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America's New War: FBI Searches for Terrorists in U.S.

Aired September 18, 2001 - 06:08   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Strong words there, and of course with the United States Attorney General John Ashcroft warning that there could be more terrorist strikes yet in the United States, let's go to Kelly Wallace. She is at the White House.

Kelly, in light of what the attorney general is saying that the possibility of more terrorist strikes, does this put more pressure on President Bush to move more quickly with any military action?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the answer to that the administration would say because of that continued threat out there, every agency of the federal government is on a high state of alert and precautions are being made for the airlines, for government buildings to protect the American people. The White House saying that the president has tried to put this message out that it will take time and that the administration is not going to rush into any action, that this will be a planned operation. And again, the message we've been getting all along that it could take weeks, months, even years.

We're seeing the president, Carol, sort of juggling a few different roles. We'll see him as Commander in Chief meeting again with his national security team trying to come up with some military options. As the nation's top diplomat, he will be meeting later tonight with French President Jacques Chirac to kind of shore up that International Coalition Against Terrorism. And then in this role as sort of the motivator for the American people at this difficult time. The president will have an event this morning where he will be calling on Americans to donate to charities, donate supplies, money to help with the search and recovery efforts.

The president sort of using the bully pulpit to address a variety of concerns. We saw him do that yesterday afternoon when he traveled to an Islamic Center here in Washington, D.C. The reason for that trip, growing concern in the administration about harassment, discrimination, even violence against Arab-Americans and Muslim- Americans. In fact, the FBI now has 40 hate crime investigations underway after reported attacks against Arab-Americans and Muslim- Americans. The president saying any American who decides to take out his or her anger on Arab or Muslim-Americans should be ashamed.

The president doing another public event yesterday, traveling to the Pentagon. There he was thanking reservists, kind -- rallying the troops. There the president talked of a long and difficult war and said that there will be costs to this campaign. And then he delivered really his strongest language to date, sort of conjuring up images of the wild, wild West when talking about the man the administration says is a prime suspect, Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Osama bin Laden is just one person. He is representative of networks of people who are -- who absolutely have made the -- their cause to defeat the freedoms that we take -- that we understand, and we will not allow him to do so.

QUESTION: Do you want bin Laden dead?

BUSH: I want him -- I want -- I want justice, and there's an old poster out west, as I recall, that said Wanted: Dead or Alive (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Well following those words, reporters had many questions for the president's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, asking if the president's words meant that the administration no longer supports a decade's old executive order which prevents the United States from engaging in any assassinations overseas. Ari Fleischer, the president's spokesman, saying that order remains in effect, but he also said it does not prevent the United States from acting in self- defense -- Carol.

LIN: Kelly, does it prevent the United States from offering very specific incentives like money to, frankly, get somebody else out there to do the job for it?

WALLACE: Well that is a good question. Certainly lawyers would have to look at that. It depends on really how you sort of define self-defense. Many reporters trying to hammer away at Fleischer yesterday to say going after bin Laden, going ahead and trying to target him, is that acting in self-defense? Ari Fleischer not answering the question. So it doesn't appear this administration will answer that. As Bob Franken just reported, lots of secrecy about the plans, the steps, the operation that this administration will take.

But very clearly, we heard Vice President Cheney, rather matter of fact, on a Sunday talk show where he was asked if he would like -- he said if I had bin Laden's head on this table that would still not end terrorism concerns around the world. Saying it's not just bin Laden, there are terrorism cells around the world. And when that interviewer asked if he would like to have bin Laden's head, Mr. Cheney said he'd like it right now.

LIN: All right.

WALLACE: So you can see tough talk from the White House.

LIN: Much tough talk, and certainly the Taliban in Afghanistan warning that any strike against Afghanistan might very well increase the chance of terrorism against Americans all around the world. Thank you very much. Kelly Wallace reporting from the White House this morning.

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