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Former Federal Prosecutor Andrew McCarthy discusses the Sept. 11 attacks and the future of terrorist threats against the U.S.
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-- Well in the world of law and order a lot has changed since 9/11 hopefully we're not as naive as we used to be about her enemies.
And hopefully this administration is less naive than it first was about.
How to prosecute our enemies.
Remember the fiasco when they -- it -- 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City.
Well Andrew McCarthy knows a lot about -- -- lead prosecutor in other high profile terror trials like that -- one of the brought blind Sheikh.
He supervised US attorney's command post near ground zero after the 9/11 attacks he's also author of the grand Jihad -- Islam and the left sabotage American we're happy to welcome back into good to see -- thank -- -- so first of all on the question this current threat we just heard.
Colonel rob Peter saying yet there's still a deadly force but we've really cut off al-Qaeda -- ease is now right I think we have to remember that in 1990.
Three when the World Trade Center was bombed there was no al-Qaeda to speak of people think that was an al-Qaeda operation it was Islamist terrorists that -- loosely network some of them were related to al-Qaeda.
But you don't need to have an al-Qaeda.
In order to carry -- a catastrophic attack I I agree that we shouldn't panic.
Because we have.
The best policing in this city than any other city I think in the world.
And also compared to how it was when I first got involved in this in the early ninety's and even how it was in 2001.
Our intelligence now and -- intelligence sharing is geometrically better bright was that.
-- learning curve since then but I'm I'm just wondering -- that the difference between al-Qaeda is that they had the operational efficiency.
That you never saw before they had with this Mohammed ought to sell the cell that was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
They had secrecy they had the game plan of years and planning of working training their people to be pilots training them to go into buildings.
Getting the funding through and a -- that that that pass through the law law forced enforcement.
Is there is it conceivable that there is any cell with that type of efficiency still operating in the US not.
In the US I don't think.
However the emergence of such a sell I think is is not only.
Possible but maybe even probable and let me tell you why I -- that.
All of the advantages that you just described that they had.
There's one big reason for that they had safe haven they had a place where they were allowed basically sanctuary.
To prepare to train to talk about Afghanistan correct under the Taliban control right.
So what do we learn now what are we hearing every day about Libya.
Apparently the the new regime in Libya we don't know what it's going to be yet but apparently they've put their armed forces in the command.
Of a guy who actually was linked up without al-Qaeda beginning in the late ninety's and and and they around that -- -- or use.
Partially support which wouldn't exist had it not been for our military helping them fight the fight that they may actually become another staging ground for terrorism I'm very concerned about that because not only do you remember the reason that we embrace -- one of the reasons we embraced Qaddafi during the the Bush Administration after after 9/11 after He saw what happened it's about right He.
He did give up its weapons but the other thing He was doing was giving us intelligence on islamists in his own country who we're going -- Iraq and Afghanistan to attack Americans.
Those elements are inside what are called the rebels.
So we now have not only some of those people involved in what is going to be the new regime we have a situation where.
There were weapons all over the place including surface to air missiles in.
In in Libya.
So you have a a situation where you could have.
Areas of safe haven for al-Qaeda with with weapons of of great potency floating all around -- -- I think it's a very dangerous that -- while are in.
Thank you for that happy note that -- -- it's a dangerous world out there folks you gotta be prepared for whatever happens thank you for being here thank you -- good.
