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American Morning
Lebanon Terror Plot
Aired May 15, 2003 - 08:33 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 Lebanon, Fredricka, say nine people are in custody in the foiled attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
Brent Sadler broke the story. He's live with us live now in the capital there.
Brent, good afternoon.
What can you tell us?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Bill.
Certainly some more details emerging here. Of those nine people picked up in this crackdown against the terror network here in Lebanon, there are a mixture of Palestinians and Lebanese. We do have confirmation from official sources on the ground that they were planning to launch a rocket attack against the embassy of the United States. That's Alka (ph), which is on the northern edge of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Now it wasn't just the United States that was being targeted in this terror plot. In addition to an attack on the U.S. embassy here, there were also plans to launch attacks against Syrian and Lebanese military and security targets here in Lebanon.
And this arrest of these nine suspects was done in conjunction between the Lebanese army, and military intelligence and their counterparts in the Syrian military and intelligence establishments.
Now in addition to that, there was a third element to this very complicated terror plot that involved the plans to abduct or kidnap members of the Lebanese parliament and members of the cabinet here in Lebanon. And that was an attempt, it's understood here by official sources, to force the Lebanese authorities to negotiate the release of some 20 terrorists who are now facing long jail sentences here in Beirut. They were picked up after a massive crackdown against a terrorist hub in northern Lebanon some three years ago. That resulted in a very, very heavyhanded military operation. It resulted in the deaths of 13 Lebanese army soldiers, and the arrest of 200 people some three years ago.
And the plot to kidnap the Lebanese officials was aimed at leverage on the Lebanese authorities to free terrorists now serving jail sentences. And the final statement here is this effort is seen as a significant blow in the global war against terror -- Bill.
HEMMER: Possibly more to come. We'll watch it. Brent Sadler in Beirut.
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 May 15, 2003 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in Lebanon, Fredricka, say nine people are in custody in the foiled attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
Brent Sadler broke the story. He's live with us live now in the capital there.
Brent, good afternoon.
What can you tell us?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Bill.
Certainly some more details emerging here. Of those nine people picked up in this crackdown against the terror network here in Lebanon, there are a mixture of Palestinians and Lebanese. We do have confirmation from official sources on the ground that they were planning to launch a rocket attack against the embassy of the United States. That's Alka (ph), which is on the northern edge of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Now it wasn't just the United States that was being targeted in this terror plot. In addition to an attack on the U.S. embassy here, there were also plans to launch attacks against Syrian and Lebanese military and security targets here in Lebanon.
And this arrest of these nine suspects was done in conjunction between the Lebanese army, and military intelligence and their counterparts in the Syrian military and intelligence establishments.
Now in addition to that, there was a third element to this very complicated terror plot that involved the plans to abduct or kidnap members of the Lebanese parliament and members of the cabinet here in Lebanon. And that was an attempt, it's understood here by official sources, to force the Lebanese authorities to negotiate the release of some 20 terrorists who are now facing long jail sentences here in Beirut. They were picked up after a massive crackdown against a terrorist hub in northern Lebanon some three years ago. That resulted in a very, very heavyhanded military operation. It resulted in the deaths of 13 Lebanese army soldiers, and the arrest of 200 people some three years ago.
And the plot to kidnap the Lebanese officials was aimed at leverage on the Lebanese authorities to free terrorists now serving jail sentences. And the final statement here is this effort is seen as a significant blow in the global war against terror -- Bill.
HEMMER: Possibly more to come. We'll watch it. Brent Sadler in Beirut.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
