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CNN Live Saturday
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed Now in Custody
Aired March 01, 2003 - 16:02 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a stunning development in the war against terror. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man believed to be a key planner of the September 11 attacks, is now in custody. CNN's Mike Boettcher has been following the story for us all day long. He joins us now from Kuwait City, and Mike, what can you tell us about the latest involving Mohammed's capture?
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, counter- terrorism sources are telling CNN that this is the biggest break in the war against terrorism since the attacks on 9/11. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, although No. 3 in the chain of command of al Qaeda, is actually, according to many intelligence analysts, the top operational planner for al Qaeda. Indeed, he's been involved in almost every plot by al Qaeda that's occurred over the last 10 years, the first World Trade Center bombing, a plot in 1995 based out of Manila to blow up several U.S. airliners crossing the Pacific to the United States, the 1998 African embassy bombing, the 2000 bombing and attack of the USS Cole and the 9/11 attacks, and he's also believed to have some part in the planning in the Bali nightclub attack earlier last year.
So this is a very key person. He is believed to be on his way out of Pakistan, and the question is, and it looks like that he may end up in the United States, because he's one of the few top al Qaeda fugitives who has been arrested, who has criminal charges against him, and that is for that 1995 plot to blow up the airliners over the Pacific -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: I want to make it clear, have you heard that he's, indeed, on his way to the United States right now? That the Pakistani government has agreed to extradite him to the U.S.? Is that officially confirmed now?
BOETTCHER: It is confirmed from our sources in Pakistan and from our bureau there. Also, CNN sources in Washington are trying to confirm this, but from our end here, right now, I am told that that is a very likely possibility.
SAN MIGUEL: One other quick question, Mike. I know that you have a lot of things to do today and you've been very busy, wondering if you could shed more light on the cooperative effort here involving the American side, the FBI and the CIA reportedly involved in this and the Pakistani government, in this operation?
BOETTCHER: Well, this has been an operation that's been under way for at least two weeks. Sources told CNN two weeks ago that they believe that they were going to get Khalid Shaikh Mohammed very, very soon. Indeed, there was a raid last week, as reported from our Pakistan bureau, that failed. From there, it's believed Khalid Shaikh Mohammed fled to Rawalpindi, which is near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and he was finally apprehended there.
But this was a combined operation, Pakistani, FBI, CIA. The FBI involved because they've arrested almost every top intelligence figure -- pardon me -- terrorist figure in Pakistan. The CIA, because they helped to provide the intelligence. And the question is now, how do they break the case? A lot of speculation that that $25 million reward on the head of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed might have helped -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. Helped him be on the run for a week there. Mike Boettcher in Kuwait City, thanks you for the report.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now, that's the latest from Mike Boettcher's sources. Now we're going to bring in CNN's law enforcement correspondent, Mike Brooks. Mike, you've been working your sources. Mike Boettcher's sources in Pakistan as well as in Washington are telling him that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is on his way to the United States. You have even more specific information, though.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, my federal law enforcement sources are also telling me that it's most likely he'll be brought back here to the United States very shortly. And they don't want to spend any time -- the least amount of time they can overseas, and bring him back here.
We've seen this happen, we talk about the cooperation with the Pakistani government. We've seen this happen in 1995, bringing Ramzi Yousef back from Pakistan. We saw it in 1997 with Mir Amal Kansi, who was responsible for shooting a number of people outside of the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Also brought back with the assistance of the Pakistani government.
The Pentagon has also said that their support of the Pakistani support of the United States continues, and it's a great cooperative effort. And as Mike said, I'm also hearing from federal law enforcement that rewards played -- is playing a big role in this also. We go back to Mir Amal Kansi. The rewards program that the U.S. State Department has set up years ago, that was also -- that was responsible for bringing for the information to getting him over in Pakistan and bringing him back to the United States. So money talks, and apparently, money talks in this case also.
LIN: So why would it have talked in this case, with the No 3. man, but not with Osama bin Laden?
BROOKS: Well, it's believed that bin Laden is so insular, there's no way of getting to him, and he has a very, very, you know, insular community, where he is, wherever he is right now. And it's very, very difficult to get into that community and get information in and out, and they probably vet their own people very much the same way the FBI vets some of their sources. And they know when people are coming and going and who they are talking to and they keep an eye on their own in a very, very tight leash on their own, if you will.
LIN: Are your sources telling you anything about what Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was actually doing in Rawalpindi? Was there active planning for other terrorist attacks?
BROOKS: There is no information right now that we can say that there was planning going on for another attack right now, Carol, but I'm sure that we'll be hearing some more things if and when he's brought back to the United States.
LIN: How are they going to get him to talk?
BROOKS: Well, there's a number of different ways. You know, you were just talking a minute ago with Mike Boettcher about this same thing. It's very difficult, and especially with someone -- what -- you know, what does he have to gain? There's not going to be any plea bargaining here. There are different ways, you know, interrogation techniques that maybe he'll give up some information.
But again, it's also -- other information has been gathered from some of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The other intelligence information, human intelligence, satellite intelligence that the FBI, CIA and other agencies have gathered that they can talk to him, and during the interview, compare the different information and see if any of it all adds up to -- to what they want to know and to see if there's any links with any of the other plots that they have information about.
LIN: So how big a blow is this to current al Qaeda operations to have their military commander in custody?
BROOKS: I think it's a huge blow. I think if you look at his history, going all the way back to 1995, when they were planning to blow up U.S. airliners from Asia to the United States, and back then, Ramzi Yousef is his nephew. So it's a big blow to terrorism. But as we know, the bin Laden organization is like a holding company. There are all different steps and different leaders that can step right in, should someone be taken out of the system, out of their system like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.
So I think we've probably not heard the end of terrorism, but this is a definite blow to their organization.
LIN: Do you find it interesting that he was arrested just outside the Pakistani capital in Rawalpindi? It is a residential neighborhood, but it's the command center for the Pakistani army. What was he doing there?
BROOKS: That's a good question. And hopefully, we'll be able to find that out. As Mike Boettcher had been reporting, that they had been chasing him for about a week and that he fled to Rawalpindi. What are his connections there? What are some of his, you know, connections to al Qaeda there and maybe a safe house, those kinds of things? Hopefully we'll find that out in the short run.
LIN: OK, 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 March 1, 2003 - 16:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a stunning development in the war against terror. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man believed to be a key planner of the September 11 attacks, is now in custody. CNN's Mike Boettcher has been following the story for us all day long. He joins us now from Kuwait City, and Mike, what can you tell us about the latest involving Mohammed's capture?
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, counter- terrorism sources are telling CNN that this is the biggest break in the war against terrorism since the attacks on 9/11. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, although No. 3 in the chain of command of al Qaeda, is actually, according to many intelligence analysts, the top operational planner for al Qaeda. Indeed, he's been involved in almost every plot by al Qaeda that's occurred over the last 10 years, the first World Trade Center bombing, a plot in 1995 based out of Manila to blow up several U.S. airliners crossing the Pacific to the United States, the 1998 African embassy bombing, the 2000 bombing and attack of the USS Cole and the 9/11 attacks, and he's also believed to have some part in the planning in the Bali nightclub attack earlier last year.
So this is a very key person. He is believed to be on his way out of Pakistan, and the question is, and it looks like that he may end up in the United States, because he's one of the few top al Qaeda fugitives who has been arrested, who has criminal charges against him, and that is for that 1995 plot to blow up the airliners over the Pacific -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: I want to make it clear, have you heard that he's, indeed, on his way to the United States right now? That the Pakistani government has agreed to extradite him to the U.S.? Is that officially confirmed now?
BOETTCHER: It is confirmed from our sources in Pakistan and from our bureau there. Also, CNN sources in Washington are trying to confirm this, but from our end here, right now, I am told that that is a very likely possibility.
SAN MIGUEL: One other quick question, Mike. I know that you have a lot of things to do today and you've been very busy, wondering if you could shed more light on the cooperative effort here involving the American side, the FBI and the CIA reportedly involved in this and the Pakistani government, in this operation?
BOETTCHER: Well, this has been an operation that's been under way for at least two weeks. Sources told CNN two weeks ago that they believe that they were going to get Khalid Shaikh Mohammed very, very soon. Indeed, there was a raid last week, as reported from our Pakistan bureau, that failed. From there, it's believed Khalid Shaikh Mohammed fled to Rawalpindi, which is near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and he was finally apprehended there.
But this was a combined operation, Pakistani, FBI, CIA. The FBI involved because they've arrested almost every top intelligence figure -- pardon me -- terrorist figure in Pakistan. The CIA, because they helped to provide the intelligence. And the question is now, how do they break the case? A lot of speculation that that $25 million reward on the head of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed might have helped -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. Helped him be on the run for a week there. Mike Boettcher in Kuwait City, thanks you for the report.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now, that's the latest from Mike Boettcher's sources. Now we're going to bring in CNN's law enforcement correspondent, Mike Brooks. Mike, you've been working your sources. Mike Boettcher's sources in Pakistan as well as in Washington are telling him that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is on his way to the United States. You have even more specific information, though.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, my federal law enforcement sources are also telling me that it's most likely he'll be brought back here to the United States very shortly. And they don't want to spend any time -- the least amount of time they can overseas, and bring him back here.
We've seen this happen, we talk about the cooperation with the Pakistani government. We've seen this happen in 1995, bringing Ramzi Yousef back from Pakistan. We saw it in 1997 with Mir Amal Kansi, who was responsible for shooting a number of people outside of the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Also brought back with the assistance of the Pakistani government.
The Pentagon has also said that their support of the Pakistani support of the United States continues, and it's a great cooperative effort. And as Mike said, I'm also hearing from federal law enforcement that rewards played -- is playing a big role in this also. We go back to Mir Amal Kansi. The rewards program that the U.S. State Department has set up years ago, that was also -- that was responsible for bringing for the information to getting him over in Pakistan and bringing him back to the United States. So money talks, and apparently, money talks in this case also.
LIN: So why would it have talked in this case, with the No 3. man, but not with Osama bin Laden?
BROOKS: Well, it's believed that bin Laden is so insular, there's no way of getting to him, and he has a very, very, you know, insular community, where he is, wherever he is right now. And it's very, very difficult to get into that community and get information in and out, and they probably vet their own people very much the same way the FBI vets some of their sources. And they know when people are coming and going and who they are talking to and they keep an eye on their own in a very, very tight leash on their own, if you will.
LIN: Are your sources telling you anything about what Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was actually doing in Rawalpindi? Was there active planning for other terrorist attacks?
BROOKS: There is no information right now that we can say that there was planning going on for another attack right now, Carol, but I'm sure that we'll be hearing some more things if and when he's brought back to the United States.
LIN: How are they going to get him to talk?
BROOKS: Well, there's a number of different ways. You know, you were just talking a minute ago with Mike Boettcher about this same thing. It's very difficult, and especially with someone -- what -- you know, what does he have to gain? There's not going to be any plea bargaining here. There are different ways, you know, interrogation techniques that maybe he'll give up some information.
But again, it's also -- other information has been gathered from some of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The other intelligence information, human intelligence, satellite intelligence that the FBI, CIA and other agencies have gathered that they can talk to him, and during the interview, compare the different information and see if any of it all adds up to -- to what they want to know and to see if there's any links with any of the other plots that they have information about.
LIN: So how big a blow is this to current al Qaeda operations to have their military commander in custody?
BROOKS: I think it's a huge blow. I think if you look at his history, going all the way back to 1995, when they were planning to blow up U.S. airliners from Asia to the United States, and back then, Ramzi Yousef is his nephew. So it's a big blow to terrorism. But as we know, the bin Laden organization is like a holding company. There are all different steps and different leaders that can step right in, should someone be taken out of the system, out of their system like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.
So I think we've probably not heard the end of terrorism, but this is a definite blow to their organization.
LIN: Do you find it interesting that he was arrested just outside the Pakistani capital in Rawalpindi? It is a residential neighborhood, but it's the command center for the Pakistani army. What was he doing there?
BROOKS: That's a good question. And hopefully, we'll be able to find that out. As Mike Boettcher had been reporting, that they had been chasing him for about a week and that he fled to Rawalpindi. What are his connections there? What are some of his, you know, connections to al Qaeda there and maybe a safe house, those kinds of things? Hopefully we'll find that out in the short run.
LIN: OK, 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
