More Al Qaeda Arrests In Pakistan; Terror Alerts Based Off Old Information
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Better late than never? Al Qaeda spy documents raise the threat level, but is the information out of date? Well, we're going in depth. Terrorists and the World Wide Web: simple tactics to get out the message to the faithful.</s>CHAD MEYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm meteorologist Chad Meyers, live in North Carolina. Up the beach in Cape Hatteras, winds gusting to 80 miles an hour; down the beach, it's sunny. The forecast coming up in just a few minutes.</s>PHILLIPS: Lady Liberty lays out the welcome mat. A post- September 11th milestone for the symbol of American freedom. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. Miles is off. CNN'S LIVE FROM starts right now. Up first this hour: New arrests, old surveillance, and high alert with no end in sight. From Pakistan, word of several more al Qaeda suspects in custody. At least one of them tied to the computer expert whose hard drive is said to have prompted Code Orange crackdowns in lower Manhattan, northern New Jersey, and Washington. We're also learning that most of the research and recon on potential financial targets was years old, pre-dating 9/11. And other sites in other cities were at least vaguely considered for attack. Our coverage begins with CNN's Ash-har Quraishi in Islamabad -- Ash-her?</s>ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra. That's right. Pakistani intelligence officials telling us that the arrests have continued. Now, since the arrest of a man named Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani -- now, this is an al Qaeda operative wanted by the FBI who was arrested back on July 25 for his role in the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Now, we're told since that arrest, there have been at least seven more suspected al Qaeda operatives taken into custody, including one man who was arrested on Monday in the eastern city of Lahore. Now this man is described by intelligence officials as a Nigerian. They are saying his name is Ibrahim. Now they say he also was found with coded messages, they are calling it, on computer discs when he was taken into custody. They say he is an associate of the man identified as Naeem Noor Khan. Now Khan, as you recall, is that computer expert that was apprehended back in July -- the middle of July. His computer led to the terror alerts, that we're told, being increased in New York, New Jersey and Washington. Now right now officials say they do understand that much of this information may have been old, may have pre-dated 9/11. Some of it may have been updated as recently as January 2004. But the key is, they say, they are learning more about the communications that the al Qaeda network is using at this time, how they're getting their messages out and how they're trying to get this information to other operatives around the world -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Ash-har, obviously this is a big deal when it comes to the U.S. military and agents trying to get this type of information. How are Pakistani officials and the United States working on this, are they working well together, is the Pakistani government allowing the U.S. in?</s>QURAISHI: Absolutely. We understand from our sources that they are working very closely together. The intelligence agencies between Islamabad and Washington are working on the material that they've seized over the last few weeks and months -- the computers, the discs, the documents -- and they are trying to get as much information as they can in terms of some sort of a time table. If, in fact, there is one to indicate when these attacks were planned for. Now, of course, as we've been mentioning, some of this material has been gathered before 9/11 but the understanding is that al Qaeda is an organization that has had ongoing operations -- ongoing reconnaissance in trying to attack or target places in the United States as we've seen has been the terror alert that's been increased in the last few days. So, the point right now they're trying to do is trying to find as much information that would indicate some sort of a timing and some sort of an actual operational plan this sort of an attack on the U.S. -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Ash-har Quraishi, live from Islamabad. Thanks so much. We're going to talk more about al Qaeda's Internet connections at the bottom of the hour with London-based investigative reporter Paul Eedlem. So, why now at a New York skyscraper cased by al Qaeda Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge said it's a judgment call when where and how to raise alerts. He also pointed out that some of the information al Qaeda gathered on perspective U.S. targets was updated as recently as this year. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has much more on that now -- Deb.</s>DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the secretary in New York today meeting with the heads of some two dozen financial organizations including the American Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, but also Prudential, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan. This was an important meeting in terms of reassuring the financial community that the government is doing everything that it can. Secretary Ridge talking about the newest intelligence that terror operatives have been in the U.S. scouting targets including the Citigroup building where this meeting was held, but also trying to reassure the community that the government is doing everything that it can as you mentioned. Ridge seemed almost to defend some of the intelligence that's been put out there, there's been some criticism that its two or three years old but Ridge said that al Qaeda is very patient organization, that the operatives will strike at their own time when they feel that they could be successful. The secretary also said that the government assumes the terror operatives are in the United States. Law enforcement keeping an eye on those sympathetic to al Qaeda.</s>TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We just assume that there are operatives here. Obviously the law enforcement community has their eyes on people they believe are connected or sympathetic to the cause, but we don't have the luxury of waiting to identify somebody coming across the border. We just have to accept our planning and preparation -- the notion that they are here, they're looking to attack us and we need to do everything that we can every single day to try to detect, deter and prepare for it.</s>FEYERICK: Now there was some question about the timing and one reporter asked whether in fact there's any intelligence indicating that a strike could actually come during the Republican National Convention. The secretary said that there is information out there that in fact al Qaeda is looking to disrupt what he called the democratic process. Whether that means in the month leading up to the election he said that there was some indication of that, again making it clear that law enforcement is on top of this and that they're going to take every possible security measure that they need to -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Deb Feyerick, thank you so much. Now to Capitol Hill where some suspect President Bush's overhaul of intelligence oversight is being oversold. At issue, how closely and how quickly to embrace the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Members of which aren't content to watch from the spectator seats. Here's CNN's Joe Johns.</s>JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, wide-ranging testimony here on Capitol Hill in both the Senate and the House of Representatives going across the board talking about feasibility, timing -- not only that those specific proposals we've heard so much about: creating a national director of intelligence, also a national counter-terrorism center. Even touching on the very touchy issue of civil liberties. Ohio Democrat and former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich asking commissioner Bob Kerrey about initiatives to protect civil liberties.</s>BOB KERREY (D), 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: I'm glad we have this -- this -- this concern about civil liberties. It needs to be there. But the enemy has no concerns for civil liberties. The enemy has no concern for the Geneva Convention. And you've got to come with that -- and I know you do in this debate. We've got to come with that hardheaded attitude or we're not going to get this -- this thing balanced right.</s>JOHNS: In the big picture, the question is priorities. What should the Congress do first, what should the Congress do last? Today, one member of the Commission also said he believes this Congress needs to first focus on reforming itself, specifically the committee system and how it handles oversight of intelligence. Listen now to John Lehman.</s>JOHN LEHMAN (R) 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: The most important thing to do is to fix the congressional issues. As you say, the Homeland Security -- we strongly endorse a joint committee on intelligence with appropriating powers. Fix that first if there has to be a priority.</s>JOHNS: So a lot of people here on the Senate side would like to at least have legislative language by October 1. Of course a lot of people saying that may be very hard to do. On the other hand, it could be in the interest of Congress just in case there's some other terrorist act the Congress would be able to say it has done something -- Kyra back to you.</s>PHILLIPS: Joe, yesterday when the talk of this national director of intelligence, even this department, came up so many questions from reporters about budget. Where's the money going to come from, how will this be funded, how will Congress be involved in the allocation of that money? What's the talk there? Is this something that can even be afforded?</s>JOHNS: Well, one thing that seems very clear right now is that this administration is not certain about how you should handle the budget priorities and whether, for example, the director of national intelligence, which the administration is signed on to, ought to be able to control the budget, control the flow of money from these various agencies. It's a sticky issue and, as you know, it really creates a potential turf battle between and among the agencies also between and among the chairmen of the very committees here on Capitol Hill that oversee those agencies. So there's a lot of that detail that has to be worked out and as I said could be a very short timeline, Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Yes, a lot of debate, too. Joe Johns on the Hill, thanks so much. Well, amid the tempest over terror, the perfect storm of presidential politics, a real live hurricane. The first one of the season, Alex.</s>PHILLIPS: Well, her grinning face became an international symbol for an ugly chapter in Iraq. Now Private Lynndie England is facing military justice. A live report from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Not-ready-for-prime-time presidents? Find out why Bill Clinton may soon be practicing his punch lines. Getting up close and personal: It's a new day for the Statue of Liberty. We've got a little statue trivia question for you. Here you go: Her friends call her Lady Liberty, but what is the statue's formal name? Think about it. We're going to make it a true daily double ahead on</s>LIVE FROM. ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.