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CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: Still Remote Chance to Find Survivors

Aired September 24, 2001 - 06:20   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani says he is not ready to throw in the towel on rescue efforts just yet. The mayor says experts actually tell him that hope does remain, however slim, that someone could have survived two weeks beneath the World Trade Center rubble.

For the latest we go to CNN's Lilian Kim. She is live in New York.

Lilian, hard to believe, but we all hope for the best.

LILIAN KIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, New Yorkers continue to move forward in the healing process as they gather in prayer at Yankee Stadium. Representatives from a wide range of face took part in the service.

As for the rescue operation, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani says time is running out of finding anyone alive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM (voice-over): Reports of missing people keep coming in, raising the number by more than a hundred to 6,453. While it's been almost two weeks since the terrorist attack, rescue crews continue to search for survivors at the site of the World Trade Center.

RUDY GIULIANI, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I am told that there is very little hope, but that they wanted two weeks or a little more than that in order to -- in order to make certain that they could find people and we're still within that timeframe.

KIM: Although no one has been found alive since the day after the attack, rescue workers continue finding pieces of the hijacked planes but the flight data recorders or black boxes are still missing.

OPRAH WINFREY, MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES: Hope lives, prayer lives, love lives.

KIM: With Oprah Winfrey as mistress of ceremonies, loved ones of those killed or missing converged at Yankee Stadium to mourn and to pay tribute. Mayor Giuliani called it a prayer service, not a memorial, as the remote possibility of finding survivors remains.

(BETTE MIDLER SINGING) KIM: Thousands in the crowd found solace in the music and words of inspiration.

ADMIRAL ROBERT NATTER, U.S. NAVY: A victory against a terrorist enemy to whom we say you picked the wrong city, you picked the wrong country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KIM: The death toll now stands at 261. Of those, 194 people have been identified.

Now tomorrow will be another sign that New York is slowly returning to normal. Voters will be heading to the polls once again for the primaries which, as you said earlier, were originally scheduled for September 11, the day of the terrorist attacks -- Carol and Leon.

LIN: Lilian, you know there's been an outcry for Mayor Giuliani to have his term extended. As you said, the primary is just right around the corner, what's he saying about this?

KIM: Well, up until today or yesterday throughout these whole two weeks he's been very evasive about his intentions, but we have the New York "Daily News" right here and it says that the mayor plans on announcing his intentions today. He wants the city -- he wants lawmakers to repeal the city's term limit law so he can keep his job for a third consecutive term. So it's going to be interesting to see what he plans on doing today.

LIN: Yes, well he's got a lot of public support, but you've got to wonder if it's legal?

KIM: Yes. Yes.

LIN: Doesn't have a lot of time. Thanks so much. Lilian Kim reporting live from New York.

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