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Interview with Scott MacLeod of "TIME" Magazine
Aired May 15, 2003 - 13:09 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: We go to Scott MacLeod, Cairo bureau chief for "TIME" magazine. He's in Riyadh, has been talking to a number of people about what took place in Saudi Arabia.
Scott, tell us what you know.
SCOTT MACLEOD, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, the investigation obviously is stepping up. The FBI is arriving here, just as we speak, to do an assessment of what kind of FBI cooperation can be provided to the Saudis in investigating this.
There are a number of, you know, fronts to look at. One is the question of whether the attack could have been prevented. The information I'm getting, for example, is that, yes, the U.S. did have some specific intelligence that there were going to be attacks.
And in this particular compound, they had discovered a safe house just across the road from the compound, which had led to the concerns that that compound would be hit. But then they staked out that compound. They actually had the people they were watching flee, and they discovered that that was indeed a safe house to be used in an attack. But there was an assumption, apparently, that because they foiled that safe house and exposed it, that the attack on that particular compound maybe would not occur.
So, it's a very difficult thing to, you know, Monday morning quarterback about which attack could have been prevented or not. But the Saudis and the Americans had been cooperating before the attacks. They knew something was afoot. And obviously, in hindsight, this particular compound should have had better security, but it was difficult, really, for them to know out of 1,000 compounds in Saudi Arabia, which one or two or three might be under attack.
PHILLIPS: Now, Scott, Saudi security agencies that investigated this site came out and said that -- quote -- "They had found it had adequate security." How do the Saudis define "adequate security?"
MACLEOD: Well, this particular compound had not only -- these are privately-owned compounds where most, you know, foreigners in the kingdom live. And this particular compound, like all others, had private compound security, you know, employed by the compound itself. And they also, since a few months now, like all other compounds, have had private security companies providing additional security. And then at this particular compound, in addition to that, there was -- because many of the people were employed by the Saudi Air Force, they had Saudi Air Force guards in addition to that. So, I think the layers of security, plus the fact that it's a walled compound with turrets, you know, on the walls to have good observation posts, I think this is what had led the Saudis to believe that the security was adequate. Unfortunately, with such a heavy attack by a number of determined attackers it would have taken substantially more security to have prevented that attack.
But that's what we're seeing today. I've been around to a number of the compounds, and all of the compounds now, in Riyadh anyway -- I can mention these, because I've seen them -- are stepping up their security in a major way.
I went to a compound, for example, that yesterday did not really have any additional armed presence, but today there's a Humvee parked right at the main gate with a .50 caliber machine gun with ammunition mounted on the Humvee.
So, they are taking this seriously now. But there is a very deep concern, as your reporter had mentioned, that this was only the first of a wave of attacks that we may be seeing in Saudi Arabia. So, people are holding their breath right now.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's hope that beefed-up security moves its way to a number of those compounds. Scott MacLeod, bureau chief with "TIME" magazine, joining us by phone in Riyadh there. Thanks so much for your insight, Scott.
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 15, 2003 - 13:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We go to Scott MacLeod, Cairo bureau chief for "TIME" magazine. He's in Riyadh, has been talking to a number of people about what took place in Saudi Arabia.
Scott, tell us what you know.
SCOTT MACLEOD, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, the investigation obviously is stepping up. The FBI is arriving here, just as we speak, to do an assessment of what kind of FBI cooperation can be provided to the Saudis in investigating this.
There are a number of, you know, fronts to look at. One is the question of whether the attack could have been prevented. The information I'm getting, for example, is that, yes, the U.S. did have some specific intelligence that there were going to be attacks.
And in this particular compound, they had discovered a safe house just across the road from the compound, which had led to the concerns that that compound would be hit. But then they staked out that compound. They actually had the people they were watching flee, and they discovered that that was indeed a safe house to be used in an attack. But there was an assumption, apparently, that because they foiled that safe house and exposed it, that the attack on that particular compound maybe would not occur.
So, it's a very difficult thing to, you know, Monday morning quarterback about which attack could have been prevented or not. But the Saudis and the Americans had been cooperating before the attacks. They knew something was afoot. And obviously, in hindsight, this particular compound should have had better security, but it was difficult, really, for them to know out of 1,000 compounds in Saudi Arabia, which one or two or three might be under attack.
PHILLIPS: Now, Scott, Saudi security agencies that investigated this site came out and said that -- quote -- "They had found it had adequate security." How do the Saudis define "adequate security?"
MACLEOD: Well, this particular compound had not only -- these are privately-owned compounds where most, you know, foreigners in the kingdom live. And this particular compound, like all others, had private compound security, you know, employed by the compound itself. And they also, since a few months now, like all other compounds, have had private security companies providing additional security. And then at this particular compound, in addition to that, there was -- because many of the people were employed by the Saudi Air Force, they had Saudi Air Force guards in addition to that. So, I think the layers of security, plus the fact that it's a walled compound with turrets, you know, on the walls to have good observation posts, I think this is what had led the Saudis to believe that the security was adequate. Unfortunately, with such a heavy attack by a number of determined attackers it would have taken substantially more security to have prevented that attack.
But that's what we're seeing today. I've been around to a number of the compounds, and all of the compounds now, in Riyadh anyway -- I can mention these, because I've seen them -- are stepping up their security in a major way.
I went to a compound, for example, that yesterday did not really have any additional armed presence, but today there's a Humvee parked right at the main gate with a .50 caliber machine gun with ammunition mounted on the Humvee.
So, they are taking this seriously now. But there is a very deep concern, as your reporter had mentioned, that this was only the first of a wave of attacks that we may be seeing in Saudi Arabia. So, people are holding their breath right now.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's hope that beefed-up security moves its way to a number of those compounds. Scott MacLeod, bureau chief with "TIME" magazine, joining us by phone in Riyadh there. Thanks so much for your insight, Scott.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
