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One of World's Biggest Airlines Shutting Down Service to Saudi Arabia

Aired August 13, 2003 - 13:00   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: First, possible dangers of flying both hear and abroad. In this country, the arrest of an arms dealer is prompting new concerns about shoulder-fired missiles. Overseas, one of the world's biggest airlines is shutting down service to Saudi Arabia, amid reports of possible plots to down one of its planes.
We'll start in London. CNN's Tony Campion tells us more about the decision announce today by British airways -- Tony.

TONY CAMPION, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, what British Airways has done is reacted to information that it's been passed by the British government that Department of Transport informed it of credible intelligence that it had received about a serious threat to British aircraft operating in Saudi Arabia. British Airways response, cancel all flights to and from Riyadh and Jeddah with immediate effect.

Now those conversations and that action took place in the past few hours this Wednesday. It Followed interesting information on Tuesday, and pertained to an arrest that happened on Monday in Saudi Arabia. This is how the information unfolded: A senior Saudi official spoke to U.S. journalists in Washington on Tuesday, and he spoke of the arrest of 10 persons in Saudi Arabia on Monday, referred to them as a major cell in quotes, a major terrorist cell. Analysts had been speaking of them as Al Qaeda operatives, potentially. Those 10 people, he said, have a British target in mind. A U.S. official speaking since then has confirmed the 10 arrests, as we know, and has stated furthermore that the target in mind was, to all intents and purposes, was a British aircraft.

What happened was that in the raid, material was seized which indicated they certainly had an interest in British aircraft at that stage. So the Saudis briefed the British government. The British government briefed British Airways. British Airways took what it must have seen as the only course of action available to it, and canceled all flights with immediate affect.

PHILLIPS: Tony Campion, out of London, thank you.

Now the possible threat to domestic air travel. The purported plot to sneak a shoulder-fired missile in this country appears bigger than first suspected. Several people have now appeared in the court, and the government says their long-range plans included many more missiles.

CNN's homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve standing by live in Washington with the very latest -- Jeanne. JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, court appearances, court documents, and a law enforcement press conference all providing new detail about this sting operation and the three individuals arrested. It began when an alleged significant international arms dealer, Hekmat Lakhani, a British citizen, born in India, made contact with an individual who was a cooperating witness of the joint terrorism task force in Newark, New Jersey, offering to sell shoulder- fired missiles. This witness posed as a representative of a Somali group who wanted to bring down a U.S. commercial airliner. According to court documents, there were about 150 conversations between the two men, many of them audio and tape-recorded.

Lakhani, said the U.S. attorney, was willing, even eager, to close a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, U.S. ATTORNEY: There was no question that Mr. Lakhani was someone who was sympathetic to the beliefs of the terrorists who were trying to do damage to our country. As is detailed in the criminal complaint, he, on many occasions in recorded conversations, referred to Americans as "bastards," Osama bin Laden as a hero who had done something right and set the Americans straight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: An SA-18 shoulder-fired missile, a dummy, was provided by the Russians, but law enforcement says this was just a sample. According to court documents, Lakhani told suppliers he would like to buy 50 more of the missiles for the deal to be worth his while, and he suggested a downpayment of $500,000. He also made inquiries about a multi-ton quantity of C-4 plastic explosives.

Two other individuals appearing today are alleged to have handled the money side of the transaction. One of them came in from Malaysia within the last 48 hours. Prosecutors believed to help handle that very large $500,000 downpayment, which, by the way, was never made. It was due to have been made yesterday.

Officials do stress several things here. One, the degree of international cooperation, particularly on the part of the Russians. Without that, they said this operation could not have succeeded. They also emphasize the missile which was ship to the U.S. was not operational. At all times, it was under the control of the authorities. And at no time, was the public under threat.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Jeanne Meserve, 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




Saudi Arabia>


Aired August 13, 2003 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First, possible dangers of flying both hear and abroad. In this country, the arrest of an arms dealer is prompting new concerns about shoulder-fired missiles. Overseas, one of the world's biggest airlines is shutting down service to Saudi Arabia, amid reports of possible plots to down one of its planes.
We'll start in London. CNN's Tony Campion tells us more about the decision announce today by British airways -- Tony.

TONY CAMPION, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, what British Airways has done is reacted to information that it's been passed by the British government that Department of Transport informed it of credible intelligence that it had received about a serious threat to British aircraft operating in Saudi Arabia. British Airways response, cancel all flights to and from Riyadh and Jeddah with immediate effect.

Now those conversations and that action took place in the past few hours this Wednesday. It Followed interesting information on Tuesday, and pertained to an arrest that happened on Monday in Saudi Arabia. This is how the information unfolded: A senior Saudi official spoke to U.S. journalists in Washington on Tuesday, and he spoke of the arrest of 10 persons in Saudi Arabia on Monday, referred to them as a major cell in quotes, a major terrorist cell. Analysts had been speaking of them as Al Qaeda operatives, potentially. Those 10 people, he said, have a British target in mind. A U.S. official speaking since then has confirmed the 10 arrests, as we know, and has stated furthermore that the target in mind was, to all intents and purposes, was a British aircraft.

What happened was that in the raid, material was seized which indicated they certainly had an interest in British aircraft at that stage. So the Saudis briefed the British government. The British government briefed British Airways. British Airways took what it must have seen as the only course of action available to it, and canceled all flights with immediate affect.

PHILLIPS: Tony Campion, out of London, thank you.

Now the possible threat to domestic air travel. The purported plot to sneak a shoulder-fired missile in this country appears bigger than first suspected. Several people have now appeared in the court, and the government says their long-range plans included many more missiles.

CNN's homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve standing by live in Washington with the very latest -- Jeanne. JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, court appearances, court documents, and a law enforcement press conference all providing new detail about this sting operation and the three individuals arrested. It began when an alleged significant international arms dealer, Hekmat Lakhani, a British citizen, born in India, made contact with an individual who was a cooperating witness of the joint terrorism task force in Newark, New Jersey, offering to sell shoulder- fired missiles. This witness posed as a representative of a Somali group who wanted to bring down a U.S. commercial airliner. According to court documents, there were about 150 conversations between the two men, many of them audio and tape-recorded.

Lakhani, said the U.S. attorney, was willing, even eager, to close a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, U.S. ATTORNEY: There was no question that Mr. Lakhani was someone who was sympathetic to the beliefs of the terrorists who were trying to do damage to our country. As is detailed in the criminal complaint, he, on many occasions in recorded conversations, referred to Americans as "bastards," Osama bin Laden as a hero who had done something right and set the Americans straight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: An SA-18 shoulder-fired missile, a dummy, was provided by the Russians, but law enforcement says this was just a sample. According to court documents, Lakhani told suppliers he would like to buy 50 more of the missiles for the deal to be worth his while, and he suggested a downpayment of $500,000. He also made inquiries about a multi-ton quantity of C-4 plastic explosives.

Two other individuals appearing today are alleged to have handled the money side of the transaction. One of them came in from Malaysia within the last 48 hours. Prosecutors believed to help handle that very large $500,000 downpayment, which, by the way, was never made. It was due to have been made yesterday.

Officials do stress several things here. One, the degree of international cooperation, particularly on the part of the Russians. Without that, they said this operation could not have succeeded. They also emphasize the missile which was ship to the U.S. was not operational. At all times, it was under the control of the authorities. And at no time, was the public under threat.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Jeanne Meserve, 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




Saudi Arabia>