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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Under Attack: Britain Reacts

Aired September 12, 2001 - 08:52   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.
PAULA ZAUN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we're going to turn our attention to London. And that's where we find Christiane Amanpour this morning.

You're what, outside 10 Downing Street right now?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Paula, we're outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British prime minister; Britain, the United States' closest ally in Europe.

In the last couple of hours, the prime minister has done several things. He's had a 20-minute phone conversation with President George W. Bush. He has had a press conference in which he was very forthright and very convincing towards the press about how he viewed what had happened in the United States yesterday. He's convened security meetings, and he is convening a cabinet meeting. He is calling back parliament to discuss this issue and raise a public debate as to what has happened and what measures can be taken to combat this kind of terrorism.

He said that this is not just an attack on the United States, but one on the entire free world. He said that he and other presidents and prime ministers in Europe are in constant touch about how to, quote, "stop this machinery of terror," how to eradicate and defeat what he called these terrorists.

And this, it must be pointed out, was not just the single biggest act of terrorism against the United States, but in recorded memory, the single biggest act of terrorism anywhere in the world that anybody can remember. And to that effect, the prime minister said, and other analysts have said, to that effect, essentially, everyone today is an American.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I want to make one thing very clear, indeed: This was not an attack on America alone. This was an attack on the free and Democratic world everywhere. And this is a responsibility that the free and Democratic world have got to shoulder together with America.

And at this time of tragedy in the United States of America that consequences right across the world, and, as I say, there will be British people that have lost their lives, this time of tragedy and this time of grief and anger and trial in America, it's important that Americans know that their allies and their friends around the world do stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

AMANPOUR: Now, the prime minister mentioned that he expected that there could be a great number of British casualties, since there are a lot of British people in the United States living there as residents and working there. He said, to that effect, Britain's interests are effectively engaged in what he called this "combat against terrorism." He called this an act of terrorism on a scale that was quote, "never before contemplated."

While he would not be specific about what possible retaliation or action that could be taken against whoever becomes identified as responsible, he did insist that the leaders of Europe in consultation with the United States would take whatever measures necessary to make sure that this kind of terrorism was eradicated. Again, no specifics, but the prime minister very forceful.

And then, he would not be drawn on who he thought was actually responsible, but he did single out, without being prompted, the Muslim community and Britain, singling them out, saying that he was very gratified that they had coming out and denounced this act of terrorism like, he said, did the Muslim community of the United States.

And again, when we specifically asked him: Do you believe that this was Islamic terrorism? He didn't answer.

And again and again he called this an attack on the civilized world, an attack not just on the United States, but on humanity and on democracy.

When we asked him: Do you believe that this is a declaration of war, and therefore, are you, the civilized war, obligated to take action to combat this? Again, he wouldn't be drawn, other than to say that they were in close consultation and that this act of terrorism and the machinery of the terrorism and the finance and the support has to be stopped -- Paula.

ZAUN: Christian, the prime minister, in that short sound bite, forcefully talked about the collective need to fight this kind of terrorism. What kind of level of support can president Bush expect in Europe?

AMANPOUR: Well, certainly from Great Britain, I would say a great deal of support. Remember, the British have stood shoulder to shoulder, as the prime minister said, with the United States in various actions in the last 10 years alone, much less in history. They have been shoulder to shoulder during the Gulf War, in Bosnia, in Kosovo. This prime minister, Tony Blair, took the leading role in the action against Kosovo.

This country has said over and over again that it stands together with its chief ally, the United States. And at the moment, what we are hearing from every capital of Europe is that they are together with the United States because this is an attack against, quote, "all of us." We are all targets, they said. And Germany, for instance, offered unlimited support; this is in the words of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and he stressed the word "unlimited." All the capitals of Europe are holding emergency security convening meetings, cabinet meetings, security meetings, all are in touch with each other. There's a special meeting of the European Union. NATO's chiefs have been meeting as well. And this is, really, as you can imagine, focused peoples minds here. And it remains to be seen what exactly they do. Will they try to line up support in like- minded countries and in the Middle East, for instance, amongst allies, and elsewhere around the world to make people as they say, stand up on the side of civilization against what they call these barbaric acts of terrorism.

ZAUN: Christiane, earlier today I had a chance to peak at some of the headlines of a London newspaper. On a very human level, what is the reaction of average British citizens to what the kind of wrath that (OFF-MIKE)?

AMANPOUR: Well, on a very human level I can tell the reaction is one of shock, profound shock, and indeed fear. I have heard people talking about how this just scary. People cannot imagine that something of this magnitude of this organization in a place like New York and Washington and other cities in the United States this could happen and people feel that if this can happen in U.S. Then it that this could happen. And people really feel that if this can happen in the United States, well, then it can happen anywhere. United States is meant to be Fortress America, this is not meant to happen in the United States of America. And it has profoundly shocked people.

I talked to people I was flying with yesterday after this had happened, I talked to pilots and air crews and passengers on the plane, all of them absolutely stunned beyond words. There are no words that can really sum up exactly what has happening and what people are feeling.

Here in England talking to taxi drivers, people on the streets, people are using the analogy to Pearl Harbor. People are using words like "barbaric." This is profoundly shocking. Every single newspaper here, even the normally sedate broad sheets (ph) here have got blaring headlines: "Assault on America," " Doomsday America"; one, "The Times" of London, "War on America"; you know, a tabloid, "Is This the End of the World."

I mean, this is (OFF-MIKE).

ZAUN: All right, we apparently have lost our satellite to London, where Christiane Amanpour was just giving us her -- the British reaction to the catastrophe that the United States witnessed yesterday. We'll hope to bring her back later this morning. She also gave us some insight as to how prime minister -- the prime minister is dealing with this. He just very recently had a conversation, a long conversation, 20 minute conversation, with President Bush, as there is continued talk about what kind of collective effort needs to be made to fight this brand of terrorism.

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