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CNN Live At Daybreak
Terror Alert Raised to High
Aired May 21, 2003 - 06:36 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: If you're keeping track, this is the third time this year the terror alert has been elevated. We take you live now to the White House and Suzanne Malveaux with White House reaction.
Good morning -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, as you know, this is not an easy decision for the Bush administration to make, because it costs local and state governments millions of dollars to increase their security. The Bush administration is very much aware of that.
Mr. Bush receiving criticism and some frustration and complaints from governors across the country, who say they don't have adequate resources, they are strapped for cash to try to increase their level of security, some saying they pay millions of dollars to local police in overtime, and those police officers aren't really even sure because of the vague nature of this threat of what they are actually looking for.
Well, the administration very much aware of those sensitivities. Yesterday, secretary of homeland defense security, Tom Ridge, on the phone talking to local and state officials about their concerns. Also aides emphasizing that the recommendation does not necessarily come from the president. Yesterday, the Homeland Security agency met here at the White House, but the president was not in that meeting. Rather, his chief of staff, Andy Card, notified him of the recommendation. The president signed off on it.
And now, Carol, there are some questions, however; perhaps even some criticism: Was the president overstating the case that it was victorious in overcoming al Qaeda? The president earlier saying in the weeks before that, yes, half of al Qaeda's operatives are no longer operating, but White House spokesman Ari Fleischer responding to that yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think what the president said is the tide has turned, and, as you know, tides have a way of coming in and going out. And then the next sentence the president said is that al Qaeda has been diminished but not destroyed. And that's what we're seeing. We know that there are terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda, that still desire to hit us. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Carol, certainly the president does not want to downplay the importance of this. But really the threat, the nature of the threat, as well as the strength of al Qaeda, but at the same time they're arguing that, yes, they have managed to go after really the leadership of al Qaeda, they have managed to severely downgrade their ability to be able to carry out terrorist attacks.
But nevertheless, as Jeanne had mentioned before, look to those soft targets, perhaps even here on U.S. soil that al Qaeda may attack -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Suzanne Malveaux, many thanks -- live from Washington this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 21, 2003 - 06:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you're keeping track, this is the third time this year the terror alert has been elevated. We take you live now to the White House and Suzanne Malveaux with White House reaction.
Good morning -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, as you know, this is not an easy decision for the Bush administration to make, because it costs local and state governments millions of dollars to increase their security. The Bush administration is very much aware of that.
Mr. Bush receiving criticism and some frustration and complaints from governors across the country, who say they don't have adequate resources, they are strapped for cash to try to increase their level of security, some saying they pay millions of dollars to local police in overtime, and those police officers aren't really even sure because of the vague nature of this threat of what they are actually looking for.
Well, the administration very much aware of those sensitivities. Yesterday, secretary of homeland defense security, Tom Ridge, on the phone talking to local and state officials about their concerns. Also aides emphasizing that the recommendation does not necessarily come from the president. Yesterday, the Homeland Security agency met here at the White House, but the president was not in that meeting. Rather, his chief of staff, Andy Card, notified him of the recommendation. The president signed off on it.
And now, Carol, there are some questions, however; perhaps even some criticism: Was the president overstating the case that it was victorious in overcoming al Qaeda? The president earlier saying in the weeks before that, yes, half of al Qaeda's operatives are no longer operating, but White House spokesman Ari Fleischer responding to that yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think what the president said is the tide has turned, and, as you know, tides have a way of coming in and going out. And then the next sentence the president said is that al Qaeda has been diminished but not destroyed. And that's what we're seeing. We know that there are terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda, that still desire to hit us. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Carol, certainly the president does not want to downplay the importance of this. But really the threat, the nature of the threat, as well as the strength of al Qaeda, but at the same time they're arguing that, yes, they have managed to go after really the leadership of al Qaeda, they have managed to severely downgrade their ability to be able to carry out terrorist attacks.
But nevertheless, as Jeanne had mentioned before, look to those soft targets, perhaps even here on U.S. soil that al Qaeda may attack -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Suzanne Malveaux, many thanks -- live from Washington this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
