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Capture of al Qaeda Chief Could Lead to Others

Aired March 03, 2003 - 13:01   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, more Q and A with the alleged mastermind of the attacks of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed being questioned by the CIA, and if Mohammed chooses to talk, what he knows could be a gold mine. He may know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, for example, and he probably knows a lot about plots in the making. The capture and more on it from CNN's David Ensor in Washington -- David, what's the latest?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as you said, is currently undergoing a second day of questioning by U.S. officials at an undisclosed location outside the U.S. and outside Pakistan. Officials say all appropriate pressure will be put on the al Qaeda operations chief to reveal what he knows about future plots to attack Americans or others. Sources say that Al Qaeda documents or computer files may have been retrieved, along with Mohammed, in the house in Rawalpindi where he was seized.

A "treasure trove" of information, one source called it. Intelligence officials declined to comment, but other U.S. officials say information retrieved as Mohammed was seized includes the names of suspected al Qaeda operatives, including an undetermined number who may be in North America. Other sources tell CNN the materials which some reports say are computer disks, paper documents, and cell phones also include references to specific U.S. cities. Those leads are being tracked down, officials say. One of the cities mentioned in the material, sources say, is Washington, D.C.

At the White House, the spokesman said the president is grateful to Pakistan for its work in catching Mohammed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They fled across a difficult to patrol border, into Pakistan, into cities that are in the tens of millions, large cities where they believed they could hide. What this shows is the strong cooperation that we have from the government of Pakistan, and for that, the president is grateful to President Musharraf and the people of Pakistan. They deserve the world's congratulations for helping in this effort, and leading this effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: U.S. officials say all the other top al Qaeda leaders the U.S. now holds, including Mohammed deputy Ramzi Binalshibh, who was taken after a gun battle in Karachi, all of them are now cooperating with their interrogators to one degree or another in supplying some useful intelligence.

So it may take time, Miles, but they expect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to do the same.

O'BRIEN: David, so many questions about this, but first of all, time is of the essence here, because whatever this person knows if, in fact, he does share it with the Central Intelligence Agency and others, has a shelf life to it because, obviously, his arrest is well known all throughout the world.

How quickly do the operatives have to act right now?

ENSOR: Well, some of this intelligence is -- may be about plots that are imminent.

It's also possible that some of these al Qaeda cells, if there are some in the United States, might decide try to go ahead and preemptively move ahead with attacks, that they now fear within days may be compromised by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. So there is a very -- an air among the officials that we have seen and are talking to of determination. They are trying to work with as much speed as they can. Some, we are hearing, are a little irritated that the news of this arrest came out as soon as it did. They would have liked to have had a couple of days without people knowing he was taken to try to wrap up some leads.

O'BRIEN: I imagine so. And of course, a lot of people thinking about Osama bin Laden. Clearly, if he is who authorities say he is, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, he might very well know bin Laden's whereabouts, or at least his whereabouts on the day he was arrested. Well, that is right. U.S. officials do tell me that they have clear evidence that this man was in contact with Osama bin Laden more than once since September 11, 2001. Now, I did also ask, has he been in recent touch, and on that, officials have no comment -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. David Ensor, appreciate that. We'll be checking in with him later. We have got much more ahead on Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

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 March 3, 2003 - 13:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, more Q and A with the alleged mastermind of the attacks of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed being questioned by the CIA, and if Mohammed chooses to talk, what he knows could be a gold mine. He may know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, for example, and he probably knows a lot about plots in the making. The capture and more on it from CNN's David Ensor in Washington -- David, what's the latest?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as you said, is currently undergoing a second day of questioning by U.S. officials at an undisclosed location outside the U.S. and outside Pakistan. Officials say all appropriate pressure will be put on the al Qaeda operations chief to reveal what he knows about future plots to attack Americans or others. Sources say that Al Qaeda documents or computer files may have been retrieved, along with Mohammed, in the house in Rawalpindi where he was seized.

A "treasure trove" of information, one source called it. Intelligence officials declined to comment, but other U.S. officials say information retrieved as Mohammed was seized includes the names of suspected al Qaeda operatives, including an undetermined number who may be in North America. Other sources tell CNN the materials which some reports say are computer disks, paper documents, and cell phones also include references to specific U.S. cities. Those leads are being tracked down, officials say. One of the cities mentioned in the material, sources say, is Washington, D.C.

At the White House, the spokesman said the president is grateful to Pakistan for its work in catching Mohammed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They fled across a difficult to patrol border, into Pakistan, into cities that are in the tens of millions, large cities where they believed they could hide. What this shows is the strong cooperation that we have from the government of Pakistan, and for that, the president is grateful to President Musharraf and the people of Pakistan. They deserve the world's congratulations for helping in this effort, and leading this effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: U.S. officials say all the other top al Qaeda leaders the U.S. now holds, including Mohammed deputy Ramzi Binalshibh, who was taken after a gun battle in Karachi, all of them are now cooperating with their interrogators to one degree or another in supplying some useful intelligence.

So it may take time, Miles, but they expect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to do the same.

O'BRIEN: David, so many questions about this, but first of all, time is of the essence here, because whatever this person knows if, in fact, he does share it with the Central Intelligence Agency and others, has a shelf life to it because, obviously, his arrest is well known all throughout the world.

How quickly do the operatives have to act right now?

ENSOR: Well, some of this intelligence is -- may be about plots that are imminent.

It's also possible that some of these al Qaeda cells, if there are some in the United States, might decide try to go ahead and preemptively move ahead with attacks, that they now fear within days may be compromised by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. So there is a very -- an air among the officials that we have seen and are talking to of determination. They are trying to work with as much speed as they can. Some, we are hearing, are a little irritated that the news of this arrest came out as soon as it did. They would have liked to have had a couple of days without people knowing he was taken to try to wrap up some leads.

O'BRIEN: I imagine so. And of course, a lot of people thinking about Osama bin Laden. Clearly, if he is who authorities say he is, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, he might very well know bin Laden's whereabouts, or at least his whereabouts on the day he was arrested. Well, that is right. U.S. officials do tell me that they have clear evidence that this man was in contact with Osama bin Laden more than once since September 11, 2001. Now, I did also ask, has he been in recent touch, and on that, officials have no comment -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. David Ensor, appreciate that. We'll be checking in with him later. We have got much more ahead on Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

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