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America Under Attack:

Aired September 14, 2001 - 03:32   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.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile U.S. Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld told CNN's Larry King Live on Thursday, that sustaining America's way of life in the wake of the attacks will require "a war -- a major long-range broad-based sustained effort".

For more now on how the Pentagon is responding, we're joined live by CNN's Mark Potter at the Defense Department.

Mark?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Ralitsa. Well, Pentagon officials say a decision has not been made yet, but President Bush is considering activating as many as 50,000 military reservists. We're told that they would be made available for the disaster recovery efforts. They would also be there to assist national guard pilots who have already been put on standby or who have been flying combat air patrols.

A Pentagon official cautions that this should not be seen by American citizens as a sign that the -- that a U.S. military response to the terrorist attacks is eminent. In a news briefing today, the Deputy Secretary of Defense said that when the U.S. does respond, it will be widespread and long-term.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think one thing is clear is that you don't do it with just a single military strike no matter how dramatic. You don't do it with just military forces alone. You do it with the full resources of the U.S. Government. It will be a campaign, not a single action. And we're going to keep after these people and the people who support them until it stops.

POTTER: Now here in Washington, D.C. today fighter jets could be seen flying past the U.S. capital and other national landmarks. The Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said that combat air patrols are still being flown in the area between New York City and Washington, D.C. He also said that fighter pilots are on a 15-minute strike alert at 26 basis around the country.

Now here at the Pentagon itself, this morning workers continue to dig through the rubble as they have been doing 24 hours a day, looking for more victims and for the voice and data recorders, the so-called "black boxes" from the American Airlines 757 jet that slammed into the building here Tuesday morning. You can see the sight -- there was a fire here earlier but it was put out in about 25 minutes by firefighters and no one was hurt. And now work in the rubble has resumed.

The county fire chief said earlier that officials heard what they believe were pinging sounds admitted by one of the black boxes, but so far, there have been no reports that any of the boxes has been found.

And finally, in conjunction with the national day of prayer and remembrance, a call by President Bush, there will also be a prayer of services here at the Pentagon where officials say that their best estimate now is that around 190 people were killed here on Tuesday and that includes the people who were aboard that American Airlines jet.

Back to you.

VASSILEVA: Mark, if the Pentagon says that a military response is not eminent, what is the emphasis on at this point? Is it intelligence?

POTTER: Well, it seems to be on intelligence, getting it right, knowing who to attack -- who to attack, mainly ground work for that, and then planning the attack itself. We are told this is going to be a broad based multi-faceted long-term effort. Not just one single attack like we have seen in the past. And again, no signs now that it is something that's going to happen right away.

Back to you.

RALITSA: Mark, thank you.

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