Return to Transcripts main page
Breaking News
FBI Prepares to Issue New Terrorist Advisory on Fuel Tankers
Aired June 21, 2002 - 13:41 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: More on that breaking story we're following for you, where FBI -- apparently, officials are advising law enforcement agencies to look out for terrorists using fuel tankers as weapons to attack Jewish neighborhoods and synagogues.
Our Kelli Arena has been following this story. She is in Washington and she has got more for us -- hi there, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.
Well, the FBI is sending out information to various law enforcement agencies and FBI field offices, information that certain terrorist elements may be interested in using fuel tanker trucks for attacks in the United States or against U.S. interests overseas.
Now, the targets are unspecified. However, reporting indicates that the possible targets could include fuel depots or Jewish schools or synagogues. Now, the FBI says that it is only passing along this information out of an abundance of caution, sending it to law enforcement and encouraging those agencies to make contact with the appropriate Jewish community representatives and officials at trucking and fuel delivery facilities in an effort to encourage them to report any suspicious activity or persons -- the FBI, again, saying that the information is uncorroborated, unspecific at this point.
It's information that they are gathering through intelligence means that they are merely passing on to be sure that everyone is aware of the information coming in and to be on top of any suspicious activity that may be going on -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, Kelli, here we go again with alarming people, many people will complain. What are ordinary folks who are non-law enforcement types supposed to do with this information?
ARENA: Well, first of all, to be fair, this is not a communication that went out to the public, Fredricka. This is an internal communication in law enforcement that was leaked to the press. So, this is not an effort by any law enforcement agency to go out there and alarm the general public. It's just that there is so much of this information that is getting out to the general public anyway.
What law enforcement has always said is that people need to remain vigilant. You need to be aware of your surroundings. You need to pay attention to people around you, to report any suspicious activity that you are aware of. But they also say go out and live your lives. As a matter of fact, we have heard a lot about Fourth of July and whether or not there is a reason to be concerned then.
Law enforcement says: Go out. Enjoy the holiday. Participate in the festivities. We are trying to make the United States a secure as we possibly can. We are on top of this. This is just an effort to share information between the federal office and field offices to make sure they are aware of everything coming in -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, CNN's Kelli Arena, thank you very much.
Let's go on to the White House. And that's where CNN senior White House correspondent John King is now.
How is the White House responding to this information that is now being made public, John?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we are seeing here, Fredricka, is a change in strategy by the administration because of what it considers breathless and overly alarming reporting by the news media in the past.
In the past, these advisories have gone out. This goes out to 18,000 law enforcement agencies all across the country. In the past, the government has sent those advisories out to law enforcement groups and then they have been reported on, because reporters get tips from local police. In the past, for example, the government has said there was a possibility -- again, uncorroborated, nonspecific intelligence -- that there could be attacks on apartment buildings.
You remember that a few weeks back. And apartment building owners were put on notice to double-check security. Last week or so, we had an uncorroborated advisory passed on about the possibility that terrorist groups could have access to shoulder-launched missiles. That went out and there were reports as well.
In this case, the administration, as Kelli just noted, is about to send this advisory out. It has not even gone out yet, and they are releasing the information here in Washington first, hoping that, as we report it, we will make the case, as Kelli just did, that this is based on uncorroborated, unsubstantiated intelligence. This is the dilemma the government finds itself in since September 11. If it did not pass along this information and something happened, God forbid, the government would be blamed.
As it does pass this information along, even as it says there are no specific targets mentioned, no specific intelligence mentioned, and it is passing this on just as advisory, it does worry about alarming people. But we should make this point. The information is so nonspecific that the government is not changing the threat assessment that it puts out.
It is not changing the color code of the threat assessment and saying that the nation and law enforcement agencies should go to some higher level of alert. It is passing this information on to state and local law enforcement agencies and asking them to be a little bit more vigilant -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you very much, John King, from the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
