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American Morning

America's New War: Bush Team to Discuss Best Ways to Improve Airline and Airport Security

Aired September 27, 2001 - 11:04   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.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Americans have seen the horrific pictures the jetliner crashing into the World Trade Center, of the wreckage at the Pentagon as well. There's an obvious concern for airline safety, and there's a psychological part of this as well. The president trying to convince the American people that it's safe to travel, safe to take vacations. The president took his own plane, Air Force One, to Chicago for that event. I think we can show you pictures of the president this morning, boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base.

And for obvious reasons, he has been meeting with his team to discuss the best ways to improve airline and airport security, but it's not just about safety, the airline industry laying off more than 100, 000 people in the past two weeks; the administration knows this is critical step as well for the broader U.S. Economy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): More layoffs in the airline industry have the president in an urgent mood. Sources tell CNN, the White House is asking Congress to pass new airline security measures by the end of next week.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This terrible incident has said to many Americans, convinced many Americans to stay at home, and one of the keys to economic recovery is going to be the vitality of the airline industry.

KING: Administration and congressional sources say the president wants action in three major areas: airport security screening. The president opposes full federal takeover of airport security checkpoints, but favors federal training standards and testing for security workers, and an increased federal law enforcement presence at those checkpoints; air marshals -- Mr. Bush wants marshals on most, if not all, flights for now, and will borrow agents from the FBI the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Immigration and Naturalization Service while full-time marshals are hired and trained; cockpit security -- the president firmly opposes a measure to allow pilots to carry handguns, but he backs security bars and other new immediate security measures, until new fortified cockpit doors can be installed. Sources say installing cockpit cameras with a live feed back to ground control is another administration recommendation. And airport workers with access to planes and baggage will face new background checks and new security tests, perhaps fingerprint scan.

CHARLES SLEPIAN, AVIATION SECURITY EXPERT: We need to know the people who service the airplane, the people who supply the airplane, the people who have access to it. We need to put in place the kind of technology which now exists.

KING: Training of sky marshals under way at urgent pace. The role for National Guard is at the table, too. Many believe strong uniform security presence will help calm passenger jitters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Aboard Air Force One, the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, the house Democratic leader Dick Gephardt as well. Mr. Bush, as I noted at the top of that piece, appealing to them to act on these proposals very quickly, to get through the house and the Senate and to his desk by the end of next week.

We will track that in the hours ahead, including live coverage of the president's event. For now, let's go back to Paula Zahn in New York.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, John, I'll tell you one thing for sure, you wouldn't want to be a commuter here this morning. It is a mess. Backups began early at bridges and tunnels into Manhattan. New carpool rules began at about 6:00 a.m. Cars crossing into midtown Manhattan, between six and noon, must carry at least two people. The restriction covers four bridges and one tunnel linking Manhattan to Queens and Brooklyn. Police appear to be inspecting fewer trucks today, pulling over only those they thought were suspicious. Ten people are in custody today. They are charged with fraudulently obtaining licenses to haul hazardous material. The cargo could be potential weapons for terrorist.

Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The alleged plot to sell commercial hazardous material licenses was hatched in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania two years ago. Ten people, of 20 charged, now under arrest in Michigan, Washington state and Kansas.

(on camera): According to the criminal complaint, a Pittsburgh driver's license examiner was selling permits under the table for as little as 50 or $100. The alleged buyers revealed so far have Arabic- sounding names. None so far is linked to the terrorist attacks.

(voice-over): The middleman in the deal is identified as Abdul Mohamman, known as Ben, who helped the suspects buy haz-mat licenses. The arrests come as the FBI begins reviewing records of anyone who handles or transports hazardous materials, making sure terrorists may not be trying to infiltrate a legitimate company to get their hands on a potential weapon.

In Queens, stepped-up cargo inspections going in and out of New York City, backing up traffic, in some cases, for hours. The FBI is taking new steps after last week's arrests of Nabil Almarabh. Sources say he has possible ties to Osama bin Laden. Agents search his Michigan apartment. Almarabh has a legally-obtained license to haul hazardous materials, issued September 11th, 2000, one year to the day before the terrorist attacks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you would, go ahead and open the back up. Let's check your security of your load.

CANDIOTTI: In Texas, routine searches of truckers at highway weigh stations take on added significance.

SGT. MICHAEL BISHOP, TEXAS DEP'T OF PUBLIC SAFETY: We look at their log books, we look at their paperwork. We also look at the driver through the inspection process, you know. If we see something that is out of the ordinary, then the troops delve into it a little deeper.

CANDIOTTI: In Florida, the owner of a school that trains commercial drivers admits he'll be looking at applicants more closely following the attacks. Earning a hazardous materials license can cost as little as $800 for an experienced driver to about 5,000 for a rookie. Drivers first must first pass a 160-hour course. That includes learning the ins and outs of driving a big rig potentially loaded with lethal chemicals, then passing a multiple-choice written test. All you need to qualify for the course: a valid driver's license.

ALBERT HANLEY, CDL SCHOOL: That's your benchmark -- and to be 18 years of age.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): You need not be a U.S. citizen?

HANLEY: Correct, but you do have to be a resident alien or have a valid social security number.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The problem, of course, is catching fraudulent I.D.s, a problem already plaguing the FBI in its attempt to nail down the real identity of the suspected hijackers.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Pakistan is holding a day of solidarity to show support for the U.S. war against terrorism. At the same time, a desperate refugee crisis is building on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour is in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, with an update -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, we're getting more and more information that's enabling us from this long distance to try to piece together a picture of what is happening in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. We contacted a senior government minister of the Taliban in Kandahar earlier today, and he told us that some -- there were defections amongst the Taliban in various parts of their territory there. And this, he said was very troubling to the government. He also said that there was a sense of unease amongst the government and other Taliban officials about what to do next and what might happen next.

He said that around the main base, where they are right now, Kandahar, he doesn't perceive any defections, but that might be going on in other parts of the country.

Now, this confirms reports that CNN has had from Afghans freeing across the border into Pakistan. Today people told CNN that there were mid to low level militia commanders, Taliban commanders, defecting all over the country, that they wanting to have nothing to do with any military confrontation, and that they were moving out to the countryside.

Also some schools, what they call "madrasas (ph)," the religious schools for boys, had been closed, and these boys had been basically drafted into this new effort that the Taliban is hoping to wage. Although the boys are saying that many of them have gone back to their families in the villages and in the countryside or some of them across to Pakistan. Nobody apparently of these people that we've been talking to wants to fight for the Taliban.

So this is an interesting picture emerging, and it's something we have to follow to try to gauge exactly what's going on in terms of Taliban resolve, their strength, and continuing grip of the power there. In addition, tribal leaders in a very important province there wrote a letter to the Taliban leader, telling him and demanding that all the Arab fighters associated with Osama bin Laden be taken away, removed from their district. Again, they didn't want to have to anything to do with them at this particular time.

In another development, Pakistani government officials tell us that they're planning to send one last delegation to try to tell the Taliban, it's time now or never to cooperate with the international community. We're don't when they're going. It's not a negotiation, just a forceful message to tell them to cooperate now or face the consequences -- Paula.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much for that update.

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