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American Morning
FBI Says Al Qaeda Likely to Try 'Spectacular Attack'
Aired November 15, 2002 - 08:03 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the FBI terror warning. In a weekly bulletin to law enforcement, the FBI says al Qaeda is likely to try a "spectacular attack." There has been a steady buildup of warning signs recently and this week's threat on tape, believed to be from Osama bin Laden, may have actually triggered this latest alert. But the government, in the meantime, hasn't even raised the nation's terror alert level, and there's a very good reason for that.
Let's turn to Senior White House Correspondent John King to find out what the rationale for that is -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
The rationale, the government says, is despite all this chart, despite this recording that the government is now convinced is the voice of Osama bin Laden, the administration says there is no specific or credible intelligence about a planned attack here in the United States, no specificity at all about a potential target. So the threat level remains at yellow, which is an elevated risk of terror attack. They have not raised it up to orange, which would be a high risk.
But still you noted in this weekly bulletin, it goes out every week, 14,000 law enforcement agencies -- federal, state and local agencies around the country -- in it more evidence that they do believe this is the voice of Osama bin Laden on that new audiotape, even as the government tries to confirm that definitively.
In the new weekly bulletin, the FBI says this. "In selecting its next targets, sources suggest al Qaeda may favor spectacular attacks that meet several criteria -- highly symbolic value, mass casualties, severe damage to the U.S. economy and maximum psychological trauma. The highest priority targets remain within the aviation, petroleum and nuclear sectors, as well as significant national landmarks."
Now, what the government is asking is for state, federal and local law enforcement agencies to be on higher alert, to perhaps increase security at some of those installations. But they are not raising the national threat level at this point because there are no -- there is no specific intelligence about potential attacks.
And, Paula, this alert going out in the United States. Also similar alerts going out in European capitals, as well, again, proof that this administration and allies around the world believe this is the voice of Osama bin Laden and believe that al Qaeda is planning to strike again.
ZAHN: John, is it true that this alert, though, was meant for the law enforcement agencies alone and it was never meant to be made public, similarly to the hospital warning we heard yesterday?
KING: No, this weekly bulletin, the administration is well aware that this weekly bulletin will end up being made public. It goes out to all those agencies and it is meant specifically for them. But the administration, the FBI, the White House is well aware you cannot send this document, a document with language like this, out to 14,000 law enforcement agencies from cabinet officials in state governments to local sheriffs around the country without it being made public. They understand full well when they write these bulletins we will have them quite quickly.
ZAHN: But I understand the administration was quite ticked off yesterday that this warning that had gone out to hospitals about an attack over the holidays at five specific, in five specific urban centers never should have been made public.
KING: Yes, because that information was deemed to be so unreliable, of very low credibility, what the administration hoped was that the FBI would, that it would be circulated from Washington to FBI field offices around the country, that perhaps FBI officers would go out to medical centers and check in with the security people and say hey, keep your eyes open, you should be on alert.
But because it was of such low credibility, the administration believes it only alarmed people and frightens people to make that information public. The White House has made clear to the FBI that they thought that could have been handled a little better.
ZAHN: And if you could make a quick turn to homeland security and what you expect the Senate to do and what you expect the administration to do.
KING: Well, the Senate is expected to pass and finally give the president that new department. The compromise legislation has cleared the House. It is making its way now into the Senate. Mr. Bush should have it on his desk by next week. We are told when that new department is up and running, the president's choice to lead it is his current White House homeland security director, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. This will be an urgent undertaking, 22 federal agencies, 170,000 federal workers being brought together in a department that is designed to look something like this. And I'll ask Mike Bannigan (ph) here, my cameraman, to help me out.
You would have the secretary and the deputy secretary here running the department. The Secret Service, which not only provide protection to the president, but also takes the lead in major events like the Super Bowl, is a key element in this department. A state and local coordinator up here.
The department, then, would be organized hopefully in four ways. One focus would be on border and transportation security, one on emergency preparedness and response. You have here the department and the timeline for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear counter measures and here an agency that would be critical within the department, information analysis and infrastructure protection. That is a fancy way for saying intelligence from the CIA, from the FBI, from other sources. This a key element in the new department insisted on by members of Congress and some in the administration so that this department, charged with protecting Americans from domestic terrorism attacks, would have the latest on U.S. intelligence from overseas and in this country and the power to act on it.
This will be the subject of focus, Paula, for weeks and months, as the new department gets up and running. Transition teams already in place. They hope to have at least the beginnings of the department up and running by the first of the year.
ZAHN: All I can say is I'm glad you understand that chart, John. It's very complicated.
Appreciate it.
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 November 15, 2002 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the FBI terror warning. In a weekly bulletin to law enforcement, the FBI says al Qaeda is likely to try a "spectacular attack." There has been a steady buildup of warning signs recently and this week's threat on tape, believed to be from Osama bin Laden, may have actually triggered this latest alert. But the government, in the meantime, hasn't even raised the nation's terror alert level, and there's a very good reason for that.
Let's turn to Senior White House Correspondent John King to find out what the rationale for that is -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
The rationale, the government says, is despite all this chart, despite this recording that the government is now convinced is the voice of Osama bin Laden, the administration says there is no specific or credible intelligence about a planned attack here in the United States, no specificity at all about a potential target. So the threat level remains at yellow, which is an elevated risk of terror attack. They have not raised it up to orange, which would be a high risk.
But still you noted in this weekly bulletin, it goes out every week, 14,000 law enforcement agencies -- federal, state and local agencies around the country -- in it more evidence that they do believe this is the voice of Osama bin Laden on that new audiotape, even as the government tries to confirm that definitively.
In the new weekly bulletin, the FBI says this. "In selecting its next targets, sources suggest al Qaeda may favor spectacular attacks that meet several criteria -- highly symbolic value, mass casualties, severe damage to the U.S. economy and maximum psychological trauma. The highest priority targets remain within the aviation, petroleum and nuclear sectors, as well as significant national landmarks."
Now, what the government is asking is for state, federal and local law enforcement agencies to be on higher alert, to perhaps increase security at some of those installations. But they are not raising the national threat level at this point because there are no -- there is no specific intelligence about potential attacks.
And, Paula, this alert going out in the United States. Also similar alerts going out in European capitals, as well, again, proof that this administration and allies around the world believe this is the voice of Osama bin Laden and believe that al Qaeda is planning to strike again.
ZAHN: John, is it true that this alert, though, was meant for the law enforcement agencies alone and it was never meant to be made public, similarly to the hospital warning we heard yesterday?
KING: No, this weekly bulletin, the administration is well aware that this weekly bulletin will end up being made public. It goes out to all those agencies and it is meant specifically for them. But the administration, the FBI, the White House is well aware you cannot send this document, a document with language like this, out to 14,000 law enforcement agencies from cabinet officials in state governments to local sheriffs around the country without it being made public. They understand full well when they write these bulletins we will have them quite quickly.
ZAHN: But I understand the administration was quite ticked off yesterday that this warning that had gone out to hospitals about an attack over the holidays at five specific, in five specific urban centers never should have been made public.
KING: Yes, because that information was deemed to be so unreliable, of very low credibility, what the administration hoped was that the FBI would, that it would be circulated from Washington to FBI field offices around the country, that perhaps FBI officers would go out to medical centers and check in with the security people and say hey, keep your eyes open, you should be on alert.
But because it was of such low credibility, the administration believes it only alarmed people and frightens people to make that information public. The White House has made clear to the FBI that they thought that could have been handled a little better.
ZAHN: And if you could make a quick turn to homeland security and what you expect the Senate to do and what you expect the administration to do.
KING: Well, the Senate is expected to pass and finally give the president that new department. The compromise legislation has cleared the House. It is making its way now into the Senate. Mr. Bush should have it on his desk by next week. We are told when that new department is up and running, the president's choice to lead it is his current White House homeland security director, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. This will be an urgent undertaking, 22 federal agencies, 170,000 federal workers being brought together in a department that is designed to look something like this. And I'll ask Mike Bannigan (ph) here, my cameraman, to help me out.
You would have the secretary and the deputy secretary here running the department. The Secret Service, which not only provide protection to the president, but also takes the lead in major events like the Super Bowl, is a key element in this department. A state and local coordinator up here.
The department, then, would be organized hopefully in four ways. One focus would be on border and transportation security, one on emergency preparedness and response. You have here the department and the timeline for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear counter measures and here an agency that would be critical within the department, information analysis and infrastructure protection. That is a fancy way for saying intelligence from the CIA, from the FBI, from other sources. This a key element in the new department insisted on by members of Congress and some in the administration so that this department, charged with protecting Americans from domestic terrorism attacks, would have the latest on U.S. intelligence from overseas and in this country and the power to act on it.
This will be the subject of focus, Paula, for weeks and months, as the new department gets up and running. Transition teams already in place. They hope to have at least the beginnings of the department up and running by the first of the year.
ZAHN: All I can say is I'm glad you understand that chart, John. It's very complicated.
Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
