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FBI Warns of al Qaeda Missile Capability

Aired May 31, 2002 - 06:05   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The FBI has now issued a nationwide alert to U.S. airlines and law enforcement agencies. The warning suggests the potential for al Qaeda to target airliners with shoulder- fired missiles.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Law enforcement agencies should be on alert to the potential use of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles against commercial airliners in the United States, warns an FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN.

The nationwide warning followed a disturbing discovery earlier this month at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, first reported by CNN. An empty, expended SA-7 shoulder-fired missile tube was found by a Saudi patrol inside a perimeter fence approximately two miles from where U.S. planes routinely take off and land.

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: There are no reports by any U.S. aircraft or any aircraft that we have identified of any sightings of surface-of-air missile firings. This does not mean it was not fired. It simply means we do not know if that particular weapon was fired at that location or simply dropped off there.

MCINTYRE: But the FBI now believes terrorists linked to al Qaeda may have tried to shoot down a plane. A May 22 advisory says, "Subsequent investigations suggest that the discovery is likely related to al Qaeda targeting efforts against U.S.-led forces on the Arabian peninsula."

Two days after the FBI alert, airlines and domestic law enforcement agencies were advised of the information, but weren't asked to take any specific precautions. In fact, the FBI warning says, "The FBI possesses no information indication that al Qaeda is planning to use Stinger missiles or any type of portable anti-aircraft weapons against commercial aircraft."

PACE: Regardless, we take very seriously the fact that our opponents do have surface-to-air missiles, shoulder-fired surface-to- air missiles, and we take precautions on the ground and in the air any time we have our aircraft arriving and departing. MCINTYRE (on camera): Administration officials are downplaying the threat of terrorists using shoulder-fired missiles, insisting that the FBI threat was aimed more at educating local police than sounding an urgent alarm. But these days, nobody wants to be accused of failing to share information that could have made a difference.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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