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Purported Message from Al Qaeda

Aired May 21, 2003 - 14:13   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: A new message from Al Qaeda today. Well, at least that's what the Arabic network Al-Jazeera says -- is on an audiotape that aired this morning. On it, the purported voice of Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, Ayman Al Zawahiri. It calls on Muslims to attack Western interests.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson -- not so easy for me to say -- has been taking a look at this tape and has some insights for us. What's your sense of it, Nic? Does it appear to be a genuine article?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: It appears to be a very clear message, but it's not clear if it's coming from Al Zawahiri. The voice on the tape, number one, is younger than Al Zawahiri is. The message is heavily edited. It's a four-minute message, but there are cuts all over the tape. It is given an Egyptian-accented Arabic. Now Al Zawahiri is an Egyptian. Maybe it could be him. There is also a lot of background noise. At one point, you hear a child crying in the background, but it absolutely calls on Muslims in the world to attack U.S., British, Australian and, for the first time, Norwegian targets -- Norwegian embassies, Norwegian institutions -- the same for the British, the same for the United States, the same for the Australians as well.

O'BRIEN: And that, as a lay person listening to that, that seems to be what's wrong with this picture, Norway. How did Norway get pulled into this?

ROBERTSON: This isn't not clear. Even Norwegian intelligence officials are scratching their head today over this one. They don't know. And we've talked to some of them. They don't know why they've been called into this.

Now there are Norwegian troops in Afghanistan. That could be it. There were other, Nordic, Scandinavian, let's say, countries involved in the coalition inside Iraq. Maybe there was a level of confusion inside Al Qaeda. That possible, unlikely. The message hints at future attacks, but it's not clear when it was recorded. Maybe the reference the attacks in Morocco, Saudi Arabia last week. We don't know.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right, let's assume for a moment that it is genuine. Why don't we listen to an excerpt of it, and maybe you can give us some insights as to how this message may be different from the past. It doesn't sound different other than the Norway angle.

ROBERTSON: Indeed, this message very clearly telling the people, in this particular episode here, telling the people that protesting is no good. They've got to stand up and fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Protests, demonstrations and consciousness will not be enough. You will only benefit by taking arms and using them against the enemies, the Americans and the Jews. Protests are a waste of time. They will not protect you threatened sacred patrimony, and they will repel an occupying enemy, and will not deter a shrewd aggressor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: NOW we've heard this also before from Al Qaeda...

O'BRIEN: Doesn't sound like new rhetoric.

ROBERTSON: This doesn't sound like new rhetoric. There is an element here that's a reference to the people of Iraq in there as well, telling them, look, we've defeated these crusaders, as they call the United States and the coalition, we've defeated them before, we're hear to help you, our fighters are Mujahedeen; and interesting, our Mujahadeen not only inside Palestine, not only inside Afghanistan, but inside the United States, it says, and inside other Western countries, the hint that other terror cells are still there.

O'BRIEN: Al Zawahiri, give us a sense what his role would be, making perhaps an analogy to a corporation, although that may not be apt in the case of Al Qaeda. But what is his role, if in fact he is alive?

ROBERTSON: Key chief adviser to Osama bin Laden, if in fact he is still alive. That's not clear. He is a medical doctor. He comes -- he's been essentially an extremist pretty much all his adult life. He has been, many people say, the brains behind Osama bin Laden, focusing his message. And this, a message to rally troops. We've heard it before. But like any corporation, you need to provide that morale. You need to rally the troops. And as we've seen with Al Qaeda before, often telegraphing their next punch, something is coming, sometimes even the message itself, the call for the group cells to activate.

O'BRIEN: So what's your best sense of it? Is there some centralized structure in Al Qaeda which is calling the shots right now, and perhaps creating this succession of attacks that we've been witnessing unfold?

ROBERTSON: That's very difficult to say, because, number one, we're not sure if this is Zawahiri or not. If it is, then it does hint at a stronger, tighter control from the leadership. The reason being there have been rumors in the Middle East recently that Al Zawahiri may be dead. Perhaps that's why he's giving the message and not Osama bin Laden. But if it isn't him, maybe this is an indication that there were other, more radical elements within Al Qaeda, who want to get the message out now, who want to do something right now. We don't know.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Nic Robertson, thank you very much. Good to have you here.

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 21, 2003 - 14:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A new message from Al Qaeda today. Well, at least that's what the Arabic network Al-Jazeera says -- is on an audiotape that aired this morning. On it, the purported voice of Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, Ayman Al Zawahiri. It calls on Muslims to attack Western interests.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson -- not so easy for me to say -- has been taking a look at this tape and has some insights for us. What's your sense of it, Nic? Does it appear to be a genuine article?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: It appears to be a very clear message, but it's not clear if it's coming from Al Zawahiri. The voice on the tape, number one, is younger than Al Zawahiri is. The message is heavily edited. It's a four-minute message, but there are cuts all over the tape. It is given an Egyptian-accented Arabic. Now Al Zawahiri is an Egyptian. Maybe it could be him. There is also a lot of background noise. At one point, you hear a child crying in the background, but it absolutely calls on Muslims in the world to attack U.S., British, Australian and, for the first time, Norwegian targets -- Norwegian embassies, Norwegian institutions -- the same for the British, the same for the United States, the same for the Australians as well.

O'BRIEN: And that, as a lay person listening to that, that seems to be what's wrong with this picture, Norway. How did Norway get pulled into this?

ROBERTSON: This isn't not clear. Even Norwegian intelligence officials are scratching their head today over this one. They don't know. And we've talked to some of them. They don't know why they've been called into this.

Now there are Norwegian troops in Afghanistan. That could be it. There were other, Nordic, Scandinavian, let's say, countries involved in the coalition inside Iraq. Maybe there was a level of confusion inside Al Qaeda. That possible, unlikely. The message hints at future attacks, but it's not clear when it was recorded. Maybe the reference the attacks in Morocco, Saudi Arabia last week. We don't know.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right, let's assume for a moment that it is genuine. Why don't we listen to an excerpt of it, and maybe you can give us some insights as to how this message may be different from the past. It doesn't sound different other than the Norway angle.

ROBERTSON: Indeed, this message very clearly telling the people, in this particular episode here, telling the people that protesting is no good. They've got to stand up and fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Protests, demonstrations and consciousness will not be enough. You will only benefit by taking arms and using them against the enemies, the Americans and the Jews. Protests are a waste of time. They will not protect you threatened sacred patrimony, and they will repel an occupying enemy, and will not deter a shrewd aggressor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: NOW we've heard this also before from Al Qaeda...

O'BRIEN: Doesn't sound like new rhetoric.

ROBERTSON: This doesn't sound like new rhetoric. There is an element here that's a reference to the people of Iraq in there as well, telling them, look, we've defeated these crusaders, as they call the United States and the coalition, we've defeated them before, we're hear to help you, our fighters are Mujahedeen; and interesting, our Mujahadeen not only inside Palestine, not only inside Afghanistan, but inside the United States, it says, and inside other Western countries, the hint that other terror cells are still there.

O'BRIEN: Al Zawahiri, give us a sense what his role would be, making perhaps an analogy to a corporation, although that may not be apt in the case of Al Qaeda. But what is his role, if in fact he is alive?

ROBERTSON: Key chief adviser to Osama bin Laden, if in fact he is still alive. That's not clear. He is a medical doctor. He comes -- he's been essentially an extremist pretty much all his adult life. He has been, many people say, the brains behind Osama bin Laden, focusing his message. And this, a message to rally troops. We've heard it before. But like any corporation, you need to provide that morale. You need to rally the troops. And as we've seen with Al Qaeda before, often telegraphing their next punch, something is coming, sometimes even the message itself, the call for the group cells to activate.

O'BRIEN: So what's your best sense of it? Is there some centralized structure in Al Qaeda which is calling the shots right now, and perhaps creating this succession of attacks that we've been witnessing unfold?

ROBERTSON: That's very difficult to say, because, number one, we're not sure if this is Zawahiri or not. If it is, then it does hint at a stronger, tighter control from the leadership. The reason being there have been rumors in the Middle East recently that Al Zawahiri may be dead. Perhaps that's why he's giving the message and not Osama bin Laden. But if it isn't him, maybe this is an indication that there were other, more radical elements within Al Qaeda, who want to get the message out now, who want to do something right now. We don't know.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Nic Robertson, thank you very much. Good to have you here.

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