CNN LARRY KING LIVE - (Medical Students' & Stone's attorney interview transcript 9-16-2002)

CNN ^ | 9-16-2002 | CNN transcript

[weegee]

When we come back are three young medical students detained by authorities in Florida after a woman in Georgia reported she overheard them mocking 9/11.

They're with us exclusively next. Don't go away.

KING: We now welcome to LARRY KING LIVE Ayman Gheith, Kambiz Butt and Omar Choudhary. All three are medical students who were detained by authorities in Florida over the weekend. We all know about that, the scene that occurred.

[weegee]

From the CNN Brown interview (9/13):CNN NEWSNIGHT AARON BROWN - (Medical Students' interview transcript 9-13-2002)

BROWN: That you were on to your way in a medical class in Miami. When you were in the restaurant was there any tension in the restaurant? Did you have a sense that you were being watched?

GHEITH: Not at all.

KAMBIZ BUTT: No.

OMER CHOUDHARY: Very comfortable.

GHEITH: And actually, I mean, to give credit to Shoney, the server was very nice. Everybody was very nice.

BUTT: No indication.

CHOUDHARY: No weird stares, no awkward looks. Nice meal.

And from the CNN Larry King interview (9-16) above.

KING: When you were sitting there, did you feel uncomfortable?

BUTT: Not at all.

GHEITH: Well, I mean, we're accustomed to the level of comfort that we feel when we enter a restaurant. It becomes common practice now. As soon as you walk in, everybody will look.

KING: Since 9/11, you are profiled.

GHEITH: Right.

CHOUDHARY: Since 9/11, we walk into anywhere and, you know, things stop...

KING: Do you expect that?

CHOUDHARY: ... everybody turns and looks.

We've come to live with it. We've come to accept it because it's so common. It happens everywhere.

GHEITH: We do little things like, for instance, we'll raise our voice in a conversation just to show people around us that we can speak English you know, because most people, off the bat, right away, they assume that you can't speak English.

The stories don't jibe. Maybe they were looking for a little sympathy play by feeling nervous everywhere they go.

I also saw this reference to the toll (which may be where the 50cent car notion arose):

BUTT: Actually, that's the funny thing is I didn't. I slowed into the toll booth. Omar actually had to take out a dollar. I had 50 cents on me. The toll was $1.50. Got the money, we gave it to the lady. I noticed that she was very nervous when I was giving her the money. She looked like -- I mean, it was -- she just didn't look right.

And then I also noticed there was a squad car at the toll booth almost waiting for somebody. So I guess it was me.

KING: Is that the one that stopped you?

BUTT: Yes, that first car.

I assume that Kambiz was driving the first car, Omer was the passenger in the first car, and that Ayman was driving the second car (if all of this seem rudamentary, I've never seen it broken down by who or what, the journalists have no notion of the 5 Ws).

KING: She didn't invent it. You guys may have been kidding around for whatever reason, and now it looks funny, so you're in denial and it's he said/she said.

GHEITH: Well, the thing is, if you knew us like -- I'll tell you: Every one of my friends, you'd be surprised how many -- and I want to thank a lot of people, actually, for their support. This has been a trying time for us. (aside--- Answer the question, YES or NO)

KING: You completely deny what she said?

GHEITH: Well, you know what? Every single one of my friends, or anybody that I was ever acquainted with, when they called me, the first thing they said, unanimously, out of their mouth is, we knew for a fact you never said that because you're not that -- that's not the way you are. (aside--- again, Answer the question, YES or NO)

KING: But as it turns out, according to Michael, she's not a bigot either.

GHEITH: Well sir, she also said that she heard us speaking in Arabic and in English. And she said that, I have very good hearing. (aside--- care to cite a reference to this reported "fact")

Now, there's a problem with that, because I'm the only one that speaks Arabic.

(aside--- That may be, but no one alledged otherwise)

Between the two interviews, I never hear them clamim to have been ticketed or even pulled over for the toll booth offense. While it was possible that they may have later faced charges, it appears that the ticket was not dismissed because the ticket in actuallity was never written.

Also posted this thread FOX Gretta Van Sustern - (Medical Students' interview transcript 9-16-2002)

Fox News does not have an online transcript of the Linda Vester interview with the 3 students (there is this FR thread of the live discussion, content begins around post #225):

Live Thread: Fox News Interviews Florida (Terrorists "Victims (9-17-2002)

Couldn't find a transcript of the Donahue interview with Eunice Stone (and the 3 students). There is an FR thread of the discussion:

Enice Stone on Donahue now