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American Morning

America's New War: Good Deal of Anger Being Directed at Arab- Americans

Aired September 20, 2001 - 10:43   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: There has been a remarkable spirit of unity in this country since the September 11th attacks, but there is also an undercurrent of anger, and a good deal of that anger is being directed at Arab-Americans.

CNN's Anne Mcdermott reports on efforts to stem the rising tide of hatred.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNE MCDERMOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Adel Karas was an American, but he was killed Saturday at his little store in San Gabriel, California, because, his family believes, the Egyptian-born man looked Middle Eastern.

And hate crimes are on the rise. The FBI is actively investigating 40 such incidents -- 40, and counting.

Attorney General John Ashcroft:

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm deeply concerned about the civil liberties of all Americans. I'm especially concerned about the civil liberties of Arab-Americans and Middle Eastern-[Americans.

MCDERMOTT: President Bush set the tone earlier this week during a visit to an Islamic center, where he spoke out against this home- grown hatred.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They represent the worst of humankind.

MCDERMOTT: Mr. Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said the president wants no war against the Islamic religion.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Islam stands for peace, and stands for nonviolence, and he wanted to make that very, very clear.

MCDERMOTT: Meanwhile, California's attorney general says there have been dozens of incidents in his state alone. Officials there are now distributing special pamphlets in Arabic and Hindi and other languages on how to deal with hate crimes. And the pamphlets say, "call the cops." Meanwhile, Afghans in L.A. met this week to grieve for the victims in New York and D.c., and to call for a halt to the hate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We ask that you keep our youth safe.

MCDERMOTT: But acts of vandalism have continued. This is an Islamic center in Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My kids crying, my wife, I, myself. I can't comprehend why this take place. And here, we come to a place where we should feel safe.

MCDERMOTT: As one victim of a hate crime put it: "Those who do this, they, too, are terrorists."

Anne McDermott, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And a Congressional delegation has just arrived at the World Trade Center -- actually not World Trade Center -- but at the train station in Penn Station. First stop before into buses heading down to what is called "The Zone."

Let's check with Michael Okwu right now.

Michael, I learned this is single largest congressional delegation to ever travel outside of Washington at any single time. How tight is the security there right now?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The security very, very, very tight. Teaming with all kinds of commuters from Connecticut and other parts of New York and New Jersey. And just moments before the train arrived, which, again privately-chartered train that led by Senator Tom Daschle, who of course is the Senate majority leader, when they arrived here, police sort of came out of woodwork. We understand that they might have been several FBI agents as well, and they sort of scuttled off up to the stairs and boarded a couple of buses. We understand that these buses are going to be going to a just peer on the west side of Manhattan, and they will then board a boot take them to the site. Now why are they taking a boat? They are taking a boat because didn't tie up traffic in what is already a very congested and now complicated area in the lower part of Manhattan.

Paula, I should mention to you, not only are people telling us this is perhaps the single largest delegation from the Senate, but also, as you know, it's very -- it's highly unlikely, and it's very -- I should say it's unusual that senators travel outside of their state to other states when there's been a disaster, and I think this underscores the fact that wasn't just a strike on New York City.

But of course it was an attack under on the United States. Several of the senators tried to make this point as they were greeted by Senator Hillary Clinton, who of course is junior senator here in New York, and by the Senator Chuck Schumer, the senior senator here in New York. I should tell you, also, Paula, that they are going to be visiting the crash site -- the attack site, of course. They will talk to some of the relief workers there. They will be talking to -- they will be visiting the local FEMA office, and they will also be talking to some of the families of the missing, some of the families of those people who may still be under the ash and rubble of the World Trade Center.

We also understand that they are going to be traveling to New Jersey. It's a very important fact, because there are many people in New Jersey who were caught in this attack, and in the words of Senator Daschle's spokesperson, New Jersey is very important, because they actually lost more people in that single attack than they lost in the entire Vietnam War -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Michael Okwu, thanks.

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