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American Morning

America Strikes Back: Bush administration Learning More and More Everyday About Al Qaeda Network

Aired October 12, 2001 - 10:05   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: This list will put the international coalition to the test. Included in here, businesses and individuals in Yemen, in Saudi Arabia, in Pakistan, perhaps in the Philippines as well, the administration says. So the president last night said he was looking for cooperation around the world. This will put those specific promises to the test, and some countries that in the past, and even we're told that in recent days, have been reluctant it take this particular step, cracking down on the finances of terrorist supporters. This expanded list a result of a worldwide investigation. The administration saying it is learning more and more everyday, not only about the Al Qaeda network, but how it gets its money, how other terrorist groups gets its money.

For the latest on that investigation, including recent disturbing developments here at home, we bring in CNN national correspondent Eileen O'Connor -- Eileen.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, as you know, the biggest development was last night before the president's press conference, and he expounded on that, a warning given by FBI on its web site, basically saying that there was no specific evidence, but they had some credible evidence that there was a threat of more terrorist attacks over the next several days against U.S. interests here and also U.S. interests abroad.

Now the president was asked, why would you give this warning? And he said he wanted to make sure that people were alerted, also that they were vigilant, and had their eyes and ears open, and that would go a long way, he said, in preventing these kinds of attacks. And he just felt that it was better to be forewarned there. There was a discussion among law enforcement, whether or not to issue this warning because of this problem of perhaps causing some kind of panic, because at the same time the president is talking about that. He also is talking about Americans getting their life back it normal, not being too frightened. He said, if they were too frightened, to live a normal life, that would be handing the terrorist assist victory in itself -- John.

KING: But, Eileen, no specific threat here against a particular individual or a particular, target, a government building, or anywhere else in the United States?

O'CONNOR: No specific threat, although in the last few days, they said it came from several sources, it's come in since Monday, the information that they have. In the last few days, unrelated, they have beefed up and called for the beefing up of security at water filtration plants and nuclear power plants, but that is also seen as part and parcel of increased homeland security -- John.

KING: Eileen O'Connor, tracking the investigation.

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