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CNN Live Event/Special

Preview of President's Speech at Pentagon

Aired September 11, 2002 - 09:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Our senior White House correspondent John King has already made his way to New York. The president will be here in New York later today, but John has an idea of what the president is going to say in a few minutes at the Pentagon -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, good morning to you here from ground zero. The president's remarks will run about 12 to 15 minutes, but the White House views this and the president personally views this as a moment to look back and the reflect on the lives lost, the families whose lives were changed forever. The president will use the symbol of that building behind him, now repaired a year later to say the nation has come a long way in its healing, but has a long way more to go.

Do not look for the president beyond a tribute for the troops involved in the ongoing war against terrorism. Do not look for the president to be looking forward today or discussing the ongoing campaign. That will come tomorrow in a speech to the United Nations. This, we are told, a chance for the president to reflect on his own thoughts in the pain the country suffered and to reflect resolve without being specific to carry the fight against terrorism forward.

We will hear from the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at this ceremony as well. And then, as you noted, the president goes to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He has never been to the crash sight of flight 93. No remarks from the president there. And a brief address, we are told, about eight to 10 minutes from the president tonight when he addresses the nation from here in New York.

BROWN: And, John, how will the speech tonight differ from the speech this morning?

KING: Not much different, we are told. The president very much wants to make this about the families and the pain they suffered a year ago, the lives lost. He will in the speech tonight talk a little bit more about his forward looking resolve to continue the fight against terrorism. Look, Bill, for much on that front from the president tomorrow at the United Nations when he will discuss not only the ongoing war in Afghanistan and the fight against Al Qaeda, but his position that the world should be considering expanding this to a potential second front in Iraq. That will come tomorrow.

The White House says this is not the moment for policy speeches, this is not the moment for president to be lobbying any other world leaders. This is a chance to it look back at reflect.

One quick (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for you. The president, remember, it took him 10 hours to get back to Washington last September 11th. And aides recall on Marine One, on the flight in from Andrews Air Force Base, approaching the 7:00 hour in the evening at that point, the president looking out the window and getting his first firsthand look at the devastation, the smoke still rising from the Pentagon. The president motioned to the handful of aides on the helicopter, told them to look down. He said, ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at the face of war in the 21st century.

So at the Pentagon today, a powerful reminder of the president's very hectic day year ago today.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And, John, the president delivers these addresses under the specter of this increased state of alert we find ourselves in, and I know the defense secretary yesterday says it was very little consideration given to canceling today's events. Walk us through what the administration was up against as they decided to go ahead with all of this today.

KING: Paula, the president was very determined, we were told, that these events should go forward that the nation should take this moment to pause and reflect. He was also determined, though, when he received a briefing the other night from the CIA director George Tenet. The president called that the tipping point, if you will, on all the intelligence data that has come his way in recent weeks, and he decided although all the specific information is about possible threats to U.S. installations overseas. That was the case on September 10th and the early morning hours of September 11th a year ago.

Because of that information, the president did want to raise the threat assessment here. You have live missiles in those batteries around the Pentagon and other key installations in Washington today. So a high state of alert. But I spoke to several senior administration officials this morning who say they still are nervous, they still have their fingers crossed, but they have seen nothing in the overnight intelligence reports to make them think there is any threat against any of these commemoration ceremonies or any targets in the United States for that matter.

ZAHN: Thanks, John.

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