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American Morning

America's New War: President to Speak in Rose Garden; Debate Continues on U.S. Military Readiness

Aired September 18, 2001 - 09:20   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In over two hours, the president will go to Rose Garden and ask that Americans make some charitable contributions. And also giving a great deal of credit to the charitable organizations that have given so far in the wake of horrific string of terrorist attacks that have affected the United States.

Let's check with John King now for a preview of what the president might say. Have they given you any intelligence on what specifically the president will talk about?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We're told, Paula, the president very much wanted to highlight the charitable contributions, the giving of Americans not only in New York and Washington, but around the country in response to crisis, and also try to help them. Of course there's been a great deal of confusion about just what do the rescue workers need in New York? Is it food? Is it supplies like boots and clothing? Is it direct cash contributions. So the president wanting to pay tribute to the relief workers and all the organizations helping them today, and offer a road map, if you will, to the needs and desires of all those organizations at the White House. That a chance for the president to speak directly to the American people and urge them to do their part as the nation tries to recover here.

Also this morning at the White House, a few moments to remember. The president issuing a memo and then leading the White House staff out on the south grounds of the White House. The president and his senior staff lined up along with other White House staffers. This, the view of the White House from the south side on the balconies of the old executive office building, evacuated one week ago at this time. Workers lining up there as well, the vice president's offices and key offices in that building, down on the grounds itself. Mr. Bush organizing among senior aides then, asking them to simply bow their heads at 8:45 and remember the tragic events of just one week ago.

You see the president walking out here with his national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, his chief of staff, the attorney general, the FBI director. Obviously, the president interrupting his morning briefings to come out here to lead his staff and the nation in a brief moment of tribute. And now the president back to business. He is being updated on the investigation, we are told. Also on the military planning. And the president will get about the next level of the diplomatic campaign later this evening. The French President Jacques Chirac flying to Washington to meet face-to-face with President Bush. Tony Blair coming into Washington on Thursday. This is administration says as the planning intensifies, the president want to look key allies directly in the eye and make sure they are committed not only in words, but in their deeds, to standing with the United States as this campaign intensifies and as the military planning, the president narrows his options -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks so much, John.

As this debate continues over the state of U.S.'s military readiness, we travel to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where Brian Cabell is standing by with some members of the 101st airborne division to let us know their level of readiness.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Since last Tuesday, there has been heightened security of course at all U.S. military bases, and we have certainly seen that here this morning at Fort Campbell. All morning long, cars piling up out here. Much longer than usual, as they check the cars and the IDs of people trying to get onto the post. There's also a heightened alert here, because there is an anticipation perhaps that this unit, the 101st airborne might be among the first to head over is war declared and deployment is declared, as a matter of fact.

This is an air assault force, which means these troops go in by helicopter. They go on to the battlefields directly in helicopters. They played a prominent role in Normandy, Korea, Vietnam, humanitarian roles in Rwanda, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia. In the Gulf War, as a matter of fact, they were they were the first to fire shots when that air war started. They fired Hellfire missiles to take our Iraqi radar sites.

Here, as in most military towns when a war is imminent, when deployment is imminent, you sense kind of a mood change. We have certainly seen that here in talking to a number of people. There's a greater sense of anxiety. We talked to a couple of wives of men inside there. They say, yes, they are a little bit worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELINDA BROOKHOUSE, MILITARY WIFE: Very scared. My husband could go to war and not come back, of course. The kids, dad, goes bye-bye. But it's his job. When you're married to a military, you know this can happen at anytime. It someting you have to come to terms with before you marry him.

MELONY DAILEY, MILITARY WIFE: If they're going to go in, do it right and fast.

CABELL: We're told it may be a long war. It won't be all that quick.

DAILEY: It might be. I hope it doesn't affect the country too much, you know what I mean, that there will be no more terrorist attacks, or anything like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: Both of those women, by the way, have children, and they are aware their husbands may not be home for the holidays. We asked them, Paula, if they felt more strongly about sending men overseas this time to fight war than back in 1991, they both said yes, because of what happened on Tuesday was on American soil.

Back to you.

ZAHN: I guess if you looked at the latest CNN.Gallup poll statistics. "USA Today" statistics, that they mirror that, 88 percent of all Americans agree that a retaliatory strike is in order.

Brian, I want to come back to point you made earlier on. You were saying that the 101st airborne, if deployed, could be ready in 36 hours. Have you talked to officers about if they are called where they think they will be sent?

CABELL: No. They have not allowed us on post, yet, Paula. They are trying not to feed any peculation, any anxiety about precisely where they will go. So we can not actually get inside that gate over there. We have talked to a public affairs officer so far, and he is trying to keep down any speculation about exactly when and where they will go.

We're hoping to get more information through the day, but so far, it's very, very limited.

All right, Brian Cabell, thanks so much.

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