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More Counterterrorism Detentions Expected in Coming Days
Aired April 04, 2003 - 15:42 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Just moments ago, President Bush left the White House. This is video of the president leaving to get on Air Force -- I'm sorry, on Marine One to head out to Camp David, where he will spend the third weekend since the war in Iraq got underway. Joining up there with First lady Laura Bush, the president will presumably get a little rest before he flies on Monday to northern Ireland for a meeting that will run over two days, Monday and Tuesday, with the British prime minister, Tony Blair. Again, those pictures moments ago, President Bush leaving the White House after a meeting with Iraqi Americans.
A New development today in the war on terror. CNN has learned that ongoing counterterrorism investigations could lead to the detention of 20 to 30 more people around the country in the coming days. CNN's justice correspondent Kelli Arena is keeping track of the story -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Judy, that's right. CNN has learned that between 20 and 30 individuals living right here in the United States are believed to have attended terror training camps. Now sources say that information pertaining to these individuals was found and documents retrieved from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sources say that the men have been under surveillance and say that they could soon be taken into custody. Officials say that's because prosecutors are seemingly more willing to pursue people who have attended training camps even without evidence of involvement in a terror plot. Now that's due to the government's success against similar men in Lackawanna, New York; that's according to sources.
Three out of six individuals charged with attending terror training camps have pled guilty to terror-related charges in that case. And more guilty pleas are expected.
Now on another front, the FBI has just about wrapped up its interviews with thousands of Iraqis here in the United States. More than 9,000 of the estimated 11,000 Iraqis have been questioned by FBI agents. Officials say that the interviews have provided some helpful information in regards to the war effort, but not on the terrorism front. Nonetheless, a small number of Iraqis believed to have potential terror ties do remain under surveillance -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: So Kelli, when do we expect to get more information about the results of these interviews with Iraqis in the United States? ARENA: We may get some after the conflict. The information that was provided was more of an intelligence nature. "I spoke to a relative who said that he was told to do this if soldiers came into Baghdad," or "I was told that there's a person living in this neighborhood who has a large cache of weapons."
Intelligence like that, that officials say was helpful. But again, nothing specific or credible on the terror front, which was more of a concern, was trying to find out if there were any specific plans to attack U.S. targets here at home once that conflict erupted.
WOODRUFF: So far nothing tangible that they can...
ARENA: Nothing tangible, but still a great deal of concern and no indication that we'll be moving from our code of orange.
WOODRUFF: All right. Kelli Arena, our justice correspondent, thanks very 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 April 4, 2003 - 15:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Just moments ago, President Bush left the White House. This is video of the president leaving to get on Air Force -- I'm sorry, on Marine One to head out to Camp David, where he will spend the third weekend since the war in Iraq got underway. Joining up there with First lady Laura Bush, the president will presumably get a little rest before he flies on Monday to northern Ireland for a meeting that will run over two days, Monday and Tuesday, with the British prime minister, Tony Blair. Again, those pictures moments ago, President Bush leaving the White House after a meeting with Iraqi Americans.
A New development today in the war on terror. CNN has learned that ongoing counterterrorism investigations could lead to the detention of 20 to 30 more people around the country in the coming days. CNN's justice correspondent Kelli Arena is keeping track of the story -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Judy, that's right. CNN has learned that between 20 and 30 individuals living right here in the United States are believed to have attended terror training camps. Now sources say that information pertaining to these individuals was found and documents retrieved from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sources say that the men have been under surveillance and say that they could soon be taken into custody. Officials say that's because prosecutors are seemingly more willing to pursue people who have attended training camps even without evidence of involvement in a terror plot. Now that's due to the government's success against similar men in Lackawanna, New York; that's according to sources.
Three out of six individuals charged with attending terror training camps have pled guilty to terror-related charges in that case. And more guilty pleas are expected.
Now on another front, the FBI has just about wrapped up its interviews with thousands of Iraqis here in the United States. More than 9,000 of the estimated 11,000 Iraqis have been questioned by FBI agents. Officials say that the interviews have provided some helpful information in regards to the war effort, but not on the terrorism front. Nonetheless, a small number of Iraqis believed to have potential terror ties do remain under surveillance -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: So Kelli, when do we expect to get more information about the results of these interviews with Iraqis in the United States? ARENA: We may get some after the conflict. The information that was provided was more of an intelligence nature. "I spoke to a relative who said that he was told to do this if soldiers came into Baghdad," or "I was told that there's a person living in this neighborhood who has a large cache of weapons."
Intelligence like that, that officials say was helpful. But again, nothing specific or credible on the terror front, which was more of a concern, was trying to find out if there were any specific plans to attack U.S. targets here at home once that conflict erupted.
WOODRUFF: So far nothing tangible that they can...
ARENA: Nothing tangible, but still a great deal of concern and no indication that we'll be moving from our code of orange.
WOODRUFF: All right. Kelli Arena, our justice correspondent, thanks very 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
