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American Morning
America Strikes Back: Interview of 'TIME''s Michael Weisskopf, on Homeland Safety
Aired October 15, 2001 - 09:21 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: No negotiations -- that is President Bush's reaction to the latest offer from the Taliban. They offer to discuss handing over Osama bin Laden to a third country, if the United States stops bombing Afghanistan.
Let's get more from our senior White House correspondent, John King.
Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: As you noted, the president was using very strong language when he returned to the White House from Camp David. He said, quote, "We know he is guilty. Turn him over." That's the president latest war of words with the Taliban. Once again, Mr. Bush is dismissing an offer that has been made before, more than one time, the Taliban saying if the United States presented evidence Osama bin Laden was guilty, perhaps the Taliban would then turn bin Laden over to a third country.
You see the president here with the first lady coming off Marine One back into the White House. The president is at this hour in a meeting with his National Security team getting an update on week two -- we are now in week two of the air campaign, the strikes against targets in Afghanistan.
The president discussions also are increasingly focused on the war on terrorism here at home, and the subject you were discussion a bit earlier in the show, these anthrax scares and anthrax cases, federal investigations under way in Florida, New York, and in the state of Nevada. One of the president's roles is trying to reassure the American people that the government is doing all it can here, A, to find out the source of these attacks, and B, to make sure the government is prepared to deal with any public health consequences.
Last night, the secretary of health and human services Tommy Thompson was telling CNN the investigation is still in early stages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMMY THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: It's a biological agent. It's terrorism; it's a crime. It's terrorism, but whether or not it is connected to al Qaeda we can't say conclusively. Someone can say it looks like it, but there has not been conclusive evidence to tie to Osama bin Laden or to al Qaeda; all we know is it's a terrorist act because anybody that would do this is trying to create terror, trying to create fear in the American public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: More focus on the military campaign later today. You see President Bush there, the man in middle at podium Air Force Gen. Richard Myers. He's the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top military officer in United States. He was sworn in a little bit more than a week ago, but the official welcoming ceremony will be later today at Fort Myers, just outside Washington. The president will participate in that ceremony, and in brief remarks, we are told, make clear once again that he believes the United States military is well prepared to win the war on terrorism, and the president will assure the military at that ceremony any resources it needs it will get -- Paula.
John, thanks so much.
The U.S.-led assault against Afghanistan now into its eighth day.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us now from the Pentagon, with very latest from there.
Good morning again, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And before they go to that welcoming ceremony with the president, secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Myers, will holding a briefing -- about four hours here at the Pentagon, where, if experience is our guide, they will deflect questions about what we can expect next in the battle of the war against terrorism.
Of course, what we do know is what we have seen overnight, and that is an intensification of the bombing runs that are now day and night. They focused on city of Kabul, which is the capital city. You can see some flames in and around Kabul. U.S. jets were after -- you see the mountains in the back -- among other things, some troop concentrations that had retreated into the mountains, some equipment that had gone back there. They also went after a telecommunications center. There is also discussion what follows bombing runs since officials are now saying they are beginning to run out of targets, and just about everyone is continuing to say that what will follow soon will be some variation of ground attacks -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thank you, Bob. The terror attacks, the anthrax cases -- it's apparent that Americans are on edge.
"TIME" magazine this week talks about the fear factor in America. Among the potential fears, the trucking industry. The FBI is following leads that terrorists drew up plans to deliver deadly cargo on board trucks and that they took training similar to their efforts to learn the workings of big jets and crop dusters.
Michael Weisskopf is an investigative reporter for "TIME" magazine. He joins us now from Washington to talk about all that.
Good morning!
MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME": Hi, Paula.
ZAHN: So can you help us understand this morning how these folks would go to these truck training schools and actually get licenses when they didn't speak English and couldn't understand the written test in English?
WEISSKOPF: It is not clear exactly what the evidence is. We do know that the FBI has been looking for men of Middle Eastern background who had halting English; who offered to pay in cash; who weren't really concerned about the pay that truck drivers get; and more importantly, didn't ask for job placement after they completed their courses. These driving schools are considered to be very important for obtaining licenses, commercial driving licensees and hazardous material driving licensees.
ZAHN: But Michael, that didn't raise any red flags among the folks that operate these schools?
WEISSKOPF: We haven't taken the story that far. At this point, we know that 25 or 35 Middle Easterners supposedly attended one school in the Denver area over a period of the last couple of years, going there in groups, paying cash, not asking about job placement, and not speaking English. That is one of the reports we have received. The FBI is looking into it.
ZAHN: And I guess in your report you say that the FBI has already visited dozens of the some 600 trucking schools out there.
WEISSKOPF: That is right. The context for that is that among potential sources of terror, this is a big one, because in 1998, when a couple of our embassies in Africa were blown up, it was truck bombs being used, and there are 30,000 trucks on our roads every day -- sort of bombs on wheels.
ZAHN: What is the reality of how the FBI is going to check some 30,000 trucks, Michael?
WEISSKOPF: In places like Washington, for instance, trucks are being checked, particularly in areas of sensitivity, as they approach the U.S. Capitol. But one way to get it is figuring out who is out there driving trucks who is a potential danger, and that is why they are going through these driving schools much as they went through flight schools, in search of people trying to figure out how to drive big airplanes.
ZAHN: And what can the industry do in the meantime to make the work environment more secure for its drivers and the American public?
WEISSKOPF: Certainly, the driving school industry can alert the FBI about any type of suspicious students over the years -- those meeting criteria I outlined a minute ago: paying large sums of cash, speaking halting English, not being terribly concerned about what a job in trucking can offer in terms of salary or advancement; and not asking for job placement afterwards.
ZAHN: All right, Michael Weisskopf, thanks for giving us an idea of what people can find if they go out and pick up a copy of "TIME" magazine this week. We appreciate your dropping by.
WEISSKOPF: Pleasure.
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