Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Military Spy Trial
Aired February 10, 2003 - 14:24 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: The life of a retired Air Force sergeant hangs in the balance in an Alexandria, Virginia courtroom. It's the case of Brian Patrick Regan, a man charged with spying on the United States for Iraq, Libya and China.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is covering this trial. He joins us live with today's developments.
I know you just got out of the courtroom, so take it away, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were closing arguments, defense and prosecuting attorneys. Each have their final say after eight days of trial of Brian Regan, who's a former Air Force sergeant, then a civilian employee, of the highly secret National Reconnaissance Office. This is the office that deals with satellite imagery, satellite positioning, that type of thing.
Carol, what is probably most noteworthy about this, this is the first alleged spy trial that carries with it the death penalty possibility in 50 years, since the Rosenberg trial, when Julius and Ethel Rosenberg ultimately were convicted and executed in the United States. It has to do with information that, according to the government, Brian Regan, in his capacity with NRO, as it's called, went into the files and got information which he then, according to the government, was offering to Libya, China and, most notably, Iraq.
Now their main proof was a letter, they say a letter that they found in his laptop computer which offered the information to Iraq. The defense says that letter was never printed. But, according to the government it was a letter that offered information quoting, "Imagine what Saddam Hussein could have done with this information, information, the testimony showed, would be very, very important and very dangerous for the United States.
Now the defense attorneys said that he had no intention of sending these letters, never did send them. As a matter of fact, they said this was just a fantasy, this was just childlike, it was stupid, they said, but that's all it was.
He was arrested, however, on August of 2001, August 15th, was on a plane, Regan was, to go to Zurich. According to the government, he was carrying with him information, how to contact the embassies of those two countries.
But, again, the defense says it never happened. They tried to make the suggestion that this was just a fantasy, perhaps some sort of game, some sort of novel that he was creating. Well, the stakes are very high. The jury, in about an hour, is going to get the case, and they'll have to decide whether he is guilty of crimes that could carry with it the death penalty -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I was going to ask you about that, because the other spice who went to trial didn't face the death penalty, Robert Hanssen being one. Why is Mr. Regan facing a death penalty in this case, if he's convicted?
FRANKEN: Well, it depends on who you ask. The government could be trying to make the case this kind of espionage has to stop. In the case that you just mentioned and others, there has been a deal with the government to prevent the use of information too sensitive to be made public.
But the defense attorney would claim the government is overreaching. There are four counts here. And one of them, a finding of guilty could be found, and there would be no death penalty. But, again, this is the first one in 50 years, it is a very high stakes trial.
COSTELLO: Bob Franken, reporting live from Alexandria, Virginia this afternoon.
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 10, 2003 - 14:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The life of a retired Air Force sergeant hangs in the balance in an Alexandria, Virginia courtroom. It's the case of Brian Patrick Regan, a man charged with spying on the United States for Iraq, Libya and China.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is covering this trial. He joins us live with today's developments.
I know you just got out of the courtroom, so take it away, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were closing arguments, defense and prosecuting attorneys. Each have their final say after eight days of trial of Brian Regan, who's a former Air Force sergeant, then a civilian employee, of the highly secret National Reconnaissance Office. This is the office that deals with satellite imagery, satellite positioning, that type of thing.
Carol, what is probably most noteworthy about this, this is the first alleged spy trial that carries with it the death penalty possibility in 50 years, since the Rosenberg trial, when Julius and Ethel Rosenberg ultimately were convicted and executed in the United States. It has to do with information that, according to the government, Brian Regan, in his capacity with NRO, as it's called, went into the files and got information which he then, according to the government, was offering to Libya, China and, most notably, Iraq.
Now their main proof was a letter, they say a letter that they found in his laptop computer which offered the information to Iraq. The defense says that letter was never printed. But, according to the government it was a letter that offered information quoting, "Imagine what Saddam Hussein could have done with this information, information, the testimony showed, would be very, very important and very dangerous for the United States.
Now the defense attorneys said that he had no intention of sending these letters, never did send them. As a matter of fact, they said this was just a fantasy, this was just childlike, it was stupid, they said, but that's all it was.
He was arrested, however, on August of 2001, August 15th, was on a plane, Regan was, to go to Zurich. According to the government, he was carrying with him information, how to contact the embassies of those two countries.
But, again, the defense says it never happened. They tried to make the suggestion that this was just a fantasy, perhaps some sort of game, some sort of novel that he was creating. Well, the stakes are very high. The jury, in about an hour, is going to get the case, and they'll have to decide whether he is guilty of crimes that could carry with it the death penalty -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I was going to ask you about that, because the other spice who went to trial didn't face the death penalty, Robert Hanssen being one. Why is Mr. Regan facing a death penalty in this case, if he's convicted?
FRANKEN: Well, it depends on who you ask. The government could be trying to make the case this kind of espionage has to stop. In the case that you just mentioned and others, there has been a deal with the government to prevent the use of information too sensitive to be made public.
But the defense attorney would claim the government is overreaching. There are four counts here. And one of them, a finding of guilty could be found, and there would be no death penalty. But, again, this is the first one in 50 years, it is a very high stakes trial.
COSTELLO: Bob Franken, reporting live from Alexandria, Virginia this afternoon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
