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American Morning
America's New War: Discussion with New York Senator Chuck Schumer
Aired September 21, 2001 - 10:01 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: To Pakistan now, where some people have taken to the street in support of the Taliban.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is in Islamabad, and happened to listen to part of that Taliban news conference this morning.
Hello, Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, what a big test of which way the wind was blowing, a big test of public opinion here, was today when opponent of the Pakistan stance with the United States have called for a general strike and protest. Now, for the most part, threatened nationwide protests did not happen. There were protests, they did chant anti-American slogans, but for the most part, they were fairly contained and peaceful.
Not so in Karachi, the big port city south of here, where there were several thousand people who turned out to these anti-American protests. And we know that at least two people -- well, two people are confirmed dead, killed by security agents, one at a factory and other one in the melee inuring the protest. There were people throwing stones, who were rushing the police, burning barricades, and police were firing in the air. Again two people there confirmed dead.
The Pakistan government has done all it can, it says, to try to build a consensus. It has drawn together tribal leaders who are key leaders in the most threatening troubled spots at the Pakistani border. It has also drawn together religious leaders, and it says that it still has support and commitment of these leaders to make sure that any protest don't boil out of control.
So the bottom line, there was no nationwide uprising, but a serious event, and we will see the fallout, if there, is from that.
In another development, yes, the Taliban held a press conference, and they rejected any notion of handing over Osama bin Laden -- Paula.
ZAHN: All right, I want it come back to a point we made earlier this morning, the United Nations says it is supplying a massive relief effort for Afghan refugees who are trying to flee Afghanistan at the moment. Do you have an update on the numbers of people who have actually been able to reach the Pakistani border and what's happening once they arrive there? AMANPOUR: There are many thousands. At one point, the Pakistanis closed down the border. They were afraid of sort of destabilization. Now, they are saying they will sort of try to help build more camps for the refugees. But in order to try to stabilize the situation here, the United States says that it is going to lift sanctions on India and Pakistan, some sanctions that were imposed in connection with the nuclear program, and they will also consider relief of Pakistan's foreign debt, try to bolster the country and help its economic situation at this particular time.
ZAHN: Christiane, thanks so much for that update. We will be checking in with you throughout the day.
President Bush predicts a long war against terrorism. He is preparing the U.S. and the world for that battle. For more on the president's call to war, we go to CNN's John King in Washington.
Hi again.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello again to you, Paula.
One of the most critical aspects is the president asked the American people to be ready for a long and potentially costly campaign would be the support in the U.S. Congress. Initial response to the president's speech last night, overwhelmingly positive.
Let's bring in with us now a senator that has been, perhaps more than most than post others in the Congress, personally affected by this. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York joins us this morning from the Russell Rotunda up on Capitol Hill.
Senator, let me start with the ultimatum the president issued to the Taliban last night. The Taliban this morning, saying no, it will not turn over Osama bin Laden unless it sees proof from the United States government. The White House response is, that proof will not be forthcoming. Has the president put himself in a box here? Is he now under pressure, forced to act quickly against the Taliban?
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Well, he is certainly under pressure to act. But the president knew what he was doing. He drew the line in the sand. And whenever you draw such a line in the sand, you have to have a plan for both contingencies. And if they said, yes, they were going to turn him over, all well and good. But you also have to prepare for no, and I think they were well aware that the overwhelming likelihood is that the Taliban would say no. So they are preparing action. I think we always demand quick action in this country and in this modern society. I think careful and well thought out effective action is more important.
KING: Senator, one of the challenges for the president at moments like these is to outline not only an entrance strategy, but an exit strategy. But as the president says, this is an unknown enemy in many ways, with camps, and associates and perhaps as many as 60 countries.
Any concern on your part that as America prepares for military action. because of the nature of this threat, it might be impossible for the president to outline an exit strategy?
SCHUMER: Well, you know, I think the president has made up his mind. In my private conversations with him, as well as what he said last night and what he has said publicly, that this is going to make or break his presidency, the war on terrorism. And he knows that if we do nothing, the next major, major terrorist incident given the fact it could contain nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, could kill not 6,000, but 60,000 or 600,000, so he has no choice.
And what he is hoping is -- and I agree with him here, and hope and pray that he gets it -- that he has the support of the American people, not just for a month, but for the years that it takes. I think that's one of the main purposes this speech had last night. Right now, in Congress, in the Senate, there is tremendous resolve to do this, from the left to the right. You hear very, very little dissent. And we know that we don't know exactly -- we don't have a game plan that says we will do a, b, c, d and then we're out, because we are against such a new enemy.
But the alternative of doing nothing or doing something cosmetic, you know bombing a city here and just to show that we are macho and then doing nothing, is going to be much, much worse. Technology has allowed this scourge of terrorism to tomorrow get worse and worse and worse.
And just one other point, it's sort of like Hitler in the '30s. Hitler wasn't as great a danger as he became, and people said, he won't get worse. We ignored, and that was one of the major bad decisions in the mid '30s. I think the president is resolute on not repeating that mistake.
KING: Let's follow up on that very point, though, sir, the president making clear last night, this is not just about Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Any nation, he said that, does not join the United States is considered hostile. That puts on the table the prospect of bombing Iraq, perhaps military action against Iran, perhaps against Hezbollah camps in Lebanon. Is there support in the U.S. Congress for that? And do you believe over time the American people will have, if you will, the stomach, because that could be quite costly, in terms of lives?
SCHUMER: I think that technology has allowed the terrorists to do a lot, but technology allows us to do quite a bit as well with -- you know, there will be loss of life, but I don't think it will be as severe as in previous wars. And, at this point, yes, I think the president has the support of the Congress. After all, when you look at this from a global point of view, the weak pressure point for the terrorists is the fact that other countries help them, that others groups help them, and unlike the terrorists, who can fade in and out of the hills, these other countries and groups are permanent, and that's where the weak pressure point is, and that's probably where we have to exert some real pressure. One danger for the president is to keep it careful, to keep is pinpointed and to continually explain to the American people what we are doing. If he does those three things, I think he will have the support of the Congress -- and the people, and the two of course are closely related -- for a very long period of time.
KING: Let's move back to another point in the president's speech last night. You have seen firsthand many times now the devastation in New York City. The president in saluting the governor and the mayor last night, promises the full support of his administration to rebuild New York City. Is that a goal, or are there already discussions about specific plans to rebuild at the world trade center.
SCHUMER: Well, New Yorkers are resilient. Thank god, that we have such a great group of people in New York. There are already plans about what to do, as typical in New York. You don't have one plan, but you have a whole bunch. But just like Americans, New Yorkers are united in trying to rebuild our city quickly. The mayor and governor have done a great job. They work closely with the Congressional delegation, which is largely not of their party, and we are resolute, just as we are resolute nationally to win this war on terrorism. We are resolute in New York to rebuild our city and make it bigger and better than ever. And I believe within a few years, we will succeed in both.
KING: Senator Chuck Schumer, we thank you for your time today on Capitol Hill, a Democrat of New York. Thank you very much. Now back to Paula Zahn in New York.
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