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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Patrick Gallivan
Aired September 15, 2002 - 09:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's see now if we can get more some information on that situation in the case of the terrorist suspects. We are joined now by Patrick Gallivan. He's in Buffalo. He's the Erie County sheriff. Sheriff, thank you for being with us this morning.
SHERIFF PATRICK GALLIVAN, ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK: You're welcome, Catherine.
CALLAWAY: Sheriff, can you shed some light on this situation? How this came about, and how, if at all, your department was involved in this investigation?
GALLIVAN: Well, we along with a number of -- 15 -- 15 to 20 other agencies were part of the joint terrorism task force that operated locally here in western New York. I'd like to point out that the Muslim community was involved in this investigation from the beginning, that as concerned, as responsible citizens of the United States, they worked with the task force, they worked with the FBI, and they cooperated throughout this entire investigation.
CALLAWAY: Now, your office had been notified before September 11 that these gentlemen allegedly attended an al Qaeda training camp, so you were aware of them. What happened at that time, and how did the investigation change, if it did at all, after September 11?
GALLIVAN: Well, the FBI has headed up the investigation through their joint terrorism task force. The investigation has gone on, as you are aware, for a lengthy period of time right now, but certainly since September 11, there has been a greater focus and a greater involvement of local law enforcement and being involved in our own homeland security, as opposed to looking at the things that we just deal with domestically.
CALLAWAY: Other than apparently attending these al Qaeda training camps, can you tell us anything else about this investigation involving these five gentlemen?
GALLIVAN: Well, you, as many other people in the country, are aware of the allegations, that these five individuals traveled to Pakistan. From Pakistan, they went over to a training camp in Afghanistan, ultimately returning back here to the United States. We've also heard and we have no evidence at all that anybody or anything within the United States was at any time ever in danger from these individuals. The investigation will continue. All the leads -- all the leads that have developed or might develop will continue to be followed, and hopefully we will put an end to whatever was taking place in this community here.
CALLAWAY: Can you tell us a little bit more about these gentlemen? I think they were all under the age of 29. Four of them -- or rather one of them was employed. Three of them were unemployed. One was a student. Were they assimilated into the community there, in your county?
GALLIVAN: Yes. Four of them actually were born here in the United States; one of them was a naturalized citizen. Many people have asked, "why Buffalo?" Well, very simply because this is where their family's head settled, and Buffalo, western New York has really nothing to do with what their activities were.
They grew up here. Like many Americans who make a bad decision and get involved themselves in other crimes, they chose to go down the wrong path, and fortunately, sophisticated investigative techniques and working with the community has led to this arrest, and hopefully a successful prosecution.
CALLAWAY: With this arrest, what now? What is going on in your community now? Does the investigation continue, and how is it affecting the population there?
GALLIVAN: Well, the investigation will continue, but it's very important to point out that the Muslim community has cooperated in this investigation from the beginning, and to a large extent, the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community, as the Italian community, the Irish-American community here in western New York and across the country, are honest, decent, hard-working, law-abiding citizens. So it's important to point out that they should not be targets, that people should treat them as they treat everybody else, as you treat your brother and sister.
We're all citizens of this great melting pot, and we have to be concerned that there is no acts of retaliation, and law enforcement will continue to work with the community to ensure that.
CALLAWAY: But there certainly has to be a sense of fear in your community. There's what, 19,000 there in that area, largely Yemeni population. I know there is a large population there. There has to be concern that this many individuals have been arrested on suspicion in this small community.
GALLIVAN: Well, Lackawanna joins the city of Buffalo. In western New York, our population here is roughly a million people, and certainly members of the general public are shocked that this has taken place in their own backyard. But we want to point out, the activities of these individuals did not take place here in western New York. These five individuals traveled overseas. They attended the training camp in Afghanistan, and merely returned back to their home here. Again, I repeat with no evidence that anything was to take place here, but people are shocked. People are concerned, and we'll continue to do the best we can to work with them, work with the community to keep everybody safe.
CALLAWAY: All right, Patrick Gallivan, from Erie County, thanks very much for being with us this morning.
GALLIVAN: You're welcome.
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