Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Target: Terrorism: Fresh Word of Efforts in Past to Crackdown on Bin Laden Network

Aired October 03, 2001 - 11:37   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.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fresh word today of efforts in the past, this one during the Clinton administration, to crackdown on the Osama bin Laden network. Indeed, one effort, we're told a dramatic, but unsuccessful effort in the final months of the Clinton administration not only to crackdown on the bin Laden administration, but perhaps to try to capture him as well.

Joining us with the details here, CNN national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, in 1999, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency was training about 60 Pakistani intelligence officers, U.S. officials tell me. They had equipped them also. And the plan was for the group to make an attempt to either capture or kill Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. This was a deal that was worked out with then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, the civilian government in Pakistan. And it was thwarted when there was a coup d'etat in Pakistan, and Nawaz Sharif was thrown into prison and replaced by General Musharraf, the current leader of Pakistan, who was not willing to go along with this plan for an ISI, an interservice intelligence move, against Osama bin Laden.

Another thing that I'm able to confirm and report -- and both of these pieces of information were originally in "The Washington Post" this morning. U.S. Officials tell me that the government of Sudan back in the spring of 1996 offered to turn Osama bin Laden over to Saudi Arabia.

Now at that time, bin Laden was living in the Sudan. And the Sudanese authorities said that if the Saudis would accept him, put him on trial or whatever they wanted to do, they would turn him over. The Saudis balked at that, because they feared domestic backlash against moving against someone like bin Laden, who does have has his followers in Saudi Arabia -- John.

KING: And is that a lesson, the Saudi reluctance then a lesson to us now as we hear the continuing debate about whether the Saudi Arabian government wants to the U.S. to use its military bases for offensive action.

ENSOR: A lesson about the Saudis and their reluctance and their desire perhaps to balance out the forces, and not always take one side. But also a lesson about Pakistan and General Musharraf... (INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

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