down to New York Stock Exchange. Up seven here, a little bit of a rally early going. Oil and gas prices easing. Oil price, oil around $58.

Tropical Storm Gert not much of a factor in the Gulf of Mexico, not causing any problems for oil rigs. Chinese demand weaker than expected, that's helping.

Gas prices down to $2.30. National average for unleaded, that's down a penny or so.

Meanwhile, higher gas prices generally over the past several months hurting sales of used SUVs and trucks. Down 5 percent the price of a one-year used SUV or truck. And the trade-in value of a three-year-old SUV down 8 percent.

But sales of new trucks and SUVs are up because of those low, low prices we've been telling you about over the past couple days.

Now, scorching temperatures are not only hitting the Midwest of the United States, also hitting Spain. Temperatures there soaring this spring, and that's hurting the olive oil crop, which is driving the price of olive oil -- get it, see, Miles? We're talking about oil and gas and olive oil.

Olive oil prices are going through the roof, up 20 percent year over year, now at $3,643 a gallon -- a ton I should say, excuse me. And that's how they measure olive oil -- a ton. Now, as far as a gallon goes, that's $15.17 a gallon.

So be thankful that your car is burning gasoline instead of olive oil.

M. O'BRIEN: Suddenly gasoline is a bargain.

SERWER: Is a bargain.

And look for higher prices of olive oil in your grocery stores right now. So it's going to impact your salad eating this summer. M. O'BRIEN: All right.

Thank you very much, Andy. Appreciate that.

SERWER: You're welcome.

M. O'BRIEN: Back with more in a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Miles, as we wrap up our Monday morning coverage on AMERICAN MORNING, a reminder that we are back in London. We continue here tomorrow as well.

And obviously, as we just heard from Scotland Yard, we're going to have more of an update on the investigation with clearly some clues -- little bits and pieces, at least -- coming forward on these four alleged bombers who are still at large -- Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Soledad. Appreciate that. Great coverage there today.

We'll see you back there tomorrow, and I'm getting out of town tomorrow.

I'll be in Florida for the shuttle launch. We hope it will be a launch, as the countdown proceeds. Special extended coverage during AMERICAN MORNING. 10:39 a.m. Eastern Time is the anticipated launch tomorrow, assuming the fuel sensors and everything else works and the weather is good and all that.

Who will be here in New York?

Andy Serwer will be here. Carol Costello will be here holding down the fort for us.

An extra-special edition of AMERICAN MORNING lies ahead tomorrow.

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