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American Morning

Bush Administration Implements Secret Cold War Plan to Ensure Fully-Functioning Government

Aired March 01, 2002 - 09:05   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: "Up Front" this morning, a standby government: The Bush administration implements a secret Cold War plan to ensure there is a fully-functioning government in the event the nation's Capitol comes under a catastrophic terrorist attack.

Back during the Cold War, one location that was ready to protect members of Congress was the set of elaborate bunker in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. The site has been opened hoped to the public, and since the mid-1990s, thousands of tourist have toured the facility, including the dorms, the clinics and command center.

But for the latest on today's news, let's turn to our own CNN senior White House correspondent John King, who joins us now from Washington.

Good morning, John.

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

Recall back to those eerie moments, the first moments and hours after the strikes of September 11th, as the president and vice president decided what to do. One of the things they implemented are what called continuity of government protocols, and that is what we are talking about today. You just mentioned the Greenbriar. There are more modern-day bunkers set up now, some for Congress if that becomes necessary. And it did in the hours after September 11th. Key members of Congress were shuttled out of Washington and taken to a secure bunker. There are two other bunkers on the east coast, where roughly 100 or so senior government employees to this day since September 11th continue to operate what they call the shadow government. This is in case of some catastrophic strike on Washington.

And we are told the president signed off on this directive because of the possibility. They don't think this is a real threat, but the possibility that the Al Qaeda network had some sort of a rough nuclear weapon, or could launch some other form of catastrophic strike on Washington. So these employees are spread out at these two bunkers on the east coast. They would run the government if somehow communication was shut off with Washington, or worse, a catastrophic strike that killed the president and the vice president of the United States and others. Now, again, flashback to September 11th, while the president was in Florida and he got the news, Vice President Dick Cheney went to another such bunker. It is deep below where I am standing, the White House grounds. Dick Cheney down in that bunker. The national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to his right, your left, looking at the television.

Karen Hughes, one of the president's top advisers next to Condee Rice. Other top administration officials there. That is the vice president directing the government in the moments immediately after the strikes, and one of the things he did in consultation with the president was set in motion these protocals that put the shadow government in place.

Now Mr. Bush did return several hours later, and he went to that very same bunker, deep beneath the White House grounds. There you see Dick Cheney, the vice president, bringing the president up to speed on everything that had happened in the several hours it took Mr. Bush to get from Florida back to Washington.

Now, remember, another one of the president's stop was the Offit (ph) Air Force base in Nebraska. That is where there is another set of bunkers. The civilian government has these two bunker we're talking about when it comes to this shadow government. The military has them as well. One of them at Offit Air Force base. Mr. Bush stopped there, directed a security National Security Council meeting on his way back to Washington, and during that National Security Council meeting put in place the protocols that nearly six months later remain in place, a shadow government, just in case.

U.S. officials say this is a precaution, but it does give you some pause when you think about it -- Paula.

ZAHN: So, John, we've just got about 10 seconds left. How long will those 100 or so federal workers stay at these bunkers?

KING: They are rotating the because the president has left the plans in place. Right now, the plan is indefinitely. They say one thing we are doing now is learning lessons. They need new phones, new computers, other new technology at these sites. They are fine tuning the plan, even as they keep in place just as a precaution.

ZAHN: All right, thanks so much for the update.

John, have a good weekend.

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