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CNN Live Saturday

America's New War: President Bush Prepares the Nation for Ongoing Military Confrontation

Aired September 15, 2001 - 18:01   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush meanwhile is preparing the nation for an assault on terrorism that he vows will go on, quote, "as long as it takes." CNN's White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is near Camp David, joins us now with more. Kelly, tell us what is going on.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush sending out a number of messages as he and his aides go over military options. He's telling a public anxious for some sort of retaliation to be patient. At the same time, he is preparing the American people for a military campaign against terrorists and those who harbor them that could last months, if not years, and could involve using ground troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice-over): Spending the weekend at the secluded presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains, President Bush huddles with his national security team and prepares the American people more war.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're at war. There's been an act of war declared upon America by terrorists. And we will respond accordingly.

WALLACE: The president refuses to discuss military options, but for the first time he specifically names suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden as a, quote, "prime suspect" behind Tuesday's terrorism spree. Bin Laden is believed to be hiding out in Afghanistan, with the ruling Taliban government providing him safe haven.

BUSH: This act will not stand. We will find those who did it, we will smoke them out of their holes, we will get them running and we will bring them to justice.

WALLACE: When asked if those words mean President Bush is considering using ground troops to attack terrorists, aides say nothing has been ruled out.

But winning this so-called war and finding the elusive bin Laden won't be easy, saying a former Clinton administration official.

JIM STEINBERG, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We're fighting not a military, we're not fighting an organized power, but we're fighting a very diffused and shadowy organization that has links in many different parts of the world.

WALLACE: Knowing Americans are hungry for swift retaliation, the president uses his radio address to say a sweeping response will come in time.

BUSH: You will be asked for your patience, for the conflict will not be short. You'll be asked for resolve, for the conflict will not be easy. You'll be asked for your strength, because the course to victory may be long.

WALLACE: And aides say President Bush has gained strength from his meeting Friday with more than 200 family members with loved ones still missing, believing his job is to turn their sorrow into something positive for future generations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And while the American people overwhelmingly support some form of military retaliation, keeping that support up could become a bigger and bigger challenge for the president over time, especially if any lengthy campaign involves the loss of additional American lives -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelly, tell our viewers why the White House regards Pakistan and Pakistan's cooperation as so important to this new war on terrorism?

WALLACE: Well, Wolf, of course Pakistan neighbors Afghanistan and is one of only three countries recognizing the ruling Taliban government as the government of Afghanistan. And of course, we know the Taliban providing safe haven to Osama bin Laden.

We do know, according to a Pakistani official, that President Bush called Pakistani President Musharraf this morning to thank him for his support. The White House had no comment on the call, but Secretary of State Colin Powell confirming today what CNN had been reporting since yesterday, that the Pakistanis have agreed to fully cooperate with the U.S. in the fight against terrorism.

Secretary Powell saying that the Pakistanis have agreed to all of the requests made by the United States, and sources saying one of those requests include allowing U.S. warplanes access to Pakistani airspace if the U.S. decides to attack -- and obviously very crucial for U.S. warplanes to fly into that airspace if there is any attack on Afghanistan. Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: And Kelly, while I have you, we saw Vice President Dick Cheney sitting alongside the president at that meeting at Camp David. Earlier in the week, they had separated, supposedly out of security concerns, they didn't want the president and the vice president at the same location. Are those security concerns gone now, or is Camp David unique?

WALLACE: Well, security concerns are still there, Wolf. The U.S. is still operating on a high state of alert. As you noted, Vice President Cheney spending a few days at Camp David because the U.S. Secret Service deciding, based on ongoing security concerns, that it would be best not to have the president and the vice president in the same location. But they both are at Camp David. It is obviously a very secure location, but I do believe that the U.S. is still very concerned about the security threat out there and still operating on a high state of alert -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelly Wallace near Camp David up in Thurmont, Maryland. Thank you very much.

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