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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: New Developments Around the Country

Aired September 19, 2001 - 07:01   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Paula Zahn reporting from New York City this morning. I will also be joined by my colleagues John King from Washington this morning, Bill Hemmer from here in New York City, not far from what is considered ground zero, and Miles O'Brien, who will have all the latest developments right now from Atlanta -- good morning, all. Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Paula. Good morning.

Let's bring you up to date in what's going on in the latest developments on America's new war on terrorism. Federal agents have spread a dragnet for 190 people. Seventy-five are already in custody, including three men arrested in Detroit yesterday after producing false identification. And news from authorities in the Philippines. They claim they told the FBI six years ago about a plot to hijack airliners and crash them into the Pentagon, CIA headquarters and other buildings. The Manila investigators tell CNN the plot sounded farfetched then but doesn't anymore.

And more economic fallout from the terrorist attacks. The airlines financial woes now acute. Plane maker Boeing, seeing no big sales any time soon, as Paula just mentioned, Boeing says it will lay off 30,000 workers by the end of next year.

More on the Boeing layoffs now from Lori Matsukawa of CNN affiliate KING in Seattle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED UNION MEMBER: Supposedly the company is going to be announcing workforce reductions of 20 to 30 percent in the commercial airplane side in response to the impact of the terrorist activities.

LORI MATSUKAWA, KING TV (voice-over): Some members of Boeing's engineering and technical workers union hear the news outside the union hall. SPEEA has 20,000 members in Puget Sound, 15,000 of them in the commercial airplane division.

UNIDENTIFIED UNION MEMBER: I think a lot of people were expecting some sort of impact on the industry because of the terrorist activities, but to have this magnitude, it is shocking.

MATSUKAWA: Some members consider today's travel environment and seem to be taking the news in stride. VICKI HARP, SPEEA MEMBER: I think I'm prepared to face anything and whatever is needed, whatever is going to happen. There's really a lot going on right now in the big picture of things that are a lot more important, which is our nation and our security.

MARK BLONDIN, IAM: I'm not angry at the Boeing company. I'm angry at the situation.

MATSUKAWA: The machinists union sounds a hopeful note even though it suffered thousands of layoffs in 1999 and the majority of its 27,500 Puget Sound members work on commercial aircraft.

BLONDIN: The industry cuts jobs, cancels orders, Boeing reacts. You know, the task is to pull government, business together and put the industry back on its feet. That's going to create jobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That report from Laurie Matzukawa of CNN affiliate KING in Seattle -- back to Paula in New York.

ZAHN: All right, thanks so much, Miles.

A lot to share with you this morning. We wanted to let you know we had hoped to check in with Christiane Amanpour right now, who is in Islamabad, Pakistan. Right now she awaits a briefing by the Pakistani foreign minister. As soon as that briefing is over, we will go to her live.

In addition to that, Nic Robertson, who is the only Western journalist that was in the Taleban controlled part of Afghanistan, is now told to be on the move, the Taleban telling him he is no longer safe. We will hope to catch up with him by video phone as he works his way out of the country.

Let's check back in with John King. Some interesting things out of Washington and some interesting interactions between the French government and the U.S. government -- how are you this morning, John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESP.: I'm fine, Paula. Good morning to you in New York.

That's right, President Bush, intensifying his diplomatic efforts, had a two hour session last night, including a working dinner with the French president, Jacques Chirac. U.S. officials saying they are satisfied with this meeting. The French president said the United States has the complete solidarity of the French people and the French government. And on his way out of the Oval Office last night, Mr. Chirac said it was conceivable, said he hadn't been asked for any promises, but he said it was conceivable the French would join the United States in a military action if requested.

Most of all, though, we're told behind-the-scenes the United States asking for more up front moral support, if you will, from the French government. There has been criticism in recent years over French business dealings with the government of Iran and Iraq. The Bush administration position is that if this is to be a long-term comprehensive war against terrorism that allies and friends of the United States should not be doing business with governments the United States blames for sponsoring terrorism -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, John. Sorry, I was getting some interruption in my ear.

There are some key meetings today going on with senior U.S. administration officials and Russian officials. Can you give us some guidance on what is expected to be accomplished there?

KING: Conversations with Russia, and that includes a meeting between Secretary of State Colin Powell and his counterpart, the Russian foreign minister, Mr. Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, also meeting with a key Russian official, the United States asking for several things. One, words of public support for the campaign against terrorism. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had very strong initial comments. President Bush would like some additional public support from the Russian government.

Most importantly, though, remember, Russia, of course, the biggest part of the former Soviet Union. The Soviets fought a very unsuccessful war in Afghanistan and also has access to intelligence information that the United States might not have about Mr. Bin Laden's movement, about the topographical, geographical area of Afghanistan where Soviet troops fought some time ago. So the United States seeking intelligence cooperation from the Russian government as well, again, as key statements of public support.

One of the great debates here is if the United States launches military actions, will there then be a debate about whether those actions are appropriate? There were conversations between the Chinese president and the Russian president yesterday, this more of the Bush administration's diplomatic outreach.

ZAHN: I know that the administration officials haven't been forthcoming in exactly what other countries they're dealing with at the moment to come up with these base agreements, to try to come up with legally binding commitments for military intelligence and other assistance. Can you share that with us this morning? Do you know specifically what other countries the U.S. is talking to?

KING: Well, we know the United States has made progress with Pakistan. Pakistan obviously the key neighbor of Afghanistan, Pakistan part of that demand that the Taleban turn over the lead suspect, Osama bin Laden. That demand rejected, at least as of yet, but there has been progress with the Pakistani government not only about using air space, but we're also told, about potentially using ground areas within Pakistan for staging of U.S. military troops.

There have been conversations with the government of Uzbekistan to the north of Afghanistan that have gone well also and other conversations about perhaps using areas over there. India has promised to cooperate. That's potential.

Pakistan, of course, closer, would be more favorable. If there was a problem there, the United States could fall back on a place like India. Those conversations continuing.

You know, President Bush alone has spoken to nearly two dozen world leaders about this issue now. At the Defense Department, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his deputies reaching out for military to military contacts and the first wave of these negotiations being led, of course, by the secretary of state, Colin Powell. And as you noted, key conversations with the Russians today, the Saudi foreign minister also due in town.

There's another diplomatic angle to this, too. The president will meet with the president of Indonesia today, the world's largest Muslim nation, looking for statements of support from there, as well.

ZAHN: And just about 10 minutes from now you're going to be interviewing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. We will come back to you for that -- thanks, John.

KING: Thank you.

ZAHN: Right now it's time to check in with Jeanne Meserve, who joins us from Pier 12 in Norfolk, Virginia, not far from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Also joining us, Brian Cabell, who is with the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Good morning to the two of you -- Brian, why don't you start things off this morning.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

It is a rainy day here at Fort Campbell, which means the congestion behind me at this gate is greater than ever. Not only do we have heightened security measures, but we have rain backing things up and it's even worse than it was yesterday.

Still no word from the Pentagon. We were awaiting that all yesterday. It has not come in yet as of this morning. Yesterday, the meeting were not allowed on post. We are told later today we will be allowed on post. There is a deployment scheduled, a pre-scheduled deployment of a company to Bosnia, so we will be allowed on post for at least a little while.

But we've talked to a number of officers, we've talked to a number of officials and soldiers. They say there is nothing extraordinary happening inside of Fort Campbell, no training that seems unusual, nothing to indicate that a deployment is imminent. And it looks as though, they say, life is routine at Fort Campbell right now.

This is, of course, an aerosol division. The 101st Airborne flies helicopters into battlefields all around the world, drops off troops to begin fighting, and that is why experts have said it is very likely, it seems, that if there is a deployment into the region around Afghanistan, the 101st would be among the first to go.

We've talked to a number of soldiers and wives over the last couple of days. Some of them are concerned but you also hear an awful lot of anger, an awful lot of determination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: Do you think this country is ready for a war when they know there may be some serious casualties?

WARRANT OFFICER MICHAEL ROBELLI, U.S. ARMY: Yes, by all means.

CABELL: What tells you that?

ROBELLI: What tells me that is the sheer anger that they put into the American people and American soldiers. With NATO standing behind us and with other countries that are standing behind us, by all means. We're more than ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: They may be ready, but a number of the families aren't especially happy because, of course, the holidays are coming up and if the soldiers are sent they don't know how long the soldiers will be sent for. And again, at this point, Paula, we don't even know if they will be sent. That word has not yet come down from the Pentagon -- back to you.

ZAHN: All right, Brian. Thanks so much for that report.

Let's now head over to Norfolk, Virginia where Jeanne Meserve is standing by this morning -- good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

As you may be able to see, crew members are streaming past onto the USS Roosevelt, which is right behind me. They've been doing this for hours. When it's done, 5,000 men and women will be on board. Their average age, only 19 1/2. For many of them, this is their first deployment.

When this aircraft carrier group and the marines' amphibious ready group get all together and set sail, there will be 15,000 sailors and marines on board more than a dozen vessels, including the Roosevelt, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, amphibious assault ships, combat support ships and two submarines.

This deployment on this date had been scheduled long ago, but the terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center and on the Pentagon have changed the expectations of the crew. Many of these men and women believe that they will be taking part in the war on terrorism and they expressed a range of emotions and opinion about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Fear? No.

MESERVE: What is your emotion?

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Mostly I'm mad. I am a native New Yorker.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Uncertainty I guess. Nobody really knows what we're going to do. We'll just wait and see.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Freedom and what the navy stands for and what the United States stands for. I mean that's, you know, point blank.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: I don't know if this picture captures it, but this vessel behind me, the USS Roosevelt, is absolutely huge. From its keel to the top of its mast it is 24 stories high. Its flight deck has an area of 4.5 acres and when the air wing joins it later today there will be more than 70 aircraft on its deck. That's larger than the air forces of many small countries.

What exactly will its missing be? That is unclear. Its destination at this point is being described quite vaguely as the Mediterranean and possibly points east, as the U.S. formulates its response to the terrorist attacks in Washington and in New York -- Paula, back to you.

ZAHN: Jeanne, of course, administration officials over the last three days have been preparing the American public for a long, drawn out, what they call sustained campaign. It was interesting that when you spoke with some of those folks that could potentially be called up, they said they absolutely believe they will be deployed. Are they telling you when they think that will happen?

MESERVE: No. I don't believe they have the details. They have not gotten their marching orders, as it were, or sailing orders in this particular case. They simply believe that because this carrier battle group has taken place and many other significant engagements, including strikes over Iraq and also Kosovo, they fully expect that they will be incorporated into whatever the master strategy is to deal with this situation -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks so much, Jeanne. And we will continue to follow the progress of this -- and movements of this carrier battle group throughout the morning.

Thanks again, Jeanne.

Time right now to check in with Bill Hemmer, who joins us from an area not far from ground zero. Much of a reaction there, Bill, to the mayor basically saying last night that hope is running out to find survivors?

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, good morning to you.

We have heard that indication through New York's mayor for the past several days and again yesterday, as you indicated, he said the chances of finding anyone alive are very, very small at this point. It's been a week since anyone has been pulled out alive from the rubble you see behind me.

Two hundred and eighteen confirmed deaths out of a total of 5,000. Four hundred and twenty-two missing. Just about two percent of human remains and human bodies have been found in the former World Trade Center complex.

I want to bring in Garrett Goodwin now. He's an observer here. He's been here since last week when that building did collapse and go down. And you helped lead a group of people through yesterday on behalf of FEMA and others inside. And overnight, what I find quite interesting, you went way below the street level to the subway area. What did you find beneath there?

GARRETT GOODWIN, RESCUE WORKER: What we found there is no trains. There were no signs of survivors. It looks like everybody had plenty of time to get out, which is a very good sign to us.

HEMMER: What about the rubble underneath there? Is the building collapsed in an area where it's so condensed you can move or cannot move?

GOODWIN: There are areas that are restricted for movement due to safety and just from being collapsed that we just can't get anybody into, but the New York Fire Department, the New York Police Department and the FEMA rescue teams are working very diligently to get through there and accomplish that missing.

HEMMER: Through FEMA we were given some videotape yesterday. I want to show it to our viewers again. This is just absolutely devastating tape here when you consider the area and you consider the large amount of rubble. You were telling me that you're using special heat sensing cameras to find out where the hot spots, the fires are still burning. How is that equipment being used and how can one explain here nine days later how fires can still burn inside that rubble?

GOODWIN: The way I understand it, and I'm not a fire expert, that it's working as a furnace and as wind and oxygen gets to that fire it flares back up. And the fire department is doing a great job getting their ladder trucks in there and putting that out. But as the equipment gets moved around, as I beams get moved around and the rubble gets moved around, oxygen is going to get to that fuel and it's going to keep burning.

HEMMER: When you were below, down in that subway, how much oxygen was there?

GOODWIN: There was plenty. We weren't using...

HEMMER: There was plenty?

GOODWIN: We had no outside apparatuses other than our respirators due to the asbestos and other stuff inside.

HEMMER: The other thing you were describing to me a short time ago, you're finding small pockets, small holes. How often is that happening and how do you penetrate those?

GOODWIN: I'm not sure what the frequency is on that. I'm not in that overall command structure. But those are being penetrated mostly by heavy rescue equipment. HEMMER: For those people working here alongside you, we have seen thousands and thousands of people go in and out, working 12 hours at a time, sometimes a lot more. What can you say about that?

GOODWIN: I've been to disasters all over this country -- earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, fires. I've worked with public safety for 10 years and I've never ever worked with agencies like the New York Fire Department and the New York Police Department that work so diligently and so hard to accomplish this. Their heart and souls are into this and they won't quit. They're the best agencies I've ever worked with and it's an honor to work beside them.

HEMMER: Garrett Goodwin, thanks for stopping by today. Good luck and get some sleep. I know your shift has just ended, but again, you'll be back here later today.

Garrett Goodwin, an observer here with the rescue operation that does continue.

We have been told that later today New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be back here at this site. Along with him, French President Jacques Chirac, who arrived in Washington last evening. Also, Governor George Pataki will bring a select number of families who are still missing loved ones inside the rubble. They will be given a small tour, as well.

On another note, business slowly returns to normal in this part of Manhattan. I'll give you an indication. Overnight, 13,000 more customers have had their power and electricity restored here.

We'll watch it, Paula -- back to you.

ZAHN: OK, thanks so much, Bill.

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