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CNN Live Saturday

FBI Reviews Proposal to Obtain DNA from X-Ray Detainees

Aired March 02, 2002 - 22:08   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Sources tell CNN the Justice Department is reviewing an FBI proposal to take DNA samples from detainees in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Those sources confirm the story on "The New York Times" Web site. They say the FBI wants to create a databank, to help track terrorism suspects.

Meanwhile, the number of detainees taking part in a hunger strike at Camp X-ray dropped from 194 Thursday to 75 Friday, but climbed this morning to 85.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The detainees seem to be well aware when the news cameras are peering in on them. And that, said the commanding general, is probably one of the motivations for their hunger strike.

MICHAEL LEHNERT, BRIG. GEN., SECURITY COMMANDER: Some of the detainees are extremely sophisticated and asked me if this was being reported on the media. There is a fair degree of calculation here.

FRANKEN: Officials say the hunger strikers include a core group of 70 to 75. With others, who occasionally skip a meal. Peer pressure is described as intense. But security forces say a detainee can refuse whatever food he wants until he's in danger.

LEHNERT: If in the opinion of a physician, treatment is required to prevent death or injury, rehydration and nutrition is provided.

FRANKEN: There have been several IV rehydrations, at least one, forced.

(on camera): Officials insist this is not a security problem and never has been. But on Wednesday, when some of the detainees started chanting and pushing their bedding out of their cells, armed forces were called out to ring this perimeter area outside Camp X-ray.

TERRY CARRICO, COMMANDER: We did reinforce the perimeter through the camp. That is a security measure that we would normally do under any situation in which we had a situation that we had to sort of feel out and see where it was going. FRANKEN (voice-over): It hasn't gone any further than the continuing hunger strike. The participants, according to security officials, are not from any particular group: Taliban or al Qaeda. "They have one thing in common," said the commander, "they're the ones not eating."

Bob Franken, CNN, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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