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Voice of Zawahiri on Tape Broadcast Wednesday, Technical Analysis of voice Said to be Bin Laden Inconclusive
Aired September 11, 2003 - 11:52 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to break away a little bit from all of the 9/11 anniversary memorial coverage to update our viewers on a developing story regarding yesterday's release of that audio tape purported to be from Osama bin Laden.
Intelligence experts have been studying the tape in which the voice warns of a terror strike that will dwarf the 9/11 attacks.
Our national security correspondent David Ensor is joining us now, live, with more -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a CIA official tells me that his agency now has high confidence that the voice of al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is on that tape broadcast Wednesday on an Arabic language station, but that the technical analysis of the voice said to be Osama bin Laden is inconclusive.
He says that technical analysis of the tape continues, but it's possible that the CIA may not be able to say whether it's bin Laden's voice or not.
The official noted that al-Zawahiri makes some specific references to events, proving that his portion of the tape must have been recorded in recent months, but he says that the voice alleged to be bin Laden makes no such references, and he says that it could be new or it could be quite old.
Now, about the videotape. Officials are saying that it was clearly filmed in spring. The question is, which spring. The "Al Jazeera" network, which first broadcast it, said it had probably been filmed in April or May of this year. Some officials I've spoken to say they doubt that.
But one noted that the alleged bin Laden portion of the audio tape makes no references to any particular recent events, and he said, quote, "We're simply asking the question: if bin Laden could record a tape recently, why not prove it? This tape does not do so," -- Wolf.
BLITZER: David Ensor, with the latest on that. Thanks, David, very much.
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Analysis of voice Said to be Bin Laden Inconclusive>
Aired September 11, 2003 - 11:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to break away a little bit from all of the 9/11 anniversary memorial coverage to update our viewers on a developing story regarding yesterday's release of that audio tape purported to be from Osama bin Laden.
Intelligence experts have been studying the tape in which the voice warns of a terror strike that will dwarf the 9/11 attacks.
Our national security correspondent David Ensor is joining us now, live, with more -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a CIA official tells me that his agency now has high confidence that the voice of al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is on that tape broadcast Wednesday on an Arabic language station, but that the technical analysis of the voice said to be Osama bin Laden is inconclusive.
He says that technical analysis of the tape continues, but it's possible that the CIA may not be able to say whether it's bin Laden's voice or not.
The official noted that al-Zawahiri makes some specific references to events, proving that his portion of the tape must have been recorded in recent months, but he says that the voice alleged to be bin Laden makes no such references, and he says that it could be new or it could be quite old.
Now, about the videotape. Officials are saying that it was clearly filmed in spring. The question is, which spring. The "Al Jazeera" network, which first broadcast it, said it had probably been filmed in April or May of this year. Some officials I've spoken to say they doubt that.
But one noted that the alleged bin Laden portion of the audio tape makes no references to any particular recent events, and he said, quote, "We're simply asking the question: if bin Laden could record a tape recently, why not prove it? This tape does not do so," -- Wolf.
BLITZER: David Ensor, with the latest on that. Thanks, David, very 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
Analysis of voice Said to be Bin Laden Inconclusive>
