Major Garrett: White House calls arrest a blow to al Qaeda

CNN correspondent Major Garrett

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House offered its first public confirmation Tuesday that a man captured last week by Pakistan is believed to be one of Osama bin Laden's key lieutenants.

CNN's Major Garrett, reporting from the White House, spoke to Anchor Leon Harris about the Bush administration's reaction to the capture of Abu Zubaydah.

MAJOR GARRETT: The White House today [confirmed] what had been reported yesterday widely on our network and in other news outlets that Abu Zubaydah, a key figure in the al Qaeda inner circle of Osama bin Laden, had in fact been captured by Pakistani authorities in a raid that was a product of Pakistani intelligence and Pakistani police work and intelligence work. Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, [told] us just moments ago the White House was aware of the raid and participated in some of its organization, but it was the Pakistanis who carried it out.

Ari Fleischer described Abu Zubaydah's arrest as a very serious blow to al Qaeda. He also said al Qaeda has many tentacles; one of them has just been cut off. The translation there, Leon, is that al Qaeda still poses a threat to the United States and its interests, but the United States clearly regards Abu Zubaydah's arrest as something significant in diminishing its ability to reconstitute and reorganize itself. That, they believe, is a very significant development.

The White House says it is absolutely sure about the identity of Abu Zubaydah, but he is in custody, and now efforts are being undertaken to obtain whatever ... intelligence and information he is willing to provide. But there is very little sense here at the White House that he is going to be very forthcoming in revealing al Qaeda's ongoing plans.

HARRIS: Well, I believe that a lot of the experts share that opinion. But let me ask you this: Is there any word from the White House on whether [knowing the location of Zubaydah's capture] ....is going to lead anyone any closer to finding out exactly where the key man, Osama bin Laden, is?

GARRETT: As a matter of fact, Leon, I asked that very question of Ari Fleischer, and all he would say is that this is an important development, because Abu Zubaydah was attempting, as were others, to reconstitute and reorganize al Qaeda. And this arrest, the White House believes, will, at least for the time being, short-circuit those plans. As to whether or not this will bring them any closer to either Mullah Omar or Osama bin Laden, the White House is not prepared to say.

But it also underscored something that the White House has often said -- but has been able not to point to particularly strong evidence of -- that is the Pakistani government's ability to actually carry out intelligence operations first, and then raids within their own country to obtain the arrests and detention of key al Qaeda figures. The White House believes this is a significant development proving the Pakistani government under Pervez Musharraf can actually carry out those kinds of missions.

HARRIS: Exactly. The kind of thing that Mr. Musharraf has been trying to prove. Major Garrett at the White House, thanks very much -- appreciate that.