America's New War: A Multifaceted Crisis
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: All across the nation today, in houses of worship, schools, businesses and in living rooms, Americans praying and remembering the victims of Tuesday's terror. But at ground zero in New York, in the ruins of the World Trade Center, search-and-recovery efforts go on with yet another complication. Rain has slowed and at times stopped the operation. Right now President Bush, as we've been hearing is in New York. He's there to see the devastation for himself and to see how the city is coping. Earlier the president did attend a prayer service at the National Cathedral here in Washington along with many other dignitaries including, former presidents Clinton, Carter, Ford, and Bush, the first President Bush. In other developments, three days after the attack on America, the president has approved the call-up up to 50,000 reservists for recovery missions and to defend the nation. Congress has approved $40 billion in emergency aid to help victims and to hunt down terrorists among other purposes. The Justice Department has released the names of 19 suspected hijackers in Tuesday's attacks, all of them believed to have links to Osama Bin Laden. And the cockpit voice and data recorders from the plane that rammed into the Pentagon, now, are in the hands of authorities. They were recovered early today -- Aaron.</s>AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Judy, we shift gears a little bit with the president now here in New York, spend some time on his visit to the scene starting with White House correspondent Kelly Wallace -- is -- begins our coverage -- Kelly.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, exactly. The president at this very moment inspecting and getting a firsthand look at the damage. The president had said, aides said earlier in the week that he wanted to come here to New York, but he was concerned that he might get in the way but that he was invited of course by New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, by New York governor George Pataki, by members of the New York congressional delegation and assured that he would not be in the way and that his visit would really be a morale booster for the city, to show that the people of New York and the country stand united. Now, to give our viewers a little sense of this. The president's security is incredibly tight. The president traveling with a very small group of reporters. One of my fellow colleagues calling in what we call a pool report, giving us some of the sights and sounds of the president's trip here so far. And he talked about the intense security measures that are being taken. Of course, we know, the White House told us just a few days ago that Air Force One, the White House had "real and credible information" that it believed Air Force One was a target of these hijackers. And so when reporters came to Andrews Air Force Base to get on Air Force One, they saw two fighter jets overhead as the president flew to the New York City area. The reporter noting that there was a fighter jet about a mile or two off the left hand wing and likely to have another jet right-hand side as well. So security very, very tight. We know the president wanted to look at the damage, Aaron. He also wants to meet with and talk with these rescue workers. You know, he went over to the Pentagon a couple of days ago to do the same thing. And when he was there, Aaron, he said he was really overwhelmed by the devastation at the Pentagon. He said it made him sad but it also made him angry. He said that the U.S. would not be cowed by terrorists but he also sort of thanked the rescue workers and the Pentagon staffers for doing everything they possibly could to obviously see if there were any survivors there. So we're likely to get the same message from the president today to these workers. Again, the president trying to get a firsthand look here, likely to be an emotional moment for the president -- Aaron.</s>BROWN: I would think so. You know, in our cynicism sometimes, all of us, sometimes see these sorts of moments -- excuse me, Kelly -- as a photo opportunities and really don't understand how important they are both, I think, to the president, of the moment, and to the people on the ground, to get a visit from the President of the United States particularly when they're engaged in such difficult work.</s>WALLACE: Exactly. I was speaking to a staffer to Congressman Joseph Crowley. I had mentioned earlier, he's a Democrat representing Queens and some of the Bronx. And his cousin happens to be a firefighter, a battalion chief for the New York City Fire Department who has been missing since Tuesday. He is one of the members who urged the president to come here. And one of his top aides to the congressman said that this would really be a very symbolic visit, that it would be important for the president to come here, to send a message to the people of New York City, really to the people around the country that the people of New York, the people of the country stand united, stand together, grieving together and try to come together, at this tragic time and hopefully try to take steps so something like this never happens again. So piers, members of Congress definitely very, very pleased the president coming here to send a message to the people of New York -- Aaron.</s>BROWN: And it is a message. The president landed in New Jersey airport. Air Force One did at an Air Force base. He, making his way by helicopter. Martin Savidge has been down on the ground near where the president will be. He joins us now -- Martin.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, one thing that can be said for certain is, it's not really known really -- I guess I have to back up and start again. It's not known for certain if those people that are working as part of the rescue teams, as part of the volunteers, are thoroughly aware of the impending visit of the President of the United States. And even if they were, it is possible that they may not be concerned. And that is not to show any disrespect to the president. It is the fact that the job that they have at hand, in their minds and in most people's minds, is far more important, the continuing search for survivors. You mentioned the weather aspect. One thing they have noted, the rain has stopped, welcome news because it made conditions inside the work area extremely difficult for the firefighters and the would be rescuers. That pile that they have been working on, the tunnels that they have been digging and all of the work that they have been doing was made more treacherous but the fact that it was slippery, that it was wet and that it was just extremely cold and bitter to work in. Now, with the fact that the rain has subsided and a little bit of drying is taking place, that's a good thing. The bad thing is, the wind continues to blow here. Not so bad maybe where we're standing but you get in the cross streets or you get in the upper buildings here, at times, those gusts can be strong. It's a concern because, as you know, there are a number of buildings that are considered to be unstable. They were concerned about them yesterday when there was hardly any wind. They're very concerned about them today when the wind is stronger. The wind loads that these buildings can take now is in question. And engineers reportedly have seen cracks in those buildings begun to widen and those buildings loom over the heads of those that are trying to provide and care for any survivors if they can be found. In the meantime, this is a checkpoint. It's located about three- and-a-half blocks away from what used to be the World Trade Center. It is a beehive of activity, has been throughout the day. One thing we do know, though, people are comings out, but not necessarily people going in, an insinuation of the security has gotten that much tighter in advance of the president's arrival -- Aaron.</s>BROWN: CNN's Richard Roth is also on the ground covering the president's visit to the site. Richard, are you there?</s>RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am, Aaron.</s>BROWN: And give me an idea where you are, Richard and if you can see the president yet.</s>ROTH: No, I can't see the president. I am in lower Manhattan and we're still looking at the devastation of the scene here, Aaron. But it's still very quiet as the mayor, in effect, cordoned off most of lower Manhattan.</s>BROWN: You see large group moving towards the site. And when we get back to that shot -- it's difficult for us to tell precisely who's in the group. But they certainly are surrounded by a bevy of security and a number of people in New York -- NYPD jackets. NYPD, New York Police Department will provides some of the security, of course, the Secret Service much more there. As you can see, former First Lady, Senator Hillary Clinton, New York mayor Rudy -- Rudolph Giuliani, in the scene. They're all wearing those masks that have become so familiar to everyone. We do not see the president in that shot. Off to the left of the screen, this is a piece of tape earlier of -- New York's governor George Pataki also in that group. Governor Giuliani -- Mayor Giuliani has been given broadly -- I think, pretty high marks for his handling of this crisis over the last several days.</s>ROTH: Aaron?</s>BROWN: Yes?</s>ROTH: I think the pool reporter said that the mayor and governor of New York had greeted the president in New Jersey at McGuire Air Force Base. So I don't think that, time-wise, they would be with him. But certainly, they are grateful for his arrival and the mood of New York, incredibly somber still. And the weather, as the other reporters have noted, is certainly miserable. During the night, thunderstorms lashing Manhattan. And I think the sound of the thunderclaps just even more of a nightmare in the early morning hours for New Yorkers. I think some comforted by the pelting rain on their own windows to reassure them. But it's a split...</s>BROWN: Yes.</s>ROTH: ... Manhattan -- split Manhattan with upper Manhattan kind of getting back to business and lower Manhattan totally shut down.</s>BROWN: Well, I can tell you the thunder and the lightning around midnight last night got my attention. Richard, Martin, hang on here, Kelly. We'll keep track of the president. Elizabeth Cohen is at the armory where so many of the families of the missing are still gathered. Elizabeth, good afternoon to you.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Aaron. We're still here at the armory. And there are far fewer people here than there were yesterday. Yesterday, there were lines for hours and hours. Today, there are far fewer people. However, today, this group of gentlemen came to look for their friend, Nick Brandamarty (ph). This is Mike and Mike and Dave and Jeremy. And Mike could you tell me who was the last person who heard from Nick and what did they say?</s>MIKE, VICTIM'S FRIEND: Nick actually contacted his mother and then called his father and said that they were evacuating the building right after the first crash. And we haven't heard anything sense.</s>COHEN: So he was in the second building.</s>MIKE: He was on the 89th floor for Keith, Bretten Woods (ph) of the second building.</s>COHEN: OK and tell me, do you still have hope?</s>MIKE: We definitely still have hope. We came here. We're going to be out here all day. We were just at the armory. We registered and we're going to go to all the hospitals right after this. And Nick, if you're out there, buddy, keep fighting, we're coming to get you. We're going to bring you home.</s>COHEN: You mentioned that his parents live in New Jersey and about 40 or 50 people are there trying to comfort them. What do you want to say to his parents?</s>MIKE: Mr. and Mrs. Nick and everyone else who is down there -- Mrs. Brandamarty (ph), please keep hope. We're going to do everything we can to bring Nicky home.</s>COHEN: This is what I've been hearing again all day, Aaron just like yesterday, just like the day before. People still have hope. They're still looking -- Aaron.</s>BROWN: Hope, as we said yesterday, is what gets us through the worst of times and for so many people these are the worst of times, Elizabeth. One other way that the families of the missing can perhaps get some assistance, we've set up on our Web site, at CNN.com, a way for you to post pictures of your friends, your loved ones. Let me run down some of the things will make this work. When you send us a picture -- and we'll tell you how to do that in a minute -- you need, also, please to supply us with contact number. We need -- people are going to need to be able to get a hold of you if they do, in fact, know something. Keep that in mind. It goes up on the Web site. Now the pictures will be posted along with those contact numbers of course. Again, I want you to keep that in mind. In any case, e- mail the photos to missing@CNN.com or you can log onto our Web site at CNN.com. Click on the link. I don't know honestly know how people are comfortable or know how to e-mail a picture. If I had to do it, I don't think I could. Perhaps along the way here today, we'll figure out a way to be helpful there as well. Anyway, the Web site set up to provide that assistance. And if you want to take advantage of it, please do whether you're in the country or around the world, as many of the missing were foreign nationals. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com