Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

New Osama bin Laden Tape

Aired September 11, 2003 - 07:16   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: I want to go back to yesterday right now, this audiotape and this videotape. For the first time in about 17 months, Americans got a glimpse again of Osama bin Laden. Countless questions out there after this tape was out -- aired, rather, on Al Jazeera. And a lot of those questions right now are going to the very heart of when it originated, perhaps what time and what the message was contained in there.
The global affairs correspondent for the "L.A. Times," Robin Wright, joins us now live in D.C.

I want to welcome you on this special edition of AMERICAN MORNING.

You've listened to the tapes. They run about 90 minutes in length. Who's trying to be reached as a result of the message on those tapes?

ROBIN WRIGHT, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": (AUDIO GAP) are reaching out to a wide array of Islamic militant groups throughout the region. This is very interesting in the way that it comes at a time that the United States is in trouble, both in Iraq and in its effort to bring peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis in a new cycle of violence.

HEMMER: Yes, Robin, what are the experts telling you in terms of time and place for when this was recorded? Do they know? Do they have a firm grasp?

WRIGHT: Well, I think the CIA is looking into the exact timing of it, but it's clear that parts of it are old, the videotape particularly. But the audiotape and the references by Ayman al- Zawahiri, the top Egyptian aide to Osama bin Laden, refer both to the road map, the peace plan for the Arab-Israeli peace process, as well as the Iraq attacks on Americans. So, that seems very recent.

HEMMER: Some have already suggested that this shows a weakness in Osama bin Laden. Can you explain that?

WRIGHT: Well, it reflects a weakness in the sense that he is clearly trying to mobilize new fighters in the aftermath of hundreds of his operatives either being killed or detained by the United States. Several top key operatives who were involved in planning and financing his operations have been caught. So, he's in a moment of weakness.

But at the same time, Osama bin Laden has also been very effective in the so-called public diplomacy. He knows how to reach out to militants, and he knows how to play to the vulnerabilities of the United States and some of its allies.

HEMMER: Yes, oftentimes, Robin, as you well know, attacks around the world have followed the release of these tapes. I'm curious to know how often the attacks do not follow when a new tape comes out. Do you know that answer?

WRIGHT: Well, I think one of the most important things is to look at the timing of the attacks. There are usually two or three years between them. There is the 1998 attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. There is a period that always -- there's a big gap in between all of them, because their sense is to not do it the next day, wait until the guard is down. That's probably more important than the timing of the messages, which sometimes does match the attacks but not always.

HEMMER: And it's also my understanding this tape runs about 90 minutes, somewhat highly-produced when you compare it to the previous release of tapes in the past. Do you know, speaking with certain experts, whether or not there's a trail of evidence on board those tapes that may lead investigators overseas to an origination point of where that tape came from?

WRIGHT: Oh, clearly, there will be some evidence on the tape, whether it's the topography, the kind of environment where the tape was shot or the quality of the sound. There's an awful lot that U.S. intelligence can find out. But probably, you know, the videotape was old enough that there's no guarantee that Osama and his allies are deployed where it was originally filmed. So, I think it's not going to be able to pinpoint exactly where he is or what he's doing at the moment.

HEMMER: OK, Robin, listen, thanks, and thanks for sharing with us today, from the "L.A. Times." Her piece is out there today. In fact, you can read it online if you're not in L.A. already. Robin Wright, in D.C., thanks for your time there.

WRIGHT: Thank you.

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 11, 2003 - 07:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to go back to yesterday right now, this audiotape and this videotape. For the first time in about 17 months, Americans got a glimpse again of Osama bin Laden. Countless questions out there after this tape was out -- aired, rather, on Al Jazeera. And a lot of those questions right now are going to the very heart of when it originated, perhaps what time and what the message was contained in there.
The global affairs correspondent for the "L.A. Times," Robin Wright, joins us now live in D.C.

I want to welcome you on this special edition of AMERICAN MORNING.

You've listened to the tapes. They run about 90 minutes in length. Who's trying to be reached as a result of the message on those tapes?

ROBIN WRIGHT, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": (AUDIO GAP) are reaching out to a wide array of Islamic militant groups throughout the region. This is very interesting in the way that it comes at a time that the United States is in trouble, both in Iraq and in its effort to bring peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis in a new cycle of violence.

HEMMER: Yes, Robin, what are the experts telling you in terms of time and place for when this was recorded? Do they know? Do they have a firm grasp?

WRIGHT: Well, I think the CIA is looking into the exact timing of it, but it's clear that parts of it are old, the videotape particularly. But the audiotape and the references by Ayman al- Zawahiri, the top Egyptian aide to Osama bin Laden, refer both to the road map, the peace plan for the Arab-Israeli peace process, as well as the Iraq attacks on Americans. So, that seems very recent.

HEMMER: Some have already suggested that this shows a weakness in Osama bin Laden. Can you explain that?

WRIGHT: Well, it reflects a weakness in the sense that he is clearly trying to mobilize new fighters in the aftermath of hundreds of his operatives either being killed or detained by the United States. Several top key operatives who were involved in planning and financing his operations have been caught. So, he's in a moment of weakness.

But at the same time, Osama bin Laden has also been very effective in the so-called public diplomacy. He knows how to reach out to militants, and he knows how to play to the vulnerabilities of the United States and some of its allies.

HEMMER: Yes, oftentimes, Robin, as you well know, attacks around the world have followed the release of these tapes. I'm curious to know how often the attacks do not follow when a new tape comes out. Do you know that answer?

WRIGHT: Well, I think one of the most important things is to look at the timing of the attacks. There are usually two or three years between them. There is the 1998 attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. There is a period that always -- there's a big gap in between all of them, because their sense is to not do it the next day, wait until the guard is down. That's probably more important than the timing of the messages, which sometimes does match the attacks but not always.

HEMMER: And it's also my understanding this tape runs about 90 minutes, somewhat highly-produced when you compare it to the previous release of tapes in the past. Do you know, speaking with certain experts, whether or not there's a trail of evidence on board those tapes that may lead investigators overseas to an origination point of where that tape came from?

WRIGHT: Oh, clearly, there will be some evidence on the tape, whether it's the topography, the kind of environment where the tape was shot or the quality of the sound. There's an awful lot that U.S. intelligence can find out. But probably, you know, the videotape was old enough that there's no guarantee that Osama and his allies are deployed where it was originally filmed. So, I think it's not going to be able to pinpoint exactly where he is or what he's doing at the moment.

HEMMER: OK, Robin, listen, thanks, and thanks for sharing with us today, from the "L.A. Times." Her piece is out there today. In fact, you can read it online if you're not in L.A. already. Robin Wright, in D.C., thanks for your time there.

WRIGHT: Thank you.

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