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American Morning

Terror Drill to be Conducted in D.C. Area

Aired June 05, 2003 - 07:17   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in Washington on Capitol Hill, later tonight it is said to be only a test, something to keep in mind if you live in the D.C. area and you suddenly awake tonight to the roar of fighter jets overhead. The Pentagon plans to conduct a 90-minute air patrol exercise in Washington, a test of air combat defenses in and around the capital.
And for more on this, retired Air Force General Larry Arnold live with us in Colorado Springs to explain why you need this and what's it all about.

General, thanks for your time today here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Tell us, what will take place over 90 minutes later tonight?

MAJ. GEN. LARRY ARNOLD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Well, Bill, on a regular basis, the North American Air Defense Command, which is located here in Colorado Springs, will run a test with the defenses around the national capital region, the Washington, D.C. area. In order to do that, they have to test both the capability of the controllers to detect an aircraft entering what is called now a "national capital region air defense identification zone." When they see that aircraft, they will scramble fighters that will already be airborne on patrol over the Washington, D.C. area to intercept that aircraft.

Once they do that and they have proven that they have the capability to do that -- and they do it all of the time, they know they can -- then they will pass that aircraft over to the Army Air Defense artillery sites also located in the Washington, D.C. area. And that site is there as a backup for those fighters in case that aircraft should get through.

HEMMER: So, what are you looking for...

ARNOLD: Now, the people who...

HEMMER: I'm sorry, General. I apologize for the interruption there. What are you looking for specifically? And is this all one has to think now 20 months later after 9/11 a direct result of what happened at the Pentagon nearby here?

ARNOLD: Well, absolutely, it's a direct result of what happened after 9/11, but it's not something new. The fact is the military conducts tests like this about every two weeks in the Washington, D.C. area and in the New York area, and, for that matter, all over the country. The Pentagon released the fact that they were doing this exercise because there has been some concern, because people hear low-flying airplanes at night and they're not sure what is going on. What is going on is the sound of freedom, and our guys are practicing doing what it is that they do professionally and do very well: protecting America.

HEMMER: So then, General, tell me this: You take the results of this drill, and how do you use that in terms of national security?

ARNOLD: Well, we are exercising the complete capability. We have communication systems, radar systems. We have to have clearances in order for these fighters or for these air defense artillery sites to shoot a weapon if they had to. And so, we have to exercise that. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. By exercising it on a regular basis, you eliminate the possibility of anything going wrong at the time when you need it most.

HEMMER: You say that these exercises take place about every two weeks in various parts of the country, like Washington, like New York City. For residents living around this area, should they have a bit of concern right now, considering the events of the world and the exercises that continue here? And, if so, is this in response in any way to a further perceived threat here in the U.S.?

ARNOLD: It is not a response to a perceived threat, an increased perceived threat. We're doing what is responsible in the military, just as TSA has done what is responsible at our airports. We know that for something to happen, like happened on 9/11, the biggest way to keep that from happening is the procedures that you put in at the airports to keep the terrorists from getting on airplanes and taking control. But the military is there to back that up in case something could get through.

I think our citizens should just be happy that they hear those aircraft and know that they're there to protect this country in case terrorists should try to get into the cockpit of an airplane again.

HEMMER: Major General Larry Arnold live in Colorado Springs, Colorado; 10:30 p.m. local time -- Eastern time later tonight, that drill will get under way.

Thank you, sir. Appreciate your time here.

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 June 5, 2003 - 07:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in Washington on Capitol Hill, later tonight it is said to be only a test, something to keep in mind if you live in the D.C. area and you suddenly awake tonight to the roar of fighter jets overhead. The Pentagon plans to conduct a 90-minute air patrol exercise in Washington, a test of air combat defenses in and around the capital.
And for more on this, retired Air Force General Larry Arnold live with us in Colorado Springs to explain why you need this and what's it all about.

General, thanks for your time today here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Tell us, what will take place over 90 minutes later tonight?

MAJ. GEN. LARRY ARNOLD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Well, Bill, on a regular basis, the North American Air Defense Command, which is located here in Colorado Springs, will run a test with the defenses around the national capital region, the Washington, D.C. area. In order to do that, they have to test both the capability of the controllers to detect an aircraft entering what is called now a "national capital region air defense identification zone." When they see that aircraft, they will scramble fighters that will already be airborne on patrol over the Washington, D.C. area to intercept that aircraft.

Once they do that and they have proven that they have the capability to do that -- and they do it all of the time, they know they can -- then they will pass that aircraft over to the Army Air Defense artillery sites also located in the Washington, D.C. area. And that site is there as a backup for those fighters in case that aircraft should get through.

HEMMER: So, what are you looking for...

ARNOLD: Now, the people who...

HEMMER: I'm sorry, General. I apologize for the interruption there. What are you looking for specifically? And is this all one has to think now 20 months later after 9/11 a direct result of what happened at the Pentagon nearby here?

ARNOLD: Well, absolutely, it's a direct result of what happened after 9/11, but it's not something new. The fact is the military conducts tests like this about every two weeks in the Washington, D.C. area and in the New York area, and, for that matter, all over the country. The Pentagon released the fact that they were doing this exercise because there has been some concern, because people hear low-flying airplanes at night and they're not sure what is going on. What is going on is the sound of freedom, and our guys are practicing doing what it is that they do professionally and do very well: protecting America.

HEMMER: So then, General, tell me this: You take the results of this drill, and how do you use that in terms of national security?

ARNOLD: Well, we are exercising the complete capability. We have communication systems, radar systems. We have to have clearances in order for these fighters or for these air defense artillery sites to shoot a weapon if they had to. And so, we have to exercise that. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. By exercising it on a regular basis, you eliminate the possibility of anything going wrong at the time when you need it most.

HEMMER: You say that these exercises take place about every two weeks in various parts of the country, like Washington, like New York City. For residents living around this area, should they have a bit of concern right now, considering the events of the world and the exercises that continue here? And, if so, is this in response in any way to a further perceived threat here in the U.S.?

ARNOLD: It is not a response to a perceived threat, an increased perceived threat. We're doing what is responsible in the military, just as TSA has done what is responsible at our airports. We know that for something to happen, like happened on 9/11, the biggest way to keep that from happening is the procedures that you put in at the airports to keep the terrorists from getting on airplanes and taking control. But the military is there to back that up in case something could get through.

I think our citizens should just be happy that they hear those aircraft and know that they're there to protect this country in case terrorists should try to get into the cockpit of an airplane again.

HEMMER: Major General Larry Arnold live in Colorado Springs, Colorado; 10:30 p.m. local time -- Eastern time later tonight, that drill will get under way.

Thank you, sir. Appreciate your time here.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.