Bombing Investigation Extends Far Beyond London
PHILLIPS: We're live from Washington, D.C., and we're talking about the London bombing investigation extending far from London, to South Asia and the Northwestern United States. CNN's Rusty Dornin has been tracing a possible link here.</s>RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are a web of connections between the London attacks, the Dar-es Salaam Mosque in Seattle and this desolate ranch in Bly, Oregon. We start with this man. He was born in Seattle, as James Ernest Thompson. When he quest converted to Islam he changed his name to James Ujaama. He attended the mosque on Union Street, which has since been torn down. But in July, 2002, he was arrested for terrorist activities and later pleaded guilty to conspiring to support the Taliban in Afghanistan. U.S. authorities say he didn't work alone. That he had, in the technical jargon of court papers, three "unindicted coconspirators." Of the three men, who were not named in the documents, investigators say it is coconspirator number three who is now getting attention from British authorities in connection with the London attacks. (on camera): Officials familiar with both the London investigation and the Ujaama case say his name is Haroon Rashid Aswat and that he provided some type of support to the now-dead London bombers and left Britain just days before the attacks. (voice-over): What is he alleged to have done in the U.S.? The court documents say he traveled here to Bly, Oregon, to help set up a terrorist training camp. In 1999, while visiting the potential camp along with Ujaama and others to work up a security plan, according to the court documents, Aswat interviewed potential candidates for jihad training and participated in firearms training. All of this allegedly went on right under the nose of their neighbors.</s>CHESTER BROWN, BLY, OREGON RESIDENT: If it was happening, I'd know it. I live across from that ranch. If there was any automatic fire out there. We'd have heard it right here in the center of town.</s>DORNIN: The court documents allege Aswat went to Seattle in 2000 where he quote, "expounded on the writings and teaching of radical British cleric Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri." Ujaama, meanwhile, went to London to work on Abu Hamza's Web site. Abu Hamza is now jailed in London and wanted by U.S. authorities to stand trial on terrorism charges. So where is Haroon Rashid Aswat, the man who went to Oregon to set up the terror camp? Officials with knowledge of the London investigation say before his latest visit to Britain, he was last known to be in South Africa, and now there's a worldwide manhunt for him. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Seattle, Washington.</s>PHILLIPS: It's summer and it's hot. We know that. But in certain places, the heat is proving unbearable, even dangerous. For over a week now, the Southwest has seen temperatures reach triple digits. In Phoenix, Arizona, at least 18 people have died from the unrelenting heat, most of them homeless. Well, the heat is now enveloping Chicago, where it's expected to hit 100 degrees this weekend. Nancy Loo with our affiliate WFED is in Grand Park, where they're getting ready for a big event. Hi, Nancy.</s>NANCY LOO, WFED REPORTER: Hi, there. It's not too bad right now. It's a bearable 80-something degrees around here, but there is growing concern here in Chicago. It is expected to reach the triple digits by Sunday. I'm standing next to the setup and preparation for Lollapalooza Chicago. Some hot bands are expected this weekend, including Weezer and the Killers. You can see tents are being set up and they're going to put up misting fans because 70,000 people are expected to pack into Grand Park here in Chicago over the next couple of days. And of course, city officials are warning that this weather may be a killer. So everyone is being warned. The concert-goers and everyone in Chicago, warned to take precaution. I'm standing in front of Chicago's famous Buckingham Fountain. And that, of course, will be a popular stop over the next few days as the temperature heads even higher.</s>PHILLIPS: All right, Nancy Loo, we'll follow up with you. Thank you so much. Well, how hot is it going to get where you are?