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Feds Expected to Announce Terror Arrests in Oregon
Aired October 04, 2002 - 10:50 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We understand there may be more terror arrests coming today. Let's go now to our Kelli Arena, standing by in Washington.
Kelli, what's the word?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Our sources tell us that there have been several arrests made of several individuals in the Oregon area and elsewhere that have alleged ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. It is unclear at this point whether all the people that federal investigators are looking for are in custody, but they do have several individuals in custody at this point. We do know Oregon has gotten some attention recently. There were, according to sources, plans for a possible terrorist, Al Qaeda training camp in Oregon, property that was scouted out back in 1999.
There was a Muslim sheik who was indicted just recently there for providing false information, also with suspected ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. So this is an area, obviously, that the federal government has been focusing in on, and we will bring you more information on exactly how many arrests were made, what exactly they're being charged with, and where outside of Oregon those arrests were included as well, but this is an ongoing operation that we just got wind of just now, Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Kelly, I know it's early, but the first thing that pops into my mind, wasn't there a young man who was arrested in Oregon maybe a few weeks ago? The name escapes me at this particular point.
ARENA: James Ujama (ph).
HARRIS: There you go.
ARENA: And he was connected to the Seattle, Washington, investigation, right? So you have a lot of ties. And actually, it was in the Ujama case that that information came out that perhaps that property in Bly, Oregon had been scouted out as a possible terrorist training camp. So bits and pieces of this are coming together, but Oregon assuredly is a hotbed of interest for the FBI and for the joint terrorism task force as they were involved in the ongoing terror investigation.
HARRIS: We're told that Attorney General Ashcroft is going to have a press conference around 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
ARENA: He is, and we're also told the FBI may have some information that they will make public around 2:00 as well, which will be a separate situation. So you have the attorney general talking about Richard Reid, and then you have this other FBI press conference that is being talked about right now, that we're told could happen about 2:00. We could get the full story then, but, obviously, it's my goal to get it to you before that.
HARRIS: You did it, way to go, Kelli. Kelli Arena in Washington, thanks. We'll get back to you on that later on.
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 October 4, 2002 - 10:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We understand there may be more terror arrests coming today. Let's go now to our Kelli Arena, standing by in Washington.
Kelli, what's the word?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Our sources tell us that there have been several arrests made of several individuals in the Oregon area and elsewhere that have alleged ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. It is unclear at this point whether all the people that federal investigators are looking for are in custody, but they do have several individuals in custody at this point. We do know Oregon has gotten some attention recently. There were, according to sources, plans for a possible terrorist, Al Qaeda training camp in Oregon, property that was scouted out back in 1999.
There was a Muslim sheik who was indicted just recently there for providing false information, also with suspected ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. So this is an area, obviously, that the federal government has been focusing in on, and we will bring you more information on exactly how many arrests were made, what exactly they're being charged with, and where outside of Oregon those arrests were included as well, but this is an ongoing operation that we just got wind of just now, Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Kelly, I know it's early, but the first thing that pops into my mind, wasn't there a young man who was arrested in Oregon maybe a few weeks ago? The name escapes me at this particular point.
ARENA: James Ujama (ph).
HARRIS: There you go.
ARENA: And he was connected to the Seattle, Washington, investigation, right? So you have a lot of ties. And actually, it was in the Ujama case that that information came out that perhaps that property in Bly, Oregon had been scouted out as a possible terrorist training camp. So bits and pieces of this are coming together, but Oregon assuredly is a hotbed of interest for the FBI and for the joint terrorism task force as they were involved in the ongoing terror investigation.
HARRIS: We're told that Attorney General Ashcroft is going to have a press conference around 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
ARENA: He is, and we're also told the FBI may have some information that they will make public around 2:00 as well, which will be a separate situation. So you have the attorney general talking about Richard Reid, and then you have this other FBI press conference that is being talked about right now, that we're told could happen about 2:00. We could get the full story then, but, obviously, it's my goal to get it to you before that.
HARRIS: You did it, way to go, Kelli. Kelli Arena in Washington, thanks. We'll get back to you on that later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
