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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown

President Bush Addresses the Nation in His First Prime-Time News Conference

Aired October 11, 2001 - 22:00   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.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening again, everyone. Mayor Giuliani said it, I wrote it about 20 minutes ago. It has been a month, which feels like years. And other times to us it feels like just one long, awful day.

But it's been a month since this horror began, and even the president acknowledged tonight it may be years before it really goes away. The commander in chief held his first prime-time news conference to tell the country, in practiced words, where the war effort is and where it is headed. The end of an extremely emotional day for the president -- earlier he honored the 185 people killed a month ago at the Pentagon, the victims of the four hijackers who died as well.

And at exactly 8:48 this morning, lower Manhattan remembered the horror under another cloudless sky. Thousands still buried in the millions of tons of destruction that was the World Trade Center. As we've come to do in these evenings together, we begin by quickly checking with our reporters around the world.

Tonight we begin in Washington at the White House where the president's news conference ended just a bit more than an hour ago. Senior White House correspondent, John King. John, the headlines.

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: An intriguing prime- time press conference it was there, and the president saying the phase one of the war in Afghanistan could take a year or two, although he said the Taliban could end it tomorrow. "Cough him up," the president said, meaning Osama bin Laden.

Also, some other intriguing nuggets from the president: If the Taliban falls, the president for the first time said the United Nations should have a role in building a new government in Afghanistan. And one more intriguing nugget: He also said the Syrian government has promised to cooperate in the war on terrorism, and he would test that promise in the weeks and months ahead.

BROWN: John, we'll be back with you in about 90 seconds.

We've been hearing warnings since September 11 that the threat of new attacks is out there. Today the FBI issued an unusual warning to the public. That means CNN's Eileen O'Connor, part of an investigative team, has been working hard tonight -- Eileen. EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, unusual indeed. And in fact, sources say that the FBI weighed whether or not to go public with this warning. The president, though, said that he saw the intelligence on it. He said he thought it was prudent to go forward with the warning to warn the public, to put them on the alert, to increase their vigilance and, he said, to let them know that the government itself is on the alert.

BROWN: We'll get details from you coming up, or at least as much detail as is out there.

As we mentioned, the Pentagon today stopped to mourn its dead on the parade field. Inside the Pentagon, the war planning went on. Our military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, with us tonight. Jamie, the headlines.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the United States continues to pound targets in Afghanistan, concentrating on leadership targets and troop concentrations as the U.S. is trying to demoralize and defang the Taliban. Also, the Defense Department confirming that they've used some bunker-busting bombs at underground targets. And the Pentagon saying that while it regrets the loss of civilian life, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said the U.S. does not target civilians the way terrorists do -- Aaron.

BROWN: And we'll end this whip around the world in Afghanistan, where the war rages on. In the northern part of the country, CNN's Chris Burns -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, those bombardments hit in and around Jalalabad, Kandahar, Kabul -- especially around Kabul. Overnight we saw an incredible, searing bombardment of just continuous flashes for hours and hours. It was extremely intense. The Northern Alliance sources saying that some of those blasts were aimed at Taliban troop concentrations north of the capital. We'll have to see the results later today.

BROWN: Chris, thanks. We'll be checking back with all of you in a moment or so. We want to start though at the White House tonight. The country saw a president -- to use a phrase from a political consultants, who was "on message." Although many questions were asked, 15 or so, the president used each to say exactly what he wanted in language that ranged from earthy Texan to quiet preacher.

Again, our senior White House correspondent John King -- John.

KING: Well, Aaron, you're right. The president covered a lot of ground. He said for one thing that the nation had lost a piece of its soul. He also said he did not know whether Osama bin Laden was dead or alive. We are one month from the attacks of September 11th, five days into the military strikes. One question the president knew he was going to get, just how long will this war last? He said, though, he could not give a hard answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People often ask me, "how long will this last?" This particular battle front will last as long as it takes to bring Al Qaeda to justice. It may happen tomorrow. It may happen a month from now. It may take a year or two. But what we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: This, though, was just one of the intriguing nuggets the president had. On the one breath said the Taliban had had its chance, that he launched military strikes after the Taliban refused to accept his ultimatum to turn over Osama bin Laden. But then the president said, "Maybe there's one more chance."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Actually, I will say it again. If you cough him up and his people today, that we'll reconsider what we're doing to your country. You still have a second chance. So bring him in. And bring his leaders and lieutenants and other thugs and criminals with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now the president saying, though, he did not expect that to happen. For the first time, he talked about a change of regimes in detail in Afghanistan, and for the very first time said he believed the United Nations, if that came about, should play a key role in rebuilding the government. He called Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, "evil," and put Saddam Hussein on notice not to do anything at this moment. He promised the United States was watching.

Another intriguing nugget: we know the president has sent blunt diplomatic messages to other countries blamed in the past for sponsoring terrorism. He held out hope of future cooperation with one. The government of Syria, he said, has told the United States it wants to help in the fight against terrorism. The president said he would test that pledge in the days and weeks ahead.

And of course, just hours before the president came into the East Room, the FBI issued a chilling warning, saying that it had general information -- no specific threat -- but general information that the United States or United States interests around the world could come under more terrorist attacks over the next several days.

It is a very difficult decision, the president said, for the government to decide when to withhold such information when it's not a specific threat, when to share it with the American people. The president said he had decided tonight the administration needed to put the country on alert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I think it is important for the American people to know their government is on full alert. And that's what that warning showed. We take every threat seriously, and the American people shouldn't be surprised that we are issuing alerts. After all, on our TV screens the other day we saw the evil one threatening, calling for more destruction and death in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: He called again for patience. He promised to work with the Congress not only on the military campaign, but to try to revive the U.S. economy, calling for quick action on a stimulus plan. The president also stressed that he was very satisfied so far with the strength of the international coalition, but also served notice he was prepared if necessary to antagonize the Russians by going ahead with his plans for missile defense.

And he closed by focusing on the humanitarian campaign, saying that in addition to all the government money, $320 million from the United States government alone going into the effort to feed the Afghan people. The president wanted children all around the United States to donate one dollar to an effort, he said, to feed the Afghan children. That, he said, would be a reflection of this country's character, even as it wages war against Afghanistan -- Aaron.

BROWN: John, thanks. Senior White House correspondent John King tonight.

Revisiting this question of homeland security, perhaps no question was more difficult for the president than that one. The president, of course, tried to reassure the country. That's part of the job. But it's a tough thing to do when the vice president is kept from the White House for security reasons for most of this week. And then the FBI, late today issues this warning that more attacks may be coming.

Again, Eileen O'Connor, who has been working the story. Eileen, good evening.

O'CONNOR: Good evening, Aaron.

Well, a very difficult decision to make. Sources say that officials weighed it very carefully, whether to go public or not with this warning, trying to decide between panic, causing panic, or also allowing for some preventative steps to be taken. In the end, they decided to err on the side of caution.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The FBI decided to put the warning on its Web site, saying: "Certain information, while not specific as to target, gives the government reason to believe that there may be additional terrorist attacks within the United States and against U.S. interests overseas over the next several days."

Justice Department officials say the information came in from a variety of sources since Monday. Investigate sources say there was a debate in federal law enforcement over whether to issue such a statement. Some arguing the panic it could cause would out weigh the benefits of any measures people could take to avoid attacks like those of September 11th, especially since officials admit the information does not specify time, place, or target. BEN VENZKE, TERRORISM EXPERT: We have to keep in mind that every single day, numerous threats are being received, both against targets here in the United States and in our facilities abroad. The question is: Will raising the awareness make a difference?

O'CONNOR: The FBI is clearly hoping so, the statement calling on people to immediately notify the FBI and local law enforcement of any unusual or suspicious activity. This, increased rewards for information and most wanted lists, all key to prevention.

In addition, the attorney general on Wednesday warned more security is needed at water treatment centers and nuclear power plants.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'CONNOR: Officials admit after the shocking attacks of September 11th, all information is being viewed in a much different light, including some information that we received tonight, that a large amount of explosives were stolen from an oil and gas exploration company in Houston. But federal officials are saying that they do not believe that that was linked to terrorism.

But again, all information coming in, being reevaluated, looked at in a totally new light, basically because of those attacks on September 11th, attacks that before then would have seemed impossible or improbable. Now that new intelligence, any kind of warning is not seen as improbable now -- Aaron.

BROWN: Thank you very much. Eileen O'Connor in Washington, working the investigative side of the story. We have much more coming up tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Day five of the air war was like day four, only more so. In both day and night, the airstrikes continued. But the Pentagon concedes the Taliban still has an air defense system in place, even after days of relentless attacks.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre joins us now from the Pentagon with more on how the war unfolds -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they do have air defenses, but not any defenses that can touch the U.S. planes when they're flying at the altitudes they're flying at now. So the U.S. is, at this point, bombing Afghanistan pretty with impunity. And the targets are turning away from those air defense sites to more personal targets, things that would target people. And the U.S. today, the Pentagon produced more evidence saying that their high tech weapons were hitting their targets with deadly accuracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): On day five, the Pentagon released video of strikes several days ago when U.S. warplanes were still mopping up Taliban air defenses, such as these surface-to-air missiles near Kandahar, which were not hit the first night.

Pentagon sources say the latest U.S. bombing is concentrating on Taliban forces and their leaders. For example, this headquarters barracks in Mazar-e-Sharif.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: To the extent we have good information, we have been attempting to deal with concentrations of military capabilities. And to the extent they happen to be done in a way that advantages the opposition forces on the ground, all to the better.

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld said some of that good information is coming from various people on the ground in Afghanistan, but he would not be more specific.

RUMSFELD: We're getting information from the ground. And to the extent it's actionable, that information, we then are using it for targeting.

MCINTYRE: The bombing may seem more intense in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon says the level of effort has been fairly consistent over the first five days. Rumsfeld confirmed the U.S. is dropping what he called "big ones," bunker-busting bombs against buried targets, and getting some results.

RUMSFELD: I have seen several examples where there were enormous secondary explosions, in some cases that went on for several hours after targeting underground facilities.

MCINTYRE: So far, the bombing is designed to deny the Taliban as much of their aircraft and weaponry as possible. Sources say a big transport plane at the Herat Airport was apparently loaded with ammunition, based on the secondary explosions that destroyed it after the airfield was struck with cluster bombs.

As for reports of civilian deaths, the Pentagon says it regrets the loss of life, but is offering no apology, noting it doesn't target civilians like terrorists do.

RUMSFELD: It comes with ill grace for the Taliban to be suggesting that we are doing what they have made a practice and a livelihood out of.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The United States now has special operations troops in two countries that border Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Pentagon officials say they're primarily there to help rescue any downed pilots, but the two bases in Pakistan are available for refueling if the United States launches helicopter commando raids, from ships in the Indian Ocean or Arabian Sea -- Aaron.

BROWN: Jamie, quickly. Is there a feeling there that this next phase is about to begin, or is there more -- excuse the expression -- softening up to do? MCINTYRE: I think that the feeling here is that there's going to be a great deal of patience exercised. The U.S. is going to be able to fly over Afghanistan, as I said, pretty much as it cares to. And it can continue to harass the Taliban and the Al Qaeda network from the air, while watching on the ground to see what the opposition groups do, and particularly the Northern Alliance.

There's not a big rush to put boots on the ground, as they call it here at the Pentagon, but the U.S. is moving those special operations forces in place, in case it has had a target of opportunity. But this could go on, this aerial bombardment and spotting targets and keeping the Taliban on the run, could go on for weeks, even months, perhaps.

BROWN: Jamie, thanks. Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon tonight on the subject of the Northern Alliance. That's where CNN's Chris Burns is, in the northern part of the country that the Northern Alliance controls. He joins us now with a view from Afghanistan -- Chris.

BURNS: Well, Aaron, some of the most intense bombardments we've seen in the last few days over the skies of Kabul, in that direction, in any case. What we saw with our night vision equipment was an incredible series of flashes that just went on without end, flashes in various parts of the horizon along where Kabul is. Now the question is exactly what were they striking?

Now, our Northern Alliance people tell us that they believe that some of those bombardments were hitting Taliban troop positions north of the capital, in an area called Kapisa province, the Taga Valley (ph). They say they pounded away in that area.

Also, reports that the strikes over Kabul struck an Al Qaeda training base -- it was an empty base, but it did manage to destroy the base. Also in Kandahar, a munitions depot was hit in Jalalabad. Suspected bin Laden training camp also there was hit outside of town.

So, incredible, intense air strikes overnight, that the Northern Alliance hopes is going soften that Taliban military force so they can start thinking about moving on. At this point, however, very quiet this morning. Very quiet along the front between here and Kabul. However, the Northern Alliance has reported in the last 24 hours that there has been intense fighting in at least three provinces north of here. One, in which they say they have seized the province, province of Gur, where they say they are advancing. In Badghis province, and where they have repelled and attacked by the Taliban in Samangan province -- Aaron.

BROWN: That's one of the problems, I think -- I'm sure you're feeling, I know we are here -- is that this is a difficult war to report now. No one has terrific access. The Taliban controls access, dramatically. So it's hard to verify virtually any of these claims, except for the overflights that you can see.

BURNS: Well, that's absolutely true. It's really by what we can surmise from our night vision equipment, and also, of course, what the Northern Alliance tells us on this side. We can't confirm anything that they tell us, because it's very difficult for us to get out to where it is.

Now, where the bombardments were happening overnight is a mountain, a very large mountain, that is up to 3,000 meters, 10,000 feet high. And that is where the Taliban are dug in. That's the main obstacle to the Northern Alliance and trying to advance toward the capital -- also, the main obstacle to us to try to get to.

Also, in the mountains up in the north, extremely rugged terrain. Some of the that is the western edge of the Himalayas, so you can imagine access to try to get to some of these provinces where the fighting is going on is very difficult. Also, I might add, on the aid to the refugee side of it, there are hundreds of thousands of people, the U.N. says, are going to be running out of food in the coming days. It could get extremely serious up there -- Aaron.

BROWN: And getting cold. Chris, thanks. Chris Burns in northern Afghanistan tonight.

We have much more ahead. A third person exposed to anthrax has come forward, as investigators struggle to figure out the source of it all.

And George W. Bush, forced into history: his handling of the greatest trauma the nation has seen.

BROWN: For a little while today the fear of anthrax got the better of reality in Hartford, Connecticut. Eight-hundred people at a state office building were evacuated when a threatening note was found along with a pile of white powder. It was not anthrax.

Officials also found white powder at the American Embassy in the Netherlands. That turned out to be cocaine. The U.N. is on heightened alert for a biological or chemical threat as well. And in Florida, the only hard reality is the third person to be exposed to anthrax did come forward today. Stephanie Dailey said she's doing OK, all things considered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE DAILEY, THIRD PERSON EXPOSED TO ANTHRAX: I just want to say I'm fine. I'm not in the hospital, obviously, and I went to work today. And I'm taking the medication like everybody else, and I'm doing good.

QUESTION: What was your reaction? How did you find out the test results?

DAILEY: I was called aside and was told the information.

QUESTION: What did you think when they told you that?

DAILEY: I was shocked at first, but you know, it's like, let's move on and see what I have to do to get better.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: Stephanie Dailey's part of the story is reassuring. The rest of the story is chilling. It's hard not to worry about this, even for the experts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL POWERS, CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL ARMS CONTROL INSTITUTE: It scares me. I mean, especially working on these issues for the past several years, trying to prepare the country for this eventuality, you tend to think about it in somewhat abstract terms. And to actually see this, albeit in a limited fashion, actually (UNINTELLIGIBLE) does send some chills up my spine.

BROWN (voice-over): Michael is one of those Washington insiders you never would have heard from, were it not for this.

QUESTION: We can tell you now the FBI has wrapped up its work. Law enforcement and health officials trying to determine how a killer strain of anthrax got into this building.

BROWN: Mike Powers, it happens, knows a great deal about anthrax.

POWERS: Could a person who has died from anthrax, as well as the two additional people who have been exposed to the anthrax bacteria, been exposed by a natural means? From my perspective, I think the answer to that is clearly, no.

BROWN: Powers is on the staff of a tiny Washington think tank called the Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute. He is one of those people who has been writing about and speaking about bioterrorism for years. Nearly always in a vacuum, because a real bioterror attack was considered, well, unlikely.

POWERS: We had haven't seen a case like this in more than 25 years. And in fact there's only been 18 cases in the United States in the last hundred years.

BROWN: But in southern Florida of course, things are quite real. And Mike Powers believes some group, not a single individual, was responsible.

POWERS: The key question is whether or not that group is able to produce this type of anthrax on their own, or if indeed they had some form of state support, either a direct state support or the leaders of that state, directed sanctions, providing this group with the anthrax virus, and the technology it needed to produce the virus.

BROWN: If the anthrax was in a dry form, say, in a letter delivered to the office building, Powers believes that could tell authorities a great deal.

POWERS: If it was in a dried powder form, highly virulent, it indicates that this particular group has achieved a fairly high level of biological technical sophistication. What that process involves is taking the anthrax -- removing that liquid, the remaining liquid, from the growth media using a freeze drying process to dry the liquid out, taking the resulting organisms in a dried powder form and milling them down to an appropriate particle size. And then disseminating it that way.

BROWN: And it all points, he says, in one direction.

POWERS: Clearly, if it wasn't a dry powder form, which again, is a matter of speculation, it's uncertain at this point in time, it does tend to indicate some type of state sponsorship or some connection back to a state biological weapons program.

BROWN: Powers' organization does have a track record in predicting this sort of thing. It issued an early warning before the nerve gas attack in 1995 in a Tokyo subway station.

POWERS: The Aum Shinrikyo group were thinking about using both chemical and biological weapons for some grandiose geopolitical objectives that they had. They undertook a couple of trial and error attacks, one of which occurred in Matsumoto about six months before the attack in '95 in the Tokyo subway.

BROWN: Mike Powers is in the business of assessing threats. Bioterror, he believes, is a major concern, but not at the catastrophic levels of the attacks of September 11th.

POWERS: It would be difficult for them to grow that much agent to maintain its viability and to disseminate it as efficiently as would be necessary to achieve that level of casualties. What's far more likely is that a fairly limited, fairly small attack, using chemical or biological weapons, producing maybe a few hundred casualties at best.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Cold comfort, to be sure. Certainly nothing the president could have expected when he took the job back in January. We'll look at the rough education of a president when this special report continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: A year ago tonight, George W. Bush was a candidate engaged in the second presidential debate. Real or not, he seems like a very different man 12 months later. But then, we're a very different country. History changes all of us. It changes countries. It changes the people who run them.

CNN's Garrick Utley now on the president and his moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARRICK UTLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There he was, the president, the commander-in-chief, the leader the nation looks to for strength and reassurance. BUSH: ... as this time of testing has revealed the true character of the American people. We are angry at the evil that was done to us, yet patient and just in our response.

UTLEY: If Americans judge their presidents by their ability handle world crises, an earlier George W. Bush did not get off to a promising start.

Remember the primaries, when candidate Bush was asked to name some world leaders? He didn't know the name of the new leader of Pakistan, but knew there was one.

BUSH: ... the new Pakistani general; he's just been elected, he's -- not elected, he's the guy that took over office.

UTLEY: Today, President Bush knows a lot about General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and why his country is critically important to the United States.

If the world can change so suddenly, can a person, a president, change too?

(on camera): It's called rising to the challenge, or facing a test of character. For most of us, when that moment comes we face it alone or with the support of families and friends. But when a president faces that challenge, that test, the whole world watches.

How's he doing?

(voice-over): When Bush won his party's nomination, there were questions about his experience and his interest in the world beyond America's borders. And there were questions about how he would face crisis.

BUSH: You know, as governor, one of the things you have to deal with is catastrophe. I can remember the fires that swept Parker County, Texas, I remember the floods that swept our state. I remember going down Del Rio, Texas.

UTLEY: But then when George Bush took office, there was no sign of catastrophe or threats to American peace and prosperity, and, some would say, complacency. After all who was Osama bin Laden other and than a vague name and a distant menace?

And so on that morning of September 11th, as the president and commander-in-chief flew his round about path to back to Washington, he knew, as we knew, that the moment of challenge and testing had arrived.

The president was searching for words, a language to match the moment. There was this...

BUSH: We will smoke them out of their holes.

UTLEY: And this...

BUSH: There's and old poster out West, as I recall, that said "Wanted, Dead or Alive."

UTLEY: Those first quotes were from the gut, but a president must also lead from the head.

By the time he entered Congress with a big speech, aides and acquaintances said he was a changed man. The 54-year-old man who would often seem content to glide through life suddenly had a focus and a purpose. He also had a great scripted speech.

BUSH: Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.

UTLEY (on camera): It's been said that some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Wars and crises tend to do that. Will George Bush be a great president? We can't tell yet.

(voice-over): Can't tell because greatness in history usually goes to the victors, and in this young, new war, it's not clear yet what victory is.

BUSH: We have entered a struggle of uncertain duration. We have the patience to fight, and win on many front.

UTLEY: Americans are merely at the beginning of this challenge, this test of patience. And so is their president.

Garrick Utley, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Next, more on the president with senior analyst Jeff Greenfield in New York, and his friend Douglas Brinkley. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Think about this: the last time a president gave a prime- time news conference it was April 1995. Then president Bill Clinton was trying to grab the agenda back from Congressional Republicans, declaring "the president is relevant." Just one major broadcast network carried it. No question about the president's relevance tonight.

We'll talk a bit about the news conference and the president himself with CNN's senior analyst Jeff Greenfield in New York; and in New Orleans, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.

Good evening to both of you again.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good evening.

BROWN: Jeff, at the risk of sounding like a heretic here, do you think it's the president whose changed, or that we, all of us in the country, simply see him different because the circumstances have changed so much? Or maybe a little of both?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: I'll cop out and say a little of both. I mean, I think we particularly saw that in his speech to the joint session of Congress. It was a terrific speech and it was delivered with perfect pitch, but it also had the benefit that just about everybody in the United States wanted him to succeed, which is almost unheard of modern times, for people to bring that kind of good will to a president.

But I also think, I've used the line before, I know, that it's a little bit like, you know, Prince Hal becoming Henry V. Suddenly, this young fellow who didn't take life much seriously until he turned 40 not only gets to be president, but instead of a president during peace and prosperity, finds himself facing the single greatest crisis probably any president has faced. How could that not change you?

BROWN: Jeff, I love when you draw Shakespearian analogies. That really makes it easy for me. Thank you.

Doug, do you think the president has changed? Is this, is this sort of like Harry Truman? I mean, we didn't expected much of Vice President Truman, but it looked differences when he got there.

BRINKLEY: It's exactly like Harry Truman. That's what jumps to mind. You know, they used to say to err is Truman, when he became president. He was known as the haberdasher from Missouri who didn't know anything about world affairs. FDR isolated him from the Manhattan Project on the atomic bomb.

But suddenly, by 1947, Harry Truman had to lead the campaign against international Communism. In that year of 1947, Truman created the national security state to protect us against international Communism. He created the CIA, the joint chiefs of staff, the Pentagon, the secretary of defenseship, the National Security Council, the Air Force. And, at that point, it was a war against Communism. They pushed through NSC-68 in 1950, which put America on a permanent wartime footing.

George W. Bush is doing that with international communism now. It's a lot like in the Cold War. He's going to ask the American people to pay these $300 million, like you heard tonight, to Afghanistan people, to pay these bills for tighter security. We are going to be footing the bill, and he has to be kind of a cheerleader, a morale booster, and commander-in-chief all wrapped up into one, against the new menace, international terrorism, just like Truman had to lead us through international Communism. And it won't be Bush's war; each administration after Bush is going to have to deal with the menace.

BROWN: Doug, do you think it's much too soon to write, not the substance of the history, but the lead to George Bush's presidency? Is it clear now that this is the lead? This is the moment?

BRINKLEY: Well, there's no doubt about it. I mean, who would have thought, but you know, I'm impressed by, you know -- he is one of those people of low expectations and we make a lot of jokes about him. We're always looking for him to give us the kind of jump into dyslexia and every moment he seems to kind of rise to the occasion. I mean, he's almost been, I think, pitch perfect ever since the last month, since the World Trade Center-Pentagon bombings, and you have to wonder, what is the quality about him? And I think it's the self- confidence to have good people around him and to listen.

I don't think he -- I think he's able to keep his ego in check, and listening to him tonight, you believe what he says. There's a bit of, you know, an authenticity to him, maybe because he had to deal with alcohol problem earlier. Maybe because he's had low expectations. But you really get the feeling he means what he says, and that's something that's hard for presidents to communicate.

Certainly, Bill Clinton couldn't. He was brilliant, but we never really believed what he was saying. When Bush says something, you believe it's coming from the heart and from the gut and he's going to do what he says, and that's a great quality of leadership.

BROWN: Jeff, a half-a-minute, last word: Did the president, to your mind, deliver the goods tonight in the press conference?

GREENFIELD: Yeah, but do I want to point to one thing that I think he's going to have to come to grips with: He was asked about sacrifice, he started to talk about long lines at the airport and then talked about emotional sacrifice.

One of the thing leaders, great leaders, have to do is to level with the public, the way Churchill did throughout the first days of the second World War, when he would tell his countrymen the news was very bad.

We're in recession. I think the economic storm clouds are gathering and may get much worse. I think in months to come, one of the things the president is really going to have to do -- and it's contrary to most American political instinct -- is to say, hey, look; we're in for concretely very tough times.

BROWN: Jeff, thanks. Senior analyst Jeff Greenfield, Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian. Good to talk to you both again, and we will again soon.

In a moment, another view of September 11th, from a distance that doesn't seem so far away anymore.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: It says a lot that about a month ago, many Americans were most worried about whether their tax rebate check would come right away, not waiting for the other shoe to drop, or trying to make sense of the senseless, which seems to be where we are now.

We're trying something a little different tonight. We've asked Frank Buckley out of our Los Angeles bureau to gather up a group of people, talk with them for awhile about their country, their president, their fear and the new war. Frank. FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, we're just steps away from the Pacific Ocean at Shuter's on the beach. We're in the lounge here and I've got a great group of people whom I've had the pleasure of breaking bread with this evening, and we're going to chat with them for a few moments here.

Among the people, is Mike Gilbert. Mike, you are in the National Guard, you're a police officer. You served in the Gulf War, you may be deployed again. Is this a just cause?

DFC MIKE GILBERT, POLICE OFFICER: Absolutely. What happened on September 11 was criminals, common criminals that we're calling terrorist now, have imported on a mass scale homicide to our country. And I think they should be sought out, and brought the justice and neutralized as fast as possible.

And I'm taking great faith and trust in the president and leaders of this country are doing that. And this is a wide scale operation. It's going to be from the police officer on the foot beat all the way to the Pentagon and strategic concerns of this country. So, absolutely.

BUCKLEY: OK. Thanks, mike.

Andrew Mir, you were expressing earlier over dinner that you were concerned that maybe some of the relief efforts that the U.S. has talked about aren't getting to the right people.

ANJUM MIR, TEACHER: Yeah, I agree that something needs to be done, and of course, as a mother and a teacher, my angle is a humanitarian issue. Refugees and the displacement and all of these sorts of things that will be created by our efforts there.

And hoping that in addition to the $370 million that has been promised as aid to the Afghanis, that we can have more widespread efforts in aiding the people there and the children in particular.

BUCKLEY: Reverend Ed Bacon is a minister at All Saints Church and you've spoken at anti-war demonstrations. You oppose the use of force in this case, or no?

REVEREND ED BACON, ALL SAINTS CHURCH: I do oppose this, particularly couched as a war. I think this was a crime against humanity. It needs to be kept in that category that we need the develop the rule of law as a way of responding with justice, not revenge, not retaliation, not with war.

I think it's a strategic calamity. And I think the big misfortune is that we will have this very fragile international coalition eroded.

BUCKLEY: OK. Cis Herskovitz, you were saying that your children have been the subject of anti-Semitic remarks, and you are concerned about religious and ethic tolerance.

CIS HERSKOVITZ, SUBURBAN PARENT: Correct. I've been very verbal in my community and pastor about my concern. My son at school had swastikas and Hitler written on our car on Yom Kippur eve. And the day of the attack, a group of kids had mentioned to him, well, why don't you go get your Israeli friends to attack Afghanistan.

And even though they talked about it being a joke, I don't take that kind of discussion or that kind of, what they did to the car as being a joke. I think it goes a lot deeper than that, and I think we need the educate our children about -- not just educate, but talking about respect and tolerance of others.

BUCKLEY: Thank you. Ashraf Abasy you fled Afghanistan in 1979. And you have some views about what's going on. You were telling us that you believe that military force is justified here. Why?

ASHRAF ABASY, AFGHAN-AMERICAN: At his time of history, Afghanistan is in a position that we have to free it from the Taliban regime and from terrorist regime.

Afghanistan has been hit hard for past 26 years. We have been at war since 1975 and the people of Afghanistan are very, very tired. They want their own government. They want their own country. They want to back and they want to build it and they want to live in peace and harmony with each other.

It's the time of the history we have to do that. And we have to take our new government to Afghanistan. And put them this power. So, I would say more than 80, 85 percent of the people of Afghanistan will join that new government, and they will support that government.

So, at that time the opportunity will be for Afghan people the start building their country.

BUCKLEY: OK, Thank you. Professor Yalong Robinson, you have expressed concerns about this becoming another Vietnam. Is the U.S. justified, though in striking back militarily? And if not now, when?

YALONG ROBINSON, PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Justified may not be the word I use. But, of course. But, of course.

I remember the words of Golda Meir that says, when they hate us more than they love their own children, how do you communicate? There are factions, whether we count it as war or terrorism, but we have to address.

I'd like to see us be focused, strategic, in what we do to deconstruct practices and policies that lead to terrorism. And then from that point on, of course we have to make some decisions where to go next.

BUCKLEY: OK. I'd like to thank you. I'd like to thank all of you. And thanks to Shuter's on the beach here in Santa Monica. Aaron, we'll toss it back to you.

BROWN: Thank you very much, Frank, thank your guests as well for staying up with us tonight.

Coming up, a New York gallery after like no other. The city after September 11th as pictured by the witnesses to disaster.

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BROWN: I took one moment today, about 9:30 this morning, just to remember that day a month ago. If I had five hours here I couldn't possibly tell you all that I feel about it. The horror I saw and described, the sorrow I felt and feel. I know this month has changed us, differently to be sure, but we are all changed some, and maybe changed for a long time to come.

Here is how the country remembered September 11th today.

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(MUSIC)

BUSH: On September 11th, great sorrow came to our country. And from that sorrow has come great resolve. Today we are a nation awakened to the evil of terrorism, and determined to destroy it. That work began the moment we were attacked. And it will continue until justice is delivered.

(TAPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And a final word from the families. They want you to know that their prayer is that God will grant all of us courage and hope, and that we may all find their inner peace in these difficult days.

BUSH: In New York, the terrorist chose as their target a symbol of American's freedom and confidence. Here, they struck a symbol of our strength in the world.

(MUSIC)

MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI (R), NEW YORK: In the name of all of those we lost here, our heroes, the firefighters, police officers, the emergency workers, the citizens that were going about their lives, trying to pursue in their way the American dream. All of whom are heroes.

We remember them. We will always remember them and to them we will dedicate the rebuilding of New York, and making certain that we do not allow the terrorist in any way to effect our spirit. They attempted to break our spirit. Instead, they've emboldened it.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. You know, and we've always stopped and, you know, had moments of silence. And today will be one of them days.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIPS) BROWN: And finally tonight, there's a place not too far from the rubble where people have been coming to try and make sense of what happened. They stand and look at the walls and the images of September 11th look back at them.

Here's CNN Beth Nissen.

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BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For days, people have been crowding into this small, vacant store in New York City's Soho district to look at a treasury of images. Images of that awful morning. The awe-struck hours after. The awesome damage.

DILEE PERESS (ph), EXHIBITION ORGANIZER; It's an archive. It's a unique archive. I don't know of anything that's ever been like this. It's about a democracy of images.

NISSEN (voice-over): A democracy of images: images from a plurality of viewpoints and vantage points. Images taken by professional photographers with $1,000 Nikons, and amateurs with disposable Kodaks.

CHARLES TRAUB, EXHIBITION ORGANIZER: This may be the most photographed even into the most witnessed event in history. Everybody has a different view. And we've tried to allow that to happen here.

NISSEN: Word of exhibit spread largely by mouth in the days after September 11th.. Anyone who had pictures was invited to bring them or e-mail them in.

MICHAEL SHUMAN, EXHIBITION ORGANIZER: The only requirement is that all photographs must relate to event.

NISSEN: Donated images are digitally scanned, printed and displayed to the walls, without labels identifying the subject or the photographer. Photos published in the "New York Times" hang near Instamatic snapshots.

The great majority of images are of the World Trade Center in the minutes and hours after the attack. Whenever people were, they got out cameras and took a picture of what they were see.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZER: There were people who took pictures from rooftops in Brooklyn. People who took pictures from New Jersey. There are people who were looking out their apartment windows. It's like I was there and I want you to know I was there and I want you to know I stand in witness of this terrible event. And I think that that's why people photographed it.

NISSEN: For days after the attack, it was still a reflex to pick up a camera, to somehow focus on what had happened and happened so quickly.

Those at ground zero documented the devastation. And the desperate rescue search that slowly, sadly turned in a salvage operation.

Those outside the restricted zone documented the public response, the need for news, the need for contact. The search for the missing. The search for meaning.

Since the exhibit opened September 28th, thousands of people have come to gaze at images already burned into memory. Somehow, they need to see it again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's just something about having evidence that it happened and evidence of what used to be there, before this all happened.

NISSEN: People are collecting that...

(AUDIO GAP)

NISSEN: ... go into the archive.

What do these diverse pictures tell us about the event and about ourselves?

EXHIBITION ORGANIZER: They tell us that we don't understand but that we feel we have a terrible need to understand.

NISSEN: And to begin to picture the profound change in our lives, our history, our future.

Beth Nissen, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: That's this hour's special report. Our coverage will continue in just a moment.

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