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Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?

Aired July 17, 2002 - 14:11   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a hunch now from a high- ranking FBI official about Osama bin Laden. CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena is live from Washington. Kelli, is bin Laden dead or alive?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the top counterterrorism official at the FBI says he thinks he is dead. He made the comment in a speech before hundreds of local law enforcement officers today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE WATSON, FBI EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Is UBL alive or is he dead? I am not real sure of the answer, is he alive or dead. I personally think he is probably not with us anymore, but I have no evidence to support that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Now, Watson is the first official to come out and suggest bin Laden is dead. Pentagon, White House and other knowledgeable officials say they have no evidence to support that. The president addressed the issue recently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, I don't know if he is dead or alive, for starters. So I'm going to answer your question with a hypothetical. Osama bin Laden, he may be alive. If he is, we'll get him. If he's not alive, we got him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Now, in all fairness, Watson said he wasn't citing any evidence, but his position as the FBI's counterterrorism chief makes his off-the-cuff comment news. Watson also said there was no doubt in his mind the U.S. will be attacked again, even though he believes the al Qaeda terrorist network has been driven underground.

He also says graduates of al Qaeda training camps have scattered and could -- quote -- "be in your neighborhood" -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, Kelli, he is coming out and saying he believes definitely there is going to be more attacks. ARENA: He did. He said that there is no doubt in his mind that there would be more attacks. We have heard that, though, from several other officials. The attorney general, several other Justice officials as well, saying that they fully expect that there will be another attack.

Of course, we always have to preface here, there is no specific evidence about a time or a target, but as we have been reporting for weeks, there has been an increase in the amount of intelligence coming in, and people within the law enforcement and intelligence community are pretty much convinced that there is something -- that there is a plan under way.

PHILLIPS: Kelli Arena live from the justice -- our justice correspondent, rather, thank you very much -- live from Washington.

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