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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

America Targets Terrorism: Anthrax in America

Aired October 22, 2001 - 19:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, "Target Terrorism." Another case of inhalation anthrax in a Washington, D.C. Postal worker, and two Postal workers are dead. Their symptoms: suspicious.

As authorities check fellow employees at a facility that handles mail for Capitol Hill, we'll get an update from our medical correspondent. And I'll speak with D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams.

U.S. jets hit front line Taliban fighters, but the Taliban say civilians are being targeted. We'll go to northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Pentagon as "America Targets Terrorism."

Good evening. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting tonight from Washington.

We'll get to my interview with Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, and we'll have extensive coverage of the anthrax investigation in just a moment. But first, the days latest developments as the United States targets terrorism.

U.S. bombs Taliban front lines for a second day, trying to soften those lines for attacks by opposition ground forces. Witnesses also report hearing cruise missiles north of Jalalabad.

The Pentagon disputes claims by the Taliban that they shot down two U.S. helicopters and captured U.S. military personnel. The Taliban showed CNN and other media what they say are parts of U.S. helicopters shot down over the weekend.

Plans are under way to find alternate work locations for congressional staffers tomorrow. House and Senate office buildings are expected to remain closed as environmental tests search for anthrax contamination. While Capitol Hill offices were closed, the U.S. Capitol itself did open today.

Here in Washington, the anthrax-laced mail, which has had such a ripple effect on Capitol Hill, has left a trail of illness and now apparently death during its passage through the postal system.

Let's go live to CNN medical correspondent Rea Blakey at D.C. General Hospital here in Washington -- Rea. REA BLAKEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we are 10 hours into the testing here at D.C. General. Some 2,200 Postal employees who work at the Brentwood facility, which is the main facility in Washington, D.C., have been asked to be tested and treated, more specifically, for the possibility of anthrax exposure. So they're being given Cipro, a 10-day supply, and they're being tested with nasal swabs. And those who test positive, there'll be some follow-up.

We are told that they've been processing approximately -- these are unconfirmed reports -- an estimated 150 workers per hour, but people have stood in line for an extremely long time today waiting for their opportunity to get those medications.

There was a real turn in the day's events, because initially when many of the employees came, the postal workers, some of them actually seemed jovial. They were just sort of skipping along and somewhat happy and smiling.

As they received news about how the situation has become considerably more serious, those smiles dissipated.

The bad news was delivered by D.C. public works commissioner, Dr. Ivan Walks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLAKEY: Monday's events moved swiftly after it was learned two workers at the Brentwood mail facility in Washington had died.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: It is very clear that their symptoms are suspicious and their deaths are likely due to anthrax.

BLAKEY: Stunning news to the hundreds of Brentwood postal workers who lined up at D.C. General Hospital for precautionary treatment and testing.

MELVIN THWEATT, POST WORKER: It was very shocking. It's very shocking.

BLAKEY: At least two other postal workers from the Brentwood facility are hospitalized for inhalation anthrax.

These cases are drawing criticism from employees like Melvin Thweatt, who can't understand what he calls the delay in testing postal workers.

THWEATT: They knew it came through the building. Before they go to Capitol, it has to come to our building anyway. You know, better safe than sorry. They should have closed it down and then say all clear.

BLAKEY: He says workers' concerns about the anthrax-laden letter that passed through Brentwood and went to Senator Tom Daschle's office were ignored by Post Office management.

THWEATT: No one said nothing, keep working, keep working.

BLITZER: Postal Service spokesperson Debbie Willhite explained that the Centers for Disease Control had advised there was no immediate need for employee testing. All that changed when a postal worker reported flu-like symptoms and was hospitalized Friday.

DEBORAH WILLHITE, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: The initial thought was that there would be no way that anthrax would not -- would be -- present itself out of a sealed envelope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLAKEY: Now, Dr. Ivan Walks was among the public health officials who spoke today earlier today. Obviously, you saw Tom Ridge delivering the information at the top of that tape.

We should mention that the D.C. Public Health Department is also keeping its eye on at least nine other cases in which people have presented with some flu-like symptoms, Wolf, that they just want to monitor just to make certain that this situation isn't getting out of control.

But again, there was a great deal of news released today, and of course, there's an increased awareness and a heightened alert, if you will, at the Brentwood public -- Brentwood Postal Service office, where that facility remains closed even though some employees did report back there after being tested today.

BLITZER: Rea, you've spoken to many of those postal workers. What's their mood? What's their general attitude about what's happening to them?

BLAKEY: It's an interesting turn of events here. A number of the people were disgruntled actually. They said they were disappointed, and they felt as if their concerns, which had been vocalized earlier last week, were going unheeded. They couldn't understand why there was such an aggressive action taken on Capitol Hill and yet at the Brentwood postal facility, things in their mind seemed to go...

BLITZER: We obviously are having some technical problems with Rea Blakey, but we apologize for that.

For more on what the U.S. Postal Service is doing to protect its employees and the American public, see my daily column at cnn.com/wolf.

First, it was New York's police, fire and rescue workers. Now, Washington Mayor Anthony Williams says postal workers are the latest example of public servants who are in harm's way.

I spoke with the mayor just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mr. Mayor, thanks for joining us. I know these are really difficult days for you.

You've heard some of the concern expressed by some of the postal workers at the Brentwood facility. Why weren't they tested last week when thousands of Capitol Hill employees were tested and treated?

MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS (D), WASHINGTON, D.C.: Well, my understanding is that the Centers for Disease Control really monitors and issues the guidance and recommendations on the science. Based on their experience and what they had seen in Florida, what they had seen in other places, there was no indication that one should go in and do treatment and evaluation where there wasn't a confirmed finding of anthrax. There was no confirmed finding of anthrax, so they were following their experience and the science at the time.

Fortunately, here in the District, in the region, with our private hospitals, we've put up a rapid notification system based on symptoms. We've been able to get on top of this early. The Post Office also did its own testing of the Brentwood site. That's coming back. So we've been ahead of the curve.

But I think to blame the CDC directly may be unfounded, because I think the science is changing. A lot of people are learning new things here.

BLITZER: And all of us are, obviously, a lot smarter with hindsight.

WILLIAMS: Absolutely.

BLITZER: But a week ago, when the testing started on Capitol Hill, were there no symptoms, none of the postal workers at the Brentwood facility had any symptoms, any source of concern?

WILLIAMS: On this early notification of symptoms, no symptoms were showing up.

I've got to tell you, I have a personal connection here, because both my parents worked for the Post Office. My mother and I visited a couple of post offices -- post offices this last Friday before all this broke with the Brentwood facility, because I feel a special connection. They raised eight children working in the Post Office.

So to me, I look at -- I don't look at the Post Office as an institution. I look at thousands of workers with hopes and dreams and families, like everybody else.

BLITZER: I guess a lot of people looking back say that letter that showed up in Senator Daschle's office must have come from somewhere. Obviously, it came through, as all mail to Capitol Hill, comes from that Brentwood facility.

WILLIAMS: Yes and no, Wolf. I mean, that's true. But you have to understand that the cases that are being investigated here and analyzed here don't involve areas of the site that -- where Senator Daschle's letter went through. So it goes broader than that. So to simply say they should have done this or that based on the Senator Daschle letter may not be founded either.

BLITZER: In addition to the 2,200 employees at the Brentwood facility, the postal workers who work there, should any of the customers who happened to have gone to that post office, should they be tested and treated as well?

WILLIAMS: Fortunately, the Post Office did tests of that Brentwood facility. Those tests are coming back as we speak. I believe they're being evaluated by the CDC. And I would imagine that based on all the experience they have today, all the science they have today, they'll be making a recommendation to federal officials and to us on how we act.

Certainly, if it involves customers, we're into a whole new ball game. I hope and pray that it won't.

BLITZER: But if you -- you're the mayor of the District of Columbia. You have a lot of constituents, a lot of citizens here who went to that facility. Would it be wise for them simply right now, as a precaution, perhaps an abundance of precaution, to go out, start taking the antibiotic Cipro?

WILLIAMS: I'm going to wait and see what these environmental tests show. If the environmental tests show there's any possibility, based on these tests, that customers were exposed, then I think certainly you should take a conservative approach. But I've got to look to the scientists and the public health professionals on this, because I'm not a doctor.

No. 2, there actually is harm from taking these medicines where there isn't a basis for it.

And No. 3, you're right, I've got a city to run. We've got to continue to run this city. And we don't continue to run it and keep this economy working for our people if we send out messages that rather than instilling confidence erode confidence, quell -- instead of quelling fears build those fears. And that's the situation we're in danger of now.

BLITZER: The building right now, just to be precise, only a certain area inside has been confirmed where there was some anthrax. The whole building, as a whole, you just don't know completely, you're still doing some more testing?

WILLIAMS: Well, to be precise, folks who have either confirmed findings of anthrax or have suspicious symptoms that look like anthrax, all work in this -- the working area of the Brentwood facility. There still aren't any conclusive environmental findings. So all we have to work on right now are what we're seeing from illnesses that are being reported, and they're limited to the work area.

BLITZER: So it's obviously much too early right now -- or maybe it isn't -- to determine whether or not that facility should be shut down permanently. WILLIAMS: Well, I'm not a health professional. I believe that you could have a facility that was contaminated, but with proper measures can be sanitized, can be safeguarded, and one can move forward. That's my understanding from talking to public health people.

BLITZER: You're the mayor of the District of Columbia, which, of course, has the White House, Capitol Hill, a lot of supposedly high- visibility targets. People in the District of Columbia, as you well know, are very nervous right now.

WILLIAMS: They are very nervous. We're -- I mean, people are anxious. They've very, very uncertain. This has affected our economy. It's affecting our markets here. And what we're working on, all the leadership of our city together with our business community, is how do we understand this new threat, manage this new threat, and get our people together to confront it and move forward.

We have to do this, New York City has to do this. Every big city, our entire country has to do this now.

That's a critical challenge in the aftermath of September 11th, is not just addressing how we respond to terrorism, but how we resume the quality of life, how we realize the American freedoms that our men and women are fighting for over in South Asia.

BLITZER: But as horrendous a threat as anthrax is, you and I know there are other potential bioterrorist threats out there, like smallpox, which are even worse. Is the District of Columbia, the nation's capital, prepared? Can you honestly say that D.C. is prepared for even worse bioterrorist threats?

WILLIAMS: The way I'd like to think about it is if I told you that we were completely prepared for every contingency, no one would believe me, so I'm not going to say that. I think the way to think about it is every mayor or county executive or governor for that matter -- and the District, we're kind of a combination of all three of them -- ought to ask yourself, "Are we at a constantly increasing state of preparedness with these increasing threats being presented?" And I believe that we're up with the country now in increasing our level of preparedness as rapidly we can.

There's a lot of work to be done. We've come a long way.

To give you an example, all of our hospitals reporting on symptoms as opposed to diagnosis allowed us to move very, very quickly in this particular incident.

BLITZER: Mayor Anthony Williams, thanks for joining us.

WILLIAMS: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Good luck.

WILLIAMS: OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And now to the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan. We begin in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf is seeking to reassure Western leaders about his nation's stability and its commitment to the war on terrorism.

For more on President Musharraf's comments today, we go to CNN's John Vause. He's live in Islamabad.

John, President Musharraf made news today in his interview with Larry King, which will air later tonight, as well an interview he gave to Pakistani TV. What's the headline?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, the headline, Wolf, from that interview that Musharraf gave here on local Pakistan television is, in fact, that Pakistan will benefit from being part of this international coalition. He wanted to reassure the people of Pakistan that the benefits will come. In fact, that are coming right now.

He spoke of increased aid, which is coming into the country. He said there would be economic benefits months down (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They may not see them right now, but he reassured the people here that indeed there would be greater economic benefits, that markets would be opened up to Pakistan, and that in fact Pakistan was now part of the international community. And he said because it is now part of the international community, Pakistan can expect help on the Kashmir issue.

He said no longer will the world side with India. They'll be able to listen to Pakistan's point of view when it comes to Kashmir.

He also wanted to reassure the people of Pakistan that in fact the U.S. forces which are here right now would not be staying. He said, I guarantee it, that those forces will not be here permanently.

Very important issue. There have been quite a few protests, a very volatile issue around Pakistan. And in fact, there is a protest planned for a few hours from now down in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which is near an Air Force base here in Pakistan, where U.S. forces are based.

He also said that those people who are protesting, they are a very small minority, that they are just fundamentalists and they do not have the interests of Pakistan at heart. He also had some very stern words for India in his address. He said that Pakistan stands ready. It will repay them with the same coin.

In other words, if Pakistan, rather if India tries any aggression and tries to take advantage of this situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan will reply and will reply with force -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, and the Taliban are making some claims today about the U.S. inflicting civilian casualties in Afghanistan, and the Taliban are also insisting they've been making some headway in their own military efforts. What are they saying? VAUSE: Well, it seems that after more than two weeks of these air strikes all that the Taliban have got are words, and they're using those words with increasing rhetoric that's being ratcheted up over the last few days. Initially, the White House was accused of being a global bully, then a global terrorist. Now come these accusations of genocide.

The ambassador today -- or rather yesterday Pakistan-time saying that the United States and the air strikes have killed 1,000 Afghan civilians, and as such, was targeting civilians.

He also said in fact that the strikes on innocent Afghan men, women and children were annoying the victims of the New York terrorist attack on September 11th.

He also went into the issue of this helicopter, which the Taliban allegedly shot down. He said that, in fact -- he brought out those claims that the Taliban had shot down this helicopter, and also at the same time in Afghanistan a CNN crew was taken to show -- and was shown the debris, was shown basically landing gear, four wheels, some metal sheeting. In fact, there's no way of verifying their claims. We just don't know where it may have come from.

The rest, the top, they said, was on a land mine and simply too dangerous to get to -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John Vause, thank you very much in Islamabad.

And this reminder, you can see Larry King's exclusive interview with the president, Pervez Musharraf, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific.

For the Pentagon's reaction to the latest claims from the Taliban, let's go live to CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Pentagon continues to insist that it has taken no casualties so far in this campaign other than the accidental death of those two Army Rangers who died in a helicopter crash. They completely dispute the idea that any helicopters were shot down. They have, however, no explanation for this display of landing gear, which seemed to come from a CH-47 helicopter, an American helicopter. They also disputed that there was any evidence U.S. planes had bombed a hospital near Herat, where the Taliban claimed 100 people had been killed.

Meanwhile, the bombing campaign continues to focus on Taliban and al Qaeda forces in the field.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): The anti-Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan are beginning to see results as U.S. planes seek out concentrations of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters dug in on the front lines. GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Now, we're starting to work on -- on some Taliban targets that are arrayed out in the field against folks that we would like to help.

MCINTYRE: Part of the emphasis now is on what the military calls "tank plinking." Cockpit videos released by the Pentagon show Taliban tanks being picked off in various locations around Afghanistan. But the Pentagon admits that so far the outnumbered Northern Alliance has been unable to capture the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif or advance on the Taliban-held capital of Kabul.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We have had uneven success. To the extent we have excellent ground-to-air coordination, the success improves. To the extent that some of the forces move forward against Taliban and al Qaeda forces, our success improves, because it flushes them.

MCINTYRE: CNN has learned new details of Friday's U.S. commando raids against two Taliban targets. While Army paratroopers dropped from C-130s on a dry lake airstrip 60 miles southwest of Kandahar, other special forces flew on helicopters from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk with logistical support from a forward base at Dalbandin, one of three Pakistani bases being used by the United States. The objective was a compound used by Taliban leader Mohammed Omar.

The operation was supposed to be shrouded in complete secrecy, so Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was incensed that Friday morning newspaper reports signaled the ground campaign was beginning. But his anger appeared directed at the leakers more than the press.

RUMSFELD: I'm too busy to run around trying to find who did that. I don't know if anyone is, to be perfectly honest. I'd certainly hope that the people who were parachuting in don't find the person.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Now, Pentagon officials insist they knew that the Taliban leader, Mohammed Omar, was not at the compound when the raid was launched. They did, however, capture quite a bit of intelligence. They say so much that they're having trouble getting through it because of a shortage of translators -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

And coming up, we'll go to the front lines of northern Afghanistan, where anti-Taliban fighters are hoping the U.S. air strikes are just the beginning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. As the U.S. air attack on the Taliban front line enters another day, the Northern Alliance is following the action north of Kabul.

CNN's Chris Burns is in Afghanistan and reports on what could be a shift in morale for the opposition troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Wolf. A second day of U.S.-led air strikes over the front between here and Kabul, and those air strikes appear to be making some progress.

(voice-over): U.S. war jets strike at Taliban forces dug in along the front line north of Kabul: a series of explosions while the Taliban unleash anti-aircraft fire at the jets. But the planes streak over the Shomali plain in singles and in pairs unscathed.

Northern Alliance commanders say the bombs are aimed at troop concentrations and artillery. Alliance troops climb on roofs to watch what's still an unfamiliar site here.

Some stand guard from the wrecked control tower of Bagram Air Base. The front line lies just across the runway.

They've fought a stalemated conflict here for years, so the first U.S. air strike here Sunday was a badly needed beast.

"If someone throws a rock at the Taliban, let alone a bomb, we would be happy," says Mashuk (ph).

Eighteen-year-old Mahmoud (ph) has served here on the front line for two years. "We think Arabs, Punjabis and terrorists have invaded Afghanistan, our homeland," he says. "We're happy that they've been bombed."

Alliance commander Baba Jan looks encouraged after expressing frustration in the past that U.S.-led raids were avoiding the Kabul front. But he says it will take a lot more to soften up Taliban defenses.

"If these attacks and bombardments are stronger, that will facilitate our advance toward Kabul," he says.

How much more the air strikes chip away at Taliban defenses will show how much Washington wants the Northern Alliance to advance toward the capital and step up pressure on the Taliban in order to replace the regime before winter.

(on camera): Other U.S.-led air strikes reported in Balkh province. That is where the Northern Alliance is trying to gain the upper hand in its advance toward Mazar-e-Sharif. That is a Taliban- held stronghold in the north that the Northern Alliance hopes to get a hold of before winter -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Chris Burns in northern Afghanistan. And for our viewers in North America, "CROSSFIRE" is coming up in just a few minutes. Let's turn to Tucker Carlson to find out what tonight's discussion is all about -- Tucker. TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Wolf, the toll from bioterrorism may have risen as two new likely anthrax deaths were reported in Washington, D.C. A fearful nation braces for more.

Are we prepared for the threat or are we simply panicked? We'll debate the latest developments in this quickly moving story with two former State Department terrorism experts, next on "CROSSFIRE."

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Tucker. We'll be watching.

And a hopeful but painful milestone for New York City's fire department. That and the other latest developments when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here are some of the latest development's we're following this hour: Two workers from a Washington, D.C. postal facility are now confirmed to have anthrax, inhalation anthrax. And officials say they believe two other postal workers who died also were infected.

Crews at the World Trade Center site paused to salute a flag- draped body today, one of the latest pulled from the rubble. At last word, 473 bodies had been recovered: 4,415 people remain missing. And 307 new New York firefighters were sworn in today. They are the first to join the city's fire department since September 11th.

And that's all the time we have tonight. Please join me again tomorrow twice, at both 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Eastern, as America targets terrorism. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "CROSSFIRE" begins right now.

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