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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: The Investigation Continues

Aired October 01, 2001 - 07:01   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go straight to the latest on the investigation. CNN has new information about the financing of suspected terrorists in these attacks.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has been tracking this investigation. She's in Washington with details on the money angle. Good morning, Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Mohamed Atta, the pilot suspected of steering the first 767 into the World Trade Center, might also have played the role of money manager. A source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN Atta, since last year, was receiving cash transfers from Pakistan. Pakistan is a common conduit for money coming out of Afghanistan, home to Osama bin Laden.

About $100,000 was deposited into Florida banks and in turn, the source says, Atta would distribute the cash to others in the plot by buying money orders. They were issued not only to some of the suspects already identified by the FBI, but to other possible associates. The FBI is currently trying to track down those additional names.

But the notion of more terrorists planning more violence on U.S. soil is not being batted down. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Sunday he doubts everyone involved in the attacks has been caught.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: And it's very unlikely that all of those associated with the attacks of September 11 are now detained or have been detected.

That threat of additional terrorist activity may well escalate as the United States responds to the assault on the United States, to the acts of war perpetrated against the United States and our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: The attorney general calls ongoing threats, in his words, "a clear and present danger to Americans" -- Miles. O'BRIEN: Susan, we've heard some reports that some of the hijackers might have sent some money back to the Middle East before those attacks. Do we know much about that this morning?

CANDIOTTI: Yes, we do. Mohamed Atta and two other men the FBI says were involved in the Boston hijackings sent a little more than $15,000 to the United Arab Emirates just two or three days before the suicide flights. That is confirmed now by officials in the Middle East, who say the man who received the money flew out of Dubai to Pakistan on September 11, the same day as the hijackings -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks very much, CNN's Susan Candiotti in Washington.

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