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Terror Warning
Aired May 20, 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: Joining us with more on this, our national security correspondent David Ensor.
David, what can you tell us?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, senior U.S. officials are saying there is intelligence suggesting terrorists may be planning a major attack inside the United States.
However, officials say, as they monitor suspected Al Qaeda members talking about future operations, the problem they're having is separating the -- quote -- "wishful thinking and bluster" from discussion of real plots that may be under way.
Still, one knowledgeable official told us the -- quote -- "chatter" suggesting the U.S. is a target is -- quote -- "reasonably spooky stuff." And in a new message to state and local law enforcement, the FBI is warning the terrorist attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Morocco may be a prelude to something in the United States. They said -- quote -- "While these attacks produced a significant loss of life and destruction, recent intelligence suggests the attacks may be a prelude to another attack in the United States."
The State Department is also concerned about the threat of additional attacks in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region. It is closing the U.S. embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia for at least five days. And there's a new advisory to Americans living in Kuwait, which is urging great caution on their part, too.
Officials are saying the information suggesting more terror, either in this country or abroad, is credible, in their view, but none of it is specific as to time, place, or method. And officials of the Bush administration are meeting now to discuss whether or not to raise the homeland security level threat level index from yellow to orange -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, David, it seems to vague. And all it does is add anxiety for all Americans, or those living in the United States. So what do we do? The warnings came out in Saudi Arabia. We saw what happened there. What are folks supposed to do in the U.S.?
ENSOR: You know, we're going to have to wait and hear from Secretary Tom Ridge about that. They have still not decided whether or not to raise the index level. All I can tell you is the senior officials who monitor intelligence very closely, and with whom we speak pretty frequently, are seeing a lot of very worrying material. So we're kind of following this -- we're in the middle of this story, and we're not quite sure yet what to tell Americans about what they can do. All we can do for the moment is tell them what we're hearing.
PHILLIPS: National security correspondent David Ensor, thank you. , 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 20, 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: Joining us with more on this, our national security correspondent David Ensor.
David, what can you tell us?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, senior U.S. officials are saying there is intelligence suggesting terrorists may be planning a major attack inside the United States.
However, officials say, as they monitor suspected Al Qaeda members talking about future operations, the problem they're having is separating the -- quote -- "wishful thinking and bluster" from discussion of real plots that may be under way.
Still, one knowledgeable official told us the -- quote -- "chatter" suggesting the U.S. is a target is -- quote -- "reasonably spooky stuff." And in a new message to state and local law enforcement, the FBI is warning the terrorist attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Morocco may be a prelude to something in the United States. They said -- quote -- "While these attacks produced a significant loss of life and destruction, recent intelligence suggests the attacks may be a prelude to another attack in the United States."
The State Department is also concerned about the threat of additional attacks in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region. It is closing the U.S. embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia for at least five days. And there's a new advisory to Americans living in Kuwait, which is urging great caution on their part, too.
Officials are saying the information suggesting more terror, either in this country or abroad, is credible, in their view, but none of it is specific as to time, place, or method. And officials of the Bush administration are meeting now to discuss whether or not to raise the homeland security level threat level index from yellow to orange -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, David, it seems to vague. And all it does is add anxiety for all Americans, or those living in the United States. So what do we do? The warnings came out in Saudi Arabia. We saw what happened there. What are folks supposed to do in the U.S.?
ENSOR: You know, we're going to have to wait and hear from Secretary Tom Ridge about that. They have still not decided whether or not to raise the index level. All I can tell you is the senior officials who monitor intelligence very closely, and with whom we speak pretty frequently, are seeing a lot of very worrying material. So we're kind of following this -- we're in the middle of this story, and we're not quite sure yet what to tell Americans about what they can do. All we can do for the moment is tell them what we're hearing.
PHILLIPS: National security correspondent David Ensor, thank you. , TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
