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CNN Live At Daybreak

Six Months Later, America Remembers September 11

Aired March 11, 2002 - 05:02   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: Americans will pause today to remember and reflect on what happened six months ago, the terrorist attacks of September 11.

In New York, two temporary memorials will be unveiled to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. There will also be a ceremony at the Pentagon, which was struck by one of the hijacked planes. And church bells will ring in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the time another of the hijacked planes crashed into a nearby field.

Also today, President Bush plans to use a White House ceremony to look forward.

CNN's Major Garrett has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Six months after the terrorists murdered thousands and changed the course of world history, President Bush on Monday will applaud America's resolve, praise coalition partners and chart the next steps in the war on terror.

Senior officials tell CNN, a crucial part of the six month commemoration will be to highlight specific contributions made by nations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Top Bush advisers say future anti-terror missions could put even more pressure on the coalition.

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.

GARRETT: But the President will also describe the new national mood, one where a more vigilant citizenry reacquaints itself with old habits and hobbies while the Office of Homeland Security catalogs daily terror threats.

TOM RIDGE, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We are in a general alert right now. We are still at war with al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. We still remain concerned about the presence of terrorists within the United States. GARRETT: And as he did in his State of the Union speech, the president will warn of even greater horrors than those unleashed on September 11, terrorists using weapons of mass destruction. And to avoid such a calamity, the Bush White House says it reserves the option of nuclear retaliation.

RICE: We all want to make the use of weapons of mass destruction less likely. The way that you do that is to send a very strong signal to anyone who might try to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States that would be met with a devastating response.

GARRETT (on camera): For the first time, top Bush aides now concede the President's axis of evil speech unintentionally aggravated key coalition partners. Many felt they'd been kept out of the loop as the president opened a perilous new front in the war on terror and mending those fences has now become a top priority as the White House marks six months since September 11.

Major Garrett, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we have a list for you of some of the major events today commemorating the terrorist attacks. All times are Eastern.

At 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, the New York Police Department's 40th Precinct holds a tribute for the 23 officers killed at the Twin Towers. At 8:46 a.m., the time the first jet liner hit, a temporary memorial sculpture, The Sphere, will be dedicated to honor the World Trade Center victims. At 9:45 this morning, a White House ceremony will include President Bush, members of Congress and more than 150 ambassadors from around the world. And at 10 this morning, Mr. Bush will speak at that South Lawn ceremony.

At 10:06 church bells in Shanksville, Pennsylvania will ring 40 times, for each passenger and crew member aboard United Flight 93. Four hijackers died on that flight but no bells in Shanksville will toll for them this day.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hosts an 11:30 a.m. event at the Pentagon, and he will welcome military representatives of other nations involved in the anti-terror war. And at 6:30 tonight, the Tribute of Light will be dedicated at the World Trade Center. Two columns of light representing the Twin Towers will beam upwards, and that should be something to see.

On the morning of September 11, two French filmmakers were working on a documentary about a firehouse a few blocks from the World Trade Center. The film making brothers rushed to the scene to document the destruction and for the first time, their exclusive footage aired last night on CBS. If you missed it, we have a clip to show you from the program titled simply "9-11."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the second plane hit, that's when we could see fear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both of them are on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We 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're just joining us this morning, you're in for a horrific surprise.

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

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Let's turn our attention -- oh, excerpts from that documentary, "9-11," which aired last night on CBS, that's what you just saw. And with more on today's New York events, we're joined by CNN's Eric Philips, who's at a location above ground zero -- good morning to you, Eric.

ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

Although no definite decision has been made on what will be done with the World Trade Center site, many New Yorkers say they'd like to see two new buildings built, similar to the Twin Towers. Just part of an overall attitude they have at this six month mark that says, "although our city was changed forever, we will now grow to become stronger than ever before."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILIPS (voice-over): No one will ever forget where they were on September 11 and especially not New Yorkers. For them, it was so personal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I couldn't believe that one of my buildings was missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To go back to that day and think about it, it's like everything on the inside of me just dropped.

PHILIPS: In an instant, both buildings were gone and now, six months later, from Harlem to Little Italy to ground zero, New Yorkers agree they've changed since 9-11.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they're more sensitive and more powerful here in the mind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At first it had changed a lot where everyone was, you know, a little bit more friendly and stuff. But New York is going to be New York. Everyone is going to go back to their regular routine.

PHILIPS: But there was nothing regular about what happened here six months ago, killing thousands and sending scores more fleeing for their lives, nothing regular about the president's response to New Yorkers from ground zero, and according to most, nothing regular about the mayor, who led the city through this long night.

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Come with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You had your moments, but September 11, you were very heroic, and I love you very much, Mayor Giuliani.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean I don't know that, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that he would be a hero. I'm not sure. But I think he led the city, which is what a mayor should do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have your tickets available. Thank you.

PHILIPS: Six months later, people still line up just to catch a glimpse of the hole where the Twin Towers once were and to write their words of support. Six months later, any New Yorker will tell you...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New Yorkers are tough, and we're coming back really strong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILIPS: Later this morning there will be a ceremony dedicating a temporary memorial to the victims of 9-11. It's a bronze sphere that once was in the plaza of the World Trade Center.

We're live here at ground zero in Manhattan. I'm Eric Philips -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Eric, tell us a little more about those beams of light that are going to be shot upwards later on today.

PHILIPS: That's right, at dusk this evening there will be 88 lights turned on, shining two beams of light into the sky representing the twin towers. And we're told those beams of light will be shining for 32 days. And it's meant to remind people of all the lives lost here, but also to remind them of the hope for the future.

COSTELLO: So those beams of light will sort of mimic the twin towers. They'll go way high in the air and look similar to that. That, I don't know, that just seems eerie to me.

PHILIPS: Well, I guess it would be eerie in a sense. But when you think about it, a lot of people are missing the landscape that used to be here in New York. Everyone knows that that was. The Twin Towers were the signature of the New York landscape, and, although it's not exactly the same, I think a lot of New Yorkers, as well as tourists, will find some comfort in knowing that the twin towers themselves are remembered and that perhaps they'll see buildings like that here once again in the future.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Eric Philips.

PHILIPS: All right.

COSTELLO: You can view pictures of some of those killed at the World Trade Center and read what friends said about them by going to our Web site. The address is cnn.com/memorial, AOL keyword, of course, CNN.

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