Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

White House Reacts to Mohammed's Capture

Aired March 01, 2003 - 18:44   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got some new developing information coming out of the White House on this arrest of the number three man in the al Qaeda network, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Suzanne Malveaux working her sources there. Suzanne, what have you learned?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are getting more details now from White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. I just talked with him. He made a number of very important points. First of all, he said, that this capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed really sending two messages, one to al Qaeda. He says, that it is only a matter of time before we get them. And, second, very important message to the families of the victims of 9/11. He says, and I am quoting here, that "We caught the mastermind of the attack." He says, there is no way to overstate the significance of this capture. He says, that really, while Osama bin Laden is the symbol of terror, he says that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed really is the planner of terror.

He says for some intelligence operatives really this is more important than capturing Osama bin Laden because he was really the head, the center, of a lot of the planning, the directing and the operations behind terrorist attacks. He goes on to say, describing a little bit of the character of Mohamed, saying here, that there is no question that because of how high up he is, how charismatic that likely he has information on the whereabouts of other al Qaeda, possibly Osama bin Laden.

He also goes on to say that because he has been captured this is now an elimination of a threat to the homeland, that this man was a threat here to Americans. He says that that is no longer a threat. I had asked, well, did that have anything to do with the threat level being lowered, he said, no. This is information that came after the homeland security had lowered that threat level, that terror threat level, But, yes, that this is an extremely significant development -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much for that. Suzanne Malveaux, live at the White House.

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 - 18:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got some new developing information coming out of the White House on this arrest of the number three man in the al Qaeda network, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Suzanne Malveaux working her sources there. Suzanne, what have you learned?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are getting more details now from White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. I just talked with him. He made a number of very important points. First of all, he said, that this capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed really sending two messages, one to al Qaeda. He says, that it is only a matter of time before we get them. And, second, very important message to the families of the victims of 9/11. He says, and I am quoting here, that "We caught the mastermind of the attack." He says, there is no way to overstate the significance of this capture. He says, that really, while Osama bin Laden is the symbol of terror, he says that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed really is the planner of terror.

He says for some intelligence operatives really this is more important than capturing Osama bin Laden because he was really the head, the center, of a lot of the planning, the directing and the operations behind terrorist attacks. He goes on to say, describing a little bit of the character of Mohamed, saying here, that there is no question that because of how high up he is, how charismatic that likely he has information on the whereabouts of other al Qaeda, possibly Osama bin Laden.

He also goes on to say that because he has been captured this is now an elimination of a threat to the homeland, that this man was a threat here to Americans. He says that that is no longer a threat. I had asked, well, did that have anything to do with the threat level being lowered, he said, no. This is information that came after the homeland security had lowered that threat level, that terror threat level, But, yes, that this is an extremely significant development -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much for that. Suzanne Malveaux, live at the White House.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com