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London Terror Suspect Talking With Interrogators About Tactics; What Are Keys to Success to Living Longer?

Aired August 01, 2005 - 13:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A London terror suspect is talking with interrogators about tactics. That's the focus of the CNN Security Watch today. On Friday, we saw the dramatic raid of two suspects in the most recent London attacks. Today we're learning that another suspect tied to that same attack, Hamdi Adus Isaac, is revealing more about who's involved, the methods they use and how ill- prepared the United States remains four years after the war on terror was launched. We're talking it all out with our military intelligence analyst Ken Robinson.
Ken, great to see you.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I guess this is just one more reason, or one more factor to prove, that truly if they don't die, they're cowards.

ROBINSON: Well, you know, the problem that we have, Kyra, is that we're facing a threat that doesn't have a flag. It doesn't have a country. We don't have an army to bomb in retaliation. We're facing an ideology that's spreading its information all over the world across the Internet.

PHILLIPS: So the fact that he is talking and he's giving so many specifics, this is a great thing. I can't remember the last time you and I talked about an insurgent or a terrorist giving so much information, and then hearing about it.

PHILLIPS: Well, there are multiple degrees of terrorists that are threatening the West. And this group is a group that is confirming our worst fears, that there's a group of what we call wannabes out there who are not tied specifically to Al Qaeda, but subscribe to its ideology, and want to also show that they're in the game. They are leaderless, in that they don't have a central group of people guiding them, but they derive the information and they derive their motivation from hate ideology, from preaching hate, and also from information available on the Internet.

PHILLIPS: Now, you talked about these individuals. Basically they are leaderless cells. And in just the past couple of days we've been talking about virtual terrorism. They're not coming together in camps. These are not all individuals under one rule of Osama Bin Laden, and now the military and governments are saying, we're going to start infiltrating these Web sites, we're going to shut down these Web sites, and we're going to pay more attention to what's being said and how things are being distributed. So what, I guess, what needs to be done now to start cracking down more on the virtual terrorism? This suspect even coming forward talking about what he got from the Internet and what he was able to put on the Internet.

ROBINSON: Well, it's going to be a two-edged sword for this, because news media and government intelligence services have been monitoring the Web sites for some time, to try to learn who are the groups which are sponsoring the Internet service providers, which disseminate the information. They have the capability to shut these sites down, but as soon as they do that, they no longer have the capability to monitor these individuals. Tightening down the numbers -- I believe there's about 10 now that are really up and still running -- gives the governments of the world an opportunity to focus their resources better. But we've seen with these Al Qaeda groups, they continually lift and shift to a new tactic and so we don't know what that new tactic will be as we push them off the Net.

PHILLIPS: What -- so how do you find that balance, of what do you monitor? What do you keep up and running to monitor? And what do you jump in and shut down?

ROBINSON: I think the most important sites that they need to shutdown are these inflammatory sites that give specific information, how to attack a Western city, where they give a how-to, step-by-step guide to plan, because these small groups of cells, who are ideologically like-minded can pick up that how-to cookbook and execute is effortlessly. So it's getting that information out of the hands of wannabes is very important.

PHILLIPS: All right, another subject you and I have been talking about, and that, of course, is bioterror. A number of articles coming out today, a number of reports coming out today, billions of dollars spent on dealing with bioterror, and still Homeland Security officials saying, we're not ready.

ROBINSON: Well, the United States government has spent an enormous amount of time and effort in training 120 of the largest cities in the nation, but through what they call the Nunn-Lugar- Domenici Act of Congress, additionally they've had several bioterrorism exercises, and what they've recognized is, is that it may be impossible to be ready for an attack. And the reason is, is terrorists get to make a vote. They get to decide the when and where. And, really, the government is in a position of having to plan to mitigate, to deal with the circumstances after the attack. And to successfully do that, they have to recognize that an attack has occurred.

It's easy with a bomb to know you're under attack, because you hear the explosion. With biological warfare, you may not know it in four or five days. So there's a spike in death, a spike in 911 calls, a spike in hospital beds being filled up before you even know you're under attacks, so that's where the resources are going, but the state and local levels have been cutting some of their budget in those areas, and so they're not, together, being good partners, the federal, state and local altogether, synergistically.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, we talked about Department of Homeland Security and this training that's going on. You were involved in a number of those top training sessions. But what about Health and Human Services? You said there was a new report coming out on behalf of HHS. What is that going to tell us? How does that play a factor here? And can that help make things better?

ROBINSON: I think it is going to help, because Health and Human Services has a report out due very soon on isolation and quarantine, which identifies once you identify and know you're under attack, how to rapidly isolate that affected area, quarantine that population to prevent them from getting on mass transportation and spreading it to other cities, and then effectively dealing with it. The Achilles' Heel for the nation right now is a nursing shortage, hospital beds, ventilators, in case it's a pneumonic type of an attack, and the ability to distribute our vaccines and anecdotes at the national level. We've got the drugs, but it's very hard to get it to the city that's affected and effectively break it down and disseminate it to points of distribution.

PHILLIPS: Now you say this country is working as hard as it can. Obviously we see the billions of dollars going into these efforts. Still not ready is what we hear from all over the country. So what do you do, Ken? I mean, it can't -- it doesn't mean more money necessarily; it's got to be re-organization of management?

ROBINSON: It's prioritization of resources. It's making sure that the same way we have at the federal level, we tell our states and local governments, if they don't do certain things, we will withhold federal highway funds. We have to have the same type of issues in place to make sure that all states become even across the board in this preparation in regards to Health and Human Services funds for biopreparedness. We need to level the playing field across all the states and continue to sponsor these federal, state and local exercises. An enormous amount is being done, but this is a very dangerous threat, and it's going to take the combined effort of all three to be able to succeed.

PHILLIPS: Ken Robinson, thanks so much for your time today.

ROBINSON: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

Chaos in Khartoum on the death of a man of peace. That's how the U.N. and the Sudanese government are referring to the Sudanese vice president and former rebel leader killed in a helicopter crash on his way back home from Uganda. Bloody, reportedly deadly, riots have since broken out among Christian and Arab factions who spent more than 20 years at war. That all ended just a few weeks ago when John Garang left the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement for the number-two position in the government. Well, today, government officials and the U.N. secretary-general are calling for calm. And we'll call in our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel for more on all of this in the next hour of LIVE FROM. Well, working hard in the gym, eating right, avoiding booze and smokes? Well, that sounds great. Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells you what you need do to just add more good years to your life. It might not just be those tips.

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PHILLIPS: Well, back here in B Control, we're talking about what are the keys to success when it comes to living longer, not aging so quickly? And you know what, here on the LIVE FROM team, we all get along so well. Scott Reger (ph), my director here. It's all about attitude, right, Scott? All about attitude. See exactly. And that's what we're talking about.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, though, goes a little more in depth about having a good attitude and how it does affect your life extent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So you want to live longer? Well, a couple of things to keep in mind. It's estimated that the maximum age our bodies can reach right now is about 120. It could change as science progresses, but 120. And that's based on a complicated mathematical formula. It's about 20 years from the time of our birth to the time of reproductive age. You multiply that times six, and that's how they get the 120.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, as long as we live is 30 percent determined by our genes. That means 70 percent is determined by everything we do from the moment that we're born. Sure, we've been told to eat right and not smoke and all those sorts of things.

But what about stress? Apparently, stress plays a huge role in determining how long we live. Take a look at this animation. When you get stressed, several things happen. This is called the "flight or fight" response, and a lot of cortisol is being released into the body. Your heart speeds up, that cortisol starts making its way through your bloodstream. It deregulates your blood sugar, it increases your blood pressure and it may decrease your immune system, as well. All those things could lead to a shorter lifespan. So try and cut down on the stress.

In fact, researchers looked at centenarians -- those are people who live over 100 years old -- and tried to find out what was it about their personality that caused them to live so long. Out of 16 personality traits, they found four that were some of the most common in centenarians. Some of those things specifically are: they tended to be more dominant personalities and they also had strong, but flexible characters. They didn't have the explosive heat, for example, of a type A personality. They also had more suspiciousness. They didn't take information necessarily at face value. They were practical, but also more relaxed.

And that leads to several tips for you, if you're thinking about trying to live longer. And who isn't? Tip number one, take as much control of those things that you can control and relax about those things that you don't have any control over. Tip number two, stay socially connected. Now, this is probably more important for women than for men. And it's important to stay socially connected to people who are younger than you, as well. So grandparents, pay attention to those grandkids, for example. And finally, tip number three, design exercise and stress relief methods according to what you enjoy the most.

That's what the centenarians tell us. Those are tips for you to hopefully live longer and healthier, as well.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And don't forget, we always have a doctor in the house on the weekends. Also, watch every "CNN SATURDAY" and "SUNDAY MORNING" at 8:30 Eastern for all the latest medical news on House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, or you could just check in with us here on LIVE FROM, where we're always socially connected, always getting along, always have a great attitude.

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CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've heard it before. Mom, dad, I need $20 for CDs and clothes. What do you look like? An ATM? Well, CNNmoney.com/101 shows your kids how to save early on. The sooner you teach your children these key concepts, the better financial managers they'll be as adults. First of all, let's start with allowance. Let's be honest, it's probably been a long time since you had one. We'll have you adjust for inflation to determine how much kids need these days.

Say, you got what seemed like a lousy $2 a week in 1955. Going by the consumer price index, that'd be like giving a kid $12.05 today. Are you listening? There's going to be a test. CNNmoney.com/101 schools you on how much you need to know about kids and money. For example, when a child is old enough to count money, that's when they should receive an allowance. We've got you covered, from how to react when your kids come knocking for more dough, to how to handle it when your kids blow their budget.

Hey, you've been guilty of the same thing. And who can argue with the best savings deal of all -- free. That's why all of these tips and tricks are free at CNN.com/101.

Reporting from the dot-com desk, I'm Christina Park.

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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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PHILLIPS: Time now for the LIVE FROM bonus story, and of course, it involves an animal. A 4-year-old golden retriever paddled his way into history by swimming from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore. Jake beat out hundreds of human swimmers to take 72nd place in the annual Alcatraz Invitational. Organizers say Jake is the first dog on record to make the 1.2 mile swim from the prison world. No, he didn't escape the prison and he doesn't have a record. More LIVE FROM, right after this.

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PHILLIPS: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, is racial profiling the way to stop terrorists from striking again? One New York lawmaker says yes. We're going to debate it, and call what some are saying is an indecent proposal, straight ahead.

But first, two terrorist attacks in two weeks have left many people in London feeling a bit on the edge. Kelly Wallace looks at how things are changing in the British capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL MARKS, DIRECTOR, SPYMASTER: ... puts it straight over one's head. Puts these elastic bands around the neck, and you are now safe for 15 minutes.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pocket-sized gas masks. Michael Marks says they've been flying off the shelves at his security gear shop. Nearly 800 sold in the last week since the July 21st botched bombings.

MARKS: They're basically coming and saying what can we do? What can we carry? What can we give to our children to give them some security so that we won't worry so much?

WALLACE: Sales of survival kits like this one, which include a mask, whistle and flashlight, are up 150 percent since the first attacks, with several thousand sold, a company spokesman said. And Dave Butler says he's starting to pick up interest in the mask he sells, which he and his wife carry everywhere.

DAVE BUTLER, SECURITY CONSULTANT: The mask that I carry is actually good against chemical, biological, radiological dust. So it's good against all of the three major threat hazards that we currently could expect terrorists to use.

WALLACE: The new normal in London -- perhaps -- because out on the street, it's hard to find anyone who actually purchased a new mask or a survival kit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Survival kit? No. What's a survival kit?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a mask. A gas mask, protecting you from dust. A couple of...

WALLACE: When we explained, she adds...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think if there's a problem down there, you might need more than a swab, so, you know, I don't need to carry a swab on me, I'm fine.

WALLACE: Still, there are constant reminders that things have changed. Police out in full force during rush hour. Cynical spoofs like this one, warning people on the underground, known as the Tube, not to run on concourses, especially if they are carrying a backpack, wearing a big coat or looking a bit foreign. Cartoonists renaming stops along the Tube, "Terror," "Panic," "Fear," and "Doom."

And as Londoners go about their business, something else is different. They now check each other out on the lookout for anything suspicious.

(on camera): Do you find yourself looking around a bit more?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do a bit more vigilance, and sort of if someone was to leave a bag down or something like that, you'd be more sort of it aware of it. But not really. Just get on with it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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