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American Morning

Hunting Terror; Terror Worries; Americans Warned; Crisis in the Middle East

Aired August 11, 2006 - 06:11   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, everybody. It is Friday, August 11. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: Let's update you on what we know this morning. Just a moment ago, we heard from that news conference from the British home secretary. That's essentially the equivalent of the homeland security secretary. And he said today vigilance is at the highest level, wouldn't go into much detail about the investigation or any specifics about the suspects, but did say the threat that they face is transnational, and so is the response. We're going to continue to monitor that news conference and update you on anything else that they say this morning.

This morning as well, officials are telling us that major suspects have been arrested. The search still on, though, for anybody else who may have been involved in the plot. British police say they do expect more arrests.

Travelers here in the U.S. should expect a number of delays. Those new security rules that have now been put in place, including a ban on carry-on liquids, caused massive delays yesterday. And those rules are still in effect today.

A series of arrests in Pakistan last week may have helped bring down this alleged plot. That's according to a Pakistani intelligence official. Among those arrested, two British nationals of Pakistani descent.

HARRIS: Twenty-four people are already in custody for their roles in the alleged plot. There are reports that one of the suspects worked at Heathrow Airport where he apparently had an all-access pass.

John Vause joins us now with a phone from High Wycombe where many of the arrests took place. That's about 30 miles from London.

John, good morning.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Actually, we're at Wathamstow, which is another area where many of the raids took place over the last 24 hours. In fact, we're getting a few more details about who may have been behind this alleged terror plot. Overnight, those details coming out of the Bank of England which froze assets of 19 of the 24 of those arrested. All of those arrested, we are told, British nationals.

From that list, we're told nine lived here in Wathamstow, a middle-class, working-class area neighborhood in London's east, another five not far from here, maybe just within a few miles or so. Britain's Channel 4 reporting one of those arrested is in fact a worker at Heathrow Airport, as you mentioned. Witnesses reportedly saw him taken away by police while he was still in his work uniform. Also, another suspect apparently employed by a Muslim charity.

We've been driving around this neighborhood. We've seen police outside a number of properties. They remain on guard, not just outside those properties here at Wathamstow, but also at the other locations where those raids took place. High Wycombe, you mentioned, about 20, 30 miles east of London, also Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. Authorities believe they have rounded up all of the major players.

So what they're saying now is these searches, which continue, will be looking at computer records, notes, documents, DVDs for gathering evidence for future court proceedings, but also the clues to find out if there was in fact anybody else who may have been allegedly involved -- Tony.

HARRIS: John Vause for us.

John, appreciate it. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Let's get to CNN's Adrian Finighan. He's at London's Heathrow Airport for us this morning.

Adrian, good morning. You called it organized chaos yesterday. How's it looking today?

ADRIAN FINIGHAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'd describe it, Soledad, good morning, by the way, as, well, returning to an air of normality. Certainly as far as field operations are concerned on the airfield behind me here, aircraft arriving and departing much as normal.

I've just returned from the main terminal building, which is about half a mile away behind me there, organized chaos, perhaps. Yes, the lines are still as deep as they were yesterday. People are arriving at the airport, though, minus their hand luggage. Most of them seem to have taken on board the message that they won't be allowed to carry certain items on board the aircraft this morning.

One American airline, United, has set up a sort of a marquee outside the main terminal building and its staff are helping passengers who may be confused. Basically security screening them before they even get to check in and is giving them coffee and assistance, just to speed the process along.

But passengers are facing delays. There are some cancellations. British Airways has had to cancel 40 percent of its long-haul flights this morning. Six flights to the United States from London failed to leave. That's basically because of the delays and cancellations yesterday. Aircraft simply aren't in the right place. And around 40 percent of its long -- short-haul flights, too, British Airways is unable to get off the ground today. Some flights to Scotland canceled. That will inconvenience people who are heading, perhaps, to Edinboro where, of course, the world-famous Edinboro Festival is under way this weekend -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Adrian Finighan for us this morning.

Adrian, thanks.

At least it sounds like things are improving there -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, Soledad.

Also here in the U.S., it's likely to be another long day at airports with stepped up security causing mass delays.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is at Washington's Dulles International Airport.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

And the line that stretched all the way here has dwindled now, which is really quite amazing. The TSA people apparently are being able to get people through relatively quickly. There was some grumbling for a while, because although people have been warned for international flights to be here three hours ahead of time, some of the early flights, by the time people got here, they discovered that the TSA employees weren't arriving until 5:00 a.m. Nevertheless, no matter how bad it is here, people say it's worse in London, which we heard from arriving passengers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): With the hugs came a huge sigh of relief as inbound passengers from London finally got back to airports throughout the United States. And as tight as the security was here, it was far more severe on the other side of the Atlantic. Not only were carry-on liquids forbidden, but as Carol Herny (ph) and the others found out, so was just about everything.

CAROL HERNY, PASSENGER: People put their purses and their laptops, and they told us that we couldn't take anything but our passports and our wallets, that's it, no keys, no electronic devices, nothing.

FRANKEN: Whatever items they were allowed to take went into clear plastic bags.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was full restrictions. You had to check every belonging to put on the plane, a 100 percent bag inspection.

FRANKEN: The London airports were described as calm but intimidating, certainly for passengers, like Michelle Temple (ph) of Naperville, Illinois, who was traveling with her two boys, ages 8 and 4.

MICHELLE TEMPLE, PASSENGER: We got there about quarter to 6:00 this morning. And my son noticed there was dogs around and guys with machine guns. And then that's when everything started happening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought, I don't know what's happening. I was, like, what's happening?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did things seem different to you this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. All of a sudden we just saw dogs and all these guys with machine guns walking around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you feel about it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scared, kind of.

FRANKEN: By most descriptions, the rigid security was greeted with a what are you going to do response?

Ken Bauer (ph) and his wife, Beth House (ph), were heading home to Davis, California, but were certainly happy this leg of the journey was over.

(on camera): How do you feel now that you've landed?

KEN BAUER, PASSENGER: Glad to be back home.

BETH HOUSE, PASSENGER: Hungry, tired.

BAUER: Yes, thirsty.

HOUSE: Ready for a beer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Well, what's so interesting today is that things look almost like a normal day here. Obviously they are not. But people have had the benefit as they're traveling of a full 24 hours or longer to know what they can and cannot bring. So things are going much more smoothly, as smoothly as they can under the circumstances -- Tony.

HARRIS: And if you still don't know, we are about to remind you.

Bob, thank you.

Here are some of the important tips, the information, if you're planning on flying anywhere, the updated list now of banned items.

Liquids are no longer allowed on your carry-on bags and can't be taken through the security checkpoints. That includes any beverages of any kind, also shampoos, lotions and things like that. And don't think you can just pick up a new drink after passing through security, no, no, no, those also can't be taken on the plane. Baby formulas and some liquid medications can be taken on board, but they must be inspected.

Also remember to remove your shoes and send them through the X- ray machine. Passengers are also being asked to arrive at least two hours in advance so you have enough time to get through security. Just a helpful hint, though, you may want to give yourself even more time if you're on an international flight.

And for you international travelers in airports around the country watching us this morning, if you are going, for example, to the U.K., you may want to contact the airline for any other last- minute updates.

Also, laptops, cell phones and even iPods are all banned on flights going to Britain. iPod batteries were among the items mentioned as possible detonators in the alleged plot.

O'BRIEN: Americans in India now are being warned of a possible terror attack. Let's see what triggered that alert in this CNN "Security Watch."

CNN's Satinder Bindra joins us by broadband. He's in New Delhi this morning.

Hey, Satinder, good morning.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Soledad, good morning.

This warning from the U.S. Embassy was put out just this morning and coming, as it does, just a day after this alleged terror plot was thwarted in London, it certainly created a buzz here. Indian channels have been running with the story all morning.

And, in essence, here's what the U.S. Embassy has said. It said it has information which leads them to believe that foreign terrorists, perhaps even the al Qaeda, could be planning a series of attacks either in India's capital, New Delhi, or the country's financial capital in Mumbai.

Now, this warning comes just one month after some 200 people were killed in a series of bomb blasts there. The embassy is saying that terrorists could attack crowded places, like offices, markets and airports. These attacks, the embassy says, could come just on the eve of India's Independence Day which falls on August 15.

Now, Indian security officials are saying that they haven't been conveyed this warning officially. This warning hasn't been given to them officially by the United States. But they say they have their own information which leads them to believe that such attacks could be in the stages of being planned. India, too, is now taking all possible security measures -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Satinder Bindra updating us from New Delhi this morning. Thanks, Satinder -- Tony.

HARRIS: And turning now to the crisis in the Middle East, Israeli airstrikes pounding Beirut today, explosions rocked the city's southern suburbs this morning. The attacks come one day after Israel dropped leaflets urging civilians to leave.

CNN's Anthony Mills is live in Beirut.

Anthony, good morning.

ANTHONY MILLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Within the last hour, at least two explosions we heard across the city, that, of course, following a night of heavy bombardment of the southern suburbs. And images now again of smoke rising above those southern suburbs, Hezbollah stronghold, part of the city that's really been pounded throughout the course of this crisis with widespread destruction, whole buildings pancaked.

Also hit overnight, a bridge in the north of the country, about two miles from the Lebanese-Syrian border. That's another infrastructure target. And according to international security forces here, Tony, 11 people were killed in that strike and 13 others injured.

Now, leaflets have also been dropped again just a couple of hours ago on Beirut. We saw leaflets dropped yesterday and the day before. This time, though, the leaflets say that the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is keeping the truth from the Lebanese people, is keeping the truth about the casualties among Hezbollah. And these fliers then go on to list about 100 names of people the Israeli Defense Forces say they have killed so far in the course of this conflict -- Tony.

HARRIS: Anthony Mills for us in Beirut.

Anthony, thank you.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, much more on the alleged terror plot. It is not the first time there has been a plan to use chemical explosives to blow up an airliner. We're going to take a look at some history straight ahead.

HARRIS: Also, airport security being beefed up here in the U.S. We'll take a closer look at some other new security measures you need to know about.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Happening this morning, more arrests are possible in connection with that alleged plot to blow up jets flying from Britain to the U.S. But British Home Secretary John Reid says he is confident the main suspects have been caught. A new terror alert in India, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is warning Americans of possible attacks there. The embassy says terrorists may be targeting public areas like airports.

And the U.N. Security Council may be close to a plan to stop the fighting in the Middle East. Diplomatic sources say the council is waiting to hear whether Israel and Lebanon will accept.

O'BRIEN: Morning, welcome back, everybody. It is Friday, Friday.

HARRIS: Friday.

O'BRIEN: August 11, Friday. I'm Soledad O'Brien. Nice to have you along with us this morning.

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.

Here's a look at what's happening this morning.

The terrorist plot to blow up planes bound for the U.S. from Britain is having a definite ripple effect. The brunt is being felt by passengers who have to toss their water bottles and toothpastes and endure hours waiting at airports.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is at Dulles International Airport in Washington.

Bob, good morning.

FRANKEN: Good morning.

And if you see behind me, Tony, what you see is a pretty normal looking airport. What has happened is is that people now are much more aware of what they can and cannot bring, so the searches at the checkpoints are going much more quickly.

And here at Dulles, like other international gateways, there are periods of time when there are long lines. There was one complaint today, people who had been told to get here three hours before their international flights, and many of them leave here in the 6:00 hour. However, TSA did not open the security gates until 5:00 a.m. And we're told that was an experience at some other airports. So you can see that just about everybody is adjusting to the new reality which seems to change by the minute as this story unfolds.

But in any case, at Dulles Airport, flights seem to be going out normally. Some flights from London have been canceled. Others are flying normally. So what you're going to have is, to use the word again, a normal busy Friday with some added problems -- Tony.

HARRIS: Bring your patience with you.

Bob Franken for us at Dulles International Airport in Washington.

Bob, thank you.

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