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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Michael Weisskopf
Aired February 16, 2003 - 09:05 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: "TIME" magazine this week reports the government is investigating an al Qaeda plot that would build unmanned aerial vehicles to spray chemical weapons.
"TIME" also reports officials got a phone tip that members of Congress were to be targets of assassination attempts.
Michael Weisskopf is a senior correspondent for "TIME" magazine. He joins us now live from Washington.
Good morning to you, Michael. Thanks for being here.
MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
COLLINS: I want to ask you first, how are you able to confirm this and how seriously is Washington taking the information that you have here?
WEISSKOPF: Well, let's take the tip about the alleged assassination attempt.
We learned about this from a high level administration official. It came in a week or two ago, and the way it was communicated, also, was part of the confirmation process, because the capital police chief, Terrence Gainer, briefed members of Congress about the need for them to change their routine in the thinking that they could be targeted.
Now, many of these tips are fragmentary and questionable in terms of origin, in terms of execution. But it's necessary to at least communicate them.
This has led partly to the great grip Washington's been under the last couple weeks.
COLLINS: There was also a closed door meeting with Tom Ridge about this that some of these congressional members had. What was spoken about there and what came of it?
WEISSKOPF: This was a meeting of senators, and Ridge was asked whether the senators should get their families out of town. And Ridge said no, that's not really necessary. It might send the wrong signal.
But he was pressed about how he'd handicapped the chance of an attack in Washington and New York. And he said 50 percent or better in the in the next couple weeks.
COLLINS: In fact, it's a good question. How confident are the Homeland Security officials about their ability to defend against an attack?
In fact, in your article, it says that the U.S. really won't know how prepared it is until something actually happens. Is that the gist of it?
WEISSKOPF: Yes, and there's a compelling kind of anecdote in there with -- that focuses on the vice president, Dick Cheney, calling his aides in.
And in a voice both full of resignation and resolve, said that I want to look each of you in the eye and tell each of you that we'll have done everything we can to prevent an attack. And that's all we really can do.
COLLINS: So let's talk also, Michael, about the unmanned aerial vehicles, the UAVs, as we know them. Explain to us exactly what we know about that plan. This is not to be, apparently, used on U.S. soil. It's to be used overseas?
WEISSKOPF: That's the thinking. There were reports picked up from Islamic fundamentalists in this country hoping to acquire parts of these UAVs or drones in hope of exporting them, getting them off of U.S. soil, to reassemble them and use against U.S. facilities overseas.
Now these drones can contain chemical weapons and can be used to deploy them or spray them over areas that contain large populations.
COLLINS: Is there any sense that you might have of how well the CIA or the FBI or Homeland Security members know about these particular individuals who might be involved in this sort of activity?
WEISSKOPF: There are fewer than 12 al Qaeda sympathizers or associates in this country now believed to be in contact with al Qaeda leaders overseas. They're receiving a great deal of scrutiny through surveillance, physical and telephonic.
There are about 20 or 30 others, sort of associates of al Qaeda who also coming in for a great deal of surveillance. And the idea is to be able to try to track these plots by watching them closely.
COLLINS: Last question for you, quickly, Michael, tell us just about the U.S. assets overseas that we are talking about as far as being at risk.
WEISSKOPF: Well, military installations, certainly. Also, U.S. embassies. In 1998, for instance, two of our embassies in Africa were bombed, and at great loss of life.
COLLINS: All right. Michael Weisskopf, senior correspondent for "TIME" magazine, we do appreciate you being with us today.
WEISSKOPF: Pleasure.
COLLINS: Thanks.
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 February 16, 2003 - 09:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: "TIME" magazine this week reports the government is investigating an al Qaeda plot that would build unmanned aerial vehicles to spray chemical weapons.
"TIME" also reports officials got a phone tip that members of Congress were to be targets of assassination attempts.
Michael Weisskopf is a senior correspondent for "TIME" magazine. He joins us now live from Washington.
Good morning to you, Michael. Thanks for being here.
MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
COLLINS: I want to ask you first, how are you able to confirm this and how seriously is Washington taking the information that you have here?
WEISSKOPF: Well, let's take the tip about the alleged assassination attempt.
We learned about this from a high level administration official. It came in a week or two ago, and the way it was communicated, also, was part of the confirmation process, because the capital police chief, Terrence Gainer, briefed members of Congress about the need for them to change their routine in the thinking that they could be targeted.
Now, many of these tips are fragmentary and questionable in terms of origin, in terms of execution. But it's necessary to at least communicate them.
This has led partly to the great grip Washington's been under the last couple weeks.
COLLINS: There was also a closed door meeting with Tom Ridge about this that some of these congressional members had. What was spoken about there and what came of it?
WEISSKOPF: This was a meeting of senators, and Ridge was asked whether the senators should get their families out of town. And Ridge said no, that's not really necessary. It might send the wrong signal.
But he was pressed about how he'd handicapped the chance of an attack in Washington and New York. And he said 50 percent or better in the in the next couple weeks.
COLLINS: In fact, it's a good question. How confident are the Homeland Security officials about their ability to defend against an attack?
In fact, in your article, it says that the U.S. really won't know how prepared it is until something actually happens. Is that the gist of it?
WEISSKOPF: Yes, and there's a compelling kind of anecdote in there with -- that focuses on the vice president, Dick Cheney, calling his aides in.
And in a voice both full of resignation and resolve, said that I want to look each of you in the eye and tell each of you that we'll have done everything we can to prevent an attack. And that's all we really can do.
COLLINS: So let's talk also, Michael, about the unmanned aerial vehicles, the UAVs, as we know them. Explain to us exactly what we know about that plan. This is not to be, apparently, used on U.S. soil. It's to be used overseas?
WEISSKOPF: That's the thinking. There were reports picked up from Islamic fundamentalists in this country hoping to acquire parts of these UAVs or drones in hope of exporting them, getting them off of U.S. soil, to reassemble them and use against U.S. facilities overseas.
Now these drones can contain chemical weapons and can be used to deploy them or spray them over areas that contain large populations.
COLLINS: Is there any sense that you might have of how well the CIA or the FBI or Homeland Security members know about these particular individuals who might be involved in this sort of activity?
WEISSKOPF: There are fewer than 12 al Qaeda sympathizers or associates in this country now believed to be in contact with al Qaeda leaders overseas. They're receiving a great deal of scrutiny through surveillance, physical and telephonic.
There are about 20 or 30 others, sort of associates of al Qaeda who also coming in for a great deal of surveillance. And the idea is to be able to try to track these plots by watching them closely.
COLLINS: Last question for you, quickly, Michael, tell us just about the U.S. assets overseas that we are talking about as far as being at risk.
WEISSKOPF: Well, military installations, certainly. Also, U.S. embassies. In 1998, for instance, two of our embassies in Africa were bombed, and at great loss of life.
COLLINS: All right. Michael Weisskopf, senior correspondent for "TIME" magazine, we do appreciate you being with us today.
WEISSKOPF: Pleasure.
COLLINS: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
