MUMBAI: CNN International has launched an exclusive weeklong series of never-seen-before footage taken from multiple videotapes recovered from inside Afghanistan by CNN’s senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.
These tapes graphically reveal the expertise, resources and resolve of the Al Qaeda terrorist movement, says the channel. The five installments of Terror on Tape will air throughout the week and conclude with a CNN Special Report summarizing the series.
Robertson worked several weeks to track the story, relying on sources cultivated during his years of reporting from Afghanistan. Experts tell CNN that these tapes show Al Qaeda operatives training in the field as they practise assassinations, kidnappings and urban combat, says the release.
In many cases, the footage is the video version of discarded documents discovered by CNN’s Mike Boettcher last year in Afghanistan. In that discovery, CNN reported on papers, notes, documents and instruction manuals left behind when Al Qaeda fighters fled Kabul. Many of the documents and manuals included instructions on how to hijack and blow up airplanes, how to build bombs and how to explode trains, ships and other modes of transportation.
Each day, CNN International will broadcast reports on these tapes.
19 August Terror on Tape: Chemical Tests. CNN reviews the Al Qaeda tape library together with a report which shows chemical weapons testing on dogs. Experts discuss various possible chemical agents that could have been used and agree that the tape shows Al Qaeda’s capabilities to be greater than previously thought.
20 August Terror on Tape: Roots of Hatred. For the first time, viewers can witness a video of Osama Bin Laden’s May 1998 news conference where Al Qaeda declared war on the West. The tape provides a fascinating glimpse into the workings of the terrorist group.
21 August Terror on Tape: Explosive Force. Buried in a movie video, a detailed primer on how to manufacturer TNT from scratch, using easily available materials.
22 August Terror on Tape: In Training. Viewers can examine methods of training in Al Qaeda camps including urban hostage taking and assassinations. The training video matches techniques described in written material were earlier obtained by CNN in Afghanistan and from Al Qaeda’s terror manual.
23 August Terror on Tape: Face of Evil. The tapes gives an insight into the persona of Osama Bin Laden and how one can gauge from the Al Qaeda tapes future plans up the organisations' sleeve.
The programmes will air Monday-Friday 6.30 am during News Biz Today 9.30 am during BizNews 4.30 pm during Asia Tonight and 7.30 pm during Asia Tonight Hongkong time.
