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Analysis of Terror Threat

Aired March 18, 2003 - 13:40   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: Nationally, it's called Operation Liberty Shield. It involves beefing up security at U.S. borders, airports, rail facilities, and ports, and new vigilance to protect the nation's food supplies.
Joining us now to talk about all of these measures, J. Kelly McCann, our security analyst, joining from Washington. Kelly, good to see you.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Does it seem appropriate right now? Are we -- is the government in a situation where it is overreacting in any way, or is it right about where it should be?

MCCANN: No, it is right about where it needs to be. Excuse me. For some time, we've known it as part of the operations order, probably three to five days ahead of time, the threat level was going to be raised, and it was specifically to address two things, which was that whole kind of "fifth column" concept, that there could be people, sleepers here in the U.S., transparent, who would become act-ers in the event it looked like we were going to war.

And then, secondly, because it makes sense in this situation to do it against the al Qaeda who have now allied with interests to the Iraqi people who would fight us. So I think it's where we need to be right now.

O'BRIEN: All right. It still -- it comes up every time I talk to you about this, and I always try to walk away with something practical to do. With the terror alert at orange, what are we to do? What should we do? What is prudent, and what is over the top?

MCCANN: Well, of interest here this morning in Washington, D.C., starting last night there was an incident where a man drove a tractor into a public attraction, and that draws all kinds of people. It draws down on security. Obviously, people, if they want to protest, if they want to engage in anti-war protests, if they want to do any of that, they should find other ways to do it. That's a draw-down on the security that we need at the moment.

It's their right to protest. It is their right to march in parades and do all of that kinds of things, but let's wait for a little bit to do it, to exercise the right, and the precise reason is because those people who would not have our interests at heart could use those situations. O'BRIEN: And just to help out our viewers, you're talking about someone who is protesting and has driven a tractor into an area right near the mall in Washington.

And who knows how many sharpshooters and security personnel are involved in just kind of keeping a ring around this person...

MCCANN: Exactly right.

O'BRIEN: It's very difficult -- you're asking people to sort of give up some of their rights for, perhaps, the greater good. Is that a fair thing to ask people right now?

MCCANN: I'm asking people, Miles, to put their game face on. We've got people now, young men, who at night are awfully lonely and they are thinking about having to do something maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, that they had just now only thought about as real.

So what I am asking people to do is put that in perspective, and stand down. If they want to protest, use the phone. I mean, the bottom line is right now, we need to focus on the ball and get through this thing.

O'BRIEN: All right. Aside from not driving a tractor into a pond or any of those other kinds of things, what else should people be doing prudently? Are we back to duct tape, or can you offer some other advice?

MCCANN: I don't think we are going to go to the duct tape route this time. I think what we'll do is be careful on international flights, especially those with a point of origin overseas. You might want to avoid publicized events, or what could be considered a target- rich environment, where there's a population density that could be lucrative to people who might attack. To define what to be suspicious of...

O'BRIEN: Kelly, explain that. Does that mean shopping malls, or does that mean something -- when you say lucrative, what does that mean?

MCCANN: Lucrative would be where they could use an improvised advice, but could exponentially increase its effectiveness because of the number of people. Though kind of things would be confined spaces with recirculating air systems. You just would want to be suspicious in those areas. I'm not saying don't use them, Miles. What I'm saying is if you see somebody who has a strange intent, who is acting out of rhythm with everything that is going on, you should definitely report that to the appropriate security personnel who will be on hand.

O'BRIEN: Kelly McCann, our security analyst. Always appreciate the advice.

MCCANN: You bet, Miles.

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 18, 2003 - 13:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nationally, it's called Operation Liberty Shield. It involves beefing up security at U.S. borders, airports, rail facilities, and ports, and new vigilance to protect the nation's food supplies.
Joining us now to talk about all of these measures, J. Kelly McCann, our security analyst, joining from Washington. Kelly, good to see you.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Does it seem appropriate right now? Are we -- is the government in a situation where it is overreacting in any way, or is it right about where it should be?

MCCANN: No, it is right about where it needs to be. Excuse me. For some time, we've known it as part of the operations order, probably three to five days ahead of time, the threat level was going to be raised, and it was specifically to address two things, which was that whole kind of "fifth column" concept, that there could be people, sleepers here in the U.S., transparent, who would become act-ers in the event it looked like we were going to war.

And then, secondly, because it makes sense in this situation to do it against the al Qaeda who have now allied with interests to the Iraqi people who would fight us. So I think it's where we need to be right now.

O'BRIEN: All right. It still -- it comes up every time I talk to you about this, and I always try to walk away with something practical to do. With the terror alert at orange, what are we to do? What should we do? What is prudent, and what is over the top?

MCCANN: Well, of interest here this morning in Washington, D.C., starting last night there was an incident where a man drove a tractor into a public attraction, and that draws all kinds of people. It draws down on security. Obviously, people, if they want to protest, if they want to engage in anti-war protests, if they want to do any of that, they should find other ways to do it. That's a draw-down on the security that we need at the moment.

It's their right to protest. It is their right to march in parades and do all of that kinds of things, but let's wait for a little bit to do it, to exercise the right, and the precise reason is because those people who would not have our interests at heart could use those situations. O'BRIEN: And just to help out our viewers, you're talking about someone who is protesting and has driven a tractor into an area right near the mall in Washington.

And who knows how many sharpshooters and security personnel are involved in just kind of keeping a ring around this person...

MCCANN: Exactly right.

O'BRIEN: It's very difficult -- you're asking people to sort of give up some of their rights for, perhaps, the greater good. Is that a fair thing to ask people right now?

MCCANN: I'm asking people, Miles, to put their game face on. We've got people now, young men, who at night are awfully lonely and they are thinking about having to do something maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, that they had just now only thought about as real.

So what I am asking people to do is put that in perspective, and stand down. If they want to protest, use the phone. I mean, the bottom line is right now, we need to focus on the ball and get through this thing.

O'BRIEN: All right. Aside from not driving a tractor into a pond or any of those other kinds of things, what else should people be doing prudently? Are we back to duct tape, or can you offer some other advice?

MCCANN: I don't think we are going to go to the duct tape route this time. I think what we'll do is be careful on international flights, especially those with a point of origin overseas. You might want to avoid publicized events, or what could be considered a target- rich environment, where there's a population density that could be lucrative to people who might attack. To define what to be suspicious of...

O'BRIEN: Kelly, explain that. Does that mean shopping malls, or does that mean something -- when you say lucrative, what does that mean?

MCCANN: Lucrative would be where they could use an improvised advice, but could exponentially increase its effectiveness because of the number of people. Though kind of things would be confined spaces with recirculating air systems. You just would want to be suspicious in those areas. I'm not saying don't use them, Miles. What I'm saying is if you see somebody who has a strange intent, who is acting out of rhythm with everything that is going on, you should definitely report that to the appropriate security personnel who will be on hand.

O'BRIEN: Kelly McCann, our security analyst. Always appreciate the advice.

MCCANN: You bet, Miles.

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