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CNN Live Saturday

Saudi Spies May Have Had Link To 9/11 Hijackers

Aired August 02, 2003 - 16:03   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.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Saudi spies and 9/11 hijackers, "The New York Times" says two Saudi men are named in the blank classified pages of that congressional report on the suicide hijackings. The Times says those two Saudis had links in San Diego with two of the hijackers. And the Saudis, Omar Bayoumi (ph) and Osama Bessenan (ph) were probably intelligence agents with the Saudi government. James Risen wrote that story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES RISEN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Much of the report redacted part deals with criticism of the FBI for failing to fully investigate these connections. And to -- and the fact that they've never really gone aggressively after Mr. Bayoumi to try and get his whole story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: According to Risen, those who have seen the classified part of the report say it contains no smoking gun directly linking the the 9/11 hijackers with the Saudi government.

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 August 2, 2003 - 16:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Saudi spies and 9/11 hijackers, "The New York Times" says two Saudi men are named in the blank classified pages of that congressional report on the suicide hijackings. The Times says those two Saudis had links in San Diego with two of the hijackers. And the Saudis, Omar Bayoumi (ph) and Osama Bessenan (ph) were probably intelligence agents with the Saudi government. James Risen wrote that story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES RISEN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Much of the report redacted part deals with criticism of the FBI for failing to fully investigate these connections. And to -- and the fact that they've never really gone aggressively after Mr. Bayoumi to try and get his whole story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: According to Risen, those who have seen the classified part of the report say it contains no smoking gun directly linking the the 9/11 hijackers with the Saudi government.

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