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Breaking News

Unidentified Aircraft Forces White House Evacuation

Aired June 19, 2002 - 20:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get back to Christiane in just a moment, but we do have breaking news.

As John King just reported in "LIVE FROM," the White House is being evacuated right now. The Secret Service saying that there is unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of the White House and until they clarify where that aircraft is and who is on board and why it is unidentified or not identifying itself, they are evacuating the premise.

However, the president is not at the White House right now. He is in Washington, D.C. at a Republican National Committee fundraiser and so he is not on the premises of the White House.

You're looking at a live picture there. You don't see much activity at this point. Most people would not be at work at the White House right now. It's shortly after 8:00 Eastern Time. Nevertheless, an evacuation of the press corps as well as any remaining White House staff going on right now.

We are tracking this story and as soon as we learn anything more, we are going to bring it to you. But right now, we're going to take a quick break and then back live to Jerusalem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: I'm Carol Lin at the CNN Center. We're going to get back live to Jerusalem in just a moment, but we want to let you know that the Secret Service has given the all clear now at the White House. They had started evacuating the press corps and the remaining White House staff there after reports of an unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of the White House.

We are still investigating exactly what happened, but right now the Secret Service at the White House saying all clear. Everybody's allowed back into the White House.

The president missed all of this. He is off the premises at the White House at a Republican fundraiser in Washington, D.C. We'll have a full report later on.

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