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American Morning

Fourth of July Security Concerns

Aired July 01, 2002 - 07:00   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, sharing the stage with freedom and fireworks this Fourth of July: vigilance. The FBI warns law enforcement agencies to be on the alert for terrorist activity.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is urging Americans to be prudent as they go about the business of celebrating their independence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's a national celebration, and if we want to give a message back to the terrorists, the message we ought to give them is we are not afraid of them. We are Americans, we have courage, and we are going to enjoy our holiday. I am going to enjoy my holiday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: With his take on the potential holiday threat, CNN's security analyst, Kelly McCann, who joins us from Washington -- good to see you again, Kelly -- welcome.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: All right. We have heard just a little bit of what the secretary of state had to say about July 4, telling us all to go about and enjoy our holiday, but at the same time, remain vigilant. What does that mean?

MCCANN: I think it's indicative, Paula, of the omnipresent threat, the new landscape as we know it. And although there may not be specific threats that identify July 4 as a particular day to be careful of, there is the presence of cells still operating here, and an overwhelming sense of there has been a time lag since an incident has occurred. So I think that people should just raise their general security posture, but go about their business and have a very good time.

ZAHN: Well, it would seem that if you check out the latest polls in "Newsweek" magazine, 45 percent of all Americans think that there will be some kind of attack against a major city or landmark over the holiday weekend. The numbers are somewhat different you see for somewhat likely, not too likely, 28 percent, not at all likely, 11 percent. What do you think is the likelihood of an attack being carried out on the holiday weekend?

MCCANN: I think that we have been covering these guys so closely that we would have been able to determine a specific attack if one had been -- if information was, you know, leading that way. I think that we have got a fair grip on that. But then again, there could have been previous plans that are not discussed and people in motion.

Truthfully, this is the new way that we have to live, and I think that all around the Mall, of course, here in D.C., and up in New York City, people are -- police officers are going to be going through people's bags. And people should make their life more convenient by not having anything with them that even remotely resembles a weapon or could be interpreted as such. The lines will be longer. Congestion is going to be greater on the highways, because police will be doing checkpoints and things like that.

So I think personally that we are not that likely to have an attack, but I think that it's also worthwhile heeding general cautionary notes.

ZAHN: Well, in spite of the fact that that poll shows that 45 percent of Americans believe that an attack is somewhat likely, three- quarters of them also say they plan to go about their regular business on the holiday weekend. Other than some of the logistics, headaches you just mentioned, any other advice for folks who plan to either get in their cars or get in airplanes over the weekend?

MCCANN: Sure. If they are likely or tend to be very, very cautious, you know, they may want to avoid going to places where population density is high. And if they do choose to go to them, they should remember two things. One, which is not -- if they are inclined not to get too deep, so they can't get out in case something were to occur, and secondly, not to panic.

I mean, the state that the public is in right now, if anything happened, an inadvertent discharge of say pepper gas or something like that, people who are unfamiliar with the affects of that could basically overreact and create a much worse situation. So I think that level-headedness and steady as she goes is the key here.

ZAHN: We keep on seeing the city of Seattle's name brought up within the context of a vulnerable port city with what some people say has bad policing. Officials there say they are prepared for a potential attack. What kind of a risk do you think folks in Seattle face?

MCCANN: Because of the number of times that that has come up on the scope, I think that's probably very worthwhile looking at closely. But I don't know if it was indicative of someone's evaluation of the police performance during the World Trade meeting out there.

I think it more indicates, of course, the port that the shipping through there, you know, container vessels. There is a lot of oil that moves through that way. There is an ease of access from British Columbia and along the Canadian border. So I think there are other elements that were considered that raised that on everybody's scope, not necessarily police performance.

ZAHN: Osama bin Laden is in the news once again. Over the weekend, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice reacting to news that apparently a note was written by Osama bin Laden to one of his chiefs, Abu Zubaydah, back in December, personally handwritten. I guess French sources now saying they can authenticate his writing.

Let's listen to what Condoleezza Rice had to say yesterday, and then I want your reaction to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Nothing changes in what have we said several times. We don't know whether Osama bin Laden is alive or dead. We do know that he is not commanding this organization in the way that he once did, because their home base is gone in Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Based on this note that French authorities are authenticating was sent, they say, from Osama bin Laden to Abu Zubaydah, do you think he is still alive?

MCCANN: I don't have an opinion, and the reason is, is I don't care. The bottom line, Paula, is, is that no matter whether he is alive or dead, the organization will live on. Part of that note, of course, said, "Go on after my demise if that occurs," et cetera, et cetera.

Similarly this weekend, as everyone is being directed to the Hezbollah now, at a tactical level being involved with AQ. That's no real news either. Mugnia (ph) was the intelligence officer for Hezbollah. You know, so the Sunni-Shi'ite kind of problem there has always -- there have been lower-level people who are involved.

In addition to that, in Pakistan last week, there were three Palestinians implicated and arrested for being involved in two attacks on Westerners in Pakistan. So what you start to see here is, if you connect those dots, is a coalition similar to ours. And also not new news, but now it's becoming actionable I think.

So there are some interesting things, and I think Condoleezza Rice is right on the money, which is full steam ahead, nothing has changed.

ZAHN: All right. Well, J. Kelly McCann, always good to see you -- thanks for your insights as we head into this holiday weekend.

MCCANN: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: Take care.

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