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CNN Live At Daybreak
Major Security Breach at O'Hare Airport Triggers Firestorm; Number of Sources Say U.S. Helicopter Crashed in Pakistan
Aired November 06, 2001 - 06:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I want to check in in Islamabad to get the latest on these reports we're getting from Pakistani officials about this helicopter crash that supposedly happened in the southwestern part of the country and let's go ahead and check in with Bill.
BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well thank you Daryn, as you said none of this confirmed or denied by U.S. officials, but usually reliable, Pakistani officials and a number of sources tell us a U.S. helicopter crashed in western Pakistan around midnight November 4th -- that was Sunday night Pakistani time and they say there were casualties, although we do not know if there were deaths.
Local sources telling us they saw explosions in the area. We also have reports of C-130s and other helicopters in the area possibly involved in some sort of a - an operation involved with this crashed helicopter. Now the helicopter crashed, we are told, about 50 kilometers - that's about 30 miles from the Afghan border. It was on its way to Delbadine (ph) Airbase, which is one of four airbases here in Pakistan, in western Pakistan, being used by the U.S. military.
Now Pakistani officials have repeatedly stressed that these airbases are not being used as launching pads for military operations, only for what's called logistical support. Now Daryn, logistical support can involved search and rescue, for example, but we do not know whether possibly a rescue mission was involved and possibly something went arye. We also do not know if this crash was the result of some kind of hostile fire.
Back to you Daryn.
KAGAN: Now Bill, in light of the word casualties, whether it's injuries or deaths, do we know if those people have been retrieved.
DELANEY: Do not know - we know nothing about, as I said, the casualties, whether there are injuries or deaths or what happened to the Americans involved in this crash who were, at the very least, injured. Daryn.
KAGAN: Bill, I also want to ask you in light of the visit by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, that he was in Pakistan just a couple of days ago. It seems like the defense secretary and General Musharraf have a different version about how long these airstrikes should go on against Afghanistan and in light of that visit, any reaction that it might - that those two timeframes might not match up.
DELANEY: Well certainly Daryn there has been a sense here of some distance between U.S. and Pakistani military officials, but in fact yesterday at a foreign ministry press conference in the wake of that visit by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Pakistani officials went to great lengths to stress that now U.S. and Pakistani military officials are very much on the same page, saying there are no significant areas of disagreement about the conduct of the military operations in Afghanistan at this point between U.S. and Pakistani officials and even on that sensitive issue of Ramadan, that Muslim holy month that begins in just a few weeks and the Pakistani president stated desire for the bombing not to continue during Ramadan.
Officials at the foreign ministry saying yesterday the U.S. and Pakistan agree bombing should end as soon as possible, but they said they also now agree that military operations can not be set on a timetable. So actually we do see an evolution here, according to the foreign ministry in Pakistan toward great unanimity of view about the military operations in Afghanistan between Pakistani and U.S. military. Daryn.
KAGAN: Bill Delaney in Islamabad. Thank you for the latest on that and on that helicopter crash and in terms of that report of that crash CNN has spoken with a Pentagon official who could neither confirm or deny the account of the chopper crash. A Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. central command has nothing indicating a helicopter either went down by accident or under Taliban attack. Our crews at the Pentagon and in Pakistan will continue to follow the story and report back with any new developments on that.
Back here in the U.S., a major security breach at O'Hare Airport has triggered a firestorm that is spreading from Chicago to Washington. Eddie Aroos (ph) of our Chicago affiliate WGN has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EDDIE AROOS, CNN CHICAGO AFFILIATE WGN: In U.S. district court Subash Gurung (ph) had trouble at times understanding what was happening, but Judge Morton Binlow (ph) ordered the Nepal's national to be held in jail until a preliminary hearing could be held this coming Thursday.
On Saturday Gurung had a one-way ticket to Omaha and went through the security checkpoint at the United terminal where workers found two knives Gurung had in his pocket. They were confiscated, but the 27- year old was allowed to go to the gate and it was there that a random check found he had seven more knives in a plastic grocery store bag along with a stun gun and a can of pepper spray in a carry-on bag.
Gurung was questioned by the FBI, but then handed over to Chicago police who charged him with misdemeanor weapon charges.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was charged with a misdemeanor that night at the Chicago Police Department. FBI came out said there were no federal charges because he had not boarded the airplane. I talked to one of the supervisors yesterday from the FBI and told him that I thought they need to rethink this.
AROOS: Gurung was released on his own recognizance, but then arrested again yesterday by the FBI and charged with attempting to carry a weapon on an aircraft, a federal felony. In the wake of the security breach, seven security workers and one supervisor all employees of the Atlanta based Argenbright (ph) security firm have been suspended pending an internal investigation.
Argenbright issued a statement today saying we believe our company's employees acted according to FAA guidelines and internal company procedures. The company goes on to say effective today any individual who has a suspicious item confiscated by security personnel will automatically have their carry-on bag searched.
But both Argenbright and United were sharply criticized today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on a visit to Chicago.
NORMAN MINETA, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I consider the O'Hare failure a case of dramatic dimensions and I am recommending that the FAA begin enforcement actions which could lead to a substantial fine against United Airlines.
AROOS: United Airlines issued a statement today saying United welcomes Secretary Mineta's involvement in this matter and will work cooperatively fully and completely with the U.S. Department of Transportation as it proceeds to investigate this matter. United also says it has hired independent auditors to look into its security vendors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that incident has understandably added fuel to the congressional debate of whether airport security screeners should be federal or private employees. That part of the debate that goes on Congress had yet to come up with a compromise and pass a new airlines security bill. That work and debate goes on on Capitol Hill.
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