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American Morning

What Osama bin Laden Knew

Aired September 10, 2002 - 07:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to now move ahead and talk a little bit about Mike Boettcher's exclusive. Now, just a day before the anniversary of 9/11, there is some new videotape said to be from al Qaeda that has been put out by the Arab satellite network, Al- Jazeera.
The tape contains what is claimed to be Osama bin Laden's voice praising some of the lead hijackers in the success of their attacks. The tape shows men reading flight manuals and pointing out the Pentagon on a map.

While the new tape links al Qaeda to 9/11, it does not offer anything new about bin Laden. And what he was doing on September 11 had been a mystery until now.

Our Mike Boettcher has been investigating. He joins us live from CNN Center with these exclusive new details.

Good morning -- Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Paula.

On 9/11, Osama bin Laden knew the attacks were coming. He knew how many, and when they were coming.

Now, this information comes from people who were in the room at the time with Osama bin Laden, who have been interrogated by a coalition intelligence agency, which provided us with the information.

Now, also remember that in November of 2001, Osama bin Laden was caught on videotape, talking with a Saudi cleric and discussing the attacks of 9/11. Now, using that tape and our information, we're finally able to piece together what Osama bin Laden was doing when the attacks began.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (voice-over): It is near sunset in Afghanistan on September 11. The night before and much of that day in the hours leading up to the attack, Osama bin Laden is observed in deep prayer and meditation. This, according to the accounts of men who were present, who were later interrogated by coalition intelligence officials.

As the hijackers board their planes in the United States, sources say, only three people of those at the safe house in Afghanistan have exact knowledge of the attack: Osama bin Laden, his trusted military commander, Mohammed Atef, and this man, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, wanted by the U.S. since 1995 for his alleged role in a plan to blow up U.S. airliners flying from southeast Asia.

By the time American Airlines Flight 11 slams into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, say those intelligence officials, bin Laden is sitting beside a short-wave radio and waiting for news. He says nothing. As people gather around, there is a bulletin about the first plane. This seems to agree with Osama bin Laden's version of events in this tape obtained by the U.S. government in Afghanistan and released last December.

OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): We had notification since the previous Thursday that the events would take place that day. We had finished our work that day, and had the radio on. It was 5:30 p.m. our time.

I was sitting with Dr. Ahmad Abu-al-Khair. Immediately, we heard the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. We turned the radio station to the news from Washington. The news continued, and no mention of the attack until the end. At the end of the newscast, they reported that a plane just hit the World Trade Center.

BOETTCHER: Bin Laden begins weeping and praying, then shouts "Allah Akbar," God is great, according to detainees who were present.

Then, in a chilling sign of what is still to come, the coalition intelligence sources say Osama bin Laden raises his arm and lifts two fingers. This is perhaps what bin Laden's spokesman, Sulamein Abu Gheith, is talking about in his account of what happened.

SULAMEIN ABU GHEITH, AL QAEDA SPOKESMAN (through translator): So, I went back to Sheikh bin Laden, who was sitting in a room with 50 to 60 people. I tried to tell him about what I saw, but he made a gesture with his hands, meaning, "I know, I know."

BOETTCHER: Bin Laden, himself, also offers a clue to his behavior.

BIN LADEN (through translator): They were overjoyed when the first plane hit the building. So, I said to them, "Be patient."

BOETTCHER: Bin Laden moves to an adjacent room with satellite TV. More people gather to watch with him, and they begin to record coverage of the events, a tape which we found in the al Qaeda tape archives obtained by CNN.

At this point, say the sources, bin Laden is silent. Then, cameras catch United Airlines Flight 175, as it crashes into the South Tower.

BIN LADEN (though translator): After a little while, they announced that another plane had hit the World Trade Center. The brothers who heard the news were overjoyed by it.

BOETTCHER: When the second tower is hit, bin Laden, again, prays and weeps, shouting "Allah Akbar." Then, he lifts three fingers. It becomes clear to the people in the room that he is signaling a third attack is to come, according to the intelligence sources.

It does. American Airlines Flight 77 hits the Pentagon.

BIN LADEN (through translator): Those young men said in deeds (ph), in New York and Washington, speeches that overshadowed all other speeches made everywhere else in the world.

BOETTCHER: Once again, bin Laden prays, weeps and shouts, "Allah Akbar." This time, he lifts four fingers. Those beside him wait for the fourth attack. Only the select few know United Flight 93 has already been hijacked and pointed toward Washington.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: United 93 understands that a bomb's on board.

BOETTCHER: The passengers on United Flight 93 rushed the cockpit, prevent the hijackers from achieving their aim, and the plane crashes in a Pennsylvania field.

Even as the fourth attack fails, the Twin Towers are collapsing, something Osama bin Laden, who once worked in his family's construction business, has been planning for.

BIN LADEN (through translator): Due to my experience in this field, I was thinking that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure of the building and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors above it only. This is all that we had hoped for.

BOETTCHER: By now, it is nighttime in Afghanistan. Bin Laden's followers, again, watch, as he prays and weeps. They wait for him to raise his hand to indicate a fifth attack. He never does.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: Again, this information comes from Osama bin Laden's own words, and from men who were in the room who have been interrogated by a coalition intelligence agency -- Paula.

ZAHN: But, Mike, how much confidence do these interrogators have in what these guys have told them?

BOETTCHER: Well, I cannot be specific about the sources, but I can tell you that they have provided very specific and factual information in the past to the coalition.

Now, U.S. intelligence officials say, they have no one in custody who has provided such information to them, but I can tell you that the people providing this are not being held by the United States -- Paula.

ZAHN: Now, we have seen Osama bin Laden gloat in the first go around when some tapes were released months ago that basically show him almost making fun of the hijackers and their fate, you know, sort of indicating that they didn't even know that they were on a suicide mission. What is the most important new piece of information that you can glean from this piece of tape?

BOETTCHER: Well, from the tape that was released yesterday by Al-Jazeera, the new al Qaeda tape, it seems that al Qaeda and bin Laden, in his own words -- alleged own words on that particular tape, is saying that everyone knew what mission they were on, and he praises and glorifies them. So, there seems to be some conflicting information there just exactly what these hijackers knew, and that conflicting information, Paula, comes from al Qaeda itself.

ZAHN: I guess we shouldn't be surprised about that. Mike Boettcher, thanks so much. It was absolutely fascinating to be taken inside that operation.

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