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American Morning
Officials Worry of 'Threat Fatigue' Over Holiday
Aired July 01, 2002 - 08:01 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, the threat of a terror on Independence Day. The government is worried about security at national monuments.
Jason Carroll is standing by in New York's Battery Park, where ferries take tourists to the Statue of Liberty. He's going to give us an idea of how people are reacting to these unspecified threats.
Good morning, Jason.
What's going on there this morning?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Paula.
Let me show you. Right here is the area where folks will be lining up this morning to board a ferry so they can take it over to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. As you said, these are just two spots here in the city where they're going to be having beefed up security during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Federal authorities have issued an alert to state and local law enforcement agencies warning of the possibility of a terrorist attack during the holiday weekend, but it's not a specific threat. New York City will be taking precautions anyway. Some 4,000 police officers will be out on the streets. They will be searching bags. There will be security checkpoints out on the streets, as well. Also, they will be stepping up air patrols in the area, as well.
In the nation's capital, barricades are going up around Washington's Mall to control access to the Fourth of July celebration there. In fact, a subway stop that gives access to that area will be shut down on the Fourth, all in an effort to control the crowds. D.C.'s mayor is saying that people will have to allow extra time to get to the celebration, but he wants it to be a safe celebration.
In Seattle, they will be beefing up security in that city as well. In places like Las Vegas, the mayor says nothing extraordinary will be done there.
Even though these threats are vague, Secretary of State Colin Powell says he still wants people to be vigilant.
(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're not afraid of them. We're Americans. We have courage, and we're going to enjoy our holiday. I'm going to enjoy my holiday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: We've heard several of these nonspecific threats before, and because of that, there is a concern among some people in the government that some folks out in the public might be suffering from something called threat fatigue -- in other words, not taking these types of threats seriously.
Joining me now, two people who are lined up this morning, gracious enough to join us. They are not suffering, I should tell you, from threat fatigue.
We've got Patricia Brown (ph), and we also have Mercedes Huang (ph), both of them tourists. They're in town from Atlanta, Georgia, their first time in New York City .
Tell me something: This holiday weekend, you've heard about this threat fatigue, something that you are not suffering from.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. I'm here to have a good time. It's the holiday weekend. I'm just going to comply with security measures and have a good time.
CARROLL: Would the possibility of a security threat, would that prevent you from actually visiting a site actually on the Fourth of July? Or are you going to go out and enjoy anyway?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to go out and enjoy. I'm going to Statue of Liberty, and I'm planning on having a good time.
CARROLL: All right, let's move over here to Mercedes.
Now, Mercedes (ph), the same question: You've heard about this idea of threat fatigue, again, something that you are not suffering from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
CARROLL: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think that all the security is in place to keep me safe, and I'm just going to have a good time.
CARROLL: Again, the same question that I asked Patricia (ph). This is your first time here in New York City. You know about all the threats that have been going around in the past. Would an idea of a threat prevent you from actually visiting some sort of a national site or participating in some sort of a large celebration on the Fourth of July?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not at all.
CARROLL: Not at all?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CARROLL: You're feeling safe with the security that's in place?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very safe.
CARROLL: All right.
Once again, Mercedes Huang (ph), Patricia Brown (ph), two tourists here in town from Atlanta, thank you so very, very much.
Again, Colin Powell saying that he wants people to be vigilant. Apparently, that's a message that seems to be getting across -- Paula.
ZAHN: It's interesting that their opinions pretty much reflected some of the polling done in "Newsweek," which shows that, I guess, 45 percent of all Americans think it's likely that there will be some kind of attack over the July Fourth weekend. But three quarters of them saying they're going to go about their normal business anyway.
Any other opinions out there that you've taken in?
CARROLL: Well, basically, from what I've heard just throughout the weekend -- I was actually just sort of heading to a mall this past weekend, and I overhead a conversation. You know, a lot of people are just saying, you know, we're hearing about these threats, but we just want to go on and live our lives. I mean literally what else can you do, I mean, other than that?
So I think the two opinions that we heard here today basically reflect what some, most people here in the city -- at least, of New York City -- are feeling about these terrorist threats in the Fourth of July.
ZAHN: All right, Jason Carroll, enjoy the view from down there. It's always pretty looking out there, and the Statue of Liberty not far from where you're standing.
Thanks.
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