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CNN: Sr. Admin. Official Says Captured Bali Bomb Suspect
Aired August 14, 2003 - 14:56 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: All right. We're continuing to follow this breaking news story. We have confirmed -- the White House has confirmed to CNN that this man has been arrested, the man behind the Bali bombings. He's known as Hambali. We had just gotten this word in and now we are now able to confirm that he has been arrested.
Our David Ensor joining us now with more information, what led to the arrest and how it all went down -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House officials are confirming to reporters just in the last few minutes, as you mentioned, that this man, Riduan Isamabudian, who is known as Hambali, has been captured. He is in U.S.custody, we are told, at an undisclosed location outside the United States.
Now, officials are not saying much about the circumstances surrounding his capture. They are unwilling to name the location. They say they had the cooperation -- in fact, very much the help, if not the primary role -- by a different nation, which they do not wish to name. Now, this is being described by senior U.S. officials as a very significant development. Officials saying this is probably the highest-ranking al Qaeda member captured since Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who at the time of his capture was the operations chief of the terrorist group, probably No. 3 in the organization. So this is obviously being greeted as extremely good news at the White House and by U.S. intelligence officials.
As I say, he's being held at an undisclosed location by U.S. officials. They want to question him about his role -- believed to be one of the masterminds of the Bali bombing. He's also been said to have been the man who organized a meeting back in Malaysia in January 2000. That was the meeting attended by two of the hijackers, the 9/11 hijackers, at which it is believed that some of the planning for the September 11 attack on the United States was made.
So this is a very key capture, very good news. We may hear more about it from the president, who will be speaking in about half an hour. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. David Ensor, thank you so 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 August 14, 2003 - 14:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're continuing to follow this breaking news story. We have confirmed -- the White House has confirmed to CNN that this man has been arrested, the man behind the Bali bombings. He's known as Hambali. We had just gotten this word in and now we are now able to confirm that he has been arrested.
Our David Ensor joining us now with more information, what led to the arrest and how it all went down -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House officials are confirming to reporters just in the last few minutes, as you mentioned, that this man, Riduan Isamabudian, who is known as Hambali, has been captured. He is in U.S.custody, we are told, at an undisclosed location outside the United States.
Now, officials are not saying much about the circumstances surrounding his capture. They are unwilling to name the location. They say they had the cooperation -- in fact, very much the help, if not the primary role -- by a different nation, which they do not wish to name. Now, this is being described by senior U.S. officials as a very significant development. Officials saying this is probably the highest-ranking al Qaeda member captured since Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who at the time of his capture was the operations chief of the terrorist group, probably No. 3 in the organization. So this is obviously being greeted as extremely good news at the White House and by U.S. intelligence officials.
As I say, he's being held at an undisclosed location by U.S. officials. They want to question him about his role -- believed to be one of the masterminds of the Bali bombing. He's also been said to have been the man who organized a meeting back in Malaysia in January 2000. That was the meeting attended by two of the hijackers, the 9/11 hijackers, at which it is believed that some of the planning for the September 11 attack on the United States was made.
So this is a very key capture, very good news. We may hear more about it from the president, who will be speaking in about half an hour. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. David Ensor, thank you so 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
