CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There is more evidence that Thursday's failed missile attack on that Israeli charter jet may be linked to al Qaeda. CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has that.</s>JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The SA-7 shoulder-fired missiles that were used to target an Israeli charter jet last week apparently came from the same batch of missiles sold on the black market that included one used in a failed attempt to shoot down a U.S. military plane in Saudi Arabia last May. Those officials say that strongly suggests a link to al Qaeda, although they've stopped short of calling the evidence conclusive. According to sources, the serial numbers found on the launchers in Kenya were very close to the serial number on the launch tube found outside the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. It suggests they were purchased at the same time by the same people. U.S. intelligence believes it knows where and when those missiles were purchased, and it believes that the link goes right back to al Qaeda. Now, in Saudi Arabia, it appears that the missile misfired and never had a chance of shooting down a U.S. military plane. In Kenya, it looks like they may have simply missed, either because they were operating outside the envelope or perhaps maybe the missiles were not operating as well. These missiles -- Russian-made missiles have an effective range of about 10,000 to 12,000 feet. They lock on to the heat from the plane's engines, but they begin to lose accuracy after a certain height. And it's not known why they missed, although apparently they came fairly close. Of course, the real threat here is to civilian aviation all around the world, because al Qaeda has shown now, according to U.S. officials, that it's willing to use these hand-held missiles to try to bring down a civilian plane.</s>COSTELLO: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Attack in Kenya, Missile Threat