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American Morning

Interview with Mayor Anthony Williams

Aired December 22, 2003 - 09:15   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: September 11th proved that the nation's capitol is a high priority target for terrorists.
With us this morning to talk about how Washington is dealing with the heightened threat level is the city's Mayor Anthony Williams.

Mayor Williams, nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.

MYR. ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON D.C.: It's a pleasure to be with you. Happy holidays.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, and likewise to you as well. When we were speaking with Secretary Ridge this morning, he talked about how he was picking up the phone and calling these mayors and governors as well, and other people, to have specific conversations with them about what this heightened alert means. Give me a sense, and obviously I know you can't speak specifically, but how did your conversation go. What did he tell you you need to do as the mayor of Washington D.C.?

WILLIAMS: Well, I have regular conversations with Secretary Ridge. I serve on his Homeland Security Advisory Council. And what this increased threat level means is that on the one hand, people should remain alert. Police forces have to take extra caution. We've brought together our joint operations center and stood that up, and that's prepared. We're working closely with surrounding counties and states in terms of preparedness in terms of getting our deployment where it needs to be.

And on the other hand, you're balancing that with urging people to go on about their daily business, enjoy the holidays, and keep commerce going. And it's a difficult balance, but it has to be done.

O'BRIEN: Well then, give me some specifics, because I think as you rightly point out, it is a difficult balance. On one hand, you're saying, keep your eyes open, something terrible could be happening, but go out there, keep shopping, you know, move forward with the holidays. How do you specifically tell the people in your region how to relax and enjoy themselves when a terror threat like this is looming? What should they do?

WILLIAMS: It's what we've been saying since September 11th, that we're in a whole new world since September 11th. There is a war against terrorism. Unfortunately, we're one of the centers, if you will, of that war. But we can't let these terrorists win. We've got to show that our way of life is going to continue, no matter how difficult, no matter how problematic, as in this case. O'BRIEN: Was there a specific mention, they talked about increased chatter, coming from many sources, credible sources, specific mention of Washington D.C., or is it just a sense that as the nation's capital, and as a target in the past, well, it makes sense to think that Washington D.C. would be a target once again?

WILLIAMS: Well, I wouldn't want to go into any particulars. But I think it just makes sense that in any situation like this, certainly the nation's capital has to be on alert. The nation's capital has to be aware. Again, despite the difficulties. You've got redeployment of federal resources, redeployment of local resources to face this. But we've got to make sure that we're also dealing with garden variety, I hate to put it that way, your regular crime, which is inflicted on our neighborhoods and on our local communities.

O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of the specific security precautions that are now in place, both those that people in the area will see, and those that maybe won't be so obvious.

WILLIAMS: Well, the things that won't be so obvious are all the concentration and coordination between and among the different levels of government that I talked about. What people have seen over the weeks and months, and they tend to see in a situation like this, is a protection around key sites key assets is what they're called. You'll see that in place. And then the question will be asked, are our local communities and neighborhoods covered? And mayors like me will say yes they are, but it comes at a cost.

O'BRIEN: At what cost? That was actually your segue nicely for me, Mr. Mayor, at what cost? I know there have been concerns in the past about every time the terror level raised how much more money that cost. What does it cost Washington D.C. when you now have an orange threat level?

WILLIAMS: Well, a situation like Washington D.C. Or New York, you have a number of major events that you have to cover, and you're always looking for reimbursement there. We've received, I must say, a healthy investment by the federal government in our overall preparedness.

But then you come to your day by day continued alert situations like this, and this is a cross that's borne by local, all the way up to federal government on an ongoing basis, and right now, there hasn't really been any kind of decision on how to meet these ongoing, kinds of payments if you will, costs. And it's a big issue for cities and states around the country. It's a cost all of us are bearing.

WILLIAMS: How long do you think it -- is there any way to know how long that this alert level will last at this heightened level?

O'BRIEN: There's -- I mean, I wouldn't even be able to tell you.

WILLIAMS: Mayor Anthony Williams, joining us this morning. Thanks for talking to us, sir.

O'BRIEN: Happy holidays again. WILLIAMS: Likewise, thank you. Same to you and your family.

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 December 22, 2003 - 09:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: September 11th proved that the nation's capitol is a high priority target for terrorists.
With us this morning to talk about how Washington is dealing with the heightened threat level is the city's Mayor Anthony Williams.

Mayor Williams, nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.

MYR. ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON D.C.: It's a pleasure to be with you. Happy holidays.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, and likewise to you as well. When we were speaking with Secretary Ridge this morning, he talked about how he was picking up the phone and calling these mayors and governors as well, and other people, to have specific conversations with them about what this heightened alert means. Give me a sense, and obviously I know you can't speak specifically, but how did your conversation go. What did he tell you you need to do as the mayor of Washington D.C.?

WILLIAMS: Well, I have regular conversations with Secretary Ridge. I serve on his Homeland Security Advisory Council. And what this increased threat level means is that on the one hand, people should remain alert. Police forces have to take extra caution. We've brought together our joint operations center and stood that up, and that's prepared. We're working closely with surrounding counties and states in terms of preparedness in terms of getting our deployment where it needs to be.

And on the other hand, you're balancing that with urging people to go on about their daily business, enjoy the holidays, and keep commerce going. And it's a difficult balance, but it has to be done.

O'BRIEN: Well then, give me some specifics, because I think as you rightly point out, it is a difficult balance. On one hand, you're saying, keep your eyes open, something terrible could be happening, but go out there, keep shopping, you know, move forward with the holidays. How do you specifically tell the people in your region how to relax and enjoy themselves when a terror threat like this is looming? What should they do?

WILLIAMS: It's what we've been saying since September 11th, that we're in a whole new world since September 11th. There is a war against terrorism. Unfortunately, we're one of the centers, if you will, of that war. But we can't let these terrorists win. We've got to show that our way of life is going to continue, no matter how difficult, no matter how problematic, as in this case. O'BRIEN: Was there a specific mention, they talked about increased chatter, coming from many sources, credible sources, specific mention of Washington D.C., or is it just a sense that as the nation's capital, and as a target in the past, well, it makes sense to think that Washington D.C. would be a target once again?

WILLIAMS: Well, I wouldn't want to go into any particulars. But I think it just makes sense that in any situation like this, certainly the nation's capital has to be on alert. The nation's capital has to be aware. Again, despite the difficulties. You've got redeployment of federal resources, redeployment of local resources to face this. But we've got to make sure that we're also dealing with garden variety, I hate to put it that way, your regular crime, which is inflicted on our neighborhoods and on our local communities.

O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of the specific security precautions that are now in place, both those that people in the area will see, and those that maybe won't be so obvious.

WILLIAMS: Well, the things that won't be so obvious are all the concentration and coordination between and among the different levels of government that I talked about. What people have seen over the weeks and months, and they tend to see in a situation like this, is a protection around key sites key assets is what they're called. You'll see that in place. And then the question will be asked, are our local communities and neighborhoods covered? And mayors like me will say yes they are, but it comes at a cost.

O'BRIEN: At what cost? That was actually your segue nicely for me, Mr. Mayor, at what cost? I know there have been concerns in the past about every time the terror level raised how much more money that cost. What does it cost Washington D.C. when you now have an orange threat level?

WILLIAMS: Well, a situation like Washington D.C. Or New York, you have a number of major events that you have to cover, and you're always looking for reimbursement there. We've received, I must say, a healthy investment by the federal government in our overall preparedness.

But then you come to your day by day continued alert situations like this, and this is a cross that's borne by local, all the way up to federal government on an ongoing basis, and right now, there hasn't really been any kind of decision on how to meet these ongoing, kinds of payments if you will, costs. And it's a big issue for cities and states around the country. It's a cost all of us are bearing.

WILLIAMS: How long do you think it -- is there any way to know how long that this alert level will last at this heightened level?

O'BRIEN: There's -- I mean, I wouldn't even be able to tell you.

WILLIAMS: Mayor Anthony Williams, joining us this morning. Thanks for talking to us, sir.

O'BRIEN: Happy holidays again. WILLIAMS: Likewise, thank you. Same to you and your family.

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