Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Leicester, England Is Focus of Terrorism Manhunt

Aired January 18, 2002 - 05:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: For more on this story now, the big manhunt, the United States is asking for help in finding five suspected al Qaeda members who may be plotting suicide terrorist attacks. The Justice Department has released video and still photos of the men.

Take a look here. U.S. forces recovered the pictures in the bombed out home of a top aide to Osama bin Laden. U.S. officials know little about the five men, with the exception of Ramsi Bin-al Shibh. Bin-al Shibh was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case against Zacarias Moussaoui. Moussaoui, as you know, was charged with conspiracy in the September 11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We believe that these could be and likely appear to be sort of martyrdom messages from suicide terrorists and whether or not the attack would be imminent or not is something we can't determine. But we know that the right time to release these is in advance of any attack, if there is to be an attack, not subsequent to an attack and to try and enlist the people of this great nation and the people around the world to help curtail the attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Well, and here's the big problem. Ashcroft says the men could be anywhere in the world. Who knows where they could be?

An anti-terrorist sweep in England has resulted in the arrest of 11 people.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live now from the city of Leicester, north of London -- good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, we are, indeed, north of London some hundred miles in the central English city of Leicester where, of course, the focus at least of the European wing of the investigation into links of al Qaeda has shifted here to Britain and more specifically, of course, to this central English city of Leicester.

In a first for the British authorities, two Algerian men have appeared in court here in Leicester accused of, charged with membership of the al Qaeda network, of course, a banned organization now here in Britain. They're suspected, police say, of involvement not in the September 11 attacks, but in a plot to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

Additionally, there have been now 12 arrests, it's been confirmed, by the British police here in Leicester. Four people have been arrested over the past 24 hours in connection with immigration violations. The other eight are being held in the, under the British Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The big question, of course, on the minds of many of the residents here in Leicester is why this city?

Joining me to discuss that is Professor Richard Bonney of the University of Leicester.

First of all, Professor Bonney, thanks very much to be giving us some of your time.

PROF. RICHARD BONNEY, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER: Right.

CHANCE: As a resident of this city, how does it feel to know that there may be al Qaeda operatives here?

BONNEY: Well, I've been here 16 years and it's always been a peaceable city and it feels a little odd. But then I understand that there are perhaps cells around the world, in Singapore and so on, and I suppose it's no different being in Leicester. It's just, as a resident, it's bound to be a little strange.

CHANCE: Now, this city has its fair share of problems, doesn't it? There's a drug problem. There's other crime, sections of the community. Are they vulnerable to recruitment, do you think, into militant groups? The authorities seem to think they are.

BONNEY: I think in any British city there are social problems and there are potential recruits into extremist organizations, if one assumes that people who are vulnerable are more easily recruited. But I wouldn't have said the problems were any greater in Leicester than elsewhere.

And in terms of relations between the communities, I would say in Leicester, actually, they're better than in many other cities in this country.

CHANCE: Now, there is a big Muslim community here, though. How would you characterize that community? You've got a lot of experience in dealing with people from that community. To what extent are they militant?

BONNEY: Well, it's a community -- we're not quite sure of how many, about 25,000 or 30,000 perhaps. It's not the largest community in the city. There are at least 60,000 Hindus. Most of the Muslims come from India. They may have come via Africa after the expulsion of the Ugandan Asians by Idi Amin. They are peaceable and law abiding. There are a number of different mosques. There are new mosques being built almost all the time, a big community. But I wouldn't have said that they are an extremist community in any way.

CHANCE: All right, Professor Bonney, thank you much for being with us this morning here in Leicester -- Carol, there you have it, some insight there on why at least for the police and for the British authorities this continues to be a focus of their ongoing investigations into al Qaeda links.

Back to you.

COSTELLO: Matthew, isn't it true, though, that just a short time ago al Qaeda actually had an office up and running in London and Britain allowed these terrorist organizations to run their business as usual?

CHANCE: I'm not aware that al Qaeda had an office in London, but certainly there are a lot of organizations that have been identified by the authorities as having links with al Qaeda. Those organizations, we're told by the police, and the other authorities involved in this, in collaboration with the Americans and the FBI there, are being investigated thoroughly. Some have been closed down already, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Chance reporting live for us from London this morning. Thank you.

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