Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Al Qaeda Joining Fight in Iraq?

Aired January 30, 2004 - 15:04   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: Is al Qaeda joining the fight in Iraq? The U.S.-led coalition is increasingly convinced that the terrorist organization is behind at least some of the insurgent attacks we've been witnessing there.
CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. officials say large-scale attacks, like the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Iraq last year, the attack on Italian soldiers, and the bombing of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf all bear the fingerprints of this man, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a man they say is linked to al Qaeda.

The officials say they believe Zarqawi moved into Iraq to plan the attacks. That and the recent capture of Hassan Ghul, a key al Qaeda member, as he tried to enter Iraq from Iran, adds to what those officials and military chiefs believe is evidence of a mounting threat from al Qaeda and foreign fighters in general inside Iraq.

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. COMMANDER IN IRAQ: Of course, the capture of Ghul is pretty strong proof that al Qaeda is trying to gain a foothold here to continue their murderous campaigns. Ghul's capture is great news for both the Iraqis, the coalition, and for the international community's war against terror.

HOLMES: Part of the rationale for believing there is a growing influence of al Qaeda in Iraq is the way the U.S. military says insurgents are changing, refining their tactics.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: Any time you have a car bombing, a suicide bombing, you don't typically associate that with what's happening inside of Iraq or homegrown. That gives us an indicator that that's probably somebody from abroad, or somebody who has had some training from abroad. That kind of extremism we don't typically see here in-country.

HOLMES: The arrest of one al Qaeda member is hardly compelling proof of a large-scale offensive by the group. But analysts say proof of any presence of al Qaeda in Iraq will be of great concern to the U.S.

DR. DAVID CLARIDGE, AEGIS DEFENCE: My view is that al Qaeda, in its rhetoric, has talked about going to Iraq and fighting the Americans. I think that al Qaeda sees Iraq as a potential crucible for confrontation with American forces. HOLMES (on camera): One problem facing coalition and Iraqi security forces is Iraq's porous borders. Foreign fighters are known to have crossed into this country from neighbors, like Turkey, Iran and Syria. And right now, there's very little that can be done to stop them.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 January 30, 2004 - 15:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Is al Qaeda joining the fight in Iraq? The U.S.-led coalition is increasingly convinced that the terrorist organization is behind at least some of the insurgent attacks we've been witnessing there.
CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. officials say large-scale attacks, like the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Iraq last year, the attack on Italian soldiers, and the bombing of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf all bear the fingerprints of this man, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a man they say is linked to al Qaeda.

The officials say they believe Zarqawi moved into Iraq to plan the attacks. That and the recent capture of Hassan Ghul, a key al Qaeda member, as he tried to enter Iraq from Iran, adds to what those officials and military chiefs believe is evidence of a mounting threat from al Qaeda and foreign fighters in general inside Iraq.

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. COMMANDER IN IRAQ: Of course, the capture of Ghul is pretty strong proof that al Qaeda is trying to gain a foothold here to continue their murderous campaigns. Ghul's capture is great news for both the Iraqis, the coalition, and for the international community's war against terror.

HOLMES: Part of the rationale for believing there is a growing influence of al Qaeda in Iraq is the way the U.S. military says insurgents are changing, refining their tactics.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: Any time you have a car bombing, a suicide bombing, you don't typically associate that with what's happening inside of Iraq or homegrown. That gives us an indicator that that's probably somebody from abroad, or somebody who has had some training from abroad. That kind of extremism we don't typically see here in-country.

HOLMES: The arrest of one al Qaeda member is hardly compelling proof of a large-scale offensive by the group. But analysts say proof of any presence of al Qaeda in Iraq will be of great concern to the U.S.

DR. DAVID CLARIDGE, AEGIS DEFENCE: My view is that al Qaeda, in its rhetoric, has talked about going to Iraq and fighting the Americans. I think that al Qaeda sees Iraq as a potential crucible for confrontation with American forces. HOLMES (on camera): One problem facing coalition and Iraqi security forces is Iraq's porous borders. Foreign fighters are known to have crossed into this country from neighbors, like Turkey, Iran and Syria. And right now, there's very little that can be done to stop them.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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