Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

America Under Attack: Attacks Point To Multiple Groups

Aired September 13, 2001 - 03:36   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.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN ANCHOR: As we said, the magnitude of Tuesday's attacks suggests that the action was organized by a highly sophisticated group or groups of terrorist intent on generating chaos and fear, as much damage and loss of life as possible. And it represents a massive breach of U.S. national security.

Joining us from our London studios is Paul Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer of the international security firm, Task International. Mr. Slaughter, thank you very much for joining us. What do you think -- what do you think of the security measures that we're hearing now that the FAA is planning to introduce at the U.S. airports?

PAUL SLAUGHTER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TASK INTERNATIONAL: I think it's probably long awaited, that the big problem with security matters is that anyone who wants to perpetrate these type of crimes, they've always got the advantage of time. And they know when they're going to do it, where they're going to do it.

All security matters are breachable. You can either go around, over, through, under. You cannot have a complete 100 percent guaranteed security measures in place. The big problem is that the perpetrators of crimes such as this, as I said, know when they're going to do it. And no security matters can fully protect establishments, airlines, buildings or anything like that.

VASSILEVA: So what can protect them better?

SLAUGHTER: Obviously increase security matters. And you just have to try and make places like that a harder target to attack. With the advent of X-ray machines, perhaps body searching, greater vetting of passengers. But, of course, this imposes on travel, civil liberties, things like that. It has to be a balancing act.

But unfortunately, as has quite often been said and the IRA have been quoted. They only have to be lucky once. And unfortunately, when they are as lucky as this, you're going to have the body toll that we've seen and will see in future days to come.

VASSILEVA: Mr. Slaugher, what about the cockpit, making it very difficult to breach the cockpit door and get inside and hijack a plane?

SLAUGHTER: That's one measure. But, of course, you have to take into account that the human factor and obviously, when the terrorists got onboard and probably started attacking the stewardesses or passengers with the knives they had onboard.

It takes a very determined, logical flight crew not to open the door when they're hearing screaming, pandemonium and panicking within the cabin itself. And the pilot or copilot or engineer not to open the door to try and find out what's happening is a very, very difficult thing to do. I don't believe you can criticize them for trying to find out what's happening behind them.

Perhaps we need to have cameras installed on aircraft so the pilot can see what's going on behind him. But, of course, all these measures take financing. And probably, you're going to have to have maybe acts of government to ensure that these take place.

VASSILEVA: What do you think was the biggest mistake that was made by U.S. officials in this case?

SLAUGHTER: I think that's very difficult to say. It's -- the big -- the big problem is that you have to balance security measures with civil liberties and also with people traveling all over the world. If you have a complete security package -- excuse me -- you're not going to have people traveling because they wont want to.

Obviously, allowing these people onto the aircraft with whatever weapons they had -- and all we've heard is that they had knives -- well, you can do as much damage with a three inch blade as you can with a six or nine inch blade. And it's quite easy to get those onboard aircraft. I mean, knives now can be secreted in belt buckles, in pens, pens that work. And all they have to do is to grab hold of a stewardess or passenger and stab them in the right place and you're going to have copious quantities of blood all over the place, which instills panic in people.

VASSILEVA: Mr. Slaughter, thank you very much.

SLAUGHTER: OK.

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