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Afghanistan Attacks; New al Qaeda Threat; Anniversary of 9/11

Aired September 11, 2006 - 17:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.
Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.

Happening now, from Ground Zero to the battleground in Afghanistan, America remembers the 9/11 terror attacks as the war on terror rages anew.

It's 5:00 p.m. here in Washington. Five years later, are we any safer? I'll ask Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A chilling new message from al Qaeda's number two leader warning of a new attack on the way. Has the hunt for the terror network's top man ended in a dead end?

And stressing that its docudrama is mostly drama, ABC actually changed its 9/11 miniseries after several complaints from former top Clinton administration officials. Will part two be fair to the Bush administration?

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

With tears and tributes, Americans are remembering 9/11, the day when the World Trade Center was reduced to rubble and the world we knew was changed forever. At New York's Ground Zero, where airliners slammed into the twin towers, family members recited the names of the 2,749 victims.

There was another solemn ceremony over at the Pentagon, badly damaged by the attack by another hijacked plane, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 went down after a struggle by passengers who fought against the hijackers. But five years after al Qaeda's devastating attacks brought a fierce American response, the war rages on in Afghanistan, and there are some new ominous threats.

CNN's Brian Todd and Mary Snow are standing by, but we begin with our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, on the Afghan- Pakistani border, where U.S. troops came under attack even as they marked the 9/11 anniversary -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was about an hour before dusk, and the troops here from the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division had gathered. They had come around one of their large gun emplacements here, around the 105-millimeter Howitzer. They were going to have a minute of silence, the bagpipes were going to be played.

Just as the ceremony was about to get under way, a missile could be heard fired in this direction. The troops ran for cover into shelters they have on the base here. Another five missiles were fired in this direction.

None hit the base. The troops returned fire with their 105- millimeter Howitzer, firing 10 to 15 rounds at various targets where they assessed the attackers were firing at them.

Commanders here say that they believe the people who attacked them are a combination of Taliban, al Qaeda, and associated groups, criminals. They say that there are Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs fighting them in this particular area. It's not clear who perpetrated the attack.

But within an hour the troops regrouped again to hold that memorial service. It was a very quiet moment. It was a very personal moment for many of the soldiers here.

Everyone stood, heads bowed, a moment, a minute of silence, and then the bagpipes were played. And really, for many of the soldiers here that felt like an act of defiance against the attackers who had just shot on the base and interrupted their -- their ceremony.

They feel here that these attacks come and go, they're regular occurrences almost every day. They haven't been effective against this base. The soldiers here go out on their patrols. They know the enemy they're facing, they say, and they believe it is still remnants, in many cases, of al Qaeda -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Nic Robertson on the Afghan-Pakistani border.

Thank you.

Al Qaeda also marking the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with an ominous new videotape.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, one terrorism expert says al Qaeda could not let this day go by without issuing one of these messages, and the group has chosen its second in command to deliver it with a rallying call and something else.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): Al Qaeda's number two leader puts his own spin on the September 11th anniversary with a new warning to the West.

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, AL QAEDA SECOND-IN-COMMAND (through translator): Your leaders are hiding from you the true extent of the disaster that will shock you.

TODD: Former CIA officers we spoke to who tracked al Qaeda in the Middle East believe that when Ayman al-Zawahiri is warning of a shock, he means a nonconventional attack.

GARY BERNTSEN, FMR. CIA OFFICER: You know, they have stated their intention to conduct catastrophic attacks on us. They've stated their intention to eventually use WMD against us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Now, former CIA officers say that al Qaeda with this message is also probably saying their intentions to target Saudi Arabia and other regimes in the Gulf region. How would they do that? Well, according to Gary Berntsen and other CIA officers we spoke to, they would likely use their operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan who are now part of the insurgencies in those countries.

Many of them are Saudis. They say that they will take those operatives back to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states once the U.S. pulls out of Iraq and Afghanistan and they will use those operatives to target shipping, oil reserves, possibly even engage in assassination attempts of key leaders.

We'll have more on this at 7:00 p.m. -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian, thank you very much.

President Bush marked this grim anniversary with visits to all three of those terror attack sites. He started the day having breakfast with firefighters in New York City after visiting Ground Zero yesterday. Then he went to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where he met with relatives of the victims of Flight 93.

Just a couple of hours ago, the president took part in a wreath- laying ceremony over at the Pentagon. Tonight Mr. Bush will address the nation from the Oval Office. That's about four hours from now. We'll bring you live coverage from THE SITUATION ROOM right here, 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Much of the attention today is focused on New York City's Ground Zero.

Let's go there. CNN's Mary Snow is joining us live -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, several thousand people gathered here at Ground Zero for a ceremony that lasted several hours. This year, husbands, wives, partners read the names of the 2,749 people who died here five years ago. Some delivering personal messages to their loved ones, along with those names. There were four moments of silence to mark each time the towers were struck by jets and the exact times when the towers collapsed.

Now, in the footprints of the two towers are small reflecting pools, and throughout the day roses have been left in that pool. And still hours after the ceremony has ended, there's a small group of people streaming by.

Some say with no cemetery to visit because their loved ones were never identified. They say that the ceremonies have taken on an added significance every year.

Now, tonight there will be two towering beams of light in a tribute of light. This to mark the World Trade Center in a very somber day here in New York City -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And Mary, stand by, because I know you are coming back with a very moving story of someone you have been following now for several years.

Mary Snow in New York.

Let's check back with Jack. He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, there is no doubt this country is a vastly different place since those attacks on September 11th five years ago. Americans have had to get used to things like color-coded terror alerts and much tougher security at airports, and, of course, those warnings about things like duct tape and plastic sheeting.

According to a new "USA Today"-Gallup poll, 53 percent of those surveyed say that Americans have permanently changed the way they live since the terror attacks of 9/11. There are certain things that some of us are less willing to do now than we would have been five years ago.

For example, 47 percent of us are less willing to travel overseas. Thirty percent of us less willing to fly on airplanes. Twenty-three percent of us say we're less likely to attend events where there are thousands of people, and 22 percent have concerns about going into skyscrapers.

So here's the question. How do you think the U.S. has changed in the last five years?

E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/cafferty file.

It's a different place today -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I think you're right, Jack.

Thank you very much.

And if you want a sneak preview, by the way, of Jack's questions, plus an early read on the day's political news and what's ahead here on THE SITUATION ROOM, sign up for our daily e-mail alert. Just go to cnn.com/situationroom.

Up ahead, the war on terror and commemorating 9/11. We'll talk about that and more with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She'll join us in THE SITUATION ROOM. She's at Ground Zero.

Also, violence flaring in Afghanistan. The Taliban increasingly attacking coalition forces. Does the U.S. need to send more troops in? I'll ask a top U.S. military commander on the ground in Afghanistan.

And ABC makes changes to its controversial 9/11 miniseries. Are they enough to quiet critics, including former president Bill Clinton?

Stay with us. You are in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States launched a ferocious assault on Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban government. But five years later, the Taliban are making a comeback. Now allied and Afghan government forces are once again engaged in furious fighting with the Islamic militants.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now from Kabul in Afghanistan is Colonel Michael Harrison, U.S. Army. His major job now is trying to help get the Afghan national army in shape.

Colonel, it looks, at least from the impression we're getting stateside, that the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse on a daily basis. Is that your assessment?

COL. MICHAEL HARRISON, U.S. ARMY: Well, Wolf, one of the things we are seeing here, indeed we are seeing an uptick or an increase in the violence from the Taliban and some of the other associated terrorist movements. But we expected that, and we expected that because we're seeing a tremendous growth in the capability and the talent of the Afghan national security forces.

And what we're finding from the Taliban is that they are really resisting the increased capability of the Afghan national security forces. So this is something that we will deal with for some time to come.

BLITZER: The NATO supreme allied commander, General Jones, James Jones, suggested the other day he needs more troops, NATO troops, U.S. troops in Afghanistan right now, giving what you call this uptick in the insurgency, the Taliban revival, if you will, in Afghanistan.

How many more troops do you think you need?

HARRISON: Well, Wolf, it's difficult to put a number on the total number of troops that may or may not be coming to Afghanistan, but I think it's important to remember all of us in the international community, particularly those NATO troops on the ground here in Afghanistan now, which includes the United States, we have seen a tremendous increase in the capability of the Afghan national security forces, and they are doing a tremendous job in taking the fight to the -- to the Taliban and other associated terrorist movement operatives.

BLITZER: Colonel, "The Washington Post" had a front page story yesterday. Let me read to you a line from it. It said this: "The handful of assets we have have given us nothing close to real-time intelligence" that could have led to his capture, said one counterterrorism official, who said the trail, despite the most extensive manhunt in U.S. history, has gone "stone cold."

A reference to the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Has the trail for Osama bin Laden from your perspective gone stone cold?

HARRISON: Wolf, from my perspective, here's what I think is important to focus on. One man is not going to make the difference in our victory for the global war on terror. While it's important that Osama bin Laden is brought to justice at some point, our focus needs to be on defeating and doing something about the ideology that causes terrorism and terrorists to grow. And that's where we'll put our energy.

At some point Osama bin Laden may meet his fate, but we cannot expend our energy solely on looking for one individual. The global war on terrorism is much bigger than that.

BLITZER: So, is it fair to say, as this one counterterrorism official is quoted as saying, unnamed official, that there's only a handful of assets really assigned right now searching for the most wanted terrorist in the world?

HARRISON: Well, Wolf, it would be pretty unfair for me to speculate on what some unnamed official said. I can focus on the effort of the members of the coalition and what they're putting -- what they're putting forward to defeat the global war on terrorism.

I think that is where we need to put our energy. Let's get rid of the ideology that causes it. And I just can't comment on what this unnamed official had to say.

BLITZER: Well, without commenting on the official, are there enough troops in -- from your perspective looking for bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mullah Mohammed Omar, these former guys who were running Afghanistan, if you will, five years ago? Are there enough troops involved in this hunt?

HARRISON: Wolf, the troops that we have committed to defeating the insurgency and the terrorism that's taken place in Afghanistan, those troops are doing a tremendous job. To get more troops here, focus on this effort and to focus on the capture of not only Osama bin Laden, but any other leader that's causing terror here would be welcomed. But to put a number on how many troops are needed, I'm just not so sure I could do that for you.

BLITZER: Colonel Michael Harrison, you have a tough job ahead of you. Good luck to you and all the men and women of the U.S. military, the NATO forces in Afghanistan, especially as we look back on this fifth anniversary of 9/11.

Thanks very much for joining us.

HARRISON: Thank you, Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's go back to Ed Henry. He's at the White House. He just got some excerpts from the president's address tonight -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the White House now just starting to tease out some excerpts from that 20-second (sic) nationally televised prime-time address from the president tonight, 9:00 Eastern Time.

Tony Snow saying this will last about 16 to 18 minutes. Relatively short. President expected to do one or maybe even two run- throughs late this afternoon, early evening to get ready.

One excerpt, the president saying, "We face an enemy determined to bring death and suffering into our homes," following on some of the rhetoric we've heard in recent days. The president also trying to recreate some of the spirit of cooperation we saw right after 9/11.

"Our nation has endured trials, and we face a difficult road ahead. Winning this war will require the determined efforts of a unified country. So we must put aside our differences and work together to meet the test that history has given us. We will defeat our enemies, we will protect our people, and we will lead the 21st century into a shining age of human liberty."

You can see the president trying to have some soaring rhetoric there. Of course, Democrats have said in recent days the president squandered an opportunity right after 9/11, that spirit of cooperation. They feel the president took a partisan turn shortly thereafter.

One quick note. The president, as we noted earlier, visiting all three sites of those tragic deaths, going through it today. Not commenting publicly yet, just laying wreaths and whatnot.

Tony Snow telling me a short while ago the president privately saying he got particularly emotional at those last two stops in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. In fact, you can see when the president was working the rope line at the Pentagon after laying that wreath. He was wiping back tears at least one -- at least one point -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Totally understandable. Ed, thank you very much.

Another excerpt the president says, he says, "This struggle has been called a clash of civilizations." "In truth," the president said, "it is a struggle for civilization."

Ed's going to have a lot more on this coming up. And, don't forget, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, our special coverage. The president's address to the nation from the Oval Office, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. We'll be here in THE SITUATION ROOM to cover that. And coming up, the evolving terror threat. We're going to show you how the danger has changed since 9/11 and what security officials are most concerned about.

Plus, has the Bush administration lost focus in the war on terror? I'll speak with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She'll join us in THE SITUATION ROOM. She's at Ground Zero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Seven World Trade Center, a lot was happening at this time five years ago on this, the anniversary of 9/11. We're going to go back and take a look at some of the things that were going on.

We also want to take a look at some of the other developments right now. Abbi Tatton is standing by. She's monitoring the situation online -- Abbi.

ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, what we got online is some of the animation of what the skyline of what Manhattan might look like once construction at the World Trade Center site is completed. Looking here on the left is the Freedom Tower there. That's going to rise 776 feet from the ground. Developers hope that will be substantially complete in the year 2010.

Alongside that you're seeing three other World Trade Center towers. Designs for those were just unveiled last week, designed by three different architects, two British, one Japanese.

You can see them coming into view there. These towers are going to offer six million square feet of office space. The towers are going to descend in size and in height down towards the 9/11 memorial, the World Trade Center memorial there.

These are all visualizations, fly-bys, animation provided at the site lowermanhattan.info, which aims to give visitors to New York and people that work in lower Manhattan an idea of what it's going to look like after all the construction that is going on. Construction that you can actually follow along online.

This is a Web cam from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation which checks in with the construction each day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Exactly five years ago at this time, Abbi, building number seven, 7 World Trade Center, the last building to go down. I want to dip into CNN Pipeline. Aaron Brown is reporting what was happening then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, unlike the collapse of the first of the towers way back this morning around 10:00 or so this morning, and then the second tower was collapsed shortly thereafter, at least -- at least where building number seven is concerned, a building that, among other things, housed the emergency response team...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What a dramatic moment that was.

Remember, you can watch all of this unfold five years ago. Go to cnn.com/pipeline if you want to see that.

We're going to be dipping periodically back into Pipeline as well.

And coming up, she had been New York's senator for less than a year when 9/11 occurred, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. I'll speak with her one on one, get her reflections on that day and what's going on right now.

And like father like son, in courageous acts, we're going to introduce you to a man who is following in his father's footsteps in trying to keep Americans safe from terrorism.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Five years after the attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, the threat of terrorism certainly remains, but it's also evolved over time.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is joining us with a look at the current threat -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: You know, Wolf, the release of that latest al Qaeda tape reminds us all of the threat that still exists. The attorney general today actually said that the group is still capable of a 9/11-style attack, but al Qaeda isn't the only game in town.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice over): Al Qaeda: homegrown terrorists, suicide bombers, lone wolves. What's the biggest threat? They all are. And if you're on the front lines in the war on terror, that's a problem.

Commander Cathy Lanier heads up the office of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for the police in Washington, one of the country's top terror targets.

CMDR. CATHY LANIER, D.C. POLICE COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL: I think we have to very consciously look at every attack that goes on anywhere in the world and consider that as a potential threat for us.

ARENA: Since September 11th, the threat has evolved and the Internet has made it easier for terrorists to not only communicate, but learn the trade.

The people trying to keep you safe have had to evolve as well. LANIER: You have to understand that for every measure they have in place, we try and develop counter measures. For every counter measure that we develop, they're going to develop something else to thwart that.

ARENA: Take al-Qaeda, for instance. It's generated dangerous offshoots responsible for attacks in Bali, Madrid, and the London subway and bus attacks.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: They may have some tangential ties or some ties to al-Qaeda, but it's not the same support that al-Qaeda was able to give to the September 11 plotters.

ARENA: Still, al-Qaeda central remains a dangerous and capable foe.

BRUCE HOFFMAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: They place their abiding faith in the power of a spectacular attack, no matter how many attempts may fail.

ARENA: Even more troubling is what terrorists may be planning for the future.

HOFFMAN: What worries me is that in recent years, al-Qaeda and other terrorists seem increasingly drawn to exotic or unconventional weapons.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: The FBI says that there is intelligence to suggest that terrorists have tried to obtain weapons of mass destruction, but they haven't been successful. Officials say that doesn't mean that they won't be in the future.

Wolf?

BLITZER: Kelli, thank you. Kelli Arena reporting.

Five years after 9/11, there's a continuing threat from al-Qaeda at home and a Taliban comeback in Afghanistan, as the war grinds on also in Iraq. Critics say the Bush administration has lost focus in the fight against terrorism.

Joining us now from ground zero is Senator Hillary Clinton.

Senator Clinton, on this fifth anniversary of 9/11, a very somber day, are you among those Democrats who believe that too many U.S. military resources were diverted after 9/11 to fight the war in Iraq and, as a result, the U.S. is not safer today?

U.S. SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): Well, Wolf, I think we are safer, but we're not safe enough. I think that we know that our borders and our ports and our mass transit and rail systems, our bridges, our tunnels, our chemical, nuclear plants are just not yet where they need to be and we're not following the recommendations of all the experts, including the 9/11 commission, that we distribute money here at home based on what the risk is.

So my primary focus today, as I spent time with family members and, you know, reflected back the last five years, is whether we've done everything we know to do to protect our citizens here in New York and across America and I think, unfortunately, the answer is not yet.

BLITZER: I ask the question because of what your Democratic colleague, Senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia, said over the weekend. He is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, as you know.

He said, "Saddam wasn't going to attack us. He would have been isolated there. He would have been in control of that country, but we wouldn't have depleted our resources preventing us from prosecuting a war on terror, which is what this is all about."

He's suggesting that we'd be better off today if the U.S. had not gone to war and removed Saddam Hussein.

CLINTON: Well, I have the highest regard for him and he has been at the forefront of an effort to try to get the facts out.

I mean, one of the challenges we've had, frankly, the last five years in making policy and assessing risks and threats and figuring out what we need to do in a united way on behalf of our security is the real difficulty in getting the facts out and having a system that is based on evidence as opposed to ideology or wishful thinking or whatever other brand of decision-making is going on.

So I think that for many of us, the fact that the Taliban is resurgent, that al-Qaeda is still present in Afghanistan, that the government that has been valiantly try to pull that country together there is under tremendous pressure, is deeply concerning.

After all, the attacks against us that destroyed the towers behind me came from al-Qaeda, in safe haven from the Taliban in Afghanistan. And there is no doubt, no one with a straight face can doubt that we diverted resources away from our primary mission.

Now, there may be other missions in this global war against terror, but the primary mission was to defeat and destroy those who attacked us and we still haven't finished the job.

BLITZER: So knowing what you know now, had you known that before the vote authorizing the president to go to war, would you have voted for that resolution?

CLINTON: Well, Wolf, I've answered that a million times. You know, you don't get do-overs in life. You have to make decisions based on the information that you are given and, unfortunately, the authority given the president that could have usefully been employed to send in inspectors and keep them there and make sure that, you know, Saddam didn't go off on some wild tangent was not followed through on and we know the results.

But we've got to deal with the facts as we face them today. We have a very dangerous situation in Iraq. We have a dangerous situation in Afghanistan. We have a dangerous situation in the Middle East.

We have a deteriorating set of situations in Africa. You can go around the globe. And, you know, my duty as a Senator, especially representing New York, is to try to figure out what we need to be doing with our resources, with our young men and women in uniform, with our law enforcement capacity, with the many different elements of our power, not just military, but also diplomatic, economic, and political, to make us safer and top try to work hand-in-hand with like-minded people around our globe.

And I think we have a lot of work to do and it would be my hope that we would get back to a sense of unity that would come together, look at the evidence, be honest about the risks we face, frankly, the lessons that we should have learned in the last five years, the mistakes that have been made, and try to have a smart strategy that will be effective in protecting our country and defeating our enemy.

BLITZER: We're almost out of time, Senator, but what about this "ABC" movie that began airing last night, part one? I don't know if you have had a chance to see the revisions, the final cuts that were made given the concern that several of former President Clinton's advisers, including the former president and yourself, had made that they weren't being accurate as far as the 9/11 commission report.

Did you have a chance to see the film last night?

CLINTON: No, I didn't. I have no intention of doing so. You know, the facts are, you know, very well-developed in the 9/11 commission. This is a serious matter.

This is historically important that we get it right. There's no need to embroider, to make things up. We ought to be looking at the facts and then we ought to be determining what we should do as a nation in order to make our country safer.

BLITZER: One final political question, Senator, before I let you go.

You said the other day two words that intrigued a lot of people, the words "stay tuned" when asked about if you are running for president down the road.

I know you have to first get re-elected in New York state, but it doesn't look like you have a very tough contest coming up.

How long should we stay tuned for your answer?

CLINTON: Well, that was totally taken out of context and, you know, I've responded to that.

But the important thing today is, you know, not to get into politics. I've suspended my campaign.

I want to keep the focus where it needs to be, on the solemn, sober moment that we have today to reflect and remember and I hope people across the country are joining us in doing that.

BLITZER: What's the most important thing all of us should look back and remember on this day, looking back five years ago, Senator?

CLINTON: Well, at a personal level, to really cherish your relationships and love those that are in your family and your friends and just don't take anything for granted in life.

And on a more global or national level, you know, let's just resolve that we're going to be united as a country in the face of the threats that we confront and let's try to get beyond politics. Let's try to, you know, have that same spirit renewed that we had in the days and weeks immediately following 9/11.

That's what we owe our children.

BLITZER: Senator Clinton, thanks very much for spending a few moments with us on this fifth anniversary of 9/11.

CLINTON: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lou Dobbs is getting ready for his program that begins right at the top of the hour. He is standing by to tell us what he's working on. Hi, Lou.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. Coming up at 6:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, we'll have a preview of the president's prime-time speech to the nation tonight.

Also, our troops in Afghanistan are now fighting the most intensive battles of that war so far And American casualties are rising. We'll have a live report for you from the Afghan-Pakistani border.

And our borders and ports five years after 9/11 are still wide open to terrorists. We'll have a special report in three of the countries leading authorities on terrorism. Join us to assess whether this country is winning the war on terrorism.

And the Senate Intelligence Committee contradicts Bush administration assertions that al-Qaeda had links to Saddam Hussein. Two leading members of the Senate Intelligence Committee join us, Senator Trent Lott and Senator Carl Levin.

We hope you'll be with us at the top of the hour for all of that and a great deal more.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thank you, Lou, sounds good. Still to come here in "THE SITUATION ROOM," a unique story stemming from 9/11. We're going to introduce you to a man whose father died doing what he did best, helping others, and that inspired a son also to perform selfless acts of charity.

And new details concerning "ABC's" film about 9/11, after President Clinton and others complained about fictional scenes. Did "ABC" go ahead and alter the movie?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It's a statement millions of people make that 9/11 simply changed their lives forever. The life of the man in our next story was changed forever, for worse, but also for better.

Let's check in with Mary Snow once again. She's at ground zero in New York.

Mary?

SNOW: Well, Wolf, life has changed for so many New Yorkers. To the son of a fallen firefighter, it has meant dedicating every day to public service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW (voice-over): As the world publicly remembers 9/11, Peter Regan, privately, never forgets. He chose to mark this day like many others and not attend a ceremony at ground zero, where victims' names were read, including the name of his father.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald J. Regan.

SNOW: For the 25-year-old Regan, his life has become, in large part, a tribute to his father, Donald. He works in the Brooklyn firehouse, where his father once worked.

There are reminders of September 11 everywhere. Regan says anniversaries aren't much different.

PETER REGAN, SON OF FALLEN FIREFIGHTER: It's a whole bigger flashback, because every day I'm thinking of that day and every day I'm thinking of the last time I saw him. So I think every day is an anniversary for me. Every day is a reliving.

SNOW: That day, 47-year-old firefighter Donald Regan rushed to the World Trade Center. It's not known what happened to him. The young Regan went to ground zero for several weeks.

REGAN: I just went down and got a pair of gloves and helmet and just started working. And it was just hands and knees and garden shovels. I just wanted to find anything, like the smallest remain, basically.

SNOW: No remains were ever found. Regan returned to his Marine unit and was later sent to Iraq, where he took the fight personally.

REGAN: I definitely took it to heart. I mean, there was definitely a huge piece that came across with me and I think anyone that came across along with me, they took September 11 over there with them.

I'm not really into the politics of it, but as far as the mission, something had to get done over there.

SNOW: Regan returned to follow in his father's footsteps and become a fireman, but had to delay his start for his second tour in Iraq.

Five years after 9/11, Regan says he hopes others will remember what he thinks of every day.

REGAN: Just remember that the sacrifices of the firemen and what they did. They looked at a building that was hit by two planes and it didn't even stop them. They went right to the top.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And Peter Regan says to this day he still hopes that he will be able to find some piece of his father's remains.

Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, we hope he does. Mary, thanks for bringing us that story. Mary Snow, in New York.

From one of the country's largest museums to grassroots efforts by thousands online, the digital archive commemorating 9/11 is unlike anything we've ever seen.

Our Internet reporter, Jackie Schechner, has details on how the Web is shaping how we remember that day.

Jackie?

JACKIE SCHECHNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jerry Henson was in the Pentagon on 9/11 and he was rescued from it, these are the clothes that he was wearing that day.

This is just part of a collection of 130 physical artifacts collected by the Smithsonian Museum and can you only see them online. There's things like a briefcase that was collected at the World Trade Center and it was actually returned to its rightful owner. She escaped from the World Trade Center that day.

A seatbelt from American Airlines Flight 11 that was found amongst the wreckage , again, at ground zero. When they used to travel the country, they would ask people who visited the exhibit to contribute their own emotions, and can you see those recollections online as part of this exhibit, the September 11 digital archive.

More than 150,000 images, stories, e-mails, everything collected on the Internet for posterity. For example, they've now superimposed some images over a Google map to give you an idea of different perspectives from that day.

Go to CNN.COM/SITUATIONREPORT. We have these links and others for you to take a closer look yourself.

Wolf? BLITZER: Thank you, Jackie, for that.

Up ahead, what was its path and is it on the road to more controversy? That would be "ABC's" film , "The Path to 9/11." It started airing last night. Did the network change key scenes sparking all the criticism from Bill Clinton and other others?

And it was first a depression, now it's upgraded, Tropical Storm Gordon. We're going to tell where it is right now and where it might be headed. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Part two of "ABC's" controversial miniseries, "The Path to 9/11," airs tonight. The network made some changes to part one, which aired last night, following strong complaints were made from top members of the Clinton administration about the way the program portrays them.

Let's bring in CNN's Tom Foreman. He's got details.

Tom?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some changes, Wolf, but not enough for the former president, from all indications. Not enough to beat out Sunday night football either. So we'll have to see how it does tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Changes to the miniseries were evident from the beginning. Opening credits in the original version stated the film was based on the 9/11 commission report. The new disclaimer says 'The Path to 9/11" is, quote, "drawn from a variety of sources, including the 9/11 commission report and other published materials and from personal interviews."

It also emphasizes the movie is not a documentary, noting it contains fictional scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue and time compression. That disclaimer was shown three times on Sunday night.

As for the controversial scenes that drew criticism from former President Bill Clinton, his national security adviser, Samuel Berger, and former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, some were edited and others were cut out altogether.

They included this scene portraying White House terrorism chief Richard Clark and FBI agent John O'Neil, which originally characterized President Clinton as having his hands tied by the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

ACTOR: Republicans are going all out for impeachment. I just don't see, in that climate, this president's going to take chances.

ACTOR: So it's okay if somebody kills Bin Laden, as long as he didn't give the order.

FOREMAN: And here's the revised version.

ACTOR: The president has assured me the scandal won't affect his decision-making.

ACTOR: So it's okay if somebody kills Bin Laden, as long as he didn't give the order.

FOREMAN: Another edited scene showed Berger hanging up on George Tenet, as the CIA director sought permission to attack Osama Bin Laden, which Berger says never happened. It was among the scenes that prompted Berger and Albright to call for "ABC" to cancel the show.

Sunday night's version did not include Berger hanging up.

The Clinton foundation responded to the changes, saying, "Their claims of edits notwithstanding, "The Path to 9/11" had Clinton administration officials saying things they did not say and doing things they did not do. Many of these scenes are directly contradicted by the 9/11 commission report. The American public deserved better."

And former secretary of state Madeleine Albright had this reaction. "ABC" had an opportunity to edit its docudrama and I find it surprising and disturbing that they chose not to do so. Despite admonitions from members of the bipartisan 9/11 commission, 9/11 family members, and public officials from across the political spectrum, "ABC/Disney" chose fiction over fact."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: CNN asked ABC today for its response to the responses, and there was no response.

Wolf?

BLITZER: Tom, thank you very much. Tom Foreman reporting.

Let's check back with Zain. She's got another look at some other important stories.

Zain?

VERJEE: Wolf, a new weather system is now causing worries. Tropical Storm Gordon is swirling in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters say its winds are hovering around 45 miles an hour.

Gordon is the seventh named storm of this hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center says that it's near the Leeward Islands, but isn't expected to threaten the U.S. or make any kind of landfall.

Meanwhile, it's dangerous, but diverting. Hurricane Florence has winds raging 90 miles an hour, but forecasters say that it's moving away from Bermuda. Florence has knocked down trees and blown out some power. Florence is expected to steer clear of the United States. And accomplishing its mission, today the space shuttle Atlantis docked with the international space station. The shuttle is delivering some critical equipment to the orbiting space lab. It's the first major delivery of equipment since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Wolf?

BLITZER: Thank you. Zain Verjee reporting.

Up next, Jack Cafferty wants to know how America has changed in the five years since the 9/11 attacks. We'll be right back with Jack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's go back to Jack in New York. Jack?

CAFFERTY: Wolf, the question this hour is how has the United States changed in the last five years since the 9/11 attacks.

Rob in New York, "In the last five years, the majority of our country has turned into sheep, willing to give up any freedoms and privacies to anyone who says they will save us from the bad people."

Jesse in Massachusetts, "One thing that's changed for me is just how much I notice planes that I think are flying too low."

Me too, Jesse.

Chris in Florida, "We've become nastier, more scared, more judgmental of each other, and less willing to assist others for fear of being branded or hurt."

Andrew in Ohio writes, "As a people, I don't think Americans have changed. The patriotism that unified us five years ago has long since faded. For most Americans, it's back to a normal life, with a few delays at the airport.:

Joe in Florida writes, "Yes, the U.S. has changed. We are considerably more fearful now than we were five years ago. The intent of the Bush gang is to keep us on edge, believing it is they who are keeping us safe. Horse feathers."

And Lulu in New York writes, "We have traded real freedom for the illusion of security."

John in Kansas writes, "America has lost a good measure of its greatness since 9/11, not because of the horrible events of that day, but because of the horribly misguided response to it that goes on to this day."

If you didn't see your e-mail here, can you go to CNN.COM/CAFFERTYFILE and read more of these online, if you choose.

Wolf?

BLITZER: How have you changed, Jack?

CAFFERTY: I have less hair and I've gotten older. I don't know that I've changed a lot. I think my views of all of that have probably changed. In the beginning, I reacted like everyone did and I bought into the whole idea that we needed to race into Iraq because, you know, weapons of mass destruction and all that.

I have become much more skeptical since then. I think we've made some errors and I am less likely to believe what I'm told by our political leadership than I was five years ago.

BLITZER: I've noticed. Thanks, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Touche.

BLITZER: See you back in an hour. Jack Cafferty will be back in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with us one hour from now. Much more of our coverage.

I'm Wolf Blitzer, in Washington. Let's go to New York. Lou Dobbs getting ready to take over. Hi, Lou.

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