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American Morning

Homeland Security: Americans Continue Routine Amid Warnings of Terrorism

Aired October 30, 2001 - 09:43   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: As you know, we're getting new warnings of a possible terrorist threat, while, at the same time, those same officials giving us those warnings say continue with our daily routines.

Jeff Flock has been talking with people in Midwest. He joins us from a commuter train station in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago.

Good morning, Jeff. How are you doing this morning?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

Indeed, trying to game the impact of all of this on Americans. This morning, showing you the newspaper headlines. The "Tribune" is still here, but the "Sun Times" has been sold out. That's the one that has that "Terror Warning" splashed across the front page.

We're trying to get a sense for the impact on you. Has that had any impact?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I always try to be alert and aware of what's going on around me. I lived in Israel for a year, so since I've been back, I've always been alert. I'm traveling today -- I'm going to Indianapolis -- and then the next day, I'll be going to St. Louis.

However, my wife is very concerned. She is home. We have a little baby. Last night before we went to bed, I went out to the store to buy extra water, things like that, just so that if anything were to happen, we were prepared.

FLOCK: So you're on permanent alert?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Always on alert.

FLOCK: I got you.

I want to get a sense for other folks. Some people, curiously enough, didn't even know about this alert based on what had happened yesterday. And I want to get a sense.

Did you know it? Did you know that the government has put the nation on alert?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FLOCK: What impact has is had on you, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really not having much at all. I work in the Sears Tower, and we're seeing quite a bit more security there. But it really isn't terribly bothersome.

FLOCK: They opened the Skydeck yesterday back to the public. Any impact there? And working in that tower -- what floor on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on the 63rd floor.

FLOCK: A long way down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A long way down, a long way down. But there's a delay getting in in the morning, but other than that, no problem.

FLOCK: Good deal.

One more, maybe, before we get away, Paula. I think we've got one more gentleman, perhaps, up here who has got some sense of the impact.

It's interesting to get your sense -- impact of the new warning, and is a warning a good thing for you, or would you rather not know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate the fact the warning is so empty. They just say be prepared, be warned, but you have no idea what it could be. You feel like in Washington, they're protected. They have their underground tunnels, they have all the people around them. We're out here exposed. And that's frightening.

FLOCK: Will you do anything differently now that the government has said that in the next week is a credible threat?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I think we're all looking of our shoulders more. We're just sort of more leery.

FLOCK: Thank you, sir.

That's the latest, Paula. Back to you.

ZAHN: Jeff, thanks so much.

Let's hand it over to Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's head to Washington, where we're learning just now, in the wake of that announcement last night, about a heightened state of urgency and threat in this country. Vice President Cheney is once again being transferred to a secure location.

For details on all this, we turn to our White House correspondent Major Garrett -- Major. MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

As you just said, Vice President Cheney will work this day at a secure and undisclosed location. That had been true for a good number of days after the September 11 attacks. And for a while last week, we were beginning to see the vice president a little bit more around the White House grounds themselves. As a matter of fact, on Friday, he appeared standing next to the president at an event in the East Room, talking to business leaders. He was traveling yesterday in New York, but today, because of this new warning that there is credible evidence of a terrorist strike within the next week, the vice president will not in any way work at the White House complex, but will be at the secure and undisclosed location for his security and for the maintenance of what the White House always describes as the powers of succession -- making sure the president and the vice president are not at the same place at the same time when the nation is under a heightened level of threat -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Major, do you have a sense how long this will stay in place? Presumably, everybody is tight lipped about that.

GARRETT: Tight lipped about it. I think it's safe to assume that as long as the federal government believes this threat remains credible, it would be a rather safe assumption that the vice president will not be spending very much time around the White House complex, but working from that secure and undisclosed location.

It's worth pointing out he can maintain constant contact with the president, not only by phone, but by video teleconference. So communication is in no way hampered. The vice president will continue to do what he often does, which is work the phones on Capitol Hill to move legislation for the president. He will be doing that, as well -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Major Garrett, at the White House, thank you very much.

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