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American Morning

Discussion with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge About Olympic Security

Aired January 10, 2002 - 08:13   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: Less than a month from now before the start of the winter Olympics. Awaiting the athletes when they arrive in Salt Lake City is a mountain of snow and a heap of security. This morning, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge is getting a firsthand look at the Salt Lake setup. He joins us now from Olympic city this morning. Welcome, good to have you with us, sir.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: Good morning, Paula. Nice to be with you.

ZAHN: Thank you. So I understand that you consider this one of the most daunting security tasks since September 11. Give us an idea this morning of what kind of precautions are in place to keep the athletes safe, as well as visitors to the city.

RIDGE: This event was designated a national special security event, which means that the Secret Service, the FBI, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been leading the coordination among nearly 60 department agencies, including cabinet - federal cabinet level agencies, as well as state and local. There'll be literally thousands and thousands of security personnel; they will employ traditional means of security. But there'll be new technical means deployed.

So this will be a very safe venue. We want the athletes to be secure. But it will be a user-friendly venue. There'll be a lot of visible signs of security, but there'll be a lot of things that the visitors and the athletes can't see. We project - and it is very appropriately the Olympics; it's a worldwide stage - we project a very open forum, but a very safe forum as well.

ZAHN: Now on January 3, the FBI actually extended its terror alert that was issued at the beginning of December and that will run now through March 11. Was there a terror threat attached to the Olympics?

RIDGE: Now, Paula, there has not been a specific terrorist threat attached to the Olympics. But based on the experience in Munich in '72 and in Atlanta in '96, the preparation dealing with all security concerns literally began in August of 1999. After September 11, clearly, they went back again and took a look at it and made some enhancements and additions. But, basically, the work in progress has - was commenced in August of '99 and will work completely and through every single day of the Olympics. But it's buttoned up; it's very secure. It may be one of the most secure places in the world during those two or three weeks that the Olympic athletes and the visitors are here.

ZAHN: In spite of all the money that's being spent and all the precautions you claim are in place, I want you to reflect yesterday on what happened when you had this fired maintenance worker making alleged terrorist threats at the San Onofri (ph) Power Plant. Clearly, there is nothing you could put in place to stop that from happening, right?

RIDGE: Well, this event - the Olympic event has traditional means. I mean, everybody going into every single venue is going to have to go through a metal detector. There are surveillance cameras appropriately applied. Every conceivable precaution has been taken. But as you well point out, no matter if you go to the maximum amount of human protection and you deploy the best technology, there's still always the possibility, there's always that potential.

But I would say that I think this team, this extraordinary team of federal, state and local officials have done an outstanding job. They've done - provided everything humanly possible in terms of personnel, and deployed as much technology where they needed it. I mean, I'm very confident about their ability to provide a secure, safe and enjoyable forum.

ZAHN: Coming back, though, to this arrest yesterday of this man, are you satisfied with the current state of security in place at nuclear plants across the country?

RIDGE: Every single day the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as other government agencies in the corporate world looks to enhance their security. And I think that every single day, as we take a look at potential problems and potential vulnerabilities we adjust. And I think you're going to see that as a constant condition within America. The threat of terrorism is not just external terrorism, but as you well pointed out, this is a very unhappy individual armed to the teeth. Whether or not - and you ought to consider it potentially a terrorist event because it looked like he was equipped to do massive harm and damage to people.

So, again, this heightened state of alert is not just for foreign terrorists; but, unfortunately, there are some very trouble people within our own country, and we've seen they can act out. And we have to be prepared and ready for them as well.

ZAHN: Mr. Ridge, can we move on to the issue of the vulnerability of our airspace? A lot of attention focused on Charles Bishop, who was able somehow to not only steal an airplane, but fly in military airspace for a full minute. We should say, military planes were scrambled, but after this kid rammed his plane into the Bank of America tower. IF someone is intent on stealing a plane, whether it's a kid like this or a suicide bomber, what can you do to stop him?

RIDGE: Well, there have been, and there will continue to be, restrictions on general aviation as early as Sunday, when the FAA and the Department of Transportation and the federal law enforcement agencies were working together to retrace the events that led to this unfortunate incident. They were already making adjustments within their 500 airports in Florida, and the FAA has gone on record to reminding and sending some instructions out to these private airports as well.

There are certain things that I think we need to understand. And one is that we have to apply some common sense as we go about dealing with these precautions and these security restrictions. And I just think that the general aviation, we just have to be a lot more careful and a lot more vigilant. The notion that you just give a set of keys to what we find out a very troubled 15-year-old didn't seem to me to make a great deal of sense. But, again, you take a look at the flight instructors, you're going to profile a potential terrorist. And it's unlikely that some young man, unless you've had some pre-warning, who's working as - working around your shop in order to get some flight lessons would be an individual you would think is a real risk to himself or his community. But everyday we learn; everyday we gain, with additional knowledge, more ideas about how we can make our airports and general aviation more secure.

ZAHN: Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, thanks for your time this morning.

RIDGE: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: And good luck as precautions continue to be put in place in Salt Lake City. I have to admit, Mr. Ridge, I'm a little bit jealous that CNN doesn't get the live coverage of the winter Olympics. But we will all be following it very closely from here. Thank you again for your time this morning.

RIDGE: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: We'll be right back.

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