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CNN Saturday Morning News
International Perspective on Terrorist Attacks
Aired September 22, 2001 - 10:10 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: We want to go overseas now and get the very latest from what we're gathering. CNN's Christiane Amanpour live now in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Christiane, hello to you.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bill, the story today from this region is what the Taliban is saying from Afghanistan. We talked to the Taliban Foreign Ministry about an hour and a half ago about reports of a plane being shot down over Afghanistan.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman says that the foreign minister and the defense minister are 100 percent sure, they say, that a spy plane was shot down somewhere north of Kabul, the capital. It was an unmanned plane, they say, and they do not know of what nationality and of what origin, whether it was Russian, whether it was U.S. or what it was. They say that there was computerized equipment on it and that they are asking for bits of the wreckage and parts to be brought down to them in Kandahar which is where the ruling Taliban have their sort of offices and structure. That is the seat of the current Taliban government. We have no way of independently confirming that, but as I say, that's what we were told over the phone when we talked to the Foreign Ministry about an hour and a half ago.
In another development, the Pakistani officials here are maintaining a close eye on the security situation. The president has had conversations with his security officials plus provincial governors and others to see how they can keep the situation under control. They are fairly gratified that although there have been protests, and there was one today and there were several yesterday, they have not, by any means, been nationwide protests nor a mass uprising that the extremists in this country, the opponents of the president's decision to stand with the United States had been threatening.
So that is the latest from here on the situation. And in just one other note, the United Arab Emirates, which does recognize the Taliban regime, today cut diplomatic relations -- Bill.
HEMMER: Christiane, quickly on that last point you make, how significant -- give us a context for that or a perspective with the UAE cutting off immediately its ties with the Taliban. AMANPOUR: Well, there were three countries recognizing the Taliban: Pakistan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has said that over the last, you know, period of time, even before this crisis, it had downgraded its relations. The United Arab Emirates was trying to get the Taliban to cooperate with the international community after this attack on New York and Washington and they have cut relations because they said they got no cooperation. The only people now recognizing the Taliban are -- is Pakistan and they are doing that because they have to. Pakistan is the only out point for a landlocked country, which is Afghanistan, and indeed they say that they're the only diplomatic channel now that exists between the world and Pakistan -- and Afghanistan.
HEMMER: All right. All right, Christiane. Christiane Amanpour in Islamabad with us.
The attacks took a major hit on the financial markets, but is the U.S. economy -- the slowing economy here to stay? You can ask our expert coming up here. E-mail your questions, get them answered a bit later this hour on the air, CNN.com/asktheexperts.
Also, the mayor of Jerusalem is our guest, momentarily, as well.
Back with more from New York City and Washington in America's New War after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: As has been the case for several days now, new details again emerging today in the investigation of the attacks on the U.S.
CNN's Mike Boettcher keeping a close eye on all of that live now from Atlanta with more.
Hello, Mike.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Well, officials familiar with United Airlines Flight 93's cockpit recorder, which is being analyzed, confirmed to CNN that it appears there was a definite struggle aboard that aircraft. They say they hear shouting aboard that flight recorder. If you'll remember, that is the same flight, the one that crashed into the field in Pennsylvania, that family members on the ground said they received cell phone calls from their loved ones on board that aircraft saying that they were going to try to take back that plane from the hijackers. They've been called heroes from everyone from the president on down in the U.S. government.
And another development, investigators are looking at the possible role of Abdul Aziz Alomari. Now he is seen here, the second man going through a security checkpoint at Portland airport the morning of the hijackings at about 5:45 a.m. They're boarding the commuter flight there and going on to Boston. They believe he played a key leadership role. They make this judgment because of e-mails, phone calls and airplane tickets that he had booked. So they're continuing their investigation of that man.
The man in front of me -- in front of him is Mohammed Atta, the man who had extensive travels in the weeks and months before the hijackings, both to Europe and here in the United States.
And in another development, U.S. officials are seeking the extradition of a Yemeni man who was arrested the day of the hijacking. He is in Toronto. He was arrested there because he had three false passports. Now in the official complaint against this man filed in Chicago by federal authorities, they list three other items that he had on his person that are very interesting to him. His name is Nageeb Abdul Jabar Mohamed Al-Hadi (ph). He had two Lufthansa crew uniforms in his person, also an ID card they're checking out, at least one of those, and paper with Arabic writing sewn into his pants pocket. So this man is very interesting to U.S. authorities as they investigate this entire conspiracy, but we're told that they have not yet made any direct link with this person and the hijackings -- Bill.
HEMMER: Just the beginning, too.
Mike, thanks -- Mike Boettcher.
Seeing pictures on television as we have said so many times does not adequately convey the scene at the World Trade Center. One man who may agree with that statement, Jerusalem's mayor Ehud Olmert. He toured the site yesterday and joins us live to talk about it this morning.
Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor.
EHUD OLMERT, MAYOR OF JERUSALEM: Good morning to you.
HEMMER: First overseas in the Middle East, this is an area of the world that lives with terrorism and lives with quite a bit of violence. How are we, as Americans, able to understand and comprehend this given your perspective from Israel?
OLMERT: Well, I'll tell the truth, I was praying since last week that you will never have to go through the same experience and that it will never be repeated again in New York or in any other part of America and that you will not have to get used to it. The worst is that you get used to it, as we are. This is now a part of our lives for the last 35 years. It's been a weekly event in Jerusalem for so many years. So you start to get a little more aware of the whereabouts of people around you. You look at the sides. You try to get very sensitive to everything that happens around you so that you will not get in a surprise.
Just two weeks ago, there was a typical event. A guy tried to enter a hospital in the center of town and he was dressed like an Orthodox Jew with a yarmulke and he had a bag on his back. And something in his appearance looked strange, and the guard said, no, you don't come in. And he immediately took a passerby -- people standing there, called the police and said there is a terrorist there. And in two seconds there were two policemen running after him. He exploded, few people were wounded but maybe 50 people at the entrance to the hospital were safe because someone looked at him and they didn't like the appearance of this guy. So this is the kind of sensitivity which develops when you live with terror for so many years.
I really hope and pray for New York and for America that you will not have to get used to it. But I look in the face and the eyes of many people in New York last day when I was walking with the mayor and the governor in the ground zero and other parts of the city and I saw the determination and the resolve in their -- in their face and eyes and I hope that you will be strong.
HEMMER: Yes, before your last answer there, I hope you're right indeed.
You were down there, down at what we call ground zero.
OLMERT: Yes.
HEMMER: I was down there also yesterday. It's an amazing site, one that I think leaves most of us speechless if, for no other reason, no one has ever seen devastation like this before, so it was difficult enough to imagine it before much less...
OLMERT: That's right.
HEMMER: ... see it in reality and in person.
OLMERT: Correct. Correct. I must say we had many discussions. I had one with Rudy Giuliani a year ago and he invited me to visit the OEM at 7 Financial Center, which is now destroyed, and he asked my opinion about the preparations for all kinds of eventualities. And none of the eventualities that we discussed...
HEMMER: Had to do with this.
OLMERT: ... -- anticipated had to do with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) anything. It was beyond the imagination. Really it is something that no one was ready for.
HEMMER: Tell us this, what is the Israeli government willing to do at this point in order to either join the fight or stay on the sidelines?
OLMERT: We don't have to join the fight, we are in the fight now for so many years. If there is one nation which fights terror with vigor determination and courage, this is Israel. We have terror, you know. You know that I changed the name of Jaffa (ph) Street into...
HEMMER: Yes.
OLMERT: ... New York Street...
HEMMER: Which is very significant and most people may not realize that.
OLMERT: Yes, but this is something which conveys the emotions and the sympathies that we feel for the people of New York, for the state of New York, for America, for the leadership of New York and our participation with all the families of -- that lost their dear ones. Now we are in this war and we are going to continue to be in the war. And we'll do everything to help the United States to fight terror because terror is a danger to all our nations and terror is always terror whether it is in Jaffa Street and New York Street in Jerusalem, whether it is in the World Trade Center in New York.
HEMMER: And you said earlier, Jaffa Street is the site or the scene of most attacks that the Israeli people have suffered in along the area running out of the Jaffa Gate past Ben Yahoota (ph),...
OLMERT: Correct.
HEMMER: ... past the shopping, the Sabaro (ph) restaurant, the...
(CROSSTALK)
OLMERT: The Sabaro (ph) restaurant. There were more terrorist attacks in Jaffa Street in Jerusalem than in any single street in the world more years over the last 35 years more events. So we thought that it was appropriate to commemorate the courage of the people of New York in that street.
HEMMER: Quickly, the Mossad, your version of the CIA...
OLMERT: Yes.
HEMMER: ... how can they help the U.S. when it comes to this battle?
OLMERT: Every information, every intelligence that we have will be handed over to the United States as we did in the past. We are partners and brothers of America in this war against terror.
HEMMER: Ehud Olmert, the mayor of Jerusalem. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
OLMERT: Thank you very much, Bill.
HEMMER: Much appreciated.
OLMERT: Thank you.
HEMMER: Our coverage continues in a moment.
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