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CNN Sunday Morning
What Will Happen to James Yee?
Aired September 21, 2003 - 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. JAMES YEE, U.S. ARMY: Whether that person is Muslim or not, killing someone is something difficult. I mean that would be an issue anyone is going to struggle with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Those words, back in September of 2001, from Army Captain James Yee. This morning, the Muslim chaplain is behind bars himself, arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason. He was taken into custody earlier in the month.
Officials say they found Yee with classified documents that included maps of Guantanamo Bay facilities, where al Qaeda and other enemy combatants are right now being held. Yee had worked at the detention facility last year.
Now, with more insights into this case, we're joined by CNN security analyst Kelly McCann, who is in our Washington bureau. Good morning, Kelly. Thanks for joining us this morning.
KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Sean.
CALLEBS: A lot to get to. Firstly, let's talk about where Captain Yee was stationed. What do you know about Washington State, the fact that he has worked there for some time? Any concern?
MCCANN: Well, certainly. I mean, there are three real places in the United States, of course, Washington being one of them, then upstate New York, and then the Detroit area, where there's a high population of Islamist fundamentalist activities. And so it is an area of focus and of concern that the captain served there.
CALLEBS: Now he -- as being a chaplain, he is an officer. Any reason he should have classified documents, if he is a chaplain and had been working down at Guantanamo Bay?
MCCAN: Well, by virtue of being a commissioned officer, you get a secret clearance, which means they have to do a background investigation with -- that includes foreign contacts, foreign travel, et cetera. Now, whether a chaplain ever needs to hold classified material or really be privy to classified material is the question.
I would suggest to you that there's no reason at all this captain should have ever have had access to, for instance, or would have needed, diagrams of the detention facilities, et cetera. And certainly not the names of any interrogators or interviewers. That's a significant concern.
CALLEBS: Tell me why that is so much of concern to you. Because, clearly, he was probably counseling the prisoners there at the same time a lot of them were being interrogated.
MCCANN: Three things really jump out, Sean. Number one, is the two different bits of information. One is the information about the facilities, the routine, et cetera. That could have been used to be sent out to human rights organizations to muckrake. I mean, that place has been under a microscope, and I'm not suggesting that there are violations, but it certainly would have been inappropriate from insider's perspective to release that to public discretion -- or scrutiny.
The second thing is, is the personal information about the interviewers and the interrogators, which might go to their family safety, their own safety, and what did he intend to do with this? And certainly when they took him into detention, you can bet that they scrutinized and will exploit all kind communicative measures that he may have used in the interim. And they are probably doing that right now with the FBI and other organizations here in the U.S.
But this is of great concern, because where did those names go? What was his intent?
CALLEBS: And the fact that there is a Muslim chaplain working down there is no big surprise. Any thoughts that maybe he went in there with the best of intentions and may have been swept up, caught among all of the discussion of all of the inmates down there?
MCCANN: Sure. I mean, you know, in the service, when young men go overseas, there's always the idea or the notion of going "native" in quotation marks, which means that basically they fall in love with or like what they see about the cultures where they go and operate and visit. And this may be that case, that he served in the Gulf War initially and of course served in the Middle East, I guess, as anti- air defense battery commander, liked it, and then got out of the service. Went over to Syria for four years, where he studied Islam, and came back and joined the service again.
What happened during those four years might have been totally innocent, Sean. Then again, it may not have been innocent. And it would be interesting to know if he planned on getting out soon, what his plans were, et cetera, because I think this is going to be an investigation that sheds some light on this whole kind of situation.
CALLEBS: Indeed, Kelly. It is a developing story and we will continue to follow it with you from the Pentagon throughout the day. Kelly McCann, CNN security analyst, thanks for joining us here this morning -- Heidi.
MCCANN: Thanks, Sean.
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 21, 2003 - 08:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. JAMES YEE, U.S. ARMY: Whether that person is Muslim or not, killing someone is something difficult. I mean that would be an issue anyone is going to struggle with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Those words, back in September of 2001, from Army Captain James Yee. This morning, the Muslim chaplain is behind bars himself, arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason. He was taken into custody earlier in the month.
Officials say they found Yee with classified documents that included maps of Guantanamo Bay facilities, where al Qaeda and other enemy combatants are right now being held. Yee had worked at the detention facility last year.
Now, with more insights into this case, we're joined by CNN security analyst Kelly McCann, who is in our Washington bureau. Good morning, Kelly. Thanks for joining us this morning.
KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Sean.
CALLEBS: A lot to get to. Firstly, let's talk about where Captain Yee was stationed. What do you know about Washington State, the fact that he has worked there for some time? Any concern?
MCCANN: Well, certainly. I mean, there are three real places in the United States, of course, Washington being one of them, then upstate New York, and then the Detroit area, where there's a high population of Islamist fundamentalist activities. And so it is an area of focus and of concern that the captain served there.
CALLEBS: Now he -- as being a chaplain, he is an officer. Any reason he should have classified documents, if he is a chaplain and had been working down at Guantanamo Bay?
MCCAN: Well, by virtue of being a commissioned officer, you get a secret clearance, which means they have to do a background investigation with -- that includes foreign contacts, foreign travel, et cetera. Now, whether a chaplain ever needs to hold classified material or really be privy to classified material is the question.
I would suggest to you that there's no reason at all this captain should have ever have had access to, for instance, or would have needed, diagrams of the detention facilities, et cetera. And certainly not the names of any interrogators or interviewers. That's a significant concern.
CALLEBS: Tell me why that is so much of concern to you. Because, clearly, he was probably counseling the prisoners there at the same time a lot of them were being interrogated.
MCCANN: Three things really jump out, Sean. Number one, is the two different bits of information. One is the information about the facilities, the routine, et cetera. That could have been used to be sent out to human rights organizations to muckrake. I mean, that place has been under a microscope, and I'm not suggesting that there are violations, but it certainly would have been inappropriate from insider's perspective to release that to public discretion -- or scrutiny.
The second thing is, is the personal information about the interviewers and the interrogators, which might go to their family safety, their own safety, and what did he intend to do with this? And certainly when they took him into detention, you can bet that they scrutinized and will exploit all kind communicative measures that he may have used in the interim. And they are probably doing that right now with the FBI and other organizations here in the U.S.
But this is of great concern, because where did those names go? What was his intent?
CALLEBS: And the fact that there is a Muslim chaplain working down there is no big surprise. Any thoughts that maybe he went in there with the best of intentions and may have been swept up, caught among all of the discussion of all of the inmates down there?
MCCANN: Sure. I mean, you know, in the service, when young men go overseas, there's always the idea or the notion of going "native" in quotation marks, which means that basically they fall in love with or like what they see about the cultures where they go and operate and visit. And this may be that case, that he served in the Gulf War initially and of course served in the Middle East, I guess, as anti- air defense battery commander, liked it, and then got out of the service. Went over to Syria for four years, where he studied Islam, and came back and joined the service again.
What happened during those four years might have been totally innocent, Sean. Then again, it may not have been innocent. And it would be interesting to know if he planned on getting out soon, what his plans were, et cetera, because I think this is going to be an investigation that sheds some light on this whole kind of situation.
CALLEBS: Indeed, Kelly. It is a developing story and we will continue to follow it with you from the Pentagon throughout the day. Kelly McCann, CNN security analyst, thanks for joining us here this morning -- Heidi.
MCCANN: Thanks, Sean.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
