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American Morning
Suspected Mastermind of 09-11 Attacks Underwent Third Day of Questioning
Aired March 04, 2003 - 07:32 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: Back to the top news this morning, the suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks underwent his third day of questioning at an undisclosed location. National security correspondent David Ensor joins us now with the very latest -- good morning, David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, we can only imagine the tension that must be going on in that room in a third day of questioning of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. But fortunately for the United States, it wasn't just the man that they captured.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice-over): Among the information seized at the house where the al Qaeda operations chief was captured, U.S. forces tell CNN, is a treasure trove on al Qaeda, including the names of suspects al Qaeda operatives, some of them believed to be in cities in the United States. Sources say Washington, D.C. is among the cities the information suggests may contain al Qaeda personnel. U.S. officials have said they have evidence Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was trying recently to organize another attack against the United States.
U.S. intelligence officials are declining comment on the information gleaned during the raid, but other U.S. sources say FBI agents are speeding to try to track down the suspected operatives named in it, hoping to stop any imminent attack.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are obviously always mindful of the need to be vigilant and to move as quickly as possible to frustrate anything that's ongoing in terms of potential terrorist threats.
ENSOR: Mohammed, meantime, is under intense interrogation at an undisclosed location by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Officials say all appropriate pressure will be used in an effort to stop any attacks the new prisoner may know of.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The standard for any type of interrogation of somebody in American custody is to be humane and to follow all international laws and accords dealing with this type subject. That is precisely what has been happening and exactly what will happen.
ENSOR: Although the White House expressed warm gratitude to Pakistan's President Musharraf, some U.S. officials privately expressed dismay that Pakistani officials made news of the seizure public so quickly. U.S. officials would have liked more time to try to roll up al Qaeda cells before the word got to them that their operations chief was in enemy hands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: Now, U.S. interrogators are pressing Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to talk in case it can save lives. They want to stop any attacks that might be imminent. Officials say all the senior al Qaeda prisoners they have are now cooperating on one level or another, but with some it does take time -- Paula.
ZAHN: Well, I just wonder how much cooperation they think they're really going to get out of Shaikh Mohammed, realistically.
ENSOR: He's a tough customer, but officials say that Abu Zubaydah was a tough customer, too, and at first told them a lot of lies. He has since told them useful information that has stopped terrorism. So they believe they can do that with this man, too, but it might take a while.
ZAHN: Now, in addition to Shaikh Mohammed being arrested and found, tell us about two other important operatives that they got their hands on.
ENSOR: Well, one of them is a Pakistani of no particular importance, according to the officials I've spoken to. But the other is an intriguing person. His name is Mustafa Ahmed al-Hisawi, officials say, and he's the man that wired money to Mohamed Atta and then just before 9/11, what was left of the money was wired back to him. He's not one of the top 25 FBI most wanted, but he's a "good get," as one official put it this morning, and he may know things.
So, again, a useful little victory in the war on terrorism -- Paula.
ZAHN: David Ensor, thanks for that update.
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
of Questioning>
Aired March 4, 2003 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the top news this morning, the suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks underwent his third day of questioning at an undisclosed location. National security correspondent David Ensor joins us now with the very latest -- good morning, David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, we can only imagine the tension that must be going on in that room in a third day of questioning of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. But fortunately for the United States, it wasn't just the man that they captured.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice-over): Among the information seized at the house where the al Qaeda operations chief was captured, U.S. forces tell CNN, is a treasure trove on al Qaeda, including the names of suspects al Qaeda operatives, some of them believed to be in cities in the United States. Sources say Washington, D.C. is among the cities the information suggests may contain al Qaeda personnel. U.S. officials have said they have evidence Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was trying recently to organize another attack against the United States.
U.S. intelligence officials are declining comment on the information gleaned during the raid, but other U.S. sources say FBI agents are speeding to try to track down the suspected operatives named in it, hoping to stop any imminent attack.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are obviously always mindful of the need to be vigilant and to move as quickly as possible to frustrate anything that's ongoing in terms of potential terrorist threats.
ENSOR: Mohammed, meantime, is under intense interrogation at an undisclosed location by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Officials say all appropriate pressure will be used in an effort to stop any attacks the new prisoner may know of.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The standard for any type of interrogation of somebody in American custody is to be humane and to follow all international laws and accords dealing with this type subject. That is precisely what has been happening and exactly what will happen.
ENSOR: Although the White House expressed warm gratitude to Pakistan's President Musharraf, some U.S. officials privately expressed dismay that Pakistani officials made news of the seizure public so quickly. U.S. officials would have liked more time to try to roll up al Qaeda cells before the word got to them that their operations chief was in enemy hands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: Now, U.S. interrogators are pressing Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to talk in case it can save lives. They want to stop any attacks that might be imminent. Officials say all the senior al Qaeda prisoners they have are now cooperating on one level or another, but with some it does take time -- Paula.
ZAHN: Well, I just wonder how much cooperation they think they're really going to get out of Shaikh Mohammed, realistically.
ENSOR: He's a tough customer, but officials say that Abu Zubaydah was a tough customer, too, and at first told them a lot of lies. He has since told them useful information that has stopped terrorism. So they believe they can do that with this man, too, but it might take a while.
ZAHN: Now, in addition to Shaikh Mohammed being arrested and found, tell us about two other important operatives that they got their hands on.
ENSOR: Well, one of them is a Pakistani of no particular importance, according to the officials I've spoken to. But the other is an intriguing person. His name is Mustafa Ahmed al-Hisawi, officials say, and he's the man that wired money to Mohamed Atta and then just before 9/11, what was left of the money was wired back to him. He's not one of the top 25 FBI most wanted, but he's a "good get," as one official put it this morning, and he may know things.
So, again, a useful little victory in the war on terrorism -- Paula.
ZAHN: David Ensor, thanks for that update.
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
of Questioning>
