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American Morning

Alleged Traitors in Alexandria Federal Court Today

Aired February 15, 2002 - 09:05   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN FINANCIAL ANCHOR: It's going to be a busy day at the federal courthouse down in Alexandria, Virginia. A grand jury there yesterday charged retired Air Force Sergeant Brian Regan with trying to trying to spy for Iraq, Libya and China. Today, there is a hearing at that courthouse for Taliban-American John Walker Lindh. A judge is going to set a date for his trial. There is some disagreement on when the two sides in that case want that trial to begin.

So to bring us up-to-date on all of this, let's go there. CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us from Washington. Good morning, Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning there, Jack.

Well, John Walker Lindh will find out today when he is going to go to trial. He's facing charges of terrorism and conspiracy. Defense lawyers wanted to start the trial in November, which is about nine months away, and prosecutors had even agreed to that, but the judge said no, he said be ready the week before Labor Day. Defense lawyers and prosecutors are now working out the details of the date together. They will tell the judge at about 2:00 this afternoon. The judge saying that if things do pop up, then he will reconsider. The lawyers will have to hammer out a lot details of classified information. Prosecutors say there's about one file drawer worth of material, and the same for nonclassified material. Not a lot of that either.

The strongest evidence is Walker Lindh's alleged confession and a videotaped interview. Prosecutors think their part of case will take about two weeks. If the trial date is moved up, it does mean that this will start almost the same time as the anniversary of the September attacks -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: I hadn't thought of that. That's an interesting coincidence, or maybe it isn't in the judge's mind.

The other matter that I alluded to is this retired Air Force sergeant, Deborah, who apparently, according to the indictment, handed up by a grand jury, was willing to betray his country for money. He is going to be at that courthouse too, right?

FEYERICK: He is. He is actually expected to be arraigned within the hour. This is really a day for traitors and and spies, alleged traitors and spies in federal court. Brian Regan is accused of selling secrets to Iraq, China, and Libya. Prosecutors call it "highly classified" national security information.

Regan, a 20 year Air Force veteran with top-secret clearance. Prosecutors say he drafted letter to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein saying that he had access to documents from all of the U.S. intelligence agencies, also allegedly demanding $13 million, what he called a fair price, saying there are many people, from movie stars to athletes in the U.S. who receive tens of millions of dollars a year for trivial contributions, and that $13 was basically cheap, given that the information on satellites, early warning systems, and defense strategy, cost the U.S. billions of dollars.

He allegedly wrote a similar letter to Moammar Gadhafi of Libya, and he is supposed to be arraigned within the hour, Brian Regan -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Deb (ph). Deborah Feyerick in Washington with the latest on two cases down there.

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