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Americans Across the Country Dealing With Heightened Security
Aired March 19, 2003 - 15:18 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We also know since September 11, 2001, this country at the federal level, the state level, the local level, within the private sector, and the entire country, has been engaged in improving its security and taking preventive measures against that kind of attack. We get stronger every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge reflecting on the U.S. state of preparedness at a time of high risk and high anxiety.
Let's go coast to coast, shall we, and get an assessment of how people are prepare, or perhaps not prepared, for all that is unfolding before our eyes.
We begin in California with CNN's Charles Feldman, Santa Monica; Jeff Flock; joining us from Chicago; and in New York City, Jason Carroll.
Charles Feldman, let's begin with you.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, thank you very much.
You know, since 9/11, the government has imposed, from time to time, special, restricted flight areas around things like the White House, Manhattan. Yesterday, they did it around, of all places, Disneyland, because they're concerned about potential terrorist attacks. Well, I took to the skies with an able co-pilot, Gary Claypall (ph), and we piloted our plane from Santa Monica to Disneyland and only 500 feet above the new restricted air space.
All right, but -- I'm told we're not hearing the audio from inside the plane. But what we were doing is showing you from the airplane what it was like to fly at 3,500 feet, which is about 500 feet above the restricted air space. If you go below 3,000 and you're not talking with air traffic control, as of yesterday, you would be illegal and in the potential violation of new FAA regulations. So we stayed out of that air space at 3,500. But the difference between being legal and illegal, 500 feet, whether that matters much to a potential terrorist, is somewhat doubtful. And how long this restricted space will be there is also unclear. Now we'll go from Santa Monica to my friend Jeff Flock at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Indeed, Charles.
You know, you talk about no-fly zones. Just moments ago, the mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, asked federal authorities again to declare a no-fly zone over the city of Chicago, just like it is there at Disneyland, as well as the city of -- or Washington, D.C. Again, federal officials have refused that.
I'm out at O'Hare right now. Perhaps you can see a fairly normal day out here, although there -- this airport, world's busiest, is at the ready. We've got pictures down outside the airport, where all of the cars that come here to O'Hare are greeted by a flashing sign which inform them they are subject to random searches. In fact, police can be seen pulling some random vehicles over, random vehicles over and searching those vehicles. A cursory search, but making the effort nonetheless. There are also increased foot patrols here as well as canine patrols, and the airport tells us other invisible measures, which we believe one of those invisible measures, the ones they are not telling us about at least, are deployment of officers on roads under the flight paths of airplanes taking off here from O'Hare so that anyone with perhaps a missile launcher would not be able to take it down if the plane makes its trajectory out.
As we said, the mayor of Chicago asking for that no-fly zone downtown, partly because Chicago is home to the tallest building in the United States, and it's thought of as a potential target. They are doing all they can, they say.
That's the latest from here in Chicago. Now on farther to the east in New York, Jason Carroll is there. Jason, where are you?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New Yorkers are doing whatever they can to live under these new security measures, while New York City's mayor is doing whatever he can, at this point, to try and figure out how to pay for the new measures that are under effect right here in New York City.
Already we've seen a number of added security measures here in the city, especially right here in Times Square. We have seen an additional number of security vehicles. We've also seen a hazardous materials unit set up here in Times Square, just a few blocks from here at a police precinct. Also updated patrols at the city's bridges, tunnels as well as the subways, all in an effort to try to keep the city as secure as possible.
New Yorkers have been living under a heightened state of alert ever since 9/11. So, for some of the New Yorkers that we talked to, these new security measures are nothing new.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like New York is stepping up their game and so I'm pretty confident. I'm a real a New Yorker, and that's it, you know? Just going to continue my day as normal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I still think that you should live your life and do everything that you normally would do. And I don't take the subway, though.
CARROLL (on camera): You're not taking the subway?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, today I'm not.
CARROLL: So it is having an effect?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit. A little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a little more cautious and a little more observant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg met with President Bush. In addition to that, he also met with Tom Ridge. Later this afternoon he's expected to meet with John Ashcroft. Again, all in a measure to try and get funding for the security measures that are under way here, called Operation Atlas. It's predicted that Operation Atlas is going to cost New York City about $5 million per week. And, again, Miles, at this point to try to figure out how that is going to be paid for. The mayor asking for federal dollars -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jason Carroll in Manhattan, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired March 19, 2003 - 15:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We also know since September 11, 2001, this country at the federal level, the state level, the local level, within the private sector, and the entire country, has been engaged in improving its security and taking preventive measures against that kind of attack. We get stronger every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge reflecting on the U.S. state of preparedness at a time of high risk and high anxiety.
Let's go coast to coast, shall we, and get an assessment of how people are prepare, or perhaps not prepared, for all that is unfolding before our eyes.
We begin in California with CNN's Charles Feldman, Santa Monica; Jeff Flock; joining us from Chicago; and in New York City, Jason Carroll.
Charles Feldman, let's begin with you.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, thank you very much.
You know, since 9/11, the government has imposed, from time to time, special, restricted flight areas around things like the White House, Manhattan. Yesterday, they did it around, of all places, Disneyland, because they're concerned about potential terrorist attacks. Well, I took to the skies with an able co-pilot, Gary Claypall (ph), and we piloted our plane from Santa Monica to Disneyland and only 500 feet above the new restricted air space.
All right, but -- I'm told we're not hearing the audio from inside the plane. But what we were doing is showing you from the airplane what it was like to fly at 3,500 feet, which is about 500 feet above the restricted air space. If you go below 3,000 and you're not talking with air traffic control, as of yesterday, you would be illegal and in the potential violation of new FAA regulations. So we stayed out of that air space at 3,500. But the difference between being legal and illegal, 500 feet, whether that matters much to a potential terrorist, is somewhat doubtful. And how long this restricted space will be there is also unclear. Now we'll go from Santa Monica to my friend Jeff Flock at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Indeed, Charles.
You know, you talk about no-fly zones. Just moments ago, the mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, asked federal authorities again to declare a no-fly zone over the city of Chicago, just like it is there at Disneyland, as well as the city of -- or Washington, D.C. Again, federal officials have refused that.
I'm out at O'Hare right now. Perhaps you can see a fairly normal day out here, although there -- this airport, world's busiest, is at the ready. We've got pictures down outside the airport, where all of the cars that come here to O'Hare are greeted by a flashing sign which inform them they are subject to random searches. In fact, police can be seen pulling some random vehicles over, random vehicles over and searching those vehicles. A cursory search, but making the effort nonetheless. There are also increased foot patrols here as well as canine patrols, and the airport tells us other invisible measures, which we believe one of those invisible measures, the ones they are not telling us about at least, are deployment of officers on roads under the flight paths of airplanes taking off here from O'Hare so that anyone with perhaps a missile launcher would not be able to take it down if the plane makes its trajectory out.
As we said, the mayor of Chicago asking for that no-fly zone downtown, partly because Chicago is home to the tallest building in the United States, and it's thought of as a potential target. They are doing all they can, they say.
That's the latest from here in Chicago. Now on farther to the east in New York, Jason Carroll is there. Jason, where are you?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New Yorkers are doing whatever they can to live under these new security measures, while New York City's mayor is doing whatever he can, at this point, to try and figure out how to pay for the new measures that are under effect right here in New York City.
Already we've seen a number of added security measures here in the city, especially right here in Times Square. We have seen an additional number of security vehicles. We've also seen a hazardous materials unit set up here in Times Square, just a few blocks from here at a police precinct. Also updated patrols at the city's bridges, tunnels as well as the subways, all in an effort to try to keep the city as secure as possible.
New Yorkers have been living under a heightened state of alert ever since 9/11. So, for some of the New Yorkers that we talked to, these new security measures are nothing new.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like New York is stepping up their game and so I'm pretty confident. I'm a real a New Yorker, and that's it, you know? Just going to continue my day as normal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I still think that you should live your life and do everything that you normally would do. And I don't take the subway, though.
CARROLL (on camera): You're not taking the subway?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, today I'm not.
CARROLL: So it is having an effect?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit. A little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a little more cautious and a little more observant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg met with President Bush. In addition to that, he also met with Tom Ridge. Later this afternoon he's expected to meet with John Ashcroft. Again, all in a measure to try and get funding for the security measures that are under way here, called Operation Atlas. It's predicted that Operation Atlas is going to cost New York City about $5 million per week. And, again, Miles, at this point to try to figure out how that is going to be paid for. The mayor asking for federal dollars -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jason Carroll in Manhattan, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Security>
