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U.S. Names Qatari Man 'Enemy Combatant'
Aired June 23, 2003 - 14:10 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: As we told you just a few moments ago, the attorney general, John Ashcroft, is now declaring someone who is being held by U.S. authorities from Qatar as an enemy combatant and an alleged member of the al Qaeda terrorist group.
For more details on the significance of this, we turn now to CNN's Kelli Arena joining us live from the Justice Department building in Washington.
Hello -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.
Actually, it is the president that made that decision to declare this individual an enemy combatant. He was already in the criminal justice system. His name is Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, and he was indicted back in February for credit card fraud and for making false statements to the FBI.
At that time, we learned that al-Marri had made calls to an al Qaeda operative, al-Hawsawi, who is in custody at an undisclosed location. Based on that information, he was indicted. We are told, though, by Justice Department officials that recent information from al Qaeda detainees prompted this decision. They say in the first place an al Qaeda detainee in a position to know -- they did not name the detainee -- said that al-Marri was an al Qaeda sleeper here in the United States. He was tasked with helping other al Qaeda operatives get in position for major attacks.
That al Qaeda detainee also said that al-Marri was instructed in the use of poisons, although there was no evidence that he was tasked with any chemical or biological attack here in the United States.
Justice officials say that other detainees in custody say that al-Marri attended the al-Farut (ph) terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, that at that time he pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and that he offered to serve as a martyr in a terrorist attack.
Justice, though, would not elaborate on what the issues of national security were that warranted flipping his status from someone within the criminal justice system over to an enemy combatant status. As you know, Miles, there are two other individuals, both American citizens, named as enemy combatants. One is Jose Padilla, the alleged dirty bomber. Both those people have not been charged yet. Padilla was being held as a material witness, according to sources. He did have access to a lawyer, though, before he was sent over to enemy combatant. The second enemy combatant also was never charged criminally. This is the first time that we have seen this happen, someone transferred over from the criminal civilian system into military custody. And at this point, he will lose access to legal counsel, just like Jose Padilla did -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington, thank you 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 June 23, 2003 - 14:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we told you just a few moments ago, the attorney general, John Ashcroft, is now declaring someone who is being held by U.S. authorities from Qatar as an enemy combatant and an alleged member of the al Qaeda terrorist group.
For more details on the significance of this, we turn now to CNN's Kelli Arena joining us live from the Justice Department building in Washington.
Hello -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.
Actually, it is the president that made that decision to declare this individual an enemy combatant. He was already in the criminal justice system. His name is Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, and he was indicted back in February for credit card fraud and for making false statements to the FBI.
At that time, we learned that al-Marri had made calls to an al Qaeda operative, al-Hawsawi, who is in custody at an undisclosed location. Based on that information, he was indicted. We are told, though, by Justice Department officials that recent information from al Qaeda detainees prompted this decision. They say in the first place an al Qaeda detainee in a position to know -- they did not name the detainee -- said that al-Marri was an al Qaeda sleeper here in the United States. He was tasked with helping other al Qaeda operatives get in position for major attacks.
That al Qaeda detainee also said that al-Marri was instructed in the use of poisons, although there was no evidence that he was tasked with any chemical or biological attack here in the United States.
Justice officials say that other detainees in custody say that al-Marri attended the al-Farut (ph) terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, that at that time he pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and that he offered to serve as a martyr in a terrorist attack.
Justice, though, would not elaborate on what the issues of national security were that warranted flipping his status from someone within the criminal justice system over to an enemy combatant status. As you know, Miles, there are two other individuals, both American citizens, named as enemy combatants. One is Jose Padilla, the alleged dirty bomber. Both those people have not been charged yet. Padilla was being held as a material witness, according to sources. He did have access to a lawyer, though, before he was sent over to enemy combatant. The second enemy combatant also was never charged criminally. This is the first time that we have seen this happen, someone transferred over from the criminal civilian system into military custody. And at this point, he will lose access to legal counsel, just like Jose Padilla did -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington, thank you 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.
