Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
U.S. Sees Spike in Threat-Related Chatter
Aired February 07, 2003 - 14:05 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: The homeland security apparatus agonized over what one top official called a large spike in the so- called chatter picked up by U.S. intelligence.
CNN national security correspondent David Ensor tells us more about that live from Washington -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you say, Kyra, there is a very much increased level of information suggesting there might be a threat to U.S. targets, to U.S. individuals, either in the United States or around the world. That is the reason for this raised threat level now.
Some of the language that was used in the announcement by the attorney general may get people particularly worried. Let me just review that and kind of give you a reality check on it, if I may. Here's what he said about the possibility of the use of weapons of mass destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTY. GENERAL: There are also indications bolstered by the recent arrests in London where chemical ricin was discovered. These indications demonstrate Al Qaeda's interest in carrying out chemical, biological and radiological attacks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: First of all, on ricin. Ricin is a poison that has been used, was used by the Soviet KGB many years ago as a poison for assassination of a single individual. It is not, experts say, a particularly effective weapon of mass destruction to kill a lot of people.
On weapons of mass destruction, though, chemical weapons, they are pretty easy to make, they are effective in a closed space, such as an underground metro or a shopping mall. They're extremely sensitive to the environment. They don't work very well if the temperature isn't right, or if the barometer is in the wrong place. Witness the attack in Japan in the subway that was supposed to kill hundreds and only killed about eight people.
Biological weapons, some of them, like anthrax, are pretty easily obtained. They are extremely difficult to weaponize. It's been done very rarely. There was that little bit put in an envelope that caused chaos at the U.S. Congress, though, so they do frighten people and they did kill a couple of people in that case, but making them to weapons that can kill hundreds of people, that's very difficult.
And again, dispersing them would require ideal conditions, the right wind, the right temperature, everything. Radiological weapons, the dirty bomb scenario we've heard so much about, to get the radiological material that would be wrapped around a conventional explosive, it's very hard to obtain, it's dangerous to the people that handle, it and it would kill very few people, probably no more than the conventional explosives themselves, although clearly, it would terrorize a great many people.
But the most likely thing, Kyra, if the terrorists try to attack the United States is the same old thing, some kind of conventional attack -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: David Ensor, 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
Aired February 7, 2003 - 14:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The homeland security apparatus agonized over what one top official called a large spike in the so- called chatter picked up by U.S. intelligence.
CNN national security correspondent David Ensor tells us more about that live from Washington -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you say, Kyra, there is a very much increased level of information suggesting there might be a threat to U.S. targets, to U.S. individuals, either in the United States or around the world. That is the reason for this raised threat level now.
Some of the language that was used in the announcement by the attorney general may get people particularly worried. Let me just review that and kind of give you a reality check on it, if I may. Here's what he said about the possibility of the use of weapons of mass destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTY. GENERAL: There are also indications bolstered by the recent arrests in London where chemical ricin was discovered. These indications demonstrate Al Qaeda's interest in carrying out chemical, biological and radiological attacks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: First of all, on ricin. Ricin is a poison that has been used, was used by the Soviet KGB many years ago as a poison for assassination of a single individual. It is not, experts say, a particularly effective weapon of mass destruction to kill a lot of people.
On weapons of mass destruction, though, chemical weapons, they are pretty easy to make, they are effective in a closed space, such as an underground metro or a shopping mall. They're extremely sensitive to the environment. They don't work very well if the temperature isn't right, or if the barometer is in the wrong place. Witness the attack in Japan in the subway that was supposed to kill hundreds and only killed about eight people.
Biological weapons, some of them, like anthrax, are pretty easily obtained. They are extremely difficult to weaponize. It's been done very rarely. There was that little bit put in an envelope that caused chaos at the U.S. Congress, though, so they do frighten people and they did kill a couple of people in that case, but making them to weapons that can kill hundreds of people, that's very difficult.
And again, dispersing them would require ideal conditions, the right wind, the right temperature, everything. Radiological weapons, the dirty bomb scenario we've heard so much about, to get the radiological material that would be wrapped around a conventional explosive, it's very hard to obtain, it's dangerous to the people that handle, it and it would kill very few people, probably no more than the conventional explosives themselves, although clearly, it would terrorize a great many people.
But the most likely thing, Kyra, if the terrorists try to attack the United States is the same old thing, some kind of conventional attack -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: David Ensor, 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
