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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Author Eric Margolis

Aired May 19, 2002 - 17:07   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now onto a brief video of Osama bin Laden that had not been previously broadcast that we're all getting a chance to see now, released by "The Sunday Times of Britain." There is nothing to indicate exactly when it was actually videotaped, however. "The Times" says that it obtained the video from a Islamic news agency in Britain. The news agency says one of its journalists got the footage from a Pakistani operative who said it was taped in March. If true, that would be evidence that bin Laden was still alive at least in the spring, but nothing in the tape proves when it was made.

So what should we make of the footage of bin Laden? Journalist and author Eric Margolis joins us from Toronto. He wrote "War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet." Thanks for joining us.

ERIC MARGOLIS, JOURNALIST/AUTHOR: Pleasure to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Well, intelligence officials are reviewing this tape. What do you make of it? Is it your belief that this may have indeed been taped in March? At least that is what the Pakistani officials is telling -- or at least British sources from "The Sunday Times."

MARGOLIS: It could very well have been taped in March. You know, the U.S. government has banned or censored the playing of full bin Laden tapes. So we only have a minute or a little over a minute snippet on this tape. I would loved to have seen the other 38 1/2 minutes on the tape, but we won't see it.

However, the background is consistent with southern Afghanistan/northern Pakistan at this time of the year or in springtime, and bin Laden's features, as I have been following them tape after tape, are consistent with his looks in the last few tapes, except for the one that was made in December.

WHITFIELD: So without any real specifications on this tape, why publish it, why even air it? That is a question that is being asked. That question was, in fact, asked to the reporter of "The Sunday Times of Britain," Dipesh Gadher, and this is how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIPESH GADHER, SUNDAY TIMES: It seems to be a sort of promotional, propaganda video for al Qaeda. Now, it's divided into various segments. The one segment that we're probably the most interested in is this sort of less than two-minute clip of bin Laden sort of speaking outside, which we were told was shot about eight weeks ago, according to the person who handed over the tape in Pakistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It peaked their interest. Was that enough for you? Do you think it was a responsible thing to do, to publish and to perhaps even air it?

MARGOLIS: I think so too. I don't believe in censorship of the press at all. And this tape was obviously released by bin Laden's friends to embarrass the Bush administration and the American government on the whole, and to embolden and encourage his supporters. I have long believed that bin Laden escaped to Pakistan last December and is probably in the region of Waziristan, and I think you can expect to get messages from time to time from bin Laden, reminding the world that he is there and still in operation.

WHITFIELD: Some analysts have pointed out that what strikes them as interesting about this tape is the movement or lack thereof involving Osama bin Laden on this tape, that he is a lefty but in this tape, as he gestures, he does not use his left arm or his left hand, and that may be a indication to some analysts that perhaps he was injured post 9/11, and therefore this tape might, in fact, be somewhat recent. What do you say to analysts who have made such analysis of this tape?

MARGOLIS: Well, this is like Turkish tea leaf reading. It is very cryptic and obscure. I think that bin Laden has hepatitis, the occupational hazard of everyone who is in Afghanistan. He looks very gaunt; he shows many signs of this -- of liver problems. He has persistently lost weight, and he looks ill. However, in this last tape he looked healthier than he did in the previous tape that we saw, which was probably shot in an indoor studio. This one was outdoor and live, and it's -- bin Laden is still vigorous.

WHITFIELD: Do you worry that there were any underlying messages being sent by this tape being used?

MARGOLIS: No. They claim by the U.S. government that bin Laden had to be censored -- we were not allowed to see his tapes because if he wiggled his left ear it might be a message to some operatives to blow up Des Moines, Iowa are absolutely preposterous. Al Qaeda does not work this way. And who knows when these tapes are going to be shown by the media anyway? So no, this is not a legitimate reason.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Eric Margolis, for joining us. Appreciate it.

MARGOLIS: You're welcome.

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