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American Morning
Interview with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge
Aired March 19, 2003 - 07:06 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: As John King just reported from the White House, the mayor of New York and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge are meeting with President Bush a little bit later on this morning as final plans to protect Americans at home go into effect.
Secretary Ridge yesterday spelled out the wartime security steps adopted for Operation Liberty Shield. The plan is designed to protect Americans against terrorist reprisals.
And the secretary, Tom Ridge, joins us this morning from Washington.
Welcome back, sir -- glad to have you with us this morning.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Thank you, Paula.
ZAHN: So, Secretary Ridge, a new FBI report out says that the U.S. intelligence committee -- or community believes that al Qaeda is in the final stages of planning for large-scale attacks that could include biological, chemical or radiological weapons. You say that America is ready. How is it that you believe the government can be that prepared for that broad of an attack?
RIDGE: Well, we know that since September 11, as we have monitored al Qaeda's activity, as weve learned more and more about that terrorist organization, that they have sought and said they would use chemical, biological or radiological weapons.
We also know since September 11, 2001 this country, at the federal level, the state level, the local level, within the private sector -- the entire country has been engaged in improving its security and taking preventive measures against that kind of attack. We get stronger every single day.
ZAHN: There is a report in "The New York Times" this morning that says many states, because of tight budgets, have not activated the National Guard as the government has asked them to do so, and that many states have actually held off on activating emergency operation centers as well. Do you believe the security measures or security in general is being compromised by fiscal problems in many states across the country?
RIDGE: Well, first of all, I had a very good conversation, a strategic conversation with governors across the country a couple of nights ago, and we are working and monitoring their efforts across the country. We gave them the option. We asked them to either deploy the National Guard, to use their state police, or work with the private sector to provide other forms of security at critical occasions.
You know, we trust our governors to work in partnership, and we also trust the notion that they will not let finances get in the way of protecting their citizens and their way of life. The president has said that he is going to send a supplemental request for additional financing, additional dollars to the Hill. The president has said that there will be a homeland security component, and we'll be working with the administration and Congress once that request for additional money to help these governors and mayors in the country defray the cost for these kinds of expenses.
ZAHN: Can you assure governors today across the country that they're going to get what they say they need financially?
RIDGE: Well, we've -- well, first of all, the governors and the mayors I think are alerted to the fact that we have several billion dollars in the pipeline that will be going out to them in the weeks and the months ahead. As you know, the Congress budget process last year was delayed by five or six months, and we've got in excess of $3 billion that we're working with the governors and first responders to get those dollars out the door.
If we get those dollars out to assist them, there's a significant funding for homeland security in the request for additional dollars for the president's supplemental. And if we can get the 2004 request for an additional $3.5 billion out the door, there will be sufficient resources I think for the governors and the mayors and everyone else to do their job as they want to get it done.
ZAHN: Secretary Ridge, there's also a General Accounting report out that suggests that scores of chemical plants may be attractive targets for terrorists, and that no one has comprehensively assessed the threat level there. What is being done to make sure these plants are not ultimately used as weapons?
RIDGE: Well, I think one report highlights the notion that our enemies can take a strategic economic asset and turn it into a weapon. Having said that, I know the federal government and the governors are sensitive to those -- that kind of infrastructure. We are working with the private sector to improve security at those chemical locations around the country.
And one of the purposes of the new department and one of its critical functions in the months and the years ahead is to make sure that the security enhancements, the protective measures we need at these critical places is put in place and then sustained, primarily sustained by the private sector. But we've had conversations with the industry leaders of that sector of our economy and working with the governors and monitoring the activity. We will do our very best in working with them, and they are working to secure those facilities against the possibility of an attack.
ZAHN: Sir, I'm told we have about 30 seconds before you need to move on here. A final question about the vulnerability many Americans are feeling today on what appears to be the edge of war. You say that America is ready, and yet I know you have to concede that there was a bipartisan report back in October that says the U.S. is still unprepared in the face of a terrorist attack.
What can you tell Americans this morning that would make them feel any better about those conclusions that were arrived at in that report?
RIDGE: Well, I read the report, and what Americans hopefully understand is that every single day since September 11, it hasnt just been the federal government, and the federal government has been working to improve security, but your governors and your mayors have, your local first responders, your law enforcement community, the private sector. Every single day there are actions taken in this country to help reduce the risk, to help reduce our vulnerability. Every single day there are actions taken to prevent a terrorist attack.
Are we at the precise point where we can say we've got it all done? No. I'm sure we'll never be there. But we are far, far better prepared today than we were on September 10, 2001. Our job is to get stronger every single day.
ZAHN: Secretary Tom Ridge, thank you for spending a little time with us this morning.
RIDGE: Thanks, Paula.
ZAHN: And good luck to you and your whole community -- appreciate it.
RIDGE: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired March 19, 2003 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As John King just reported from the White House, the mayor of New York and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge are meeting with President Bush a little bit later on this morning as final plans to protect Americans at home go into effect.
Secretary Ridge yesterday spelled out the wartime security steps adopted for Operation Liberty Shield. The plan is designed to protect Americans against terrorist reprisals.
And the secretary, Tom Ridge, joins us this morning from Washington.
Welcome back, sir -- glad to have you with us this morning.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Thank you, Paula.
ZAHN: So, Secretary Ridge, a new FBI report out says that the U.S. intelligence committee -- or community believes that al Qaeda is in the final stages of planning for large-scale attacks that could include biological, chemical or radiological weapons. You say that America is ready. How is it that you believe the government can be that prepared for that broad of an attack?
RIDGE: Well, we know that since September 11, as we have monitored al Qaeda's activity, as weve learned more and more about that terrorist organization, that they have sought and said they would use chemical, biological or radiological weapons.
We also know since September 11, 2001 this country, at the federal level, the state level, the local level, within the private sector -- the entire country has been engaged in improving its security and taking preventive measures against that kind of attack. We get stronger every single day.
ZAHN: There is a report in "The New York Times" this morning that says many states, because of tight budgets, have not activated the National Guard as the government has asked them to do so, and that many states have actually held off on activating emergency operation centers as well. Do you believe the security measures or security in general is being compromised by fiscal problems in many states across the country?
RIDGE: Well, first of all, I had a very good conversation, a strategic conversation with governors across the country a couple of nights ago, and we are working and monitoring their efforts across the country. We gave them the option. We asked them to either deploy the National Guard, to use their state police, or work with the private sector to provide other forms of security at critical occasions.
You know, we trust our governors to work in partnership, and we also trust the notion that they will not let finances get in the way of protecting their citizens and their way of life. The president has said that he is going to send a supplemental request for additional financing, additional dollars to the Hill. The president has said that there will be a homeland security component, and we'll be working with the administration and Congress once that request for additional money to help these governors and mayors in the country defray the cost for these kinds of expenses.
ZAHN: Can you assure governors today across the country that they're going to get what they say they need financially?
RIDGE: Well, we've -- well, first of all, the governors and the mayors I think are alerted to the fact that we have several billion dollars in the pipeline that will be going out to them in the weeks and the months ahead. As you know, the Congress budget process last year was delayed by five or six months, and we've got in excess of $3 billion that we're working with the governors and first responders to get those dollars out the door.
If we get those dollars out to assist them, there's a significant funding for homeland security in the request for additional dollars for the president's supplemental. And if we can get the 2004 request for an additional $3.5 billion out the door, there will be sufficient resources I think for the governors and the mayors and everyone else to do their job as they want to get it done.
ZAHN: Secretary Ridge, there's also a General Accounting report out that suggests that scores of chemical plants may be attractive targets for terrorists, and that no one has comprehensively assessed the threat level there. What is being done to make sure these plants are not ultimately used as weapons?
RIDGE: Well, I think one report highlights the notion that our enemies can take a strategic economic asset and turn it into a weapon. Having said that, I know the federal government and the governors are sensitive to those -- that kind of infrastructure. We are working with the private sector to improve security at those chemical locations around the country.
And one of the purposes of the new department and one of its critical functions in the months and the years ahead is to make sure that the security enhancements, the protective measures we need at these critical places is put in place and then sustained, primarily sustained by the private sector. But we've had conversations with the industry leaders of that sector of our economy and working with the governors and monitoring the activity. We will do our very best in working with them, and they are working to secure those facilities against the possibility of an attack.
ZAHN: Sir, I'm told we have about 30 seconds before you need to move on here. A final question about the vulnerability many Americans are feeling today on what appears to be the edge of war. You say that America is ready, and yet I know you have to concede that there was a bipartisan report back in October that says the U.S. is still unprepared in the face of a terrorist attack.
What can you tell Americans this morning that would make them feel any better about those conclusions that were arrived at in that report?
RIDGE: Well, I read the report, and what Americans hopefully understand is that every single day since September 11, it hasnt just been the federal government, and the federal government has been working to improve security, but your governors and your mayors have, your local first responders, your law enforcement community, the private sector. Every single day there are actions taken in this country to help reduce the risk, to help reduce our vulnerability. Every single day there are actions taken to prevent a terrorist attack.
Are we at the precise point where we can say we've got it all done? No. I'm sure we'll never be there. But we are far, far better prepared today than we were on September 10, 2001. Our job is to get stronger every single day.
ZAHN: Secretary Tom Ridge, thank you for spending a little time with us this morning.
RIDGE: Thanks, Paula.
ZAHN: And good luck to you and your whole community -- appreciate it.
RIDGE: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
