Sears Tower "Terrorists"
were arrested at a Masonic Lodge?
ANDREWS: So somebody had approached him to give him money to
blow up buildings?
ATHEA: To do whatever he wanted to do. But that was far from his
mind. So he had no desire to interact with these men to accept
anything they had to offer.
COOPER: All right Mike Brooks working his
sources. I want to go now to Brian Andrews
from our affiliate WFOR who is in Miami. He
also has some new information. He's spoken
to a woman who said she's the godmother of a
suspect arrested today. Brian, what have you
heard?
BRIAN ANDREWS, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: Anderson
we're out here at the FBI offices in North
Miami Beach. This is one of the buildings
that our federal sources are telling us this
group wanted to blow up as part of their
plot.
As we got here to the FBI building we ran
into family members of one of the defendants
who was arrested this afternoon who is still
inside being processed before being taken
down to the federal detention center.
We're being told by his family that he's a
32-year-old guy named Nassir Baptiste (ph).
He goes by the name of Prince Manner. He's
one of the elders at this Masonic lodge
raided earlier in the day by the FBI. That's
where the five people were taken into
custody. His family and friends tell us
that he's a nice guy, he's a construction
worker, he's married, and they say they have
no idea what he would be doing with al Qaeda
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREWS: What do you make of this?
ARIANE WEBSTER, SUSPECT'S GRANDMOTHER:
I'm -- truly down in my heart I believe
that's a stone lie. I been knowing Nassir
(ph) better than five years. I never know
him to get in any trouble. I never know him
to have any problem with anybody. I always
know him, he taught my son how to do karate.
I have a son that is 18 years old. When he
first met my son, my son was only about ...
ANDREWS: So you don't think he's a
terrorist, as the government's alleging?
WEBSTER: No, I don't. I really don't believe
that.
MASTER G.H.G. ATHEA, SUSPECT'S FRIEND:
Someone along the line offered to him some
funds to do whatever he wanted to do if
that's what he wanted to do. As far as some
subversive work. And said they would give
him whatever he needed.
ANDREWS: So somebody had approached him to
give him money to blow up buildings?
ATHEA: To do whatever he wanted to do. But
that was far from his mind. So he had no
desire to interact with these men to accept
anything they had to offer.
ANDREWS: So bottom line here, is your friend
a terrorist?
ATHEA: No, he's not. Absolutely not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Hmm. Sort of raises more questions
than it answers. Not quite sure the point of
what that guy was saying. We've lost
reporter Brian Andrews to ask him. Pat, what
do you make of what you just heard?
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TRANSCRIPT
COOPER: All right Mike Brooks working his sources. I want to go now to Brian Andrews from our affiliate WFOR who is in Miami. He also has some new information. He's spoken to a woman who said she's the godmother of a suspect arrested today. Brian, what have you heard?
BRIAN ANDREWS, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: Anderson we're out here at the FBI offices in North Miami Beach. This is one of the buildings that our federal sources are telling us this group wanted to blow up as part of their plot.
As we got here to the FBI building we ran into family members of one of the defendants who was arrested this afternoon who is still inside being processed before being taken down to the federal detention center.
We're being told by his family that he's a 32-year-old guy named Nassir Baptiste (ph). He goes by the name of Prince Manner. He's one of the elders at this Masonic lodge raided earlier in the day by the FBI. That's where the five people were taken into custody. His family and friends tell us that he's a nice guy, he's a construction worker, he's married, and they say they have no idea what he would be doing with al Qaeda
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREWS: What do you make of this?
ARIANE WEBSTER, SUSPECT'S GRANDMOTHER: I'm -- truly down in my heart I believe that's a stone lie. I been knowing Nassir (ph) better than five years. I never know him to get in any trouble. I never know him to have any problem with anybody. I always know him, he taught my son how to do karate. I have a son that is 18 years old. When he first met my son, my son was only about ...
ANDREWS: So you don't think he's a terrorist, as the government's alleging?
WEBSTER: No, I don't. I really don't believe that.
MASTER G.H.G. ATHEA, SUSPECT'S FRIEND: Someone along the line offered to him some funds to do whatever he wanted to do if that's what he wanted to do. As far as some subversive work. And said they would give him whatever he needed.
ANDREWS: So somebody had approached him to give him money to blow up buildings?
ATHEA: To do whatever he wanted to do. But that was far from his mind. So he had no desire to interact with these men to accept anything they had to offer.
ANDREWS: So bottom line here, is your friend a terrorist?
ATHEA: No, he's not. Absolutely not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Hmm. Sort of raises more questions than it answers. Not quite sure the point of what that guy was saying. We've lost reporter Brian Andrews to ask him. Pat, what do you make of what you just heard?