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American Morning
Ashcroft Says No End in Sight to Kinds of Security Alerts We Have Seen Since 09-11
Aired March 06, 2002 - 07:33 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: Attorney General John Ashcroft says there is no end in sight to the kinds of security alerts we have seen since September 11. In an interview with "USA Today," in this morning's newspaper, Ashcroft said the threat from terrorists could go on for the rest of our lives.
Joining us now is Michael Elliot of "Time" magazine to help give us a better perspective on all that -- good morning.
MICHAEL ELLIOT, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Paula.
ZAHN: I have to say you pick up this article this morning and you read it, and it doesn't leave you feeling very settled. Basically, he is saying that we could live with this consistent wave of threats. What do you make of the timing of these comments?
ELLIOT: He has kind of become the nation's, you know, Dr. Gloom. You know, I mean, parents with small children will kind of remember Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.
ZAHN: Sure.
ELLIOT: You know, he kind of walks around with a little cloud over his head. And Ashcroft is reminding me of that sort of character. I mean, of course, we need to take al Qaeda seriously, and when he said that there are 10,000 or whatever -- however many thousand fighters there are out there who weren't just ready for September 11, we should listen to him.
But I think it's actually difficult to ask people to imagine that this is going to last the whole of their natural lives. I mean, this country has faced huge crises before, massive war against Japan and Germany. We saw that out. We saw the Cold War out. It seems to me to be, frankly, unnecessarily pessimistic.
ZAHN: In these comments, he also seemed to reinforce the importance of getting Osama bin Laden, which the administration from time to time has tried to downplay. He says -- quote: "He didn't view September 11 as the end of the effort. He viewed it as part of a sustained effort." Is he, in fact, undercutting the administration's military philosophy...
ELLIOT: Well, let's... ZAHN: ... by once again saying how important it is to get Osama bin Laden?
ELLIOT: You know, that's a very interesting point, because as we know, the administration has blown hot and cold on this. I mean, right at the beginning Osama bin Laden was demonized, and it was, we have got to get him. He's public enemy No. 1. Then it was, no, let's fight the war. Then back around Christmas, when it looked as if we were closing in on him, it was back to us getting Osama bin Laden. Then in January, when it was plain that he had slipped (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it was there are wider things to play for here.
And now here is Ashcroft kind of putting bin Laden back front and center, and I think it is confusing, and I think it does not help people...
ZAHN: He didn't do this on his own, did he? Are you suggesting that?
ELLIOT: No, no, no. No.
ZAHN: He is not out here solo player in the administration.
ELLIOT: Oh, certainly not.
ZAHN: Certainly somebody had (UNINTELLIGIBLE) these comments.
ELLIOT: Oh, certainly not. Certainly not. But I think there is a confusion here that is not helpful to the public, and that is, you know, are we going after one guy? Have we won even if we don't get bin Laden and his top lieutenants? Or do we have to get those by a date certain, three months, six months, the end of this year, what have you, to know that we have kind of really made progress on the war on terrorism? So I think there is a degree of confusion in the messages that are coming out here.
ZAHN: Final thought this morning on a piece in the "Wall Street Journal" suggesting that trucks that were sent to Iraq for humanitarian purposes have now been converted for military use. This is a time when Iraqi officials now are headed to the United States for very important meetings tomorrow at the U.N.
ELLIOT: Well, I am shocked -- shocked...
ZAHN: Oh, I can tell you are.
ELLIOT: ... to see that the Iraqi government are taking trucks that are going to be used for humanitarian purposes and turning them into military use. The Iraqi government has done far worse things than that, and will doubtless continue to do so. I think they are scared though. I mean, I think the fact that they are in town this week apparently trying to have some serious talks with the U.N. about re-imposing a sanctions -- an inspection system for weapons of mass destruction indicates that they are taking very, very seriously...
(CROSSTALK) ZAHN: Well, this has got to be somewhat embarrassing, doesn't it...
ELLIOT: Sure. Sure.
ZAHN: ... for the Iraqis that it has been revealed at a time when they are trying to...
(CROSSTALK)
ELLIOT: But you know, they have a degree of gall, if you like. I mean, they just don't mind being embarrassed by shifting bombs from one place to another, by hiding them in palaces. And when they are discovered, they shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh," you know.
ZAHN: You will give us another preview tomorrow morning in advance of those meetings.
ELLIOT: See you then.
ZAHN: Michael Elliot, thanks for your time this morning -- Michael Elliot of "Time" magazine.
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