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CNN Live Saturday

Five Suspected Terrorists Arrested in Buffalo Face Arraignment

Aired September 14, 2002 - 12:12   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Five suspected terrorists arrested last night near Buffalo, New York face arraignment less than an hour from now. CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us with the latest from Buffalo. Hi there, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. How are you, Fredricka. Well, it just started to rain, and there goes the umbrella. We just caught a rainstorm coming up here.

But you're quite right when you say in just about an hour from now, five men who are going to be accused by the government sources say of participating in al Qaeda, in an active al Qaeda cell, are to be arraigned or to make their first appearance here in federal court in Buffalo, again accused by the government of being part of an al Qaeda cell.

Sources tell CNN that these men were trained by the terrorist organization in Afghan camps. They will be provided sources -- charged, sources tell us, with providing material support to al Qaeda.

Now, exactly what that means will be revealed in court in Buffalo when those charges are unsealed.

The five men were picked up in and around Buffalo Friday night by the FBI. Agents collected evidence, reportedly including weapons, from four homes, a garage, a corner food store, and even a social club. A religious leader in the American-Muslim community says that FBI investigators had help from the Muslim community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHALID QAZI, AMERICAN MUSLIM COUNCIL: This information has been brought to FBI by Muslim community, so I am pleased to hear that the Muslim community is doing what they need to do, turn the information to the law enforcement parties, as we should all do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: We spent all morning in Lachawana (ph), New York, that's a suburb of Buffalo, population about 20,000 people. An old steel town where a number of Muslims have made their home for many, many years. Most of them coming from Yemen.

Now, we spoke to relatives of one of the accused men, who expressed disbelief that the government could possibly have evidence that could prove these men guilty of anything. They deny that they had anything at all to do with al Qaeda. And other members of the community that we spoke with agree, saying that the people that are involved here are being accused by the government are indeed very peaceful people, as is the neighborhood where they live.

We do understand from some of them that at least two of the people who are being charged this day were in Pakistan last year. However, their neighbors and friends, relatives say they were only there to take up religious studies.

And so, Fredricka, we expect to know more again in just about an hour from now, when the government reveals exactly what these charges are. And later this day, we also expect to hear from FBI Director Robert Mueller, who will tell us more about what is involved. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Susan Candiotti.

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