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CNN Live At Daybreak

White House Warning Americans to be on Guard

Aired December 12, 2001 - 07:51   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And now, to talk more about the end of Ramadan and fears it could spark new violence, here is Bernard Haykel, a professor of Islamic studies at New York University -- welcome back.

BERNARD HAYKEL, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Glad to have you with us this morning. So describe to us the significance of the nearing end of Ramadan and this scary thought (ph) by Johnny Walker that he at least has told the U.S. intelligence officials that there will be another attack here before the end of Ramadan.

HAYKEL: Well, Ramadan is a period of heightened religiosity in the Muslim world. People are repenting for their sins. Also anything that they do during this month, they are compensated by God. There is this extra compensation in the month of Ramadan by God. So let's say if you are a misguided person, like bin Laden and his followers, and you feel that killing innocent people or attacking America is a good thing, and you feel that God is going to compensate you or recompense you for this, then you get extra brownie points if you do it in the month of Ramadan.

And the last 10 days of the month are the holiest of that whole -- of the 29 or 30-day period, because the Koran is meant to have arrived or descended through Gabriel to the prophet in those last 10 days.

ZAHN: Before we go any further, I need to make it clear. We've talked about this all morning long. The report I just referred to is in "The Washington Times."

HAYKEL: Right.

ZAHN: And Stansfield Turner, a former head of the CIA, said he was likely to discount it, because Johnny Walker didn't have access to the leadership of al Qaeda.

But let's move on to the issue that is even -- just as controversial as that. And that is the issue of this Osama bin Laden tape being released later today. We are told by John King at the White House that we will hear Osama bin Laden's Arabic. There will be English subtitles. The senators who have seen this tape says not only -- say not only did he admit that he was responsible for September 11, but he also made it quite clear he was cynical about some of the hijackers who he claimed didn't even know they were on a suicide mission. How will that be viewed in the Muslim world?

HAYKEL: Well, if it's true, then it's a devastating blow, not just to him and his movement, but his entire way of understanding Islam and interpreting Islam. I somehow doubt it that he would -- I mean, the one quality that bin Laden has, however misguided he might be, is that he exudes sincerity. When Arabs hear him, they hear someone who is honest about what he thinks, and that he does what he says.

ZAHN: But enough senators, who have been on the air talking about this tape, say he is very cynical and even laughs at some point...

HAYKEL: Right.

ZAHN: ... when he made it clear the hijackers didn't know -- not all of them -- but some of them didn't know they were on a suicide mission.

HAYKEL: Yes, I mean, I -- if that's true, that would be wonderful in the sense that, you know, he will be sort of a real evil character in every sense of the word. But I find it difficult to believe, given what I know of him and how he comes across. He is not sort of some, you know, evil -- doctor evil character. And that's -- at least that's not how he presents himself to the Arabs. If that is the case, though -- if he has laughed about people -- his own people dying, then that will be a devastating blow for him.

ZAHN: Well, the tape is expected to become public today. We'd love to have you come back and hear your analysis of...

HAYKEL: My pleasure.

ZAHN: ... what you hear and see on that tape. Bernard Haykel...

HAYKEL: Thank you.

ZAHN: ... again, thanks for dropping by.

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