U.S. Intel Considering Possibility Zarqawi Involved in London Attacks
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The people of London carry on with sorrow, caution and determination to bring their attackers to justice. Our coverage of London terror continues right now. London police say they have a lot of leads in the terror attacks. And one possible lead may be unfolding right here in the United States. CNN has learned U.S. officials are looking into a possible link between the bombings and the network of the reputed leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. We'll have details on that in just a moment. In London, police say all the bodies now have been recovered from one of the most mangled targets of terror, the double-decker bus ripped apart at Tavistock Place. Authorities say 13 people were killed in that attack. About 50 are dead in all. Police say the bombs that tore through the bus and three subway trains yesterday were less than 10 pounds, light enough to carry in a tote bag or a backpack. But there's no evidence that suggests suicide attackers set them off. Commuters are back in the city with parts of the transit system in service again. One commuter says people were subdued but determined to ged back to work and get on with their lives. Queen Elizabeth is trying to raise spirits. She went to a hospital today to visit some of the 700 people injured on London's bloodiest day since World War II. We have much more now in the investigation right here in the United States into a possible al Qaeda connection to the attacks in London. Let's get some details from our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. What are you hearing, Barbara?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, point number one to make, of course, is all U.S. officials are saying exactly what the British are saying, it is certainly too soon to pin responsibility on any one, any group, any network for this attack. Certainly all scenarios are open. Intelligence communities from Washington to London looking at everything. But here in Washington, intelligence officials are looking at a very specific threat. What they are saying to CNN is that there was, in the words of one official, some indication in the not too distant past that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had "direct or indirect input" into some future activity in Europe. What does all of that mean? Well, officials say that some time in the last few months, they received information that Zarqawi, or his associates, or people loyal to him, no one can say for sure, were looking at trying to launch some type of terrorist activity in Europe. Now, the thing that officials find so interesting, in that intelligence they say the word "Europe" was specifically mention. But there was no time, place or target. Now, all of this information has certainly been shared with British intelligent services. And one can only assume with all western intelligent services. But no one can tell us just yet whether it was shared before the attack, whether it was specific enough to actually be shared. A U.S. intelligence official does say that the information came from more than one source, that it was deemed credible and reliable, and that it was something that they were looking at very seriously. But as he points out, they had no name. They believe that people loyal to Zarqawi, who may have even, they say, may have even been in Iraq, returned to Europe at some point. But they didn't have a name to put against that potential threat. The official says, "If we had a name, we would have gone after that person." All of this unfolding, but they emphasize very strongly they can not yet tie any of this specifically to the London transport attacks -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Barbara, do we know if Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has personally been responsible for other terror attacks outside of Iraq? I remember the assassination, the killing of an American diplomat in Amman, Jordan, that he's been linked to. He's originally from Jordan himself. But have there been other terror attacks directly associated with his network?</s>STARR: Well, I suppose intelligence services would probably be the best ones to answer that question, Wolf. There certainly is a great deal of concern about it. Now, let's also recall that Zarqawi, as well as Osama bin Laden, have put out public messages in recent months about trying to expand their attacks, trying to expand them into Europe. Possibly, of course, one assumes even into the United States. That had all been publicly very well known. But what officials are saying, this particular threat they are looking at is something other than those public statements. There is intelligence out there, they say, that indicates possibly Zarqawi associates had been in Europe. So it's quite a serious matter they are looking into. They come to no conclusions yet -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right. Barbara Starr reporting for us at the Pentagon. Thanks for that information. In addition to the London terror operations, we are also following another major story here this day, Hurricane Dennis. And we'll updates for you. That's coming up. In the meantime, you keep an eye on the lower corner of your screen to track the storm. You can see it right there at the bottom right hand part of the screen. But let's get back to our coverage now of the terror attacks in London. Authorities say it's likely the bombs were placed on the floor or seat of the bus and three trains that were blown apart at four different sites across the city. For the latest on the investigation, we go to King's Cross Station. CNN's Matthew Chance is standing by there -- Matthew.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Wolf. And this is King's Cross Station, as you say, in central London, one of the areas that was most severely effected, perhaps, by those bomb blasts that struck London yesterday. At least 21 people were killed in an underground train station here beneath our feet somewhere in this area. It's also one of the places where the recovery and the forensic efforts are continuing their pace to try to get as much information from they can from what are being treated as crime scenes at this point. It's interesting here, though, because deep beneath the earth here where the bomb went off, under that -- in that underground train, police say they are finding it very difficult to get their emergency teams there because the carriages are so -- the tunnels are so badly damaged, it still poses a danger to the emergency workers. So they are working on that. But they're asking the public to be patient, because this is a crucial element of the intelligence- gathering process, scouring the crime scenes, trying to get as much evidence as possible to try and bring those responsible for these bombings to justice.</s>CHANCE (voice-over): London is a city packed with security cameras. Now every face is a suspect. Each train platform, every street corner, it seems, is routinely videotaped here. Finding the bombers will be a painstaking search, say police, but thousands of hours of these images are now being closely examined to find and prosecute those responsible.</s>ASST. COMM. ANDY HAYMAN, LONDON POLICE: We have the most experienced anti-terrorist offices on this case. And we have the best community here in London to help work with us to achieve our aim. Our partners working with us, working together. We've got tried and tested procedures that I think have been admirably demonstrated to be effective in the last 24 hours.</s>CHANCE: But with multiple bomb sites, three on underground trains and one on a London bus, this will be a complex investigation. Police deny closing down any phone networks after the blasts. Only a few fragments or fact have so far emerged. Initial forensic evidence suggests each of the four bombs contained less than 10 pounds of explosives, enough to be carried in a small backpack, say police. They also believe each device was placed on the floor of the train carriages and of the bus. But there's no evidence so far, they say, of a suicide bomber or of who carried out the well-planned and coordinated attacks.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is likely to still be a cell. Whether these people are still in the United Kingdom is a question, and we will remain vigilant. We must remain vigilant. This is a national issue. It's not just for London and the Metropolitan Police Service.</s>CHANCE: Police say forensic teams still working at the bomb sites will probably learn more. But at least one of the underground train tunnels remains inaccessible, they say, because of damage to the tunnel's structure and the presence of vermin. Terrorism analysts say the search for clues will be focusing on how the bombs were made and what that says about who made them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they're looking for is the evidence to actually put it on individuals, whether it's one person or two or three people. So they will be going through all the devices trying to find out the fingerprint of the actual bomb makers. And once they've got that, then hopefully there will be sufficient evidence to try and trace them, and then to prosecute them.</s>CHANCE: But, in the end, the best intelligence, say police, will come from the general public, information on suspicious activity, tip- offs on anything people feel may help bring the London bombers to justice.</s>CHANCE: Well, as this investigation gets into full swing, the police are also warning the public to remain vigilant because there's a possibility of more attacks. The police say they are in contact with security forces from around the world, but the London bombers, they say, so deadly here in the British capital, are still very much at large -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right. Matthew Chance in London for us. Thank you, Matthew, very much. Some of those who survived the attacks on London picked themselves up and returned to the subway tunnels earlier today. But as Lucy Manning reports, many other commuters insisted on staying above ground, if they were willing to venture out at all.</s>LUCY MANNING, REPORTER, ITN (voice-over): Londoners heading back to work any way they could. The tube may have been bombed, but London Bridge thronging with those who refuse to be scared off my the bombers. Buses, cars and on foot, many keen to stay above ground. Not many people on the tube early this morning. Those who needed to or were brave enough to sat pensively in the carriages. After yesterday, no one quite sure what to expect.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Business as usual, really. I'm pretty impressed that the trains were working 100 percent fine. So, you know, just get on with it basically.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to go to work anyway. Life goes on.</s>MANNING: Outside King's Cross station passengers waited for buses, reading about commuters who fled in panic from here yesterday. Just yards from Aldgate tube station, Londoners crammed onto the buses, some because they had to with the service disrupted, others because they were too scared to return to the underground. Before yesterday, taking a bus was risk-free. But after yesterday, no one was quite sure how safe this morning's bus journey would be. The buses wound their way through central London, busier, quieter, some people a bit more apprehensive.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not safe. And I don't like underground now anymore. I don't want to go by underground. And the bus is better, I think.</s>MANNING (on camera): So you're not happy being on the bus today?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, really I'm not. I'm scared as well.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a bit scarier, though, you know, because you never know what's going to happen. But still -- still, the police and the government have to make sure that they're making everything right.</s>MANNING: What are your thoughts about traveling this morning after what happened yesterday?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's quite scary to be honest. But if you let yesterday defeat London, there's no point. Like, the actions of yesterday were horrendous. And by not traveling or not going on with your routine, you're just kind of giving in to what they want.</s>MANNING (voice-over): Londoners carrying on, but no one on a bus today will forget the image of the number 30 blown apart in Tavistock Square.</s>BLITZER: That was Lucy Manning reporting for us. The British prime minister, Tony Blair, can now devote his full attention to the terror investigation and the recovery efforts now that he and other world leaders have wrapped up this G8 summit in Scotland.</s>TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We speak today in the shadow of terrorism, but it will not obscure what we came here to achieve. The purpose of terrorism is not only to kill and maim the innocent. It is to put despair and anger and hatred in people's hearts.</s>BLITZER: The leaders of the top industrial nations renewed their commitment to the war on terror. They pledged to more than double aid to Africa over the next five years. They also promised urgent measures to combat global warming. Here in the United States, many big city commuters faced their fears and extra security on this day after the terror attacks in London. More on our "Security Watch." That's coming up. And later, after pummeling Haiti, Hurricane Dennis bears down on Cuba and the Florida Keys. We'll have an update on the storm's power and the path.