A Bold New Tape From Al Qaeda's Number Two Man
COOPER: This tunnel is very sophisticated. They've actually poured concrete as the tunnel rises up and sort of built in steps to make it easier to walk on. And it's likely workers used these ropes, which you'll find all throughout the tunnels still to hold onto bales of marijuana as they walked up the steep incline.</s>COOPER: The longest tunnel ever built by a drug cartel, discovered just last week, close to where I'm standing right here on the U.S.-Mexican border. We'll take you inside that tunnel shortly. As you might have heard, though, earlier in the program, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's number two, is thumbing his nose at President Bush. Al-Zawahiri was a target earlier this month of a U.S. air strike in Pakistan. But as he told viewers of the Arabic network, Al- Jazeera, he is still very much alive and would die when God wished it. That's what he said. Joining us from Atlanta to discuss the significance of the new tape message, CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson. Nic, thanks for being with us. Why would he offer President Bush the chance to convert to Islam? That's just -- I mean, is that just a rhetorical?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, what I think he's trying to do here, Anderson, is appeal to two communities. And one, this is part of this is part of his appeal to the Muslim community in the world, which is essentially to try and set up the fact that the United States is trying to chase him and Osama bin Laden down, not as an attack on al Qaeda, that it is, but he's trying to cast it in the light of this is an attack on Muslims here. President Bush comes across to our side, he's one of us. We can forgive him. So, he's trying to cast it in that kind of light. He's trying to say to the people of the United States that President Bush is lying to you, that you're losing the war in Iraq, you're losing the war in Afghanistan. Indeed, he had some really almost outlandish and very blatant taunts for President Bush.</s>AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI (through translator): Bush, do you know where I am? I am among the Muslim masses enjoying their care with God's blessing and sharing with them their Holy War against you, until we defeat you, God willing.</s>ROBERTSON: And one of the other things about this tape, Anderson, the fastest turnaround we've seen of an al Qaeda videotape yet. Eleven days ago was probably when it was recorded, about then. It's out very, very quickly.</s>COOPER: Well, I'm also amazed by the production values of the thing. I mean, he's got this black screen behind him. There are even English subtitles on the tape.</s>ROBERTSON: It's incredible. I mean, this is part of the process of this very short 11 days, getting it out to Al-Jazeera. They have to get it across the sea to Al-Jazeera from Pakistan or Afghanistan, wherever they're recording it. And it seems as Zawahiri is not bothered or worried about being caught, that he might be traced by this videotape. He seems very confident that he's gone ahead and released it so quickly. You know, one of the great clues these days for intelligence officials is on computers, quite possibly the titling put on, on a computer. If that computer were found, computers involved in this process, be a great lead maybe to where he is. Big risks.</s>COOPER: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks. CNN Terrorism Analyst Peter Bergen is very familiar with the way al Qaeda operates; and before 9/11, he even interviewed Osama bin Laden himself. Bin Laden is the subject of his latest book, a fascinating account, The Osama bin Laden I know, an oral history of al Qaeda's leader. Peter Bergen joins me now, live from New York. Peter, what surprised you about this tape?</s>PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Nothing very much, to be honest. I mean, it's a proof of life and I think it would have been kind of very weird if we didn't have a proof of life for Ayman al- Zawahiri, you know, around this time. Obviously they wanted to get the message out as soon as possible that Ayman al-Zawahiri was alive and well. We have the audiotape from bin Laden, a couple of weeks back also. He's alive and well. The al Qaeda leadership needs to show that they're in the game, that they remain a viable force.</s>COOPER: He also describes in great detail the attack 17 days ago, very specifically. Let's listen.</s>AL-ZAWAHIRI (through translator): The American airplanes, in collaboration with their agent of the Jews and crusaders Musharraf, launched an air strike on Damadola, near Pashara (ph), around the Eid (ph) holiday, during which 18 Muslims, men, women and children, were killed in this fight against Islam, which they call terrorism.</s>COOPER: I mean, I got to tell you, he looks, you know, he looks healthy. The tape has a high quality to it. They even have these English subtitles on it. What does it tell you about al Qaeda's operations that they can release this thing so quickly?</s>BERGEN: Well, they have long had a video arm, it's called As- Sahab, which means the clouds in Arabic; and they have this -- this video arm started functioning just before 9/11. They've released a lot of these tapes and the production values tend to be pretty good and they've used English subtitles before. In the byte we just heard from, there is an extra element to it, which Ayman al-Zawahiri concedes that four of his quote, unquote "brothers," were also killed in the strike two weeks back. I think that's kind of interesting. There's very few things the U.S. government and the al Qaeda agree upon, but they both agree that Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared to been at the place where the strike happened and that some senior members of al Qaeda were in fact killed in the strike.</s>COOPER: He also references Osama bin Laden in the tape. Let's play that.</s>AL-ZAWAHIRI (through translator): Osama bin Laden offered you a decent exit from your dilemma, but your leaders who are keen to accumulate wealth insist on throwing you in battles and killing your souls in Iraq and Afghanistan, and God-willing, on your own land.</s>COOPER: Again, it's raising this idea of a truce. Why do they keep doing that?</s>BERGEN: Well they did it on the spring of 2004. Osama bin Laden offered a truce to European countries that might pull out of Iraq. That truce expired. And a year later there was the attack in London. From an Islamic sort of jurisprudence point of view, it's important to offer people truces before you attack them. And we've seen a truce expire and an attack happen in London. I don't think that necessarily that the truce will expire and there'll be an attack in the United States, but certainly al Qaeda and people motivated by that ideology will follow this truce idea and if it's not taken up, will be, you know, tempted to try and attack the United States. Of course, wanting to attack the United States and actually being able to execute such an attack are two very different things. And their ability to attack the United States, has been, I think, severely damaged, compared to their ability to man operations in Europe.</s>COOPER: Do you think Zawahiri and bin Laden have contact with one another?</s>BERGEN: I think they do. They've been friends since 1986 when they first met in Pashara (ph), Pakistan. They've had a sort of symbiotic relationship. Ayman al-Zawahiri is bin Laden's doctor and close friend. I think they are in communication, maybe not together, but certainly in communication.</s>COOPER: It is fascinating, and fascinating to see that tape today. Peter Bergen, thanks very much. Eric Hill, from "HEADLINE NEWS," joins us with some of the other stories that we are following tonight. Erica, good evening.</s>ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. A second videotape, showing kidnapped American Journalist Jill Carroll, aired on Al-Jazeera today. Carroll's voice was not heard on the tape, but she was in tears and wearing a head scarf. Her kidnappers say they will kill her unless all Iraqi women prisoners are released. Now the tape was dated January 28. There's been no independent verification, however, of Carroll's fate since her captors issued the first video and a 72-hour deadline nearly two weeks ago. In the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, two supermarket chains report several incidents of food tampering in the past two weeks. Giant and King supermarkets say pins and rusted needles have turned up in vegetables and meat, even in a can of soup. Local and state authorities are investigating. In Washington, Judge Samuel Alito, facing an almost certain lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Democrats failed to rally support for a filibuster today. Alito's nomination is expected to be confirmed tomorrow. And from Brazil, a baby girl is out of the hospital after being found in a plastic bag, floating in a lake this weekend. her dramatic rescue was broadcast worldwide. Scores of Brazilians mobbed the hospital, some of them hoping to adopt the little girl. Her mother is now charged with attempted murder. The mother denies setting the baby adrift. The baby was born prematurely two months ago at the very same hospital. A spokesman, by the way, says she is doing great. Lucky little girl.</s>COOPER: Man, unbelievable story. Thanks, Erica. U.S. authorities have never seen anything quite like it, a highly sophisticated tunnel, the size of eight football fields, opening the U.S. to drug smugglers. We'll take you deep inside the tunnel. Plus, Mexico's ruthless drug cartels, suspected of building this tunnel. Cross them, you could end up in the desert with a bullet in your head. They're even becoming more powerful. That and more when 360 continues.