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Plotting 9/11
Aired September 22, 2003 - 13:21 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 window now on terror from the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Government sources tell CNN Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is giving up some secrets about how 9/11 was conceived and planned. National security correspondent David Ensor joining us now with some details in all of this.
David, any surprises in all of this?
DAVID ENSOR, NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, some disturbing thoughts at least of what was going to be attempted. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, according to the U.S. government sources, talking to myself and to Kelli Arena, my colleague, are telling us that the initial plot discussed by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed with Osama bin Laden back in 1996 was to involve the hijack of five aircraft on each of the U.S. coasts. Five on the East Coast, five on the West Coast. One of the targets on the West Coast according to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, these sources say, was the tallest building in California, which he described as a bank building in San Francisco.
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed also telling his interrogators in the final run-up to the 9/11 plot, the plan was for 22 hijackers to run four planes into targets, and then that would be followed up by a second wave of attacks, possibly overseas, in any case, with the assistance of some Al Qaeda associates in Southeast Asia.
Now, another senior Al Qaeda operative who's a prisoner of the United States, a man named Hambali, has also told investigators according to our sources, that there was an upcoming plot to try to attack two important -- two major hotels in downtown Bangkok at the time of the Asian-Pacific Summit. This was a summit that's upcoming and President Bush is planning to attend. So Hambali telling his interrogators that there were plans by Al Qaeda to attack two important hotels during the summit.
So these are some of the first details coming out and being confirmed by sources that Kelli and I trust about what these two top Al Qaeda people are saying to their interrogators -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, quickly, here, David, we are running out of time, and I know this is not an easy one to do quickly, but give it a try. Interesting point here about the Saudi connection, or perhaps lack thereof. Supposedly Mohammed is saying he did not know this Omar Bayumi, a Saudi who supposedly provided support to some of the hijackers what does that mean? What does that mean?
ENSOR: Well, what it means is that he was higher up in the structure and he didn't know the support staff, is basically I think what it means. He had never heard of the name Bayumi. But further down in the organization, it would appear at least, that this man, Omar Bayumi, was tasked to help two of the hijackers in California.
Now 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, and he has said that bin Laden wanted that to be the case so as to try to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the United States, at least that's according to these sources.
O'BRIEN: Interesting, because there is some indication that the Saudis were chosen because they can get in the U.S. easier. You think it's more the wedge issue?
ENSOR: Well, I can only tell you what officials are telling us Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has allegedly said to them.
O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, David Ensor. Thanks for helping us sort that out. Appreciate it.
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 22, 2003 - 13:21 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 window now on terror from the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Government sources tell CNN Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is giving up some secrets about how 9/11 was conceived and planned. National security correspondent David Ensor joining us now with some details in all of this.
David, any surprises in all of this?
DAVID ENSOR, NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, some disturbing thoughts at least of what was going to be attempted. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, according to the U.S. government sources, talking to myself and to Kelli Arena, my colleague, are telling us that the initial plot discussed by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed with Osama bin Laden back in 1996 was to involve the hijack of five aircraft on each of the U.S. coasts. Five on the East Coast, five on the West Coast. One of the targets on the West Coast according to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, these sources say, was the tallest building in California, which he described as a bank building in San Francisco.
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed also telling his interrogators in the final run-up to the 9/11 plot, the plan was for 22 hijackers to run four planes into targets, and then that would be followed up by a second wave of attacks, possibly overseas, in any case, with the assistance of some Al Qaeda associates in Southeast Asia.
Now, another senior Al Qaeda operative who's a prisoner of the United States, a man named Hambali, has also told investigators according to our sources, that there was an upcoming plot to try to attack two important -- two major hotels in downtown Bangkok at the time of the Asian-Pacific Summit. This was a summit that's upcoming and President Bush is planning to attend. So Hambali telling his interrogators that there were plans by Al Qaeda to attack two important hotels during the summit.
So these are some of the first details coming out and being confirmed by sources that Kelli and I trust about what these two top Al Qaeda people are saying to their interrogators -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, quickly, here, David, we are running out of time, and I know this is not an easy one to do quickly, but give it a try. Interesting point here about the Saudi connection, or perhaps lack thereof. Supposedly Mohammed is saying he did not know this Omar Bayumi, a Saudi who supposedly provided support to some of the hijackers what does that mean? What does that mean?
ENSOR: Well, what it means is that he was higher up in the structure and he didn't know the support staff, is basically I think what it means. He had never heard of the name Bayumi. But further down in the organization, it would appear at least, that this man, Omar Bayumi, was tasked to help two of the hijackers in California.
Now 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, and he has said that bin Laden wanted that to be the case so as to try to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the United States, at least that's according to these sources.
O'BRIEN: Interesting, because there is some indication that the Saudis were chosen because they can get in the U.S. easier. You think it's more the wedge issue?
ENSOR: Well, I can only tell you what officials are telling us Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has allegedly said to them.
O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, David Ensor. Thanks for helping us sort that out. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
