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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pentagon Reconstruction Well Underway; Cheney Visits U.K.

Aired March 11, 2002 - 06:03   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: New York and the World Trade Center have come to symbolize the September 11th terrorist attacks against America. But that terrible day left its mark on Pennsylvania and the Pentagon too. Six months ago a hijacked jet slammed into the western side of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. killing 125 people inside and 64 on board that plane.

CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us live from the Pentagon with the ceremonies there.

Good morning, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol. Six months after the terrorist attacks, the Pentagon, the nation's symbol of military might is well on its way to being completely rebuilt, but for many the emotional wounds are slower to heal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Kevin Schaeffer (ph) remembers vividly the morning Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon.

KEVIN SCHAEFER (ph): And immediately I was blown down on my face, you know blown to the ground. I realized I was on fire.

QUIJANO: Moments before the Navy Lieutenant and his coworkers had been watching television, seeing the chaos unfold in New York, never imagining they'd be next. In his office space, Lieutenant Schaeffer (ph) was the only survivor.

SCHAEFFER (ph): There were people in front of me, behind me, to the left of me, to the right of me, good friends of mine, office mates, or just people I knew, and they didn't make it.

QUIJANO: Arlington County Police Officer Dan Murphy (ph) was on the scene hours after the attack. His task not to help get victims out, but to bring order to the pandemonium and keep out unauthorized personnel.

DAN MURPHY (ph), ARLINGTON COUNTY POLICE OFFICER: This is one situation where we had so many people, so many uniforms that were trying to do the right thing. They were trying to help, even a lot of the volunteers, but it's not very hard to obtain a uniform and create a identity to gain access. QUIJANO: Six months later construction cranes have replaced emergency vehicles. Workers are now installing plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems, working virtually around the clock. The singular mission, to finish rebuilding before the one-year anniversary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how it is everyday and every night here on this program. They just don't stop working, and we don't have to -- we don't have to push them at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: And workers certainly are motivated -- a live look now here at the Pentagon. A number of ceremonies planned for today including one at the White House and here at the Pentagon where later today Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will welcome more than two dozen representatives from more than two dozen coalition countries.

We're live at the Pentagon. I'm Elaine Quijano. Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: You know Elaine we don't hear about a memorial planned for the Pentagon. Is there one?

QUIJANO: Not as far as we know. At this point, from what we understand, at 9:30 a.m. of course the exact moment when that plane hit the Pentagon, there will be unofficial sort of pauses, people taking time, of course, to remember. But at this point we are not hearing of anything official. That could, however, change as the morning goes on -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you Elaine.

On the morning of September 11, two filmmakers happened to be working near the World Trade Center in New York when a jet crashed into one of the towers. They rushed to the scene and captured the chaos and the terror. Some of their footage aired in a CBS documentary last night simply called "9/11". If you missed it, we have a clip for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the second plane hit, that's when you could see fear. You could see it in everybody's eyes. It was people falling. You don't see it, but you know where it is. And you know that every time you hear that crashing sound, it's a life, which is extinguished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you've just joined us this morning, you're in for a horrific surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All anyone knew was that something had gone terribly wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But as a cameraman, yeah, there was something I could do, and it was to document what was happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Those were excerpts from the documentary "9/11" which aired last night on CBS.

In just four hours President Bush will tell us what is next in the war on terrorism. Minutes ago we told you about today's tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack. It's at that White House gathering that Mr. Bush will unveil the next step during a 10:00 speech. Mr. Bush's national security adviser talked about extending the war on terrorism during a TV news program yesterday -- listen.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Obviously Afghanistan is not the only story. The president is also determined to find pockets of al Qaeda and global terrorist networks outside of Afghanistan. He's made very clear that we're not going to allow them to have sanctuary anyplace in the world. So this will go on for some time.

COSTELLO: And we understand Mr. Bush plans to offer a more detailed outline of his administration plans to destroy the al Qaeda terrorist network.

Vice President Dick Cheney meets shortly with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about the war on terrorism. Our White House correspondent John King is traveling with the Cheney party and John joins us now live from outside number 10 Downing Street, home of the British prime minister.

Good morning John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from London to you Carol and again the anniversary, the sixth month anniversary of the strikes on the United States will be cited by both the vice president and the British prime minister when they make public remarks after their meeting today.

This trip designed some time ago. Mr. Cheney here most of all to compare notes with the strongest U.S. ally in the war on terrorism not only about the continuing operations in Afghanistan, but also about the ongoing U.S. military assistance to the Philippines, the Republic of Georgia, and to Yemen, and to discuss a much more controversial subject, the tough posture against the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

On that issue, the United States and Britain standing side by side, although the prime minister has faced some criticism here at home for saying he would support the United States and work with the United States if it comes to another military confrontation with Saddam Hussein. This is stop one on a 12-nation tour for the vice president; perhaps by far the easiest stop.

He will receive words of encouragement and support here from the British prime minister, then it is on to the Middle East. Eleven more countries in that region, nine of them Arab nations and most of those countries have said very bluntly and very publicly that they are in no mood for a U.S.-led military campaign against Iraq. Those countries also want to hear more from the vice president about what the Bush administration will do to end the recent fighting, 18 months now, the death toll more than 1,300 between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

So this trip initially designed, Carol, to focus mostly on the war on terrorism, the violence in the Middle East and new Bush administration diplomatic efforts adding a subplot. The British prime minister, we are told, will tell the vice president like it or not, back in Washington, those two issues, Middle East violence and the war on terrorism, now is inextricably linked. If the United States wants support of the Arab nations in the war on terrorism, it must do more to stop the violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you. John King reporting live for us from London this morning.

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