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CNN SATURDAY
Ziad Jarrah Shocks Family in Lebanon
Aired September 15, 2001 - 16:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We heard Eileen talk about the common links between the suspects in this case. You hear FBI investigators, also journalists trying to put together the picture of where these suspects spent their time and where they were and exactly what they were doing.
With one of the suspects on board one of the doomed flights, that trail leads to Beirut, Lebanon where we find Brent Sadler. Brent, what kind of picture are you able to paint from Beirut?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First of all, Daryn, revelations that a 26-year-old Lebanese man is suspected by the United States Justice Department of piloting a jetliner, which may have been sent to target the White House, has shocked and disturbed his family here in Lebanon's Eastern Bekaa Valley.
The man at the center of this is Ziad Jarrah and he us alleged to be one of the hijackers on United flight 93 which crashed in a field some 80 miles from Pittsburgh, shortly after three other jets struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Ziad Jarrah's family here in Lebanon, say that his profile, as far as they know, does not fit that of an Islamic fundamentalist bent on terror. In fact, his family here say that Ziad Jarrah enjoyed going to night clubs, drank alcohol, and shared his life, but was not married to, a Turkish woman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never acted or talked in any about you could have an understand that he might be related to this. He has his girlfriend. He goes to night clubs. He drinks sometimes. His way of life can't be related to these facts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: Now, Ziad's Jarrah's life away from Beirut began in Germany four years ago when he began engineering studies by proud parents who actually paid for that training, those courses out there. Jarrah also went to the Hamburg Mechanical Technical Institute, where two other suspected hijackers were also studying (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at that time same time.
Around a year ago, Jarrah told his parents that he was in the United States taking part in a seminar organized by the Boeing Aircraft Corporation. That was related, he said, to his studies. After that Jarrah returned to Hamburg, receiving yet more help from his parents. Later, he told them he was going to Florida, was in Florida training to be a pilot.
They assumed all was well. Jarrah's last call home to Lebanon came just two days before the suicide attacks when he thanked his ailing father for sending him yet more money. The only time that Jarrah's movements raised concern here in Lebanon was when his Turkish girlfriend told his family that she thought he may have gone to Afghanistan with friends when they had separated for several weeks.
Now that is not being confirmed by the family. They say they have no evidence that he went to Afghanistan and the family here in Lebanon is saying that they are more than willing to cooperate with the international inquiry. Back to you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Brent, one question for you here, if in fact, the family doesn't believe or is in shock and denial over what their son is accused of doing, with if fact did they think he was doing? Just that he was a student at all these places they were paying for him to attend?
SADLER: You have to look at the background of the family here. They are a very well-to-do, well educated, obviously have finances, they are a well-known family in the Becaa Valley area, Sunni (ph) family, and they were convinced that their relative, that Ziad Jarrah was doing very well in life. They had nothing to confirm any suspicions that are being raised now.
In fact he was back here in February to attend surgical work for his father, who had some heart surgery, he was here in February. And his girlfriend, the Turkish woman I mentioned, was back here in August just a few weeks ago attending a family wedding, which Jarrah said he was unable to attend, saying that he was too busy taking examinations -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Brent Sadler in Beirut. Brent, thank you very much. Now that's just a picture of one of the many suspected hijackers on board those planes on Tuesday.
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