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CNN Live Saturday
Kuwaiti Officials Investigate Attack on U.S. Marines
Aired October 12, 2002 - 13:54 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On to Kuwait now where authorities are investigating a deadly attack on U.S. Marines. The question now -- is there an al Qaeda connection?
Our Martin Savidge is in Kuwait City and he is on the telephone with us with the very latest from there. Hi, Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.
There is still some question as to the exact detail of the investigation but this is what we know. This is the first news conference the Kuwaiti government has been held since the deadly attack on Failaka Island on Tuesday that left one Marine dead and another seriously wounded.
The Kuwaiti government now says it has 15 people in custody and it says that the suspects have allegedly confessed to being part of a terrorist cell whose leader had pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
But the interior minister -- and that is Sheik Hamid al Kolifa al Zaba (ph) -- basically stopped short of saying that this entire group of 15 people are members of al Qaeda. He simply said that their leader had sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. But there was no evidence whatsoever that this attack had been ordered by the hierarchy of al Qaeda itself.
The group now also reportedly had been planning five more attacks on what were deemed American and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) targets here in Kuwait. But after some surveillance the group reportedly figured out that a number of those locations simply had too much security and they had written them off of their list.
The government can't really say how valid they think their attacks might have been. They don't really know how much weaponry they had. They are still waiting to have some determination on this part. But they do say that the threat is over.
According to the interior minister the case is closed. All evidence is being handed over to a prosecutor and now this is a matter that is ending up in the courts.
There was a little bit of descent coming from the minister of the interior who is angry over the fact that apparently immediately after the attack in Failaka Island, the Marines would not allow Kuwaiti security forces or Kuwaiti investigators to get on the island. Now that is after all sovereign territory of Kuwait and they felt they should have been there right away. Now they say that perhaps the Marines have a good explanation -- that the island was under lockdown, they feared further attack.
They are hoping to get a better explanation from U.S. investigators. FBI agents are expected to arrive here in Kuwait perhaps later tonight or tomorrow to begin their own investigation.
And that's where it stands right now here in Kuwait. The government says it is all over -- the threats of attacks are now finished. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right -- Marty Savidge from Kuwait City. Thank you very much.
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 12, 2002 - 13:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On to Kuwait now where authorities are investigating a deadly attack on U.S. Marines. The question now -- is there an al Qaeda connection?
Our Martin Savidge is in Kuwait City and he is on the telephone with us with the very latest from there. Hi, Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.
There is still some question as to the exact detail of the investigation but this is what we know. This is the first news conference the Kuwaiti government has been held since the deadly attack on Failaka Island on Tuesday that left one Marine dead and another seriously wounded.
The Kuwaiti government now says it has 15 people in custody and it says that the suspects have allegedly confessed to being part of a terrorist cell whose leader had pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
But the interior minister -- and that is Sheik Hamid al Kolifa al Zaba (ph) -- basically stopped short of saying that this entire group of 15 people are members of al Qaeda. He simply said that their leader had sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. But there was no evidence whatsoever that this attack had been ordered by the hierarchy of al Qaeda itself.
The group now also reportedly had been planning five more attacks on what were deemed American and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) targets here in Kuwait. But after some surveillance the group reportedly figured out that a number of those locations simply had too much security and they had written them off of their list.
The government can't really say how valid they think their attacks might have been. They don't really know how much weaponry they had. They are still waiting to have some determination on this part. But they do say that the threat is over.
According to the interior minister the case is closed. All evidence is being handed over to a prosecutor and now this is a matter that is ending up in the courts.
There was a little bit of descent coming from the minister of the interior who is angry over the fact that apparently immediately after the attack in Failaka Island, the Marines would not allow Kuwaiti security forces or Kuwaiti investigators to get on the island. Now that is after all sovereign territory of Kuwait and they felt they should have been there right away. Now they say that perhaps the Marines have a good explanation -- that the island was under lockdown, they feared further attack.
They are hoping to get a better explanation from U.S. investigators. FBI agents are expected to arrive here in Kuwait perhaps later tonight or tomorrow to begin their own investigation.
And that's where it stands right now here in Kuwait. The government says it is all over -- the threats of attacks are now finished. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right -- Marty Savidge from Kuwait City. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
