Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

FBI Releases Worldwide Alert on Terrorism Threats

Aired September 05, 2003 - 14:30   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: Some al Qaeda detainees are reportedly the source of some information that has prompted a worldwide alert from the FBI. New information on that now from CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena joining us from Washington. Hello, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles. Well the FBI says that there is information that suggested that four men are involved in terrorist activity. They put out a worldwide be on the lookout.

Officials say the information on the men came from actually variety of sources, include detainees. And they say they do not believe that the four are working together as a group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN PISTOLE, FBI COUNTERRORISM DEPT.: The intelligence that we have indicates that they are likely operating independently of one another, which makes it more of a challenge for us and also gives us reason to want to get this information out to the public and to our partners around the world that these people may be in their area, as opposed to in the United States and are most likely not together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Officials say that the whereabouts of the four are unknown and there is no information suggesting that they are in the United States.

Now, two of the four are familiar names. Be on the lookouts have been posted for them in the past. One of them, Adan Shukrijumah, is especially worrisome to law enforcement and is described as someone who could be a leader of a terror cell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PISTOLE: He is of significant concern to us because of his similarities to Mohammed Atta in terms of his ability to, we believe, pilot an aircraft, his fluency in English, his familiarity with the United States and his ability to use false documents, perhaps, to get into the United States undetected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Shukrijumah's ability to fly is especially worrisome in light of the latest alert from Homeland Security warning that al Qaeda maintains an interests in attacking commercial aircraft.

What's more, there has been a general uptick in threat information coming in suggesting that al Qaeda could be planning multiple attacks on the United States. Miles, back to you

O'BRIEN: Kelli, square this with the report you had yesterday where the FBI said there were literally hundreds of possible of al Qaeda suspects under surveillance right now. And yet in spite of all that we've been talking about, no specific plots have been uncovered.

ARENA: Well that's right. And the bottom line for all of this is that there's nothing specific about any of it, nothing date specific, nothing target specific.

The people that are here in the United States that are under surveillance are people who are described that who, for the most part, would be in support roles, either doing fund-raising or providing logistical support or recruiting efforts that are under way here in the U.S.

And of course the reason that the FBI is not moving in on these individuals is because it's considered there is more to be learned in watching and keeping them under active surveillance than actually coming in and arresting them for some violation.

So all of this, Miles, is interconnected. And it's all leading to the general concern of, you know, what is out there? What doesn't the FBI know which is more of the concern than what it does know. And is there an attack being planned that could be imminent?

Again, nothing specific, but a lot of high-level officials expressing grave concern at this point.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington. Thank you very much.

ARENA: You're welcome, Miles.

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 September 5, 2003 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Some al Qaeda detainees are reportedly the source of some information that has prompted a worldwide alert from the FBI. New information on that now from CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena joining us from Washington. Hello, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles. Well the FBI says that there is information that suggested that four men are involved in terrorist activity. They put out a worldwide be on the lookout.

Officials say the information on the men came from actually variety of sources, include detainees. And they say they do not believe that the four are working together as a group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN PISTOLE, FBI COUNTERRORISM DEPT.: The intelligence that we have indicates that they are likely operating independently of one another, which makes it more of a challenge for us and also gives us reason to want to get this information out to the public and to our partners around the world that these people may be in their area, as opposed to in the United States and are most likely not together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Officials say that the whereabouts of the four are unknown and there is no information suggesting that they are in the United States.

Now, two of the four are familiar names. Be on the lookouts have been posted for them in the past. One of them, Adan Shukrijumah, is especially worrisome to law enforcement and is described as someone who could be a leader of a terror cell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PISTOLE: He is of significant concern to us because of his similarities to Mohammed Atta in terms of his ability to, we believe, pilot an aircraft, his fluency in English, his familiarity with the United States and his ability to use false documents, perhaps, to get into the United States undetected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Shukrijumah's ability to fly is especially worrisome in light of the latest alert from Homeland Security warning that al Qaeda maintains an interests in attacking commercial aircraft.

What's more, there has been a general uptick in threat information coming in suggesting that al Qaeda could be planning multiple attacks on the United States. Miles, back to you

O'BRIEN: Kelli, square this with the report you had yesterday where the FBI said there were literally hundreds of possible of al Qaeda suspects under surveillance right now. And yet in spite of all that we've been talking about, no specific plots have been uncovered.

ARENA: Well that's right. And the bottom line for all of this is that there's nothing specific about any of it, nothing date specific, nothing target specific.

The people that are here in the United States that are under surveillance are people who are described that who, for the most part, would be in support roles, either doing fund-raising or providing logistical support or recruiting efforts that are under way here in the U.S.

And of course the reason that the FBI is not moving in on these individuals is because it's considered there is more to be learned in watching and keeping them under active surveillance than actually coming in and arresting them for some violation.

So all of this, Miles, is interconnected. And it's all leading to the general concern of, you know, what is out there? What doesn't the FBI know which is more of the concern than what it does know. And is there an attack being planned that could be imminent?

Again, nothing specific, but a lot of high-level officials expressing grave concern at this point.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington. Thank you very much.

ARENA: You're welcome, Miles.

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