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American Morning
CIA May Be Cleared For Assassination; Bush May Use Executive Order for Airport Security
Aired October 29, 2001 - 09:15 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: Is assassinating Osama bin Laden a U.S. policy goal?
Well, with the latest on that and President Bush's plans for the day, we go now to White House Correspondent Major Garrett. Good morning, Major.
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. An intriguing and provocative question. The president has only said that the U.S. will use any means necessary, to rout out the al Qaeda terrorist network and the person he has identified as the mastermind of that network Osama bin Laden.
Now there were some questions raised yesterday, here in Washington, by a "Washington Post" story, that said the CIA was "contemplating" -- contemplating was the Post's words -- using covert means to specifically target identified terrorists for assassinations. The Post was pointing out that that's the first time that has been a part of U.S. Policy since the mid-70s.
But really, the administration has made it clear since September 11 that everything has changed, including previous presidential executive orders barring assassinations from U.S. intelligence services. Congress has more or less agreed with that and pointed out that those executive orders only applied during times of peace not during times of either war or necessary national self-defense. Now the president's Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, yesterday, after the Sunday talk shows, wouldn't comment specifically on what the CIA will or will not do, but suggested that it would be doing everything it could to stop terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I'm not going to commenting about the activities of the CIA. They're using all of the resources that the president has given them to use, and they're doing a great job trying to disrupt terrorists around the world and make sure that terrorists acts don't take place in the United States or where United States has interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GARRETT: Now, Paula, it is often helpful to look at the key words in a phrase like that. I would say, the ones embedded there that all of us should pay attention to is "they," meaning the CIA, are using all the resources that the president has given them. Well, if the president in fact has given a green light to rout out terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, the CIA probably knows what he means. Paula.
ZAHN: Major, I also understand you've enterprised some reporting about this potential directive that the president might be considering, if the House bill doesn't go the way he wants it to go. How -- how active of a consideration is that?
GARRETT: Paula, forgive me. Could you repeat the question one more time, I didn't hear it.
ZAHN: Oh, yeah. I think this came to us from you, that the president is considering putting his own version of security -- airport security -- an executive order, if House action doesn't go the way he wants it to go.
GARRETT: Well here's the situation. The Senate passed a bill that requires all airport security personnel -- baggage screeners and security screeners -- to be federal employees -- civil servants. The House Republican leadership vehemently opposes that idea. Their idea is to have federal supervisors but rank-and-file workers drawn from the private sector. That's what the house is going to vote on Wednesday.
The White House has said it supports that position, the president dedicated a Saturday radio address to that. Now, a top Republican House ally of the White House, Roy Blunt, who's a Deputy Majority Whip says, if the House position does prevail, and those two bills go to conference, and the final product doesn't look more like the House bill than the Senate bill, he believes, the president will just ignore the legislation entirely and use his powers of executive order, to get what he wants, as far as airport security is concerned.
White House officials have told me that is definitely a live option, but the president would very much prefer Congress to cake care of business in its traditional legislative way. Get a bill he can sign. But we've got good deal more debate to go through before we get to final outcome on this Paula.
ZAHN: And I know you'll be watching that very closely, which means we'll be coming to you often, about the story next several days. Major thanks so much.
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