Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Threat Level Goes To Orange
Aired August 01, 2004 - 16:00 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.
FREDRICK WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: CNN LIVE SUNDAY is straight ahead, but first a look at what's happening right now. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has raised the threat level to Code Orange or "high" today for financial service sectors in Washington, New York City, and northern New Jersey. We'll have more on this story in a moment.
With new intelligence indicating al-Qaeda is planning to strike special targets including some in New York, the city's mayor is about to hold a news conference at this hour. You're looking at the live picture right there, when they take to the podium there, we'll be taking that live.
Blast across Baghdad, a string of bombings struck churches in the Iraqi capital and the northern city of Mosul today. At least five people are dead and 57 others wounded. Some of the explosions happened as worshipers were gathering for evening services in Christian churches.
New developments in the case of a missing Utah woman, police investigating the disappearance of Lori Hacking are expected to make a statement, soon. We'll have details coming up a little bit later on in the hour.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
We begin with a change in the terror threat level, it's going from yellow to orange, but only in some parts of the country and for the first time in a targeted way. The government today, warned of possible terrorist attacks against these specific financial institution: The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prudential Financial, in Newark, New Jersey and the Citigroup buildings, and the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.
The announcement came from Homeland Security secretary's Tom Ridge, and CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us from Washington with some details.
And Jeanne, Tom Ridge admitted this is sobering news, that comes from very specific sources.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, specific and credible information, that's what it takes to raise the threat level. They say they have it here from multiple sources and multiple locations. Some of this intelligence coming in just the last 24 to 36 hours, intelligence that they are continuing to massage, continuing to pursue. Some officials are saying they do expect there will be additional announcements in the coming hours and days, possibly about some additional sites, which may be at risk.
Now, this is still developing information as I said. It is chilling, one official said, in its scope, in its detail, and in its breadth. Here's a little bit of secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Compared to previous threat reporting, these intelligence reports have provide a level of detail that is very specific. The quality of this intelligence, based on multiple reporting streams in multiple locations, is rarely seen, and it is alarming in both the amount and specificity of the information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Now, we had a briefing, Fredricka, after Secretary Ridge spoke, with some senior intelligence officials, they ticked through some of the specifics that they have found in this intelligence. It talks about guards, what kinds of staffing there is at some of these buildings, whether or not the guards are armed. What types of uniforms they wear. I'm going to read some of my notes; the list is so extensive, here.
It talks about possible escape routes from some of these buildings, differences poins from which reconnaissance can be done. It has information on what's located nearby in terms of religious institutions and schools and library, police and fire facilities. It talks about different ways to gain access. It talks about whether, at the front there is a physical desk or just an intercom system. It talks about surveillance cameras and where they are located, about places where one might meet employees. It talked about traffic patterns near buildings, the types of vehicles that can enter a building. The kinds of materials the buildings are made up, the kinds of devices and materials, explosive materials that might do the maximum damage.
Because of some of that information, including questions about access to parking garages and inclines into parking garages, analysts have deduced that vehicle bombs are probably the likely motive attack that al-Qaeda was thinking of in terms of this attack.
Now, in terms of what's being done, the Department of Homeland Security has been in tight communication with local and state officials, as well as the private sector, that's involved here. They are suggesting there will be a ramping up of security around some of these facilities. It will include things like more checks of I.D.s, more checks of bags, increasing the buffer zone around some of these buildings, perhaps limiting access to some parking facility. As to whether these businesses will be open or not, what employees should do, as they face the work day tomorrow, the Department of Homeland Security is not answering that question, it is leaving it up to the private sector to decide.
Fredricka, back to you. WHITFIELD: All right. Jeanne Meserve in Washington thanks very much. Lots of specifics, but Tom Ridge revealed no specifics when these attacks just might occur.
Well, New York City has been at threat level orange since the 9/11 attacks, and what will this latest threat notice mean? For already heightened security measures in place there. CNN's Ali Velshi joins us now, from New York. And you have to wonder what kind of security measures would be put in place for these specific financial institutions -- Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. That's exactly what we're looking to and in fact, any moment now, Fredricka, we're going to go city hall where Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are going to outline.
You're looking at live pictures of it now. They're going to outline what the plan is going to be to protect some of the places in New York.
Fredricka, these are some of the most heavily protected places in New York to start with. The New York Stock Exchange is barricaded, you can't get anywhere near it. Here, you're looking at pictures of it. If you don't have business at the New York Stock Exchange, you are not getting within 50 or 100 feet of the whole thing.
Here's the thing, this may be three centers on the East coast and threats affect real people and their lives, and there's going to be a question as to how people react tomorrow, whether the thousands -- tens of thousands of people working at these various centers are going feel comfortable and safe going to work and what they'll deal with if they feel that they're unsafe. But here's the other thing, Fredricka.
You're looking at the New York Stock Exchange where every stock or many of the stocks that most Americans hold in their 401(k)s or IRAs are invested. You're dealing with Citibank, one of the biggest banks in the world, and certainly one of the biggest banks for American consumers and mortgage holders and things like that. Prudential, same idea.
So the eyes of the world are really going to be on how New York, once again, has to deal with this threat, and of course, Washington. How these centers of energy deal with these threats and that's what people are going to be turning to these press conferences, like the one we're going to hear in a moment, to hear. They're going to want to hear that the people running these organizations that have been target and the mayor of New York everybody is very certain of themselves, and they know what's going on.
Now, if you see on that map there. The Citigroup building, that's on East 53rd Street. The one on the higher end of the Manhattan map. We're learning now that this building has been under guard -- under serious guard since Friday night when the FBI first alerted New York authorities of the problems that are going on.
These buildings and their security departments have been very clear on the fact there is a threat. And fine line, Fredricka, is determining whether it was wise to tell people about the threat and try and get their solidarity and their vigilance and their awareness to thwart any other potential terrorist attacks, or whether, we will see this tomorrow, whether this has struck fear in the hearts of Americans and New Yorkers. That's what we're going to have to see play out over the next 24 hours or longer -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well Ali, you have to wonder whether beefing up security around these very specific financial institutions makes other financial institution in New York City, New Jersey and, of course, Washington as well, more vulnerable?
VELSHI: Right. And while these are the biggest names, obviously, there are so many big names and names that can have as much impact it, and frankly, doesn't have to be a big name with 100,000 employees. Look at that picture of New York, there are buildings everywhere. And we kept on hearing, over the last several hours, analysts and experts and security analysts talking about soft targets versus hard targets.
If you look at New York Stock Exchange, as you mentioned, you can't get anywhere near it. They've got the Hercules police operatives there. These are heavily armed police officers. You're not getting anywhere near that, I think. But, there are many buildings, you can't put police officers on every building in New York, you can't put barricades outside of every building, and you certainly can't stop the traffic around every building, so this is going to be a big issue for people to face.
WHITFIELD: Ali Velshi in New York. Thanks very much.
This is the first time the color coded warning system has been used in a narrow targeted way. Tom Ridge says the information comes from multiple source. Ridge says while the information is startling it is not stifling. Joining us now to talk about the safety measures is someone who knows a lot about that subject, CNN's Mike Brooks.
Good to see you.
All right, multiple targets. This is signature strategy, isn't it, of al-Qaeda?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, we've seen it in the past, Fredricka, going to -- in fact, coming up August 7th is the anniversary of the bombings of the embassy -- U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Again, a coordinated attack, then. Bombs went off just minutes a part in different countries. We saw also the targeting, we've, obviously, I was one of the first people there to investigate the post blast -- the bombing in Nairobi.
We got there, we talked to some people, we look at videotape. We found that al-Qaeda did, in fact, surveil the embassy. They found out exactly when the guards took breaks, they did this for quite some time, and targeted the specific gate. They went around to the front of the embassy in Nairobi, they were turned away, they went to the back.
They tried to drive through a gate. What they wanted to do was to drive the explosives-laden truck into the basement of the embassy and have the embassy implode on itself. A security guard stopped the truck, one person got out, threw a grenade over the fence, it drew people to the window, then the suicide bomber inside detonated the bomb. That's why there were over 200 people killed in the bombing.
WHITFIELD: And favorite arsenal seem to be trucks, car bombings.
BROOKS: Trucks and cars.
WHITFIELD: We saw that during the first World Trade Center bombing?
BROOKS: Absolutely, back in 1993. You also go all the way back to 1995, the Saudi Arabian National Guard bombing in Riyadh where five Americans were killed, that was also a truck bombing. We go to the Khobar Towers bombing, which they thought initially was running back jihads, now they say, during the 9/11 Commission, that they believe that also al-Qaeda may have been involved in the bombing, too. We saw a truck with over a minimum of 5,000 pounds of C-4 explosive. A very large truck bomb.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, now while Tom Ridge did about multiple targets, he did not say anything about simultaneous multiple targets specifying the particular financial institutions.
BROOKS: Right, he didn't say that. Wolf Blitzer, a little while ago, was talking about, kind of, if you read into it, that seems to be the way al-Qaeda operates. Well-planned, simultaneous hits, coordinated attacks. Would this have been a coordinated attack? We don't know, now.
Hopefully in the upcoming days we will hear more about, specifics about this -- the threat. And I think, again speculation, but you may see that, in fact, they were talking about a coordinated attack.
WHITFIELD: And let's talk about these specific locations that we do know of. IMF, World Bank, we're talking about very significant, huge financial institution -- Citigroup in New York., and of course, the New York Stock Exchange.
BROOKS: Well, you know, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are large icons in the financial world, across the world. And we talk about the employees reporting to work, you know, these are -- this is a very, very diverse group in the IMF and the World Bank, these are not just people that just go to work 9:00 to 5:00 coming from Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs. These are people from all over the world that come there to do their bank...
WHITFIELD: But again, these are also institutions that already have beefed-up security, we heard that from Ali.
BROOKS: Absolutely and, you know, the New York Stock Exchange, you know, you talk about a hard target. That's one of the hardest targets in New York City, as Ali was saying. But, when you look again at -- in Washington, D.C., and New York City, you're got two of the best units that's protecting them.
We talked about the Hercules unit with the Emergency Services Unit with New York City Police Department. In Washington, D.C., we heard that the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, specifically sources tell me, are going to be working with closely with them along with the National Capital Response Squad with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police.
Metropolitan Police have an excellent, also, with the Emergency Response Team, with their Special Operations Division, the well -- you'll probably also see their presence felt and all around the IMF and the World Bank buildings tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: Hard to envision how security can be beefed up even further at those institutions, but obviously, we will be seeing that.
BROOKS: Absolutely. You talk about two cities that are probably prepared more than -- more so than any other city in the country -- Washington, D.C., and New York, and now with the, again, just targeting the financial services sector and that not going to orange all around the city, but just specifically to the city.
But, I think it will have effect tomorrow on traffic, and again, employees are told that the World Bank, they put out the statement, that they are expected to come to work, but they can expect additional screening and make sure you have your badge, because you're not going to get in without any identification. I can guarantee you that.
WHITFIELD: All right, Mike Brooks don't go far, I'm sure we'll be calling upon you again soon. Thanks very much.
BROOKS: Thank you, Fredrick.
WHITFIELD: Well over two house ago we heard from Secretary Tom Ridge, and momentarily, out of New York City, we're expected to hear from Mayor Bloomberg, he's scheduled to hold a news conference at this hour, any moment now. Our Jason Carroll is covering that angle of the story.
And Jason, what's taking place right now? Obviously, a couple of delays?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Few delays, we're still waiting to hear from New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, as well as Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Already you heard from the state governor, George Pataki, he has already put out a statement, basically saying the state and the city is doing everything possible to try to avoid another terrorist attack. He sort of outlined some of the things that the state and the city has been doing.
For one, he says that the state office of Homeland Security has already been in touch with the federal agencies. In addition to that, he points, out which many of you know, that New York City has already been operating at a heightened level of alert, orange, ever since 9/11.
Even so, given these new threats there will be additional measures that will be put in place. We do know that the head of the FBI in New York has been in touch with FBI officials in Washington, D.C. The National Guard will continue to patrol sensitive areas in the city.
In addition to that, the NYPD has already advised some private sector companies what to do to update their security measures, whether it be make extra checks of people coming and going from particular buildings; checking on maintenance workers to see if they have the proper paperwork to be in the area; even down to people who may be coming up and asking for directions to sensitive sites, double checking with those people if they're asking is really what they truly seek.
Again, we are waiting to hear from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Hopefully at that point, they'll be able to give us some more details about the additional security measures that will be put into place -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jason Carroll in New York thanks very much.
And when that press conference takes place involving Mayor Bloomberg we'll be bringing that to you live.
Well, before Tom Ridge spoke publicly today, he talked it over with President Bush, who then signed off on the announcement. Let's get that detail on that discussion from our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, for those who don't know Washington, D.C., the IMF and the World Bank buildings are just a couple blocks away from the White House, and President Bush, this morning, met with his secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, and the Homeland Security team.
He was advised that they should raise the terrorist alert level and which the president signed off on, but this is something that he has been aware of, been briefed the last 72 hours that he was first told about this possibility of these terrorist attacks that were building, that this was very new information that was coming in over the last 72 hours.
He was alerted while he was on the campaign trail, that he was having those briefings with his Homeland Security team. It did not take long, Fred, before this alert level before public, before Tom Ridge made that announcement that this became a very political issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush he plays this trump card, which is terrorism, his whole campaign is based on the notion that "I can keep you safe, therefore in times of difficult -- difficulty for America, stick with me," and then out comes Tom Ridge. It's just impossible to know how much of this is a real, and how much of this is politics, and I suspect there's some of both in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So Fred, that is the sentiment of some people who are very skeptical of this announcement. The timing of this announcement, they believe, that perhaps it was trying to limit the bounce from the democrat's convention, but again a lot of other people coming out saying that is absolutely ridiculous.
We heard from the Republican -- the chair of the Republican National Committee, Marc Racicot, who says that these kind of comments are simply corrosive. Also from Democrat, Joe Lieberman, saying it is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that using this kind of threat would be used for political reasons.
Having said that, Fred, the Bush administration very much aware that this is a political risk when they go ahead and issue these kind of terrorist alerts. They realize they're going to get a political backlash. They also realize it's going to cost serious money to do this, but they believe it is well worth it -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux from Washington's, thank you very much.
And, momentarily, as we promised, we're hoping to see Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City as well as the police commissioner, Ray Kelly, taking to the podium there for a live news conference following the announcement from Tom Ridge on the advisory in a targeted way now being raised, as well as, in about 45 minutes, we'll be taking to you Washington, D.C. where Mayor Anthony Williams will also have a press conference in response to that advisory. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're still waiting for a press conference out of New York City to begin involving Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the police commissioner, Ray Kelly, and when that does takes place, we'll be bringing that to you live. It's to happen any moment now.
Meantime, another big story we've been following for you all day. In Iraq, more deadly violence, a string of bombings today, targeted churches in Baghdad and Mosul, these are the first attacks against Iraq's Christian minority since the insurgency began 15 months ago. CNN's Matthew Chance joins us from Baghdad with the very latest -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, thank you. The Christian community in this country which is small, less than a million people, has long complained of persecution, but nothing like this. A string of deadly explosions across the country aimed against churches, up and down Iraq.
Four churches in Baghdad, coming under attack from car bombs driven into the area being detonated, killing and injuring people inside mass during Sunday prayers, as well as Iraqi Muslims outside, as well. It's been condemned by the authorities on the ground. Rescue workers moved to the areas inside the Iraqi capital where these four churches were targeted in the Baghdad area are trying to clear away the wreckage, get the dead and injured out of there.
The latest casualty figures, that we have countrywide, and that includes an attack against the church in the northern city of Mosul, as well -- the latest casualty figures we have, five dead, 57 injured, and a very bloody day for Iraq's Christians.
WHITFIELD: And Matthew, about 800,000 Iraqi Christians throughout that country. Are the majority there in Baghdad?
CHANCE: Most of those Christians are in Baghdad, yes. There are about less than 800,000 according to the official statistics that we've been looking at. The Christians, as I say, in Iraq, are just a small but significant minority. Many of them own alcohol stores, liquor stands, things like that.
They're seen by other groups, in this country, to be rich, and because of that they've been targeted many times in the past by both Islamic radicals and criminals, so they're used to being -- coming under some kind of an attack. But this is seeming to be some kind of a new tactic, and perhaps to deepen the already deep religious divisions in the country, perhaps to destabilize Iraq further.
WHITFIELD: Is there any psychology as to whether they are being targeted now because they may, in some way, be perceived to be more sympathetic to coalition presence or even the new interim government leadership?
CHANCE: Well, I think there's a sense in which there's a degree of mistrust between Iraq's Muslims, whether they be Shia or Sunni, and the Christian community, as well, because of the reasons I've outline, but also because of the connections many people in the Iraqi Christian community have to the outside world, to Europe and to America.
They often speak English a lot better than the other religious groups here, and therefore, they seem to take on jobs with the interim Iraqi government. Sometimes they act as translators with U.S. forces on the ground, and I think that's led to a certain amount of mistrust that didn't exist before.
Add to that the mistrust that did exist before, and I think that's why these groups, whoever they are, have carried out this attack are perhaps trying to target the Christians, succeeding to do that, today.
WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance, thank you very much from Baghdad.
Well, more than 100 people were killed in a fiery disaster in Paraguay, today. Authorities say at least two explosions and a fire ripped through a supermarket crowded with midday shoppers in Asuncion. The national police chief says emergency crews are still recovering bodies there. The three story building contains a restaurant, parking garage, and offices as well as the store. Firefighters are investigating the cause. The store's owner says it was no accident.
Presidential campaigners are crisscrossing the country and nearly crossed each other at one point on a stretch of interstate 70. Senator John Kerry's 21-state tour made stops in Ohio today, he heads to Michigan tonight. And Kerry attended church in Springville, Ohio, and held an afternoon rally in Bowling Green. He and John Edwards spoke to Wolf Blitzer, in part, about the situation in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would consider it an unsuccessful policy if I hadn't brought significant numbers of troops back within the first term. And I will do that. I'm going to not lay out my whole plan here; I need to be able to negotiate as a president. But I'm confident, through the travels of senate colleagues who have gone abroad, through discussions that John and others have had in NATO and elsewhere, there is a different way to approach this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Bush is back at White House after campaign stops in Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania yesterday. Thousands of supporters welcomed him with flags and banners. It was the president's 19th visit to economically embattled Ohio. He was repeating new campaign catch-phrases like, "We've turned the corner," and once again defending his decision to go into Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After 12 years of defiance, the dictator chose defiance again. He deceived the inspectors, so I had a choice to make, forget the lessons of September the 11th, hope for the best, and trust a madman, or take decisions to defend this country and, given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Bush did not campaign today.
We're continuing to follow the terror alert levels for parts of New York, northern New Jersey, and Washington. Coming up, we'll show you how New York City has been preparing for possible trouble.
And a live look, right now, inside city hall where we are awaiting a news conference to begin any moment now involving New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. We're told that he really is on the way. Just a few steps away, in fact, there he is. Let's listen to the mayor and the police commissioner, right now.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
WHITFIELD: Very specific responses and specifics on plans of counterattacks coming from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly there. This coming after Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge made announcements of heightened security alerts, for the first time used in a very specific, targeted fashion.
Bloomberg saying that there will be even greater security, quote, "at sensitive and symbolic locations in New York," particularly at the two financial institutions that Tom Ridge had mentioned that were targeted in his announcement earlier, CitiGroup Building as well as the New York Stock Exchange. And Bloomberg said that they will be deploying a full array of counter-terrorism resources, sparing no expenses.
Now, the mayor was asked if there was any belief -- if this announcement was in any way politically motivated, and he simple responded, quote, "We would be derelict in our duty if we didn't take this seriously."
Meantime, a response has come from the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry. And he wrote in a written response coming to CNN, "Today's announcement from Secretary Ridge reminds us of the serious, continuing threat we face, and that we are not as safe as we could or should be. This is a very serious development and underscores the need to move aggressively to implement the 9/11 Commission's crucial recommendations."
"Nearly three years after 9/11, the breadth and extent of the Commission's recommendations make clear that there is significantly more that can be done to keep America safe." Now, we've got our correspondents who are keeping a close watch in and around New York as well as Washington on today's developments. Ali Velshi with CNN-FN has been keeping a close watch on this press conference.
And Ali, we heard from the mayor that he's encouraging everyone at these financial institutions that were targeted in this threat by Tom Ridge to continue about their business, to go to work. Prudential put out a statement as well as the World Bank in Washington...
VELSHI: Yeah, they're all saying business as usual.
WHITFIELD: ... that people should go to work as usual.
VELSHI: Yeah, and that's going to be... I think now that we've heard it and all the news has sort of flown out and everybody's getting some time to digest it, I think that's going to be the theme now going into the next few days. And remember that this is a tough road for, certainly, the mayor of New York to walk.
That's a role filled by somebody who usually has a great deal of specifics, and usually, it's the terror threat coming from the federal government, which is a little less specific, and then the mayor tells you exactly what they're going to do. So he had a big challenge to meet, and I think he sort of did it by speaking about some of the things that are actually going to happen on the ground in New York.
One of the things that Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly mentioned that we hadn't heard earlier is the subways around those buildings. Obviously, that's the main way in which people get around Manhattan. They're going to be heavily guarded by these Hercules troops, which you've heard referred to.
The Hercules police are the heavily, heavily guarded special forces stationed primarily outside the New York Stock Exchange, but all throughout the city. You'll see one right now. That's a Hercules officer. They are part of Operation Atlas, which was put into effect last year to counter-terrorism.
Operation Atlas and the Hercules troops have been conducting drills in and around New York, just getting ready, in fact, for the Republican National Convention. Commissioner Kelly actually referred to something called surges, which may not be familiar to people outside New York, and might not even be familiar to some New Yorkers.
But when you see one, you know it's happening. I found myself in the middle of one about a week ago. It's where upward of 75 police officers converge immediately on a given site, usually in cars. So you see these police cars speeding up to a particular point, a bunch of police getting out and sort of coming together.
The idea is that if they need to have a whole lot of police come to one place, they're saying they can do it. As we said, we've got the Republican National Convention starting on August 30th, so they're already on a heightened sense of alert here in New York, and hearing some specifics from Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly.
As you said, Fredricka, New York Stock Exchange, IMF, Prudential, and CitiGroup all having come out now with statements indicating in some ways, and explicit in other ways, about the fact that it's business as usual, come to work tomorrow. And as I said, I think that's going to start being the theme that we start hearing.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ali Velshi in New York, thanks very much. And we'll continue our coverage right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge announces a raised terror threat level for certain financial centers in the U.S. New York, northern New Jersey, and Washington are under "code orange," or high, while the rest of the nation remains at "yellow." Ridge named five specific financial institutions that Al Qaeda would reportedly like to attack. They include the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, Prudential Financial in New Jersey, and the CitiGroup Building, and the New York Stock Exchange in New York.
Now, our Jason Carroll has been outside of city hall at the press conference involving Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the Police Commissioner Ray Kelly took place. And Jason, the message coming from the mayor is, "Go about your business as usual. We're being as vigilant as possible. And people, continue to go to work, particularly at those financial institutions that Tom Ridge mentioned were being targeted." How is that going to happen?
JASON CARROLL, CNN, NEW YORK: Well, first of all, let me address what you talked about. I think, Fredricka, you're right. I think, actually, there were several messages that the mayor and the police commissioner were trying to get across, trying to address people's concerns, telling people, "Go about your business tomorrow, act as if it is any other Monday."
But obviously, it is not just any other Monday. They also did what they could to outline those additional security measures that they're putting into place, Mayor Bloomberg saying that they have ramped up their efforts, given these new threats. He talked about what law enforcement officials in New York have done to reach out to these various corporations, their security departments, to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of doing everything that can be done in terms of security.
Also, he talked about the fact that people who live in the city should expect to run across security measures even if they don't work at the CitiCorp facility, even if they don't work at the New York Stock Exchange. Driving through midtown Manhattan, you should expect to witness various impromptu stops, trucks driving across the Williamsburg Bridge. That's one of the main bridges connecting Manhattan.
That's not going to happen until further notice, because from now on until further notice, all truck traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge will be stopped. Throughout the press conference, both the mayor and the police commissioner trying to make a point of all the specifics that they have put into place. Take a listen.
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 August 1, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICK WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: CNN LIVE SUNDAY is straight ahead, but first a look at what's happening right now. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has raised the threat level to Code Orange or "high" today for financial service sectors in Washington, New York City, and northern New Jersey. We'll have more on this story in a moment.
With new intelligence indicating al-Qaeda is planning to strike special targets including some in New York, the city's mayor is about to hold a news conference at this hour. You're looking at the live picture right there, when they take to the podium there, we'll be taking that live.
Blast across Baghdad, a string of bombings struck churches in the Iraqi capital and the northern city of Mosul today. At least five people are dead and 57 others wounded. Some of the explosions happened as worshipers were gathering for evening services in Christian churches.
New developments in the case of a missing Utah woman, police investigating the disappearance of Lori Hacking are expected to make a statement, soon. We'll have details coming up a little bit later on in the hour.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
We begin with a change in the terror threat level, it's going from yellow to orange, but only in some parts of the country and for the first time in a targeted way. The government today, warned of possible terrorist attacks against these specific financial institution: The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prudential Financial, in Newark, New Jersey and the Citigroup buildings, and the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.
The announcement came from Homeland Security secretary's Tom Ridge, and CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us from Washington with some details.
And Jeanne, Tom Ridge admitted this is sobering news, that comes from very specific sources.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, specific and credible information, that's what it takes to raise the threat level. They say they have it here from multiple sources and multiple locations. Some of this intelligence coming in just the last 24 to 36 hours, intelligence that they are continuing to massage, continuing to pursue. Some officials are saying they do expect there will be additional announcements in the coming hours and days, possibly about some additional sites, which may be at risk.
Now, this is still developing information as I said. It is chilling, one official said, in its scope, in its detail, and in its breadth. Here's a little bit of secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Compared to previous threat reporting, these intelligence reports have provide a level of detail that is very specific. The quality of this intelligence, based on multiple reporting streams in multiple locations, is rarely seen, and it is alarming in both the amount and specificity of the information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Now, we had a briefing, Fredricka, after Secretary Ridge spoke, with some senior intelligence officials, they ticked through some of the specifics that they have found in this intelligence. It talks about guards, what kinds of staffing there is at some of these buildings, whether or not the guards are armed. What types of uniforms they wear. I'm going to read some of my notes; the list is so extensive, here.
It talks about possible escape routes from some of these buildings, differences poins from which reconnaissance can be done. It has information on what's located nearby in terms of religious institutions and schools and library, police and fire facilities. It talks about different ways to gain access. It talks about whether, at the front there is a physical desk or just an intercom system. It talks about surveillance cameras and where they are located, about places where one might meet employees. It talked about traffic patterns near buildings, the types of vehicles that can enter a building. The kinds of materials the buildings are made up, the kinds of devices and materials, explosive materials that might do the maximum damage.
Because of some of that information, including questions about access to parking garages and inclines into parking garages, analysts have deduced that vehicle bombs are probably the likely motive attack that al-Qaeda was thinking of in terms of this attack.
Now, in terms of what's being done, the Department of Homeland Security has been in tight communication with local and state officials, as well as the private sector, that's involved here. They are suggesting there will be a ramping up of security around some of these facilities. It will include things like more checks of I.D.s, more checks of bags, increasing the buffer zone around some of these buildings, perhaps limiting access to some parking facility. As to whether these businesses will be open or not, what employees should do, as they face the work day tomorrow, the Department of Homeland Security is not answering that question, it is leaving it up to the private sector to decide.
Fredricka, back to you. WHITFIELD: All right. Jeanne Meserve in Washington thanks very much. Lots of specifics, but Tom Ridge revealed no specifics when these attacks just might occur.
Well, New York City has been at threat level orange since the 9/11 attacks, and what will this latest threat notice mean? For already heightened security measures in place there. CNN's Ali Velshi joins us now, from New York. And you have to wonder what kind of security measures would be put in place for these specific financial institutions -- Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. That's exactly what we're looking to and in fact, any moment now, Fredricka, we're going to go city hall where Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are going to outline.
You're looking at live pictures of it now. They're going to outline what the plan is going to be to protect some of the places in New York.
Fredricka, these are some of the most heavily protected places in New York to start with. The New York Stock Exchange is barricaded, you can't get anywhere near it. Here, you're looking at pictures of it. If you don't have business at the New York Stock Exchange, you are not getting within 50 or 100 feet of the whole thing.
Here's the thing, this may be three centers on the East coast and threats affect real people and their lives, and there's going to be a question as to how people react tomorrow, whether the thousands -- tens of thousands of people working at these various centers are going feel comfortable and safe going to work and what they'll deal with if they feel that they're unsafe. But here's the other thing, Fredricka.
You're looking at the New York Stock Exchange where every stock or many of the stocks that most Americans hold in their 401(k)s or IRAs are invested. You're dealing with Citibank, one of the biggest banks in the world, and certainly one of the biggest banks for American consumers and mortgage holders and things like that. Prudential, same idea.
So the eyes of the world are really going to be on how New York, once again, has to deal with this threat, and of course, Washington. How these centers of energy deal with these threats and that's what people are going to be turning to these press conferences, like the one we're going to hear in a moment, to hear. They're going to want to hear that the people running these organizations that have been target and the mayor of New York everybody is very certain of themselves, and they know what's going on.
Now, if you see on that map there. The Citigroup building, that's on East 53rd Street. The one on the higher end of the Manhattan map. We're learning now that this building has been under guard -- under serious guard since Friday night when the FBI first alerted New York authorities of the problems that are going on.
These buildings and their security departments have been very clear on the fact there is a threat. And fine line, Fredricka, is determining whether it was wise to tell people about the threat and try and get their solidarity and their vigilance and their awareness to thwart any other potential terrorist attacks, or whether, we will see this tomorrow, whether this has struck fear in the hearts of Americans and New Yorkers. That's what we're going to have to see play out over the next 24 hours or longer -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well Ali, you have to wonder whether beefing up security around these very specific financial institutions makes other financial institution in New York City, New Jersey and, of course, Washington as well, more vulnerable?
VELSHI: Right. And while these are the biggest names, obviously, there are so many big names and names that can have as much impact it, and frankly, doesn't have to be a big name with 100,000 employees. Look at that picture of New York, there are buildings everywhere. And we kept on hearing, over the last several hours, analysts and experts and security analysts talking about soft targets versus hard targets.
If you look at New York Stock Exchange, as you mentioned, you can't get anywhere near it. They've got the Hercules police operatives there. These are heavily armed police officers. You're not getting anywhere near that, I think. But, there are many buildings, you can't put police officers on every building in New York, you can't put barricades outside of every building, and you certainly can't stop the traffic around every building, so this is going to be a big issue for people to face.
WHITFIELD: Ali Velshi in New York. Thanks very much.
This is the first time the color coded warning system has been used in a narrow targeted way. Tom Ridge says the information comes from multiple source. Ridge says while the information is startling it is not stifling. Joining us now to talk about the safety measures is someone who knows a lot about that subject, CNN's Mike Brooks.
Good to see you.
All right, multiple targets. This is signature strategy, isn't it, of al-Qaeda?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, we've seen it in the past, Fredricka, going to -- in fact, coming up August 7th is the anniversary of the bombings of the embassy -- U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Again, a coordinated attack, then. Bombs went off just minutes a part in different countries. We saw also the targeting, we've, obviously, I was one of the first people there to investigate the post blast -- the bombing in Nairobi.
We got there, we talked to some people, we look at videotape. We found that al-Qaeda did, in fact, surveil the embassy. They found out exactly when the guards took breaks, they did this for quite some time, and targeted the specific gate. They went around to the front of the embassy in Nairobi, they were turned away, they went to the back.
They tried to drive through a gate. What they wanted to do was to drive the explosives-laden truck into the basement of the embassy and have the embassy implode on itself. A security guard stopped the truck, one person got out, threw a grenade over the fence, it drew people to the window, then the suicide bomber inside detonated the bomb. That's why there were over 200 people killed in the bombing.
WHITFIELD: And favorite arsenal seem to be trucks, car bombings.
BROOKS: Trucks and cars.
WHITFIELD: We saw that during the first World Trade Center bombing?
BROOKS: Absolutely, back in 1993. You also go all the way back to 1995, the Saudi Arabian National Guard bombing in Riyadh where five Americans were killed, that was also a truck bombing. We go to the Khobar Towers bombing, which they thought initially was running back jihads, now they say, during the 9/11 Commission, that they believe that also al-Qaeda may have been involved in the bombing, too. We saw a truck with over a minimum of 5,000 pounds of C-4 explosive. A very large truck bomb.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, now while Tom Ridge did about multiple targets, he did not say anything about simultaneous multiple targets specifying the particular financial institutions.
BROOKS: Right, he didn't say that. Wolf Blitzer, a little while ago, was talking about, kind of, if you read into it, that seems to be the way al-Qaeda operates. Well-planned, simultaneous hits, coordinated attacks. Would this have been a coordinated attack? We don't know, now.
Hopefully in the upcoming days we will hear more about, specifics about this -- the threat. And I think, again speculation, but you may see that, in fact, they were talking about a coordinated attack.
WHITFIELD: And let's talk about these specific locations that we do know of. IMF, World Bank, we're talking about very significant, huge financial institution -- Citigroup in New York., and of course, the New York Stock Exchange.
BROOKS: Well, you know, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are large icons in the financial world, across the world. And we talk about the employees reporting to work, you know, these are -- this is a very, very diverse group in the IMF and the World Bank, these are not just people that just go to work 9:00 to 5:00 coming from Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs. These are people from all over the world that come there to do their bank...
WHITFIELD: But again, these are also institutions that already have beefed-up security, we heard that from Ali.
BROOKS: Absolutely and, you know, the New York Stock Exchange, you know, you talk about a hard target. That's one of the hardest targets in New York City, as Ali was saying. But, when you look again at -- in Washington, D.C., and New York City, you're got two of the best units that's protecting them.
We talked about the Hercules unit with the Emergency Services Unit with New York City Police Department. In Washington, D.C., we heard that the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, specifically sources tell me, are going to be working with closely with them along with the National Capital Response Squad with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police.
Metropolitan Police have an excellent, also, with the Emergency Response Team, with their Special Operations Division, the well -- you'll probably also see their presence felt and all around the IMF and the World Bank buildings tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: Hard to envision how security can be beefed up even further at those institutions, but obviously, we will be seeing that.
BROOKS: Absolutely. You talk about two cities that are probably prepared more than -- more so than any other city in the country -- Washington, D.C., and New York, and now with the, again, just targeting the financial services sector and that not going to orange all around the city, but just specifically to the city.
But, I think it will have effect tomorrow on traffic, and again, employees are told that the World Bank, they put out the statement, that they are expected to come to work, but they can expect additional screening and make sure you have your badge, because you're not going to get in without any identification. I can guarantee you that.
WHITFIELD: All right, Mike Brooks don't go far, I'm sure we'll be calling upon you again soon. Thanks very much.
BROOKS: Thank you, Fredrick.
WHITFIELD: Well over two house ago we heard from Secretary Tom Ridge, and momentarily, out of New York City, we're expected to hear from Mayor Bloomberg, he's scheduled to hold a news conference at this hour, any moment now. Our Jason Carroll is covering that angle of the story.
And Jason, what's taking place right now? Obviously, a couple of delays?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Few delays, we're still waiting to hear from New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, as well as Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Already you heard from the state governor, George Pataki, he has already put out a statement, basically saying the state and the city is doing everything possible to try to avoid another terrorist attack. He sort of outlined some of the things that the state and the city has been doing.
For one, he says that the state office of Homeland Security has already been in touch with the federal agencies. In addition to that, he points, out which many of you know, that New York City has already been operating at a heightened level of alert, orange, ever since 9/11.
Even so, given these new threats there will be additional measures that will be put in place. We do know that the head of the FBI in New York has been in touch with FBI officials in Washington, D.C. The National Guard will continue to patrol sensitive areas in the city.
In addition to that, the NYPD has already advised some private sector companies what to do to update their security measures, whether it be make extra checks of people coming and going from particular buildings; checking on maintenance workers to see if they have the proper paperwork to be in the area; even down to people who may be coming up and asking for directions to sensitive sites, double checking with those people if they're asking is really what they truly seek.
Again, we are waiting to hear from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Hopefully at that point, they'll be able to give us some more details about the additional security measures that will be put into place -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jason Carroll in New York thanks very much.
And when that press conference takes place involving Mayor Bloomberg we'll be bringing that to you live.
Well, before Tom Ridge spoke publicly today, he talked it over with President Bush, who then signed off on the announcement. Let's get that detail on that discussion from our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, for those who don't know Washington, D.C., the IMF and the World Bank buildings are just a couple blocks away from the White House, and President Bush, this morning, met with his secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, and the Homeland Security team.
He was advised that they should raise the terrorist alert level and which the president signed off on, but this is something that he has been aware of, been briefed the last 72 hours that he was first told about this possibility of these terrorist attacks that were building, that this was very new information that was coming in over the last 72 hours.
He was alerted while he was on the campaign trail, that he was having those briefings with his Homeland Security team. It did not take long, Fred, before this alert level before public, before Tom Ridge made that announcement that this became a very political issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush he plays this trump card, which is terrorism, his whole campaign is based on the notion that "I can keep you safe, therefore in times of difficult -- difficulty for America, stick with me," and then out comes Tom Ridge. It's just impossible to know how much of this is a real, and how much of this is politics, and I suspect there's some of both in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So Fred, that is the sentiment of some people who are very skeptical of this announcement. The timing of this announcement, they believe, that perhaps it was trying to limit the bounce from the democrat's convention, but again a lot of other people coming out saying that is absolutely ridiculous.
We heard from the Republican -- the chair of the Republican National Committee, Marc Racicot, who says that these kind of comments are simply corrosive. Also from Democrat, Joe Lieberman, saying it is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that using this kind of threat would be used for political reasons.
Having said that, Fred, the Bush administration very much aware that this is a political risk when they go ahead and issue these kind of terrorist alerts. They realize they're going to get a political backlash. They also realize it's going to cost serious money to do this, but they believe it is well worth it -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux from Washington's, thank you very much.
And, momentarily, as we promised, we're hoping to see Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City as well as the police commissioner, Ray Kelly, taking to the podium there for a live news conference following the announcement from Tom Ridge on the advisory in a targeted way now being raised, as well as, in about 45 minutes, we'll be taking to you Washington, D.C. where Mayor Anthony Williams will also have a press conference in response to that advisory. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're still waiting for a press conference out of New York City to begin involving Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the police commissioner, Ray Kelly, and when that does takes place, we'll be bringing that to you live. It's to happen any moment now.
Meantime, another big story we've been following for you all day. In Iraq, more deadly violence, a string of bombings today, targeted churches in Baghdad and Mosul, these are the first attacks against Iraq's Christian minority since the insurgency began 15 months ago. CNN's Matthew Chance joins us from Baghdad with the very latest -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, thank you. The Christian community in this country which is small, less than a million people, has long complained of persecution, but nothing like this. A string of deadly explosions across the country aimed against churches, up and down Iraq.
Four churches in Baghdad, coming under attack from car bombs driven into the area being detonated, killing and injuring people inside mass during Sunday prayers, as well as Iraqi Muslims outside, as well. It's been condemned by the authorities on the ground. Rescue workers moved to the areas inside the Iraqi capital where these four churches were targeted in the Baghdad area are trying to clear away the wreckage, get the dead and injured out of there.
The latest casualty figures, that we have countrywide, and that includes an attack against the church in the northern city of Mosul, as well -- the latest casualty figures we have, five dead, 57 injured, and a very bloody day for Iraq's Christians.
WHITFIELD: And Matthew, about 800,000 Iraqi Christians throughout that country. Are the majority there in Baghdad?
CHANCE: Most of those Christians are in Baghdad, yes. There are about less than 800,000 according to the official statistics that we've been looking at. The Christians, as I say, in Iraq, are just a small but significant minority. Many of them own alcohol stores, liquor stands, things like that.
They're seen by other groups, in this country, to be rich, and because of that they've been targeted many times in the past by both Islamic radicals and criminals, so they're used to being -- coming under some kind of an attack. But this is seeming to be some kind of a new tactic, and perhaps to deepen the already deep religious divisions in the country, perhaps to destabilize Iraq further.
WHITFIELD: Is there any psychology as to whether they are being targeted now because they may, in some way, be perceived to be more sympathetic to coalition presence or even the new interim government leadership?
CHANCE: Well, I think there's a sense in which there's a degree of mistrust between Iraq's Muslims, whether they be Shia or Sunni, and the Christian community, as well, because of the reasons I've outline, but also because of the connections many people in the Iraqi Christian community have to the outside world, to Europe and to America.
They often speak English a lot better than the other religious groups here, and therefore, they seem to take on jobs with the interim Iraqi government. Sometimes they act as translators with U.S. forces on the ground, and I think that's led to a certain amount of mistrust that didn't exist before.
Add to that the mistrust that did exist before, and I think that's why these groups, whoever they are, have carried out this attack are perhaps trying to target the Christians, succeeding to do that, today.
WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance, thank you very much from Baghdad.
Well, more than 100 people were killed in a fiery disaster in Paraguay, today. Authorities say at least two explosions and a fire ripped through a supermarket crowded with midday shoppers in Asuncion. The national police chief says emergency crews are still recovering bodies there. The three story building contains a restaurant, parking garage, and offices as well as the store. Firefighters are investigating the cause. The store's owner says it was no accident.
Presidential campaigners are crisscrossing the country and nearly crossed each other at one point on a stretch of interstate 70. Senator John Kerry's 21-state tour made stops in Ohio today, he heads to Michigan tonight. And Kerry attended church in Springville, Ohio, and held an afternoon rally in Bowling Green. He and John Edwards spoke to Wolf Blitzer, in part, about the situation in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would consider it an unsuccessful policy if I hadn't brought significant numbers of troops back within the first term. And I will do that. I'm going to not lay out my whole plan here; I need to be able to negotiate as a president. But I'm confident, through the travels of senate colleagues who have gone abroad, through discussions that John and others have had in NATO and elsewhere, there is a different way to approach this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Bush is back at White House after campaign stops in Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania yesterday. Thousands of supporters welcomed him with flags and banners. It was the president's 19th visit to economically embattled Ohio. He was repeating new campaign catch-phrases like, "We've turned the corner," and once again defending his decision to go into Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After 12 years of defiance, the dictator chose defiance again. He deceived the inspectors, so I had a choice to make, forget the lessons of September the 11th, hope for the best, and trust a madman, or take decisions to defend this country and, given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Bush did not campaign today.
We're continuing to follow the terror alert levels for parts of New York, northern New Jersey, and Washington. Coming up, we'll show you how New York City has been preparing for possible trouble.
And a live look, right now, inside city hall where we are awaiting a news conference to begin any moment now involving New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. We're told that he really is on the way. Just a few steps away, in fact, there he is. Let's listen to the mayor and the police commissioner, right now.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
WHITFIELD: Very specific responses and specifics on plans of counterattacks coming from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly there. This coming after Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge made announcements of heightened security alerts, for the first time used in a very specific, targeted fashion.
Bloomberg saying that there will be even greater security, quote, "at sensitive and symbolic locations in New York," particularly at the two financial institutions that Tom Ridge had mentioned that were targeted in his announcement earlier, CitiGroup Building as well as the New York Stock Exchange. And Bloomberg said that they will be deploying a full array of counter-terrorism resources, sparing no expenses.
Now, the mayor was asked if there was any belief -- if this announcement was in any way politically motivated, and he simple responded, quote, "We would be derelict in our duty if we didn't take this seriously."
Meantime, a response has come from the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry. And he wrote in a written response coming to CNN, "Today's announcement from Secretary Ridge reminds us of the serious, continuing threat we face, and that we are not as safe as we could or should be. This is a very serious development and underscores the need to move aggressively to implement the 9/11 Commission's crucial recommendations."
"Nearly three years after 9/11, the breadth and extent of the Commission's recommendations make clear that there is significantly more that can be done to keep America safe." Now, we've got our correspondents who are keeping a close watch in and around New York as well as Washington on today's developments. Ali Velshi with CNN-FN has been keeping a close watch on this press conference.
And Ali, we heard from the mayor that he's encouraging everyone at these financial institutions that were targeted in this threat by Tom Ridge to continue about their business, to go to work. Prudential put out a statement as well as the World Bank in Washington...
VELSHI: Yeah, they're all saying business as usual.
WHITFIELD: ... that people should go to work as usual.
VELSHI: Yeah, and that's going to be... I think now that we've heard it and all the news has sort of flown out and everybody's getting some time to digest it, I think that's going to be the theme now going into the next few days. And remember that this is a tough road for, certainly, the mayor of New York to walk.
That's a role filled by somebody who usually has a great deal of specifics, and usually, it's the terror threat coming from the federal government, which is a little less specific, and then the mayor tells you exactly what they're going to do. So he had a big challenge to meet, and I think he sort of did it by speaking about some of the things that are actually going to happen on the ground in New York.
One of the things that Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly mentioned that we hadn't heard earlier is the subways around those buildings. Obviously, that's the main way in which people get around Manhattan. They're going to be heavily guarded by these Hercules troops, which you've heard referred to.
The Hercules police are the heavily, heavily guarded special forces stationed primarily outside the New York Stock Exchange, but all throughout the city. You'll see one right now. That's a Hercules officer. They are part of Operation Atlas, which was put into effect last year to counter-terrorism.
Operation Atlas and the Hercules troops have been conducting drills in and around New York, just getting ready, in fact, for the Republican National Convention. Commissioner Kelly actually referred to something called surges, which may not be familiar to people outside New York, and might not even be familiar to some New Yorkers.
But when you see one, you know it's happening. I found myself in the middle of one about a week ago. It's where upward of 75 police officers converge immediately on a given site, usually in cars. So you see these police cars speeding up to a particular point, a bunch of police getting out and sort of coming together.
The idea is that if they need to have a whole lot of police come to one place, they're saying they can do it. As we said, we've got the Republican National Convention starting on August 30th, so they're already on a heightened sense of alert here in New York, and hearing some specifics from Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly.
As you said, Fredricka, New York Stock Exchange, IMF, Prudential, and CitiGroup all having come out now with statements indicating in some ways, and explicit in other ways, about the fact that it's business as usual, come to work tomorrow. And as I said, I think that's going to start being the theme that we start hearing.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ali Velshi in New York, thanks very much. And we'll continue our coverage right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge announces a raised terror threat level for certain financial centers in the U.S. New York, northern New Jersey, and Washington are under "code orange," or high, while the rest of the nation remains at "yellow." Ridge named five specific financial institutions that Al Qaeda would reportedly like to attack. They include the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, Prudential Financial in New Jersey, and the CitiGroup Building, and the New York Stock Exchange in New York.
Now, our Jason Carroll has been outside of city hall at the press conference involving Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the Police Commissioner Ray Kelly took place. And Jason, the message coming from the mayor is, "Go about your business as usual. We're being as vigilant as possible. And people, continue to go to work, particularly at those financial institutions that Tom Ridge mentioned were being targeted." How is that going to happen?
JASON CARROLL, CNN, NEW YORK: Well, first of all, let me address what you talked about. I think, Fredricka, you're right. I think, actually, there were several messages that the mayor and the police commissioner were trying to get across, trying to address people's concerns, telling people, "Go about your business tomorrow, act as if it is any other Monday."
But obviously, it is not just any other Monday. They also did what they could to outline those additional security measures that they're putting into place, Mayor Bloomberg saying that they have ramped up their efforts, given these new threats. He talked about what law enforcement officials in New York have done to reach out to these various corporations, their security departments, to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of doing everything that can be done in terms of security.
Also, he talked about the fact that people who live in the city should expect to run across security measures even if they don't work at the CitiCorp facility, even if they don't work at the New York Stock Exchange. Driving through midtown Manhattan, you should expect to witness various impromptu stops, trucks driving across the Williamsburg Bridge. That's one of the main bridges connecting Manhattan.
That's not going to happen until further notice, because from now on until further notice, all truck traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge will be stopped. Throughout the press conference, both the mayor and the police commissioner trying to make a point of all the specifics that they have put into place. Take a listen.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
