Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Man Discusses Being Mistakenly Forced to Leave White House
Aired June 29, 2001 - 07:38 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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The Secret Service has apologized for asking a Muslim to leave a meeting at the White House. Abdullah Al- Arian is an intern in the office of Democratic Congressman David Bonior of Michigan. A Secret Service spokesman now says that "the mistake was ours," and "it was unfortunate, and we apologize." But no details were offered on how the mistake actually occurred.
Abdullah Al-Arian joins us from Washington, to talk about the incident.
Thanks for being with us.
ABDULLAH AL-ARIAN: Thank you.
NELSON: When did this happen, and what exactly transpired?
AL-ARIAN: This took place yesterday morning. I was invited to attend a meeting with the director of the faith-based initiative. I was with a number of Muslim leaders and a number of congressional interns as well.
We came to the White House around 11:00 a.m., to the Old Executive Building. We had been cleared for security. We were given our passes. We went upstairs to attend the meeting.
About 10 or 15 minutes or so into the meeting, a security guard came in and asked for me. He proceeded to tell me that he had to escort me outside the building. I was never given a reason why. I tried to ask him. He said he was simply following his orders. And that was the end of it.
As soon as people in my delegation got word of it, they decided that it was best that they should all leave, because an attack on one person was considered as an attack on the entire delegation.
NELSON: Mr. Al-Arian, have you received an apology from the Secret Service?
AL-ARIAN: I have not received any personal apology other than what I've heard from you. I really haven't gotten anything myself.
NELSON: Do you have any idea why this happened to you personally? AL-ARIAN: I'd like to know that, actually. I just think it's ridiculous. I'm a student at Duke University. I'm an intern this summer at Congressman Bonior's office. I just came here for, you know, a lesson in the Democratic process, and then here I am being singled out of this group for apparently no reason. I would like to get a reason from them, if possible.
NELSON: I'm going to read something to you. Maybe you can enlighten us on this. "The Associated Press" is reporting that you're the nephew of a Palestinian who was jailed in Florida for three years, after the government alleged that that individual used an Islamic think tank at the University of South Florida as a front for terrorism. Were you aware of that, and do you think that played any role in your ouster from this meeting in the White House?
AL-ARIAN: Yes, I definitely was aware of it. I'm not sure if it played any role. I think the key thing to remember is that a judge in the end ruled that Dr. Al-Arian, my uncle, was no threat to national security, and he is currently free. I think it was a huge mistake on the part of the government to use secret evidence against someone rather than charge him. He's never been charged with a crime to this day.
And then the fact of the matter is he wasn't the one in the building yesterday. It was, actually, me that was there, and I still see no reason why that should happen to me.
NELSON: Did you go through a very extensive security procedure and do you know...
(CROSSTALK)
NELSON: ... also that the Secret Service, once they discovered this connection, might just have been a little antsy, and it wasn't really any racial profiling.
AL-ARIAN: I went through the standard security procedures that everyone else in my group did. We submitted our information -- name, birthday, social security number -- just like anyone else does. My name was on a list of cleared people. I was later told by a spokesperson for the faith-based initiative that I had in fact been cleared, and she could not explain what the problem was.
NELSON: Listen, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. We had asked the Secret Service to join us as well, but they had declined -- but we thank you for joining us.
AL-ARIAN: Thank you for having me.
NELSON: Abdullah Al-Arian, in Washington, thank you - Carol.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
