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American Morning

America's New War: Preparing America for Casualties

Aired September 18, 2001 - 10:19   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 want to head to Washington, D.C., right now where my colleague John King is standing by. Perhaps to give us a preview of the president's ever-moving news conference.

Can we confirm it is going to happen at 11:20 now?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESP.: It is going to happen at 11:20, that mixup was a miscommunication, I think, on our part, Paula. We apologize for that.

At 11:20 we will see the president in the Rose Garden at the White House, saluting the charitable organizations that have been helping with relief effort in New York, here at the Pentagon as well, and telling Americans where, in his view and in the view of those organizations, it is best for them to direct any money or any goods they might want to give as they pitch in to help the nation recover from this.

That's one of the many responsibilities, the many roles we see the president in, in this past week, including today at the one week mark since these twin tragedies. Mr. Bush in the south grounds of the White House earlier today, 8:45 this morning, the time of that first tragic crash into the World Trade Center. Mr. Bush leading the White House staff in a moment of silence.

This, the south portico of the White House, what you would see from the Washington Monument. You see the president here taking center stage with his senior staff, including the Vice President of the United States there, leading a moment of silence. This on a very busy day.

Mr. Bush being updated. I'm sure he is encouraged from that news from Wall Street this morning. Economic briefings today, including consideration of a major bailout for the airline industry.

Mr. Bush also increasingly turning his business, as you see him bow his head here, we will pause for just a second as well -- Increasingly turning to the business of military planning, and the diplomacy that comes with that. The French president Jacques Chirac will be in Washington tonight for a working meeting and a dinner with the president.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair hastily arranging a visit to Washington on Thursday. He the most steadfast among the allies in promising not only to stand with the United States, but to provide military resources as well.

And as the president discusses the military campaign, also trying to heal the wounds of the country and urge the Americans not to have a backlash against Arab-Americans. We saw the president visiting a mosque here in Washington just yesterday.

But the primary focus, and we don't see much of it in public, but behind the scenes is on the military planning and on narrowing the military options. As the president does that over, in Europe this morning, General Joseph Rolston. He's the supreme allied commander of all U.S. troops and allied troops in Europe.

General Ralston speaking to reporters in Vienna, telling the American people as well as his audience abroad in Europe, that as the president prepares for a military response there should be no illusions. Any military campaign would come with a price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOSEPH RALSTON, NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: There are certainly a variety of measures that we take that would not be in our best interest to sit here and list what all of those are. But we have a series of measures that we take, depending upon the threat level that we assess at the time. Those measures will be taken.

I also think that we must also recognize that this is not a risk free operation that we are embarking upon. There will be casualties. That is a necessary part of any military operation. So, we cannot be in the mind set of a zero casualty operation. That's not what we're about. We have to get the mission done. We have to do the mission on a day it day basis. We will take all prudent measures to protect our people as best we can. But the mission will go on and we will accomplish the mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: General Rolston there in Vienna today. He is a key player in the military deliberations because of his role as commander of all U.S. forces in Europe.

Again, the president's deliberations on a number of issues continue. We will hear a public plea for Americanes to pitch in and help the relief effort a short time from now in the Rose Garden. Behind the scenes at the White House, urgent meetings on the two biggest crisis posed by this challenge, a week into this challenge, the U.S. economy at risk of sliding into recession, and the military planning. Paula.

ZAHN: John, we were talking about the polls a little earlier on this morning, the CNN Gallup Poll and "USA Today" did, essentially showing, I believe, that 88 percent of Americans that they talked to on September 14th and 15th supported the idea of a retaliatory strike.

Yet when you hear what we've just heard, it would seem that the administration is starting to get Americans prepared for the prospect of fatalities, of casualties if military actions are taken. Can you give us a sense of what kind of meetings are going on right now to address that, and how you prepare the American public for that possible eventuality?

KING: The biggest concern, Paula, at the Bush White House is that the American people have become conditioned to think that military action comes almost without a price. Even a decade ago in the Persian Gulf War, the U.S. fatalities were remarkably low. Then in the Kosovo campaign just a few years back, no Americans killed in combat, some killed in some of the anxilliary logistics operations, but no Americans killed in combat.

When the strikes were launched against Osama bin Laden back in 1998, it was done through crews missiles. Those are unmanned of course. And in the 10 years of flying over the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq, no deaths to U.S. pilots in any combat operations as well.

So, there's a fear at the White House that the American people have become conditioned to the fact there there is this high tech military that can wage a battle without any, or with very few casualties. The president in every public statement on this, and you have like General Rolston and other members of the military brass, coming out to try to explain that this will be very different. That this enemy, to use the president's word, lives in underground bunkers, lives in caves, runs around.

So they are talking about using elite infantry units that would have to go on a search mission, if you will. And they're trying to precondition the American people that if that happens, and it is still an if, we should make that clear, but if that happens there is a high likelihood that there will be additional Americans killed in the wake of these tragic attacks. Paula.

ZAHN: All right John, we will come back to you, I'm sure, before the 11:20 remarks by the president from the Rose Garden. Thanks so much.

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