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Search in San Francisco
Aired February 11, 2003 - 13:03 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: First this hour, the terrorist threat here at home. A warning today about possible plots to attack American soil as soon as this week. It comes from the head of the CIA.
CNN's Kelli Arena standing by in Washington with the latest on this heightened state of alert.
Hi, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Well, top intelligence officials offered a sobering status report to Congress this morning, saying the Al Qaeda terrorist network remains dedicate to committing more attacks against the United States and its interests around the world.
Now there is also discussion about North Korea and Iraq and the threat posed there. CIA director George Tenet offered this very blunt assessment of the danger that Saddam Hussein poses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIR.: The one thing you have to remember is Saddam Hussein built a WMD program with inspectors living in his country for years. He understand how to acquire chemical and biological capabilities. He understood how to establish a clandestine procurement network. He understands how to cross borders.
Now the policy decision you make or others make is not my purview. He will continue to strengthen himself over time, and the greatest concern is, is how fast he gets to a nuclear capability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Now, on the issue of Al Qaeda, Tenet says it remains a potent enemy. When asked about the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Tenet said he would not address that issue in a public session. There's a closed door session for later this afternoon to deal with classified information.
Now the FBI director Robert Mueller was also present today. It is the first time the FBI participated in the threat assessment testimony. It's a reflection of the FBI's new intelligence gathering role.
And Mueller talked, among other thing, about vulnerabilities within U.S. borders. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIR.: Our greatest threat is from Al Qaeda cell in the United States that we have not yet been able to identify. Finding and rooting out Al Qaeda members once they've enter the United States and have had time to establish themselves is our most serious intelligence and law enforcement challenge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: On the terror front, Mueller and Tenet talked about other terror organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, and the threat they carry for the United States.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: Kelli, any connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda?
ARENA: Bottom line from the CIA director is there are senior members of the terrorist organization closely aligned with Al Qaeda that are believed to be operating out of Iraq. CIA director says there's no way that the Baghdad government does not know that, and so he says that is a connection.
PHILLIPS: All right, and finally, Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction, if indeed the U.S. does invade, this is the one of the biggest concerns, probably the main concern among everybody involved.
ARENA: Very sobering. Both the CIA director and representative from the State Department, also present, told Congress flat out, they do believe that if Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, that he will use those weapons against the United States or its allies if there is a strike against his country. It was a bottom line, flat-out answer from both of those gentlemen.
PHILLIPS: All right, Kelli Arena, thank you so much.
ARENA: Reporter: you're welcome.
PHILLIPS: With the nation perched on a high state of alert, a terror-related search continues this hour in San Francisco.
CNN's Rusty Dornin standing by with the latest on that -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're at the Coast Guard station on Yerbobueno (ph) Island, which is actually situated between San Francisco and Oakland. It's where the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge passes across.
Now what has happened so far, we understand at 3:00 this morning Pacific, there was a commercial tug boat in the bay that nearly collided with a 10 foot rubber inflatable boat, and they spotted a man wearing a wet suit on this boat. Now this boat did not have any running lights, which may have been one of the reasons the tug almost collided with it. But the tugboat captain thought it was so strange. He said it just didn't seem right. He contacted the Coast Guard, and that launched a land, sea and air search for this man.
Apparently, he was just south of the bridge, heading towards the bridge. Now, they've been searching all the areas north and south of the bridge, and of course in San Francisco as well, along the San Francisco waterfront.
But we are standing by in a few minutes to -- the U.S. Coast Guard commandant here is going to come out and tell us a few details.
Just to give you an idea of where we are, the Oakland Bay Bridge comes out of the island right here, stretches across to Oakland.
Now one-third of all the state's traffic travels across this bridge. We're showing you right now one of the supports for the bridge. That's, of course, what they would be concerned about, those supports that go into the Bay. Now, of course, they've been on heightened alert since September 11th, heightened security, and watching for any suspicious activity anywhere around the Bay.
And since the orange alert came up last Friday, they've been stopping trucks going across the Oakland Bay Bridge, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge.
Because while we have not had a terror attack here on the West Coast, I think people here have been very mindful that the bridges here may be one of the first targets in some kind of terrorist attack -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And, Rusty, speaking of Homeland Security, the new department, the Coast Guard is taking on an advanced role here, a bit of a new role, so they are even on more of an -- on a high status, I guess you should say.
DORNIN: Definitely. And what I've noticed, as well, is this base used to be a lot more open to the public. Over last year they've closed it up, fenced it off. The Coast Guard does accompany the bar pilots when they go out to the ships that are coming into San Francisco Bay. They board with the bar pilots to make sure everything's okay as the ships come in. So yes, the U.S. Coast Guard has definitely stepped up their role in homeland security.
PHILLIPS: Our Rusty Dornin, thanks so much.
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 11, 2003 - 13:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, the terrorist threat here at home. A warning today about possible plots to attack American soil as soon as this week. It comes from the head of the CIA.
CNN's Kelli Arena standing by in Washington with the latest on this heightened state of alert.
Hi, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Well, top intelligence officials offered a sobering status report to Congress this morning, saying the Al Qaeda terrorist network remains dedicate to committing more attacks against the United States and its interests around the world.
Now there is also discussion about North Korea and Iraq and the threat posed there. CIA director George Tenet offered this very blunt assessment of the danger that Saddam Hussein poses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIR.: The one thing you have to remember is Saddam Hussein built a WMD program with inspectors living in his country for years. He understand how to acquire chemical and biological capabilities. He understood how to establish a clandestine procurement network. He understands how to cross borders.
Now the policy decision you make or others make is not my purview. He will continue to strengthen himself over time, and the greatest concern is, is how fast he gets to a nuclear capability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Now, on the issue of Al Qaeda, Tenet says it remains a potent enemy. When asked about the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Tenet said he would not address that issue in a public session. There's a closed door session for later this afternoon to deal with classified information.
Now the FBI director Robert Mueller was also present today. It is the first time the FBI participated in the threat assessment testimony. It's a reflection of the FBI's new intelligence gathering role.
And Mueller talked, among other thing, about vulnerabilities within U.S. borders. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIR.: Our greatest threat is from Al Qaeda cell in the United States that we have not yet been able to identify. Finding and rooting out Al Qaeda members once they've enter the United States and have had time to establish themselves is our most serious intelligence and law enforcement challenge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: On the terror front, Mueller and Tenet talked about other terror organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, and the threat they carry for the United States.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: Kelli, any connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda?
ARENA: Bottom line from the CIA director is there are senior members of the terrorist organization closely aligned with Al Qaeda that are believed to be operating out of Iraq. CIA director says there's no way that the Baghdad government does not know that, and so he says that is a connection.
PHILLIPS: All right, and finally, Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction, if indeed the U.S. does invade, this is the one of the biggest concerns, probably the main concern among everybody involved.
ARENA: Very sobering. Both the CIA director and representative from the State Department, also present, told Congress flat out, they do believe that if Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, that he will use those weapons against the United States or its allies if there is a strike against his country. It was a bottom line, flat-out answer from both of those gentlemen.
PHILLIPS: All right, Kelli Arena, thank you so much.
ARENA: Reporter: you're welcome.
PHILLIPS: With the nation perched on a high state of alert, a terror-related search continues this hour in San Francisco.
CNN's Rusty Dornin standing by with the latest on that -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're at the Coast Guard station on Yerbobueno (ph) Island, which is actually situated between San Francisco and Oakland. It's where the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge passes across.
Now what has happened so far, we understand at 3:00 this morning Pacific, there was a commercial tug boat in the bay that nearly collided with a 10 foot rubber inflatable boat, and they spotted a man wearing a wet suit on this boat. Now this boat did not have any running lights, which may have been one of the reasons the tug almost collided with it. But the tugboat captain thought it was so strange. He said it just didn't seem right. He contacted the Coast Guard, and that launched a land, sea and air search for this man.
Apparently, he was just south of the bridge, heading towards the bridge. Now, they've been searching all the areas north and south of the bridge, and of course in San Francisco as well, along the San Francisco waterfront.
But we are standing by in a few minutes to -- the U.S. Coast Guard commandant here is going to come out and tell us a few details.
Just to give you an idea of where we are, the Oakland Bay Bridge comes out of the island right here, stretches across to Oakland.
Now one-third of all the state's traffic travels across this bridge. We're showing you right now one of the supports for the bridge. That's, of course, what they would be concerned about, those supports that go into the Bay. Now, of course, they've been on heightened alert since September 11th, heightened security, and watching for any suspicious activity anywhere around the Bay.
And since the orange alert came up last Friday, they've been stopping trucks going across the Oakland Bay Bridge, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge.
Because while we have not had a terror attack here on the West Coast, I think people here have been very mindful that the bridges here may be one of the first targets in some kind of terrorist attack -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And, Rusty, speaking of Homeland Security, the new department, the Coast Guard is taking on an advanced role here, a bit of a new role, so they are even on more of an -- on a high status, I guess you should say.
DORNIN: Definitely. And what I've noticed, as well, is this base used to be a lot more open to the public. Over last year they've closed it up, fenced it off. The Coast Guard does accompany the bar pilots when they go out to the ships that are coming into San Francisco Bay. They board with the bar pilots to make sure everything's okay as the ships come in. So yes, the U.S. Coast Guard has definitely stepped up their role in homeland security.
PHILLIPS: Our Rusty Dornin, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
