Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
New Security Steps
Aired January 05, 2004 - 08:12 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 hundred and fifteen international airports set to process up to 28 million visitors every year. Some may be repeat travelers here in the U.S. But a major initiative put forward today.
There is some criticism overseas and there are at least half a dozen countries or more that have been exempt from this new rule.
Let's talk about it now from London.
Britain's transport secretary is telling travelers to "get used to it." He says new and tighter security measures will be around for years to come.
M.J. Gohel, a terrorism expert with the Asia Pacific Foundation, joins us now from the view from London.
Thank you for your time here back in the U.S.
Your reaction to the initiative. How do you think it's going to work? Effective or not?
M.J. GOHEL, TERRORISM EXPERT, ASIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Well, obviously it's good to have additional security measures and I think these new measures, the fingerprinting measure in particular, will make life a lot more difficult for the criminal.
However, I'm a little bit skeptical as regards terrorism, because let's not forget that most terrorists are young, educated, from good family backgrounds and with no criminal record whatsoever. The atrocity they perpetuate is the first criminal act they've indulged in. And, therefore, for instance, say Mohamed Atta, the 9/11 leader, and all of his co-conspirators, would not have shown up on any fingerprint search.
So I think it's a kind of a scatterdom approach and we may be lucky to pick up someone. But I don't think it's going to lead to any kind of major breakthrough.
HEMMER: Let's just correct the record a little bit here, because at least a handful of the hijackers that were living in San Diego at the time, intelligence sources in this country knew they were here. They just could not find them. In that case, would it help?
GOHEL: Indeed, I think the point is that once someone is in the country, they can disappear. The threat comes not just from outside. It's also remember that there can be homegrown terrorists. Recently in Virginia, several terrorists were arrested and some confessed. And so there are people being recruited within the USA and then there's also the problem of U.S. interests outside the U.S. mainland. How would those interests be protected?
So I'm a little bit skeptical as to how much this will really achieve in the war on terrorism. It's a containment exercise, if you like. It'll make life a little more difficult, but it doesn't make life impossible for the terrorists.
HEMMER: And in the minute we have left here, I want to change our focus slightly.
What's happening with British Airways Flight 223? It's had nothing but trouble for four days running. On the inside, what's the issue with security on this particular flight?
GOHEL: There's been a lot of concern in the U.K. ever since a British-Pakistani was arrested in Gloucestershire by the name of Sajid. But that, he had in possession with him some small explosives similar to what Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, had. And it's believed that where there is one, there are bound to be more.
There was specific intelligence as regards to this Flight 223. Apparently several individuals were going to try and board it and try and perpetuate an atrocity. There was very clear, specific intelligence and this came in from several different sources.
HEMMER: Yes, the intel is one thing and the reports about armed marshals in Britain not agreeing to carry guns, too, was also an issue out there, as well.
Flight 223 trouble again over the weekend.
M.J. Gohel, thanks for your thoughts there from London on this topic today.
GOHEL: Thank you.
HEMMER: 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 January 5, 2004 - 08:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A hundred and fifteen international airports set to process up to 28 million visitors every year. Some may be repeat travelers here in the U.S. But a major initiative put forward today.
There is some criticism overseas and there are at least half a dozen countries or more that have been exempt from this new rule.
Let's talk about it now from London.
Britain's transport secretary is telling travelers to "get used to it." He says new and tighter security measures will be around for years to come.
M.J. Gohel, a terrorism expert with the Asia Pacific Foundation, joins us now from the view from London.
Thank you for your time here back in the U.S.
Your reaction to the initiative. How do you think it's going to work? Effective or not?
M.J. GOHEL, TERRORISM EXPERT, ASIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Well, obviously it's good to have additional security measures and I think these new measures, the fingerprinting measure in particular, will make life a lot more difficult for the criminal.
However, I'm a little bit skeptical as regards terrorism, because let's not forget that most terrorists are young, educated, from good family backgrounds and with no criminal record whatsoever. The atrocity they perpetuate is the first criminal act they've indulged in. And, therefore, for instance, say Mohamed Atta, the 9/11 leader, and all of his co-conspirators, would not have shown up on any fingerprint search.
So I think it's a kind of a scatterdom approach and we may be lucky to pick up someone. But I don't think it's going to lead to any kind of major breakthrough.
HEMMER: Let's just correct the record a little bit here, because at least a handful of the hijackers that were living in San Diego at the time, intelligence sources in this country knew they were here. They just could not find them. In that case, would it help?
GOHEL: Indeed, I think the point is that once someone is in the country, they can disappear. The threat comes not just from outside. It's also remember that there can be homegrown terrorists. Recently in Virginia, several terrorists were arrested and some confessed. And so there are people being recruited within the USA and then there's also the problem of U.S. interests outside the U.S. mainland. How would those interests be protected?
So I'm a little bit skeptical as to how much this will really achieve in the war on terrorism. It's a containment exercise, if you like. It'll make life a little more difficult, but it doesn't make life impossible for the terrorists.
HEMMER: And in the minute we have left here, I want to change our focus slightly.
What's happening with British Airways Flight 223? It's had nothing but trouble for four days running. On the inside, what's the issue with security on this particular flight?
GOHEL: There's been a lot of concern in the U.K. ever since a British-Pakistani was arrested in Gloucestershire by the name of Sajid. But that, he had in possession with him some small explosives similar to what Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, had. And it's believed that where there is one, there are bound to be more.
There was specific intelligence as regards to this Flight 223. Apparently several individuals were going to try and board it and try and perpetuate an atrocity. There was very clear, specific intelligence and this came in from several different sources.
HEMMER: Yes, the intel is one thing and the reports about armed marshals in Britain not agreeing to carry guns, too, was also an issue out there, as well.
Flight 223 trouble again over the weekend.
M.J. Gohel, thanks for your thoughts there from London on this topic today.
GOHEL: Thank you.
HEMMER: 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
