Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

'Weekly Intelligence Brief'

Aired February 12, 2002 - 08:20   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for our weekly Intelligence Brief with CNN national security correspondent David Ensor. David, busy morning around here. Among other things you have additional information for us on this new FBI terror alert about a possible attack today either here in the United States or in Yemen.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well that's right Jack, a little bit of a background. Simply that this came about - this has all happened very, very quickly. Yesterday, U.S. interrogators in Guantanamo got word from one of the prisoners there that while being held back in Afghanistan, he had heard from another prisoner in Afghanistan that that prisoner was aware of a plot being planned for February 12, that's today, against a U.S. - the U.S. or U.S. interests. It was no more specific than that, but the man in Afghanistan who the U.S. officials subsequently contacted yesterday named some names including Fawaz Yaya Al-Rabeei (ph) who is the alleged ring leader of this purported plot to attack U.S. interests today.

Now he's a Yemeni, so the feeling is that the most likely targets, if there were to be an attack today, would be either in the United States or U.S. interests in Yemen. But it all happened yesterday. It all happened very fast, and the feeling was that they needed to put out a warning and put out these names and faces so people who might know them, in case any of them who've gotten into the country, for example, would be able to notify the authorities Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right, on another subject, David, the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf is due in Washington for a visit later today, and he's bringing with him his new chief of intelligence. He has changed the leadership of that arm of his government. What do we know about the new guy, and what do we know about what may have led to the switch here?

ENSOR: Well the switch happened right at the beginning of the war, and it was because the previous head of the ISI, the Interservices Intelligence Agency, was considered to be too close to the Taliban and too close to, for that matter, perhaps, al Qaeda. In any case, the ISI was a big supporter of the Taliban regime and that chief was thought to be too closely tied up with the Taliban. Now that Pakistan wants to be considered a stalwart frontline ally of the United States, the new man is a British-educated military officer. U.S. officials say they've been working closely and very, very well with him. They're going to be pleased to talk to him today. Much of the discussion, Jack, is likely to be about the Pearl case with those reports, of course, that Sheikh Saeed, the alleged ringleader of that kidnapping may in fact have been taken in Pakistan. U.S. officials telling me they can't confirm that, but it would not surprise them if its true. Obviously, that would be excellent news. The kind of thing that the Pakistani intelligence chief wants to be able to tell the CIA when he comes to the United States to Washington today - Jack.

CAFFERTY: Well and our reporters over there are getting information out of the Pakistani government, they're saying that perhaps Pearl, they think one, he's still alive, and two, they might have him released sometime within the next several hours. So certainly if Mr. Musharraf could bring that little piece of information with him, that would - that'd be a nice welcoming gift to the administration, would it not?

ENSOR: No kidding and after all, Gen. Musharraf is coming here to - I mean he seeks things in return. He seeks a lot of help. It's a country with a lot of problems. He needs assistance. He needs support. So if he can bring something like that, obviously there'll be gratitude on the part of the Bush administration that might be worth something to him.

CAFFERTY: Indeed. David, it's good to see you as always. Thank you. David Ensor, CNN national security correspondent - Paula.

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