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American Morning
Explosive Shoe Suspect In Court Today; Passenger Reaction
Aired December 24, 2001 - 07:05 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In a little over two hours, 28-year- old Richard Reid will go to court to face charges that amount to attempting terrorism in the skies.
The man forced an American Airlines flight carrying 197 people to make an emergency landing in Boston on Saturday after witnesses said he tried to ignite explosives in his shoes.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is in Boston where this morning's court appearance will take place. Good morning Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN NEWS, BOSTON: Good morning, Miles. Well, this will be our first opportunity to get a long look at the man who caused so much terror in the skies on Saturday aboard American Airlines Flight 63.
Richard C. Reid will be arraigned in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Dean.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Federal law enforcement authorities say two functional improvised explosive devices were found in 28-year-old Richard Reid's sneakers. Additional tests are being conducted by the FBI to determine exactly what the explosive material is. Law enforcement sources tell CNN there was 10 ounces of it in the shoes.
Investigators say, one-and-a-half hours after departing Paris, flight attendants saw Reid put a match in his mouth, then try to light the tongue of his sneaker. She saw a wire protruding, grabbed for the shoe and Reid shoved her into the bulkhead and then to the floor.
Eventually, flight attendants and passengers tackled him and strapped him to his seat with belts. Doctors on board sedated Reid with drugs from the in-flight medical kit.
KWAME JAMES, AA FLIGHT 63 PASSENGER: He didn't say too much, but what he did say was kind of like, almost like riddles, kind of leading you to just wonder, you know. I asked where he was from, he just said, "a lot of places." You know, somebody else asked him, "well, what was the motive?" He just said, "we'll see, you'll all see."
KOCH: The FAA, Sunday night, issued a security directive with precise steps airlines must now take to check passengers' shoes. Some airlines had begun x-raying shoes after a December 11th precautionary circular, warning of hidden weapons. Others only began such checks today.
Passengers at Logan Airport didn't mind the added security.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a good idea. Whatever they have to do to make sure that people are safe is fine with me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they had x-ray vision at this point, do it.
KOCH: French sources tell CNN that Reid, a Sri Lankan with a British passport, tried to board the same flight Friday, but missed the plane after he was stopped for questioning by French National Police.
Reid had no checked luggage.
ANGEL TIO, PASSENGER: I think it's amazing that any airline would board a passenger in Paris, coming to the United States, or Asia or anywhere, with no luggage. That is a bad sign.
KOCH: At this point, there is no evidence connecting Reid to Osama bin Laden or the September 11th terrorist attacks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Now, this morning, Reid will be charged with interfering with the performance of the duties of a flight crew by assault or intimidation. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch in Boston. Thanks very much. She'll be watching that appearance for us in court, and we'll get back to you on that as soon we know about it.
The FBI ran some preliminary tests on Reid's shoes and found two improvised explosives. What analysts are trying to determine now is the name or the type of the explosive, perhaps C4, that they found.
But let's give you a better idea of what C4 is all about. It is an advanced plastic substance. It is moldable. It was used in downing Pan Am 103, for example, the USS Cole attack, and used widely in Vietnam.
C4 primarily made in the U.S., also manufactured, to some extent, in Austria and Iran.
There were 183 passengers on board the 767, and a crew of 14. Geoffrey Bessin was among the passengers. Bessin is a software company manager who lives in Paris. He was on his way to visit relatives in Miami.
Mr. Bessin, thanks for being with us this morning.
GEOFFREY BESSIN, AA FLIGHT 63 PASSENGER: My pleasure. O'BRIEN: Tell us what you saw and what you heard.
BESSIN: Well, I was actually forward of the initial melee. I had smelled something, but perhaps, characteristically, you ignore your passengers, you ignore scents on an airplane, so I didn't think much of it initially.
And then I heard some raised voices behind me. And when I (AUDIO GAP) into them, it sounded like one of the stewardesses was claiming that a man had a match, that he was being somewhat aggressive, that she was bitten.
And I thought, geez, I'd better run back and check this out. So I ran back to the cabin -- to the coach cabin -- and saw almost, it looked like a theater. There was -- people sort of grouped around one chair in which there are about five men holding this gentleman down, with the co-pilot sort of kneeling on the floor, tying him to a chair.
Some people were crying. Some people were just staring intently. One man had a camera.
And there was a request for belts to tie this man to his chair. There were belts coming from all directions. I offered my belt, but at that point, this man wasn't going anywhere.
O'BRIEN: Well, it -- everybody I've talked to who was on that flight said he was a powerful person. Did you get a sense it was a difficult struggle?
BESSIN: I did get the sense there was a difficult struggle. That certainly explains the rapidity with which they sedated this gentleman. He was pretty much out of it by the time the sedation took effect.
At that point, the crew on the plane really came under significant control, had everybody return to their seats. And quite frankly, the climate on the plane was calm.
I think people -- perhaps in order to fly, you need a good sense of denial, because I suspect the majority of the people on the plane thought a man trying to light his sneakers on fire is not a terrorist. He just belongs -- he needs to be put away.
O'BRIEN: What -- did you get the sense that people responded almost reflex-like? Was it automatic? Did you stop and think about it, or did you just respond?
BESSIN: Well, it's -- I thought about this. And I suspect, if it wasn't for the stewardess who initiated contact with this gentleman, there would have been a lag time where people are thinking, well, what is he doing? Does this make sense? Should I step in?
And it was only the split-second thinking of the stewardess to initiate contact that sort of woke everybody else up, to make a move.
And that might be the scariest part, is this still, perhaps, default sense of passivity when things like this happen on a plane.
O'BRIEN: Do you -- I mean, the response is really -- well, it's, in a way, it's kind of heartwarming to know that passengers are up there and are willing to pitch in and save the day.
Is that your reaction to it?
BESSIN: I think that the days of hijacking are over, and the days of passivity are over. And I suspect that most people that fly are cognizant of the fact that they might be called to protect themselves, which is disgusting, and it's a shame that I need to consider every time I go on a plane, that I need to get to know my neighbor, and that I need to keep an eye out, rather than watching a very bad movie.
So, it's really a shame, but yes. I think, now, people need to be prepared to become involved. I do believe so.
O'BRIEN: All right. Now you get -- your office is in Paris. Unless you're planning on taking a steamship across the ocean, you're going to have to get back on a plane.
Will you? And what advice will you share with others who might be a little bit concerned about getting on a plane today?
BESSIN: I, in fact, will be going back to France. I do it with the knowledge that I'm going to have to be vigilant. I also do it with the knowledge that, if my flight was any indication, people are willing to protect themselves.
And keep in mind, this was an international group of passengers. It wasn't just Americans. Everybody is aware of what needs to be done.
But I can tell you, that if this becomes more common, what might be looked at as bravery would simply be foolishness, and I would eventually have to stop flying.
So, so far, just hope that this won't happen again, and be very careful.
O'BRIEN: All right. Geoffrey Bessin, have good holidays and safe flying. Thanks for being with us this morning.
Geoffrey Bessin, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 63.
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