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American Morning

Al Qaeda Links?

Aired September 19, 2002 - 09:17   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: A federal judge is expected to decide today whether to grant bail to six men said to belong to an Al Qaeda terrorist cell operating just south of Buffalo. Prosecutors presented their case yesterday, and today, it goes to the defense.
And outside the courthouse this morning is Jeff Flock, where We say good morning to you, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Yes, it gets back underway at 2:00 at the courthouse behind me today. If you were expecting explosive evidence to come out of yesterday's bond hearing, it didn't happen. Again, we can show you some pictures from the courtroom while we tell you that the government did in fact made its case that these men did go to Afghanistan. They did wind up in a terrorism training camp.

The question is, number one, is that against the law? And number two, what was then the intent? Did they come back here and form, essentially, an Al Qaeda or not.

One other very interesting piece of evidence that was introduced yesterday was an e-mail sent by one of the six men Mukhtar Al-Bakri. The date on the e-mail is the 18th of July.

It says -- and it's interesting to read it -- "I would like to remind you, the next meal will be very huge. No one will be able to withstand it, except for those with faith. There are people here who had visions, and their visions are strong. Their visions were explained that this would be very strong. No one will be able to bear it."

Now the government says that is a reference to e-mails sent back to someone here in the U.S. That was a reference to a terrorist attack in the U.S. Al-Bakri himself admits that it was a reference to some sort of an explosion or bombing, but it may be he was reporting sentiment overseas and did not have any intention of participating in some sort of terrorist activity. They'll argue their side today.

As I said, when it gets under way at 2:00, the government saying they should not be granted bond, because they are a danger to the community. The defense will argue, these men have lived to community their whole life. They don't have any record. They are not a danger now to anyone and never would hurt anyone. It's dragged out, Bill, longer than we thought, and will get back under way today.

HEMMER: Jeff, hang on one second here. You put that e-mail with this alleged conversation about a watermelon took place at some point. Federal agents are up and down the East Coast trying to track that down.

Did prosecutors make a link between this codeword "watermelon" that they allege and e-mail that you just read to us?

FLOCK: They had no comment on the watermelon. The watermelon, obviously, they though, a reference to a dirty bomb or some sort of bombing. That was not at all mentioned. They made no link there, so we want to be careful about that, and the government says -- you know, has not said, these men had any plans. They have admitted in the court, these men had no plans to carry out any specific terrorist activity.

HEMMER: All right, Jeff. Jeff, thanks. Jeff Flock, on the streets there in Buffalo, five hours away from both sides coming back to court.

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






Aired September 19, 2002 - 09:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A federal judge is expected to decide today whether to grant bail to six men said to belong to an Al Qaeda terrorist cell operating just south of Buffalo. Prosecutors presented their case yesterday, and today, it goes to the defense.
And outside the courthouse this morning is Jeff Flock, where We say good morning to you, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Yes, it gets back underway at 2:00 at the courthouse behind me today. If you were expecting explosive evidence to come out of yesterday's bond hearing, it didn't happen. Again, we can show you some pictures from the courtroom while we tell you that the government did in fact made its case that these men did go to Afghanistan. They did wind up in a terrorism training camp.

The question is, number one, is that against the law? And number two, what was then the intent? Did they come back here and form, essentially, an Al Qaeda or not.

One other very interesting piece of evidence that was introduced yesterday was an e-mail sent by one of the six men Mukhtar Al-Bakri. The date on the e-mail is the 18th of July.

It says -- and it's interesting to read it -- "I would like to remind you, the next meal will be very huge. No one will be able to withstand it, except for those with faith. There are people here who had visions, and their visions are strong. Their visions were explained that this would be very strong. No one will be able to bear it."

Now the government says that is a reference to e-mails sent back to someone here in the U.S. That was a reference to a terrorist attack in the U.S. Al-Bakri himself admits that it was a reference to some sort of an explosion or bombing, but it may be he was reporting sentiment overseas and did not have any intention of participating in some sort of terrorist activity. They'll argue their side today.

As I said, when it gets under way at 2:00, the government saying they should not be granted bond, because they are a danger to the community. The defense will argue, these men have lived to community their whole life. They don't have any record. They are not a danger now to anyone and never would hurt anyone. It's dragged out, Bill, longer than we thought, and will get back under way today.

HEMMER: Jeff, hang on one second here. You put that e-mail with this alleged conversation about a watermelon took place at some point. Federal agents are up and down the East Coast trying to track that down.

Did prosecutors make a link between this codeword "watermelon" that they allege and e-mail that you just read to us?

FLOCK: They had no comment on the watermelon. The watermelon, obviously, they though, a reference to a dirty bomb or some sort of bombing. That was not at all mentioned. They made no link there, so we want to be careful about that, and the government says -- you know, has not said, these men had any plans. They have admitted in the court, these men had no plans to carry out any specific terrorist activity.

HEMMER: All right, Jeff. Jeff, thanks. Jeff Flock, on the streets there in Buffalo, five hours away from both sides coming back to court.

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