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CNN Live Sunday

With Taliban Out of Southern Stronghold, Focus is on Bin Laden

Aired December 09, 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well now that the Taliban has been driven out of their southern stronghold, the focus of the war is primarily on finding Osama bin Laden, and members of his al Qaeda network.

Today the U.S. revealed it has uncovered new and convincing evidence of bin Laden's involvement in the September attacks as well as information into his possible whereabouts. CNN White House Kelly Wallace with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Bush returning from Camp David and facing a decision: Whether to release to the public a new videotape U.S. officials have obtained of Osama bin Laden, a tape the vice president says, leaves no doubt bin Laden was behind the September 11th attacks.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's pretty clear as it is described to me that he does, in fact, display significant knowledge of what happened and there is no doubt about his responsibility for the attack on September 11.

WALLACE: The new tape, according to the vice president, shows bin Laden, seen here in a different tape, first aired in November, meeting with a cleric about terrorist attacks. U.S. officials told the "Washington Post" that on the tape found in a house in Jalalabad, bin Laden indicates the total collapse of World Trade Center was more damage than he had anticipated.

He also claimed to have told a group after learning the first plane hit the north tower, that more is coming. The deputy defense secretary says the tape should put to rest any doubts in the Muslim world about bin Laden's culpability.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: I would hope people might quit with these wild conspiracy theories that suggest it is someone else, and you know they get pretty wild around the world.

WALLACE: Meantime,the Bush Administration believes bin Laden remains in Afghanistan holed up south of Jalalabad, in the White Mountains near Tora Bora.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHMN. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We are still on the hunt for the al Qaeda leadership, and UBL is part of that, but not the only part of that. In the hunt up there we think we know in general where he is. We can't be sure, but we think we know.

WALLACE: U.S. officials have been reluctant to release evidence about bin Laden concerned that making such details public could compromise future intelligence gathering. Now they must weigh that concern against the benefits of revealing what some believe could be the strongest evidence yet linking bin Laden to the attacks.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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