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Videotape Shows 9/11 Terror Cell at Wedding Reception

Aired May 07, 2003 - 14:40   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: Authorities say there were celebrating a wedding, and some of them were planning an attack on America about the same time. A videotape of a 1999 wedding reception in Hamburg, Germany giving investigators a close-up look at the inner workings of al Qaeda.
Mike Boettcher takes a look for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The video shows us members of the now infamous Hamburg al Qaeda cell that investigators believe was the core group of the 9/11 hijackings. The groom in the October 1999 wedding reception in Hamburg, Germany is Said Bahaji, who German authorities accuse of helping plot the New York and Washington attacks. He fled Hamburg just days before 9/11 and is still at large.

Seated to his right, Ramzi Binalshibh, a key al Qaeda figure who investigators believe played a major role in masterminding the terrorist plot. He was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan exactly one year after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.

During the reception, Binalshibh comments that all in attendance were part of a class for which there would be a test. "There will be some who pass and some who fail," he said.

Marwan Alshehhi, who was one of the hijackers of United Flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center building, is standing on the far right of the group, which is singing to the groom. Also at the reception, Ziad Jarrah, a hijacker of United Flight 93, that crashed into a Pennsylvania field. Hijack leader Mohamed Atta is not seen in the video, but investigators believe he was also present. As was Mahmoun Darkanzali, who was under investigation by German police for funneling money to the group. He denies any terrorist involvement.

The videotape has been in the hands of German authorities for many months, but was recently released to lawyers representing the families of those who died in the 9/11 attacks. For investigators, lawyers and families, it provides a rare glimpse of the mysterious Hamburg cell that was celebrating a wedding at the same time they were believed to be plotting an attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: At the time of that wedding party, the plan for 9/11 was well advanced, and soon those hijackers you saw there were on their way to the United States to begin flight training -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Mike, it's chilling just to see it. But aside from that, offering us kind of some depth and detail about all of it, of what use is it to investigators?

BOETTCHER: I think it's been of great use already by the Germans, who have had it for quite some time. They were able to check stories of people who said they weren't associated with this infamous Hamburg cell and they were able to talk to the people who were there to find out more people who may have been involved.

One of the people they were looking at is that financier. He is believed to have funneled money to al Qaeda. He denies it. The Germans think he did. So it was of great use to both the Germans and the Americans -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Do we know where most of these people are?

BOETTCHER: No. The man who got married has disappeared. We know where Ramzi Binalshibh is. He's in U.S. custody. Two of the hijackers we saw on video, they died. Mohamed Atta, who was not seen on the video, but is believed to have been at that wedding, he is dead. And some of those other people in there are still in Germany, but a lot of people have disappeared since then.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. Interesting how they all disappeared. Is it safe to say, though, that it is -- from an investigative standpoint, it's been used up?

BOETTCHER: I think so. The lawyers for the victims of 9/11 believe they can use it in court to try to prove liability against certain parties who may have played a role in the 9/11 plot, and it could be of great value to them.

I believe that its intelligence value has already been used up, right now, by the U.S. and the Germans, but it does give us some interesting insight on how these cells work, how closely associated they were. I mean, there was talk earlier that cells, they stayed apart from each other all the time. Well, obviously, there were a lot of them there in one room. They weren't worried about being detected at the time, and then they went their separate ways.

O'BRIEN: Not as compartmentalized as first thought. All right. Mike Boettcher, thank you very much. Fascinating stuff.

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 May 7, 2003 - 14:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities say there were celebrating a wedding, and some of them were planning an attack on America about the same time. A videotape of a 1999 wedding reception in Hamburg, Germany giving investigators a close-up look at the inner workings of al Qaeda.
Mike Boettcher takes a look for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The video shows us members of the now infamous Hamburg al Qaeda cell that investigators believe was the core group of the 9/11 hijackings. The groom in the October 1999 wedding reception in Hamburg, Germany is Said Bahaji, who German authorities accuse of helping plot the New York and Washington attacks. He fled Hamburg just days before 9/11 and is still at large.

Seated to his right, Ramzi Binalshibh, a key al Qaeda figure who investigators believe played a major role in masterminding the terrorist plot. He was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan exactly one year after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.

During the reception, Binalshibh comments that all in attendance were part of a class for which there would be a test. "There will be some who pass and some who fail," he said.

Marwan Alshehhi, who was one of the hijackers of United Flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center building, is standing on the far right of the group, which is singing to the groom. Also at the reception, Ziad Jarrah, a hijacker of United Flight 93, that crashed into a Pennsylvania field. Hijack leader Mohamed Atta is not seen in the video, but investigators believe he was also present. As was Mahmoun Darkanzali, who was under investigation by German police for funneling money to the group. He denies any terrorist involvement.

The videotape has been in the hands of German authorities for many months, but was recently released to lawyers representing the families of those who died in the 9/11 attacks. For investigators, lawyers and families, it provides a rare glimpse of the mysterious Hamburg cell that was celebrating a wedding at the same time they were believed to be plotting an attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: At the time of that wedding party, the plan for 9/11 was well advanced, and soon those hijackers you saw there were on their way to the United States to begin flight training -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Mike, it's chilling just to see it. But aside from that, offering us kind of some depth and detail about all of it, of what use is it to investigators?

BOETTCHER: I think it's been of great use already by the Germans, who have had it for quite some time. They were able to check stories of people who said they weren't associated with this infamous Hamburg cell and they were able to talk to the people who were there to find out more people who may have been involved.

One of the people they were looking at is that financier. He is believed to have funneled money to al Qaeda. He denies it. The Germans think he did. So it was of great use to both the Germans and the Americans -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Do we know where most of these people are?

BOETTCHER: No. The man who got married has disappeared. We know where Ramzi Binalshibh is. He's in U.S. custody. Two of the hijackers we saw on video, they died. Mohamed Atta, who was not seen on the video, but is believed to have been at that wedding, he is dead. And some of those other people in there are still in Germany, but a lot of people have disappeared since then.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. Interesting how they all disappeared. Is it safe to say, though, that it is -- from an investigative standpoint, it's been used up?

BOETTCHER: I think so. The lawyers for the victims of 9/11 believe they can use it in court to try to prove liability against certain parties who may have played a role in the 9/11 plot, and it could be of great value to them.

I believe that its intelligence value has already been used up, right now, by the U.S. and the Germans, but it does give us some interesting insight on how these cells work, how closely associated they were. I mean, there was talk earlier that cells, they stayed apart from each other all the time. Well, obviously, there were a lot of them there in one room. They weren't worried about being detected at the time, and then they went their separate ways.

O'BRIEN: Not as compartmentalized as first thought. All right. Mike Boettcher, thank you very much. Fascinating stuff.

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