Military

DATE=08/29/02

TYPE=INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

TITLE=STEVE SLOAN, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA; HEADS CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF TERRORISM

NUMBER=3-321

BYLINE=TOM CROSBY

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

/// Editors: This interview is available in Dalet under SOD/English News Now Interviews in the folder for today or yesterday ///

HOST: The United States has indicted six Muslim men, including a U-S citizen, on charges of helping al-Qaida plan attacks inside and outside the United States. The U-S citizen, Ernest James Ujaama, was charged with trying to help al-Qaida set-up a training camp in Oregon. The others indicted, five men in Detroit, Michigan, were accused of operating a covert support unit for terrorists and helping supply weapons to an Islamic extremist group with al-Qaida. NewsNow's Tom Crosby spoke with Steve Sloan, a political scientist at the University of Oklahoma and head of the Center for the Study of Terrorism:

MR. SLOAN: Unfortunately this doesn't come as any surprise. And please, I don't mean to categorize any situation, but, for a start, in Detroit and the surrounding area, there is a very large Arab community. And again, I want to emphasize the vast majority are just hardworking people, peace-loving people, but clearly that's an environment, in which cells could go to ground and get an infrastructure. So that part of it doesn't come as a surprise.

I am a little taken aback by the fact that there is a charge that they sought to establish a camp in Oregon. I say that for two reasons. One, I would expect that that would be highly visible to local authorities. And particularly now, it's significant, because there is an emphasis on training state and local authorities in regards to counterterrorism, collection and analysis. So I'm rather surprised that they would pick a rural area which, in many ways, would be much more high visibility than an urban center.

MR. CROSBY: Indeed, it does seem to defy logic. But, on the other hand, we have had paramilitary groups in this country for many years operating in some remote wooded areas, though, haven't we?

MR. SLOAN: Of course, yes, we have. And again, I don't have any more information than you've given me. But of course what is fascinating also would be to see if there was some kind of linkage between paramilitary domestic groups and these perpetrators. It would be interesting to see where that camp is. I'm not suggesting that there is a clear connection by any means, but I find it rather fascinating that they're going to ground just like, for example, survivalists would do and, as you said, various, and particularly right-wing, militia groups. So it is kind of a strange environment where that is taking place.

MR. CROSBY: It is also alleged that they were perhaps plotting attacks in Turkey, on a U.S. airbase there, and a hospital in Amman. Those are rather interesting targets, too, are they not?

MR. SLOAN: Yes, they are. Certainly, I gather the one at Incerlik is a very crucial base of operations in regards to our continued overflights in regards to the Iraqi situation. And I can imagine the psychological impact, among other things, and the political fallout in regards to the Jordanian situation. The fact remains that it asserts the reality that we are dealing with a very sophisticated global connection over here. And among other things, I would wonder, because you also I believe mentioned some of the local places in the States, like Disney World, whether they were also surveilling these with video cameras and so forth and using the Internet to do their own virtual surveillances, as well as have people in country. So it is a significant concern.

HOST: Steve Sloan, one of this nation's foremost authorities on terrorism.

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