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American Morning
America Under Attack: Former FBI Director Gives Perspective on investigation
Aired September 13, 2001 - 09:40 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.
ZAUN: We are going to turn now to William Webster, who is not only the former head of the FBI but CIA as well.
Good to see you again, sir. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.
WILLIAM WEBSTER, FMR. FBI DIRECTOR: Thank you, Paula.
ZAUN: Mr. Webster, you know now -- are probably sensing some of the anger of Americans. Did the U.S. government let Americans down?
WEBSTER: That's a question that I think will have to wait a more reasoned time of judgment.
What we are see right now is understandable. We see it in our own home lives when things could go wrong; there's denial, there's anger, there's a range of things.
What I want to see and what I clearly think we are seeing is resolve; resolve to take care of victims, resolve to find out who is responsibility, resolve to run that -- you see the fast breaking news all around the country and indeed around the world, resolve, once we have clearly identified them, to have an appropriate response for a great nation determined to protect our freedoms and freedom around the world. So let's not make -- try to make those judgments.
The cellular nature of terrorism makes it the most difficult truly identified plans. We have interdicted countless number of terrorist incidents, including Saddam Hussein terrorist teams out during the Gulf War. What happened here remains -- why they were able to keep all of this from somehow breaking loose is a question that deserves to be answered, and it will be answered in time.
ZAUN: Yes, I think Americans are trying to appreciate just how well orchestrated this campaign was, how well financed it must have been. But it would appear as though law enforcement agents -- or agencies have been able to get a lot of information, and actually driving to the point where they know the identities of some of the terrorist involved in these attacks. Does that mean that our intelligence -- that U.S. intelligence, perhaps with the intelligence provided by some friendly countries, should have been able to uncover these attacks before they happened?
WEBSTER: Paula, that's a judgment that I think we need to wait.
I'm very proud to see the fast movement, the picking up of little leads, even the cell phone conversations on airplanes that tragically went down, tracking them down very much like the speed with which the perpetrators of the Oklahoma bombing were identified from small fragments of evidence by skilled professionals who know what to do with them.
And in terms of anticipating this kind of event there were lots of warnings that we were vulnerable to terrorist attacks on -- in the air, in bombings, you know the whole debate about protecting the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. The specifics depend. If we have as many people as appear to be involved in this one may reasonably say, why didn't somebody break loose and start to talk? Apparently, some are starting to talk now.
But in a cellular activity often the people who have the responsibility, as in the planes, don't know their full assignment, don't know when it is going to happen and are carefully sworn to secrecy. It's a tough business. But let's -- we will make that judgment after we have done our duty to bring them to justice.
ZAUN: Now, Mr. Webster, one last question for you. Intelligence officials have intercepted calls after Tuesday's attacks on the United States from members of a terrorist ring called al Qaeda, which is supported by Osama bin Laden -- excuse me, I've been talking a long time this morning. I lost my voice. But how much is actually known about this group?
WEBSTER: I can't answer that question and I don't think now would be the time to be outlining the information that is close held. It's clear that the government is acting on every bit of available information, no lead is considered frivolous, thousands of them are being run down. This particular group, there are others often called by different names, often names change. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. But we will have an answer, and we will have one soon.
ZAUN: And in fact, I think that the secretary of state indicated yesterday that if and when they have those answers, that this won't be a campaign, it will be over quickly, the deal with either the perpetrators of this or those countries or groups that harbored these.
Mr. Webster, William Webster, thank you very mush for joining us. We appreciate your perspective this morning.
WEBSTER: Thank you, Paula.
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