Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Authorities in Italy Release Intercepted Messages Recorded Between Suspected Terrorists

Aired May 29, 2002 - 09:02   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in Italy have released intercepted messages recorded between suspected terrorists. They're from wiretaps recorded about a year before the attacks of 9/11.

In Rome now, our viewer chief Alessio Vinci has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The transcripts were published in the two Italian leading newspapers, "Corriere Della Sera" and "La Repubblica," and they do report the conversation between the leader of an Islamic mosque in the northern city of Milan and a Yemeni sheikh visiting Italy.

According to the transcript, the Yemeni sheikh tells the mosque leader: "In the future, listen to the news and remember those words 'above the head'." And the sheikh continues as saying, "The action will be one of those strikes you will never forget." Adding: "It will be a terrifying thing. It will move from south to north, from east to west. He who made this plan is a madman, but a genius. It will turn you to ice."

He also says, "You know we are in a country full of enemies of God, but we are always mujahadeen fighters, freedom fighters. We can conquer any power using sparks and airplanes. They can't stop us even with their greater weaponry. We just have to hit them and keep our heads high."

Now, Italian authorities are stopping short of making any direct connection between the two suspects and the September 11th attack. But they do say that because of the September 11th attack, those transcripts which were able to them in the beginning of the year 2001 now are gaining more relevance.

It took all this time Italian authorities to transcribe, to analyze and to even translate those transcripts because they were of poor quality. And Italian investigators also complaining that it took the translators way too much time to come to an acceptable version.

Now the Mosque leader is a known person to authorities. He was part of an Italian investigation, even both before and after September 11th attack. He is said to have fled Italy two months before the September 11th attack. That investigation resulted in the arrest of at least eight Islamic militants.

In the conversations, the two suspects are also allegedly talking about training camps in Yemen as well as the need to find fake passports.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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