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CNN Live Sunday

Washington Officials Neither Confirm nor Deny Considering Carrying out Assassinations of Known Terrorists

Aired October 28, 2001 - 17:01   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, U.S. officials remain mum over reports that it's considering carrying out covert missions to bring down suspected terrorists. This afternoon, President Bush and his national security team returned to Washington from strategy sessions at Camp David.

With the latest on that, we are joined by CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Donna. The controversy, or the curiosity, rather, about whether or not the CIA will now be planning to carrying out targeted killings of known terrorists arose from a story in this morning's "Washington Post." In that story, it said the CIA was contemplating whether or not to do just that.

As a former print reporter, I can tell you in the world of action verbs contemplating is pretty far down on the action scale. Administration officials I have talked to today said more or less what they have always said about this September 11, that the president has urged all intelligence and military assets of the United States to use any means necessary to carry out the campaign against terrorism, and the United States Congress in authorizing a military response also said the president was empowered to use whatever means necessary.

Andrew Card, the president's chief of staff, would not comment directly on what the CIA may or may not do, but he made it clear that also any means necessary means what it says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I'm not going to comment about the actions of the CIA. They are using all the resources that the president has given them to use and they are doing a great job trying to disrupt terrorists around the world and make sure the terrorist acts don't take place in the United States, or where the United States has interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: Donna, the key phrase there is that they're using all the resources the president has given them. And the controversy has been whether or not (AUDIO GAP) signed by previous presidents apply. Those executives orders ban any use of the CIA for assassinations.

But the administration and Congress has concluded that those executive orders apply only in times of peace, not in acts of self- defense or when the United States is, in fact, at war. So, clearly the administration believes it is so empowered, although will not in any way confirm that the CIA is going to carry out any of these killings -- Donna.

KELLEY: Major Garrett at the White House, thank you very much.

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