Chemicals and Bombs in New Terror Plots
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK. So polls show domestic terrorism has faded as a public priority in the year since 9/11. But domestic terrorism is back, front and center this week. For days we have been hearing about new terror plots and multiple arrests in different parts of the country, all apparently unrelated. In New York Afghan national Najibullah Zazi will be arraigned next week on charges that he conspired he used weapons of mass destruction, possibly on a subway in Illinois. Federal officials say an American named Michael Fenton tried to blow up a van he thought was loaded with explosives outside the state capital in Springfield. Officials say Fenton converted to Islam while in prison and that he idolized the American born Taliban fighter John Walker Lynne. There's also Dallas, where authorities say a Jordanian man drove a truck he thought was loaded with explosives into a parking garage under one of the cities landmark skyscrapers. He is due back in court on October 5th. Let's talk about these terrorist arrests now with Karen Greenberg. She is the executive director of the New York University Center on Law and Security. Thank you. Good to see you. What do you know about this new suspect that we have been talking about, about Najibullah Zazi. And there is a huge layout of him and his life in the "New York Times" today but what do we really know about him?</s>KAREN GREENBERG, NYU CENTER ON LAW & SECURITY: I think we know very little. What we do know is the Department of Justice and Law Enforcement authorities believe that this person represents, perhaps, the most serious threat to the United States in terms of terrorism since 9/11. We know that because the charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction is almost never used. In the over 800 terrorism prosecutions that have taken place in the country since 9/11, less than four percent have involved charges of intent to use weapons of mass destruction. And you would know the names - they would include Zacharias Musawi, Richard Reid. So that's an important factor that we have been told.</s>LEMON: Well, the question about all of this, when you have in so many areas in the United States, and also they are also tracing Mr. Zazi back to Pakistan where they say he had training in weapons and what have you. But the real question is, the evidence they have, will this hold up in court? Is it enough to prosecute someone for terrorism with just buying chemicals in a store?</s>GREENBERG: Well, I don't think they're worried just him buying chemicals. I think that they believe and we may not know why, and we don't know how this case is going to go. We don't know at all. But what they believe is that he had the knowledge of how to use these weapons and these chemicals, which is different than just buying them in a store. They think that they had somebody who had enough knowledge. This is not a bumbler as so many other terrorists and suspects have been portrayed when the case played those stuff out. They don't seem to put him in that category. And just to note, this is the kind of case that authorities around the world, particularly in Britain have been warning the United States about for quite some time now.</s>LEMON: OK. So listen, we've heard a lot again as we said about Zazi in New York. So how about the cases in Denver and in Texas, Illinois. How do they differ from Zazi's case out of New York?</s>GREENBERG: Those were different cases in that the main people and the only people, as I understand it, that these two suspects were in contact with were FBI officials who were posing as people who are sympathetic to terrorist plots. And they sort of found people who they thought were predisposed to commit terrorism. And they sort of planted them within a situation where they would plant the bomb in a place where it would go off. So, it seems to me a very different kind of scenario.</s>LEMON: OK. So these cases, real quick, I'm up against the break here. You said you don't think the government must know something, you believe, so hard to prosecute, hard to defend, these cases?</s>GREENBERG: I don't think Zazi is going to be that hard to prosecute although it might have been better if they let it play out a little longer. And the other ones might be easier to prosecute than prior ones like it in the past. Again, because they waited until these people thought were bombs were actually put into place.</s>LEMON: What about the defense in these cases?</s>GREENBERG: I think the defense is going to be challenging. And I think they will look to some of the British cases or some other cases for their defense strategies because these are different types of cases.</s>LEMON: Karen Greenberg, we appreciate it.</s>GREENBERG: Thank you.</s>LEMON: Well, they signed up to serve their country and ended up getting sick, but not on the battlefield. They are male U.S. Marines with breast cancer. Our special investigation is coming up next.