Happy new year again folks.......
Just read this article that Spooked911 found on his blog:
Looks like Lisa Jefferson (who took Todd"Let's roll" Beamer's call) has indirect link to CIA
Enjoy!
In the interview with BeliefNet, Jefferson noted that she belongs “to Greater St. John’s Bible Church … on the west [side] of Chicago.” (“I Promised I Wouldn’t Hang Up,” Interview of Lisa Jefferson by Wendy Schuman for BeliefNet, circa 9-11-06) She also mentioned that since the events of 9-11, she has become much more involved. Greater St. John’s Bible Church, in turn, is affiliated with – and this may be my favorite part of this story – World Vision. (http://www.worldvision.org/about_us.nsf/child/enews_chicago_20060919?Open&lpos=mainnav&lid=chicago20060919)
World Vision, which pretends to be a Christian group involved in worldwide humanitarian missions, has in reality been involved in conducting covert operations in conjunction with the CIA since at least the 1960s, when it was active in a little place known as Southeast Asia. Since then, the group has been directly connected to various other covert operations – including the operations of those legendary ‘freedom fighters,’ the Contras – as well as to such notable Americans as Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley, Jr. The organization has a keen interest in African-American churches dating back at least to the days of its association with the notorious Reverend Jim Jones, whose People’s Temple was composed primarily of African-American women.
===============
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Chicago: The Experience of Giving
Church Relief Network Makes Global Impact
The Thompson family, pictured here with two photo albums that survived Hurricane Katrina, are among thousands of families that received assistance from their church and World Vision after their home was destroyed in the hurricane. Generous U.S. congregations, including Chicago's African American Christian Relief Network, were instrumental in helping provide critical care to Katrina-devastated families like the Thompsons. Photo ©2006 James Edward Bates/Genesis Photos. |
In the heart of Chicago’s West Side, thousands of inner-city families struggle daily to make ends meet — but that hasn’t kept many local Christians from joining forces to share the little they have with others in need.
It all began December 26, 2003, when an earthquake shattered Bam, Iran, destroying an estimated 80 percent of the city. “It happened on a Friday, so I knew that by Sunday my people would be asking how they could help,” says Rev. Marshall Hatch, pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Church in Chicago’s West Side. Unknowingly, Hatch that day set the stage for what has become Chicago’s African American Christian Relief Network, an alliance of small-to-medium-sized inner-city churches dedicated to caring for those caught in natural disasters.
“We chose to respond to the Iran earthquake because it’s a Muslim country,” Pastor Hatch explained, “and I really wanted our church to be challenged to recognize its responsibility and show the love of Christ to Muslims, as well as other Christians.”
Exactly a year later, on December 26, 2004, the world awoke to the news that a tsunami had devastated several Asian countries. By this time, Hatch had invited two other local African American churches — Greater St. John Bible Church and New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church — to join his congregation in responding during disasters. Together these three middle-to-low income Christian groups reached deep into their pockets and raised $8,000.
Their gifts to care for the Bam earthquake and tsunami survivors were given to World Vision for its frontline work during those disaster responses. “World Vision is on the West Side,” Pastor Hatch said. “We wanted to sow back into an organization that’s working in our own community too.”
Yet the biggest gift was still to come. Using their networks with other churches and pastors, these three founding churches grew the African American Christian Relief Network to 30 West Side churches. When Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, the network went right to work, and raised more than $50,000 to help survivors.
“And we went there as well,” Pastor Hatch said. “We took relief supplies to the small town of Rayne, Louisiana, where evacuees were flocking after the hurricane. We took nurses and ministers so that we could have a ministry of presence among people in desperate circumstances.”
During their time in the hurricane-damaged area, the Chicago team worked alongside local church leaders, many who were exhausted from trying to address the overwhelming needs of those who were homeless and displaced. In early October, the African American Christian Relief Network also brought seven of those pastors to Chicago for a few days of respite, relaxation, and recharging. During that time, these pastors shared from local pulpits, presenting a firsthand account of what was happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to those who had given so generously.
Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, said the experience of giving — often out of their own need — to people in even greater need has deeply touched his congregation. “I think sometimes people living in the inner city who suffer, as our people often do, relate to other people who are suffering as well. In the midst of our own poverty, we are willing to sacrifice. This ministry has encouraged my church to see beyond their own situations and conditions to help others.”
Now the network stands ready to make a difference when the next disaster strikes.
“It’s really people and their hearts that are central,” Pastor Hatch says. “Our people saw on TV what everyone else saw. But as Christians, we’re going to show up. If the church is relevant, they’re going to want to know what they can do.”
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The Impossibility of Flying Heavy Aircraft Without Training 9/11
3:43 PM - Dec. 30, 2006 - {2} -
OK, i dont want to mislead people. My version is not intended to replace theirs.
My version is for people who cant go through their program for one reason or antother.
I started using NIACIN and a SAUNA together, mush as dscribed in this book, before it ever came out.
I was also using certian herbs and eating certian fruits.
Their program (from the book I read) asks you to be with someone who has already gone through it.
This presents a problem for many people, especially sice the book has been linked to Scientology.
In my program, you can do this all by yourself, and cheaper !
their book is called....
We live in a chemically-oriented society. People in the United States are constantly subjected to chemical poisons including pesticides, illegal drugs and even preservatives from food. The residues from these poisons can stay in the system for years. They damage not only your health but your ability to think clearly. The program that is explained in Clear Body, Clear Mind is the only effective program that eliminates the devastating effects of drugs and toxins. Hundreds of thousands have done this program and live happier, more perceptive and aware lives as a result. This book provides a complete description of the New Life Detoxification Program developed by L. Ron Hubbard to remove residues from the body. It is the same technology that is used in the Narconon® drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
The program calls for you to take NIACIN, then sit in a sauna to sweat out the toxins that the niacin has released from your body.
You have to take precaution, becuase with the amount of seating needed, you will loose many minerals and fatty acids. My version of this program is much shorter, and while it might not do quite as good a job, it is much safer, and easier to do, with much less stress on the body. I think my version comes fairly close to the results obtianed from their program as well.
If you havent done so, first read my INTRO.
http://theblogs.net/user/911review/15057/Health%2C+herbs%2C+DETOXING%2C+Vitamins+and+holistic+medicine..html
Things you will need.
Note, this is a MUCH smaller list (and much cheaper) than the books.
Many of the vitamins and minerals i will suggest you take MORE than the RDA.
The RDA is a guide to how much you should have every day, and the RDA has been disputed by many reputable doctors.
The RDA is a suggested DAILY intake, and since most of us do NOT get what we need, a short term high intake will not hurt you. I am not suggesting to take these levels for more than a week though.
Many have said they way the RDA is structured, it recommends the MINIMUM amount you NEED to SURVIVE, not the OPTIMAL amount that can help you !
The amounts I suggest below are guides, and you can TWEAK them to your own use. Larger people may need a bit more, as well as people who have bad diets.
I also have a suggested meal list, which will help you to reduce the amounts of vitamins and minerals you need for this program. Even with the list, I still suggest you take what I recomend below though.
If you stay longer in the sauna, you will need more minerals also.
I also VERY MUCH suggest you read the links to the vitamins, this will help you even when you are finished the program.
1) Niacin (vitamin B3)
Make sure NOT to get time released Niacin
You will need at least 20 for the first DETOX.
Get the 100mg size, its around $3 for 100 count.
Make sure its NOT Niacinamide !
2) A sauna.
Hopefully, you can use a gym, or someplace that has a hot tub, sauna, or steamroom.
If you cant, then i dont suggest you go any further.
I have turned the heater on in my bathroom, and run the hot water, mimicking a steam room, but you have to be able to get it HOT and keep it hot for at least an hour !
3) Mandrake root.
This makes you use the bathroom.
Excreting waste is important. You can buy this online pretty cheap. I buy the root cut, and you take about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of it.
Be careful, you should read up on mandrake before using it !
That said, I have used it 100's of times, with no bad effects, but if you take too much this can happen...
http://www.totse.com/en/drugs/rare_and_exotic_drugs/mandrake.html
remeber though, this guy took over 48x the amount you should take !
4) Clacium, Magnesium, Vitamin D.
You can buy these together which is best, or seperate.
Personally, i do NOT like multivitamins, many of them do not get absorbed well.
You shoud take double the amounts during the program of Calcium Magnesium, and vitamin D.
this wont hurt you a bit short term.
Cod Liver oil is high in D as well as vitamin A and fatty acids, and is highly suggested here.
Recomended Magnesium ascorbate = 500mg to 1gram
Recomended Calcium= 1g to 3grams
Recomended Vitamin D = 400 to 600 IU
5) Omega 3 fatty acids.
Start taking these a couple of days before you start the program.
6) Vitamin C
You will need to take at least 6,000 mg a day.
This amount wont hurt you a bit, even long term, but feel free to bring it down to 2 grams a day, when the programs over. If you can get it with Rose Hiips, or Bioflavonoids, thats much better.
Of course you can get the Bioflavonoids by eating the white parts inside oranges, lemons etc...
7) B complex.
This isnt totally necisarry, but much suggested, as you will loose some B vitamins in the sweating process.
8) Mineral complex.
You can try and get all the minerals you need seperately, but i suggest getting a complex, its easier. If you can, try and get the liquid, it absorbs easier. Colloidal Minerals if possible.
If you do get the complex, the suggestion would be to take at the very least 1 dose per day, and recomended 2 to 3 doses a day.
If you dont get the complex, you will also need
a) Selenium 300mcg
b) Zinc 12mg to 30mg
c) potassium 1 to 3 grams
d) iron 10mg to 30mg
e) chromium 30mg to 50mg
read about ALL minerals here
9) lemon Juice (real lemon are better) keep this handy and put a few tablespoons in a glass of water. drink 4 to 5 glasses a day
10) ICY HOT
You can use any other salve that does the same thing. I like "tiger balm" but its hard to find. You will rub this on your skin i the sauna. (optional, but suggested)
Its important to get the blood to the skin when you take the niacin, the Sweeds, used to hit each other with small braches with leaves on them I have actually rubbed a hair comb on my skin to get this objective.
HERBS.
I use mountainroseherbs.com
you should be able to purchase most of what you need there
You should get 1/2 ounce of each (or more)
Barberry Root
Bilberry Leaf (optional)
Red Clover
Helps to detox. High in IRON, Vitamin A and minerals
Dandelion root:
You dont need to take extra potassium if you take this.
Milk thistle : Milk Thistle is one of the most potent liver-protecting herbs known. Prevents liver destruction and enhances liver function by inhibiting free radicals and leukotrienes. It stimulates liver protein synthesis and is an all-around liver support.
Alfalfa: Alfalfa the richest land source of trace minerals. A builder, cleaner, infection fighter. Breaks down poisonous carbon dioxide.
Foods and Diet
I am a vegetarian, but IF you HAVE to eat meat, eat very small amounts, and make it chicken, no red meat!.
Fruit should be a BIG part of this program, eat plenty. Any fruit is OK, citrus is recomended. The white part on the inside of citrus fruits are very high in bioflavonoids.
Greens !!!
dark green lettuce is much better than iceberg, and spinach is very high in iron. Eggplant is even higher in iron than spinach !
Carrots are very high in beta-carrotene, a precurser to vitamin A.
Shredded raw carrots are better, chew them well.
Shreeded beets are great as well, and are good for your kidneys.
NO SUGARS, keep the simple carbs very low as well, like white bread (just eat whole wheat, make sure it says whole wheat, or not bleached on the label)
Brown rice is much better than white, no chocolate either !
potatoes are OK, use real butter rather than margerine though.
No Milk or Ice Cream ! Some cheese is OK, but milk creates lots of mucus, not a goof thing here...
EAT NUTS ! get your protein and fatty acids from nuts, best thing to do, is get a trail mix, or mix with different kinds, like wallnuts, cashews, pecans...
EAT FISH ! high in vitamin D, and oils.
Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage are all great !
Use extra virgin olive oil, or a little real butter.
the grat thing is that salt is encourgaed, depnding on your restrictions (if any), and how long you stay in the sauna. Other spices are OK too.
Try to eat lots of fiber and bulk, like salads.
GARLIC, GARLIC, GARLIC !
if you dont eat LOTS of it, but some, its cheap and great to have around for lowering blood pressure, and overall health.
Egyptians took garlic to leep them healthy.
The sulfur content stops you from getting sick !
BEFORE YOU START...
Check with your DOC, if you have high blood pressure, heart problems or the like.
Do NOT take Mandrake if you are pregnant !
My version of this program is MUCH safer than the original though.
With my program, you can go as many days as you like. My program only lasts 5 days IF you do it full term.
There is a 3 day PRE-CLEANSE before the actual program (with NIACIN) starts.
LETS GO ALREADY !
Pre-Cleanse. (PC)
The first 3 days, you will follow the diet, and take herbs only.
The cleanses the bowels, and removes the water soluble toxins forst. This reduces the stress on the body, since you dont have to take any niacin, or sit in a sauna.
PC day 1
Take all of the vitamins and minerals, and follow the diet.
Take 1/2 teapoon of Mandrake root.
mandrake takes about 12 to 18 hours to work, by then you should have had 1-2 serious bowel movements.
Take 1 teaspoon of Barberry Root.
Take 1 teaspoon of Red Clover
Take 1 teaspoon of Bilberry Leaf optional
Take 1 teaspoon of Alfalfa:
Take 1 teaspoon of Milk thistle
Drink 5 glasses of water (purified)
with at least 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in each.
Eat good, dont overeat, but make sure you eat the proper foods, no sugars.
Eat fruit, veggies and fiber only !
Do a 10 minute workout, and a 20 mins sauna.
This is just to get you used to the sauna, it will also get a few of the toxins out of you, so we can start the program clean.
PC day 2
REPEAT DAY 1, except the diet.
Today, all you can have is fruit and veggies with 1 course of nuts, and 1 course of fish. Do not eat a lot of anything. You should go to bed hungry !
Drink the lemon water, take all the herbs and vitamins as in day 1
No need to workout , or sauna
PC day 3
REPEAT DAY 2
No need to workout , or sauna
Your Pre-Cleanse is over !
START the PROGRAM !
Main program day 1
Today, the diet should be exactly as PC DAY 2
NO MANDRAKE TODAY, lets take a break from that.
Take all the other herbs though as in PC DAY 2
The other thing we will do today is excercise, take niacin, and sweat !
EXCERCISE
BEFORE you start to exercise, make sure you HYDRATE, drink lemon water !
Lets GO....
You should do 3 sets of 20 reps of some kind of upper body training.
Pushups are OK, and if you can do more, please do !
Do 2 sets of 20 situps (or best you can)
Take 200mg of NIACIN NOW !!! (2 tablets)
Do (at least) 20 mins of cardio-vascular excersice
try for 30-35
Now its time to sit in the SAUNA (or hot tub or steam room).
Right away, dont wait. The Niacin is at its peak.
If you can, try and stretch your legs and arms while in the steam room,
its important to keep the blood moving at this time.
Try and stay in about 20 mins. This will depend on how hot it is, and how much YOU can take.
Your body should give you signals if there is trouble on the way, listen to it !
When you need to take a break, do it, then put on the ICY HOT, or other warming salve like Tiger Balm.
The break should not be more than 5 mins, but listen to your body !
Go back to the sauna for another 20 mins, and break again as needed.
Hot tubs are hotter than saunas and you may not be able to stay as long, thats OK, stay as long as comfotable. Then, go back in when you can, hopefully, the break should not last more than 5 mins.
Steam room temps are generally between sauna and hot tub temps.
You should have at least 1 hour of sauna time (maybe 45 mins of hot tub time)
Then , your DONE!
Take a COLD shower or bath when you are finished. This closes your pores, and stops germs from entering them, as well as invigorating the skin !
Make sure you HYDRATE !
Drink the lemon water.
Main program day 2
same as Niacin day 1, except, take 400mg of niacin
You can eat more today as well, you dont have to go to bed hungry.
No Mandrake today either.
Main program day 3
same as Niacin day 1, except, take 700mg of niacin
Eat normal, but watch WHAT you put in your mouth, dont overeat.
Today, we will take 1/2 teaspoon of mandrake again.
This is the last time,
but we want to get all those pesky toxins OUT of your body.
Main program day 4
Today is NO NIACIN !
We will just finish getting the toxins out the body, that the Niacin got moving around.
Light excersice, no need to follow strict guidelines, just get the old heart pumping, and hit the sauna.
eat well,and drink the lemon water.
Take all the herbs (except the mandrake)
ITs OVER, now you are DETOXED !
Adverse effects of overdose
Overdoses of Niacin can be extremely dangerous:
At doses of over 50mg, niacin (nicotinic acid) may cause transient itching, flushing, tingling, or headache. Niacinamide in the form that occurs naturally in the body (nicotinamide) is free of these effects. Large doses of niacin may cause nausea and may aggravate a peptic ulcer. Side effects may be reduced by taking the drug on a full stomach. At doses of over 2g daily (which have been used to treat hyperlipidaemia) there is a risk of gout, liver damage, and high blood sugar levels, leading to extreme thirst.
[John A. Henry, British Medical Association New Guide to Medicines and Drugs, 2000 edition]
Disclaimer:
I am NOT a doctor. This program was not created by me, but WAS altered by me. All of the vitamins and herbs here are over the counter, but that does not men that they CAN'T be dangerous. I recomnd anyone wanting to take this program READ about every vitamin and herb before they take it. I take no responsibility on your decision to take these supplements and herbs, you do so at your own free will.
If you feel that any of this may impact you negatively, please contact your physician, if you do decide to take them. This program was made for a healthy preson. If you have any medical problems, you should contact your doctor before starting the program.
Brad
repairpcs@911review.org
4:22 PM - Dec. 23, 2006 - {0} -
Ive been studyine this for YEARS.
I rn into something increadible several years ago, and had never blogged about it, so here it goes.
I had read a book called
http://www.clearbodyclearmind.com/
I have no affiliation with the book, and no reason to support them, except that it wroks !
As a matter of fact, ive made my own changes to the program.
You need to read the whole book, but ill give a quick overview.
Even if you dont read the book, I wil provide my own 3 day detox, taking some of what i learned from this book, and adding my own herbs and other suggestions.
This is a DETOX program, that makes you feel WONDERFULL afterward.
To give you an idea of what it is capable of, i will post below a story i remember from readin the book.
A man who used to be a swim instructor took the program. Important to note, that at the time he started the program, he had not even used a POOL in years.
He took the niacin and went into the sauna to sweat.
The other people had to LEAVE the sauna, becuase the SMELL of CHLORINE was so strong, their EYES BURNED !
There are 2 types of toxins.
The first, are FAT SOLUBLE
The second are WATER SOLUBLE
Water soluble toxins are often released by your body over time through sweating, peeing etc...
They dont usually stay in your body long.
Fat soluble toxins on the other hand, lodge in your brown fat cells, and ar often not released. They can stay there YEARS.
Examples of FAT soluble toxins are Laughing Gas
(what the dentist uses, or if you have surgery) and LSD.
Heres more on Fat soluble toxins...
The brain and the endocrine (hormonal) glands are fatty organs, and are common sites for fat-soluble toxins to accumulate. This may result in symptoms of brain dysfunction and hormonal imbalances, such as infertility, breast pain, menstrual disturbances, adrenal gland exhaustion and early menopause. Many of these chemicals (eg. pesticides, petrochemicals) are carcinogenic and have been implicated in the rising incidence of many cancers.
http://www.liverdoctor.com/03_detoxpathways.asp?print=true
Wow !
I beleive that this program, or my alteration of it can STOP CANCER !
IF, you do this on a regular basis, along with HALTING the intake of cancer causing agents
(pesticides in foods, trans fats, other toxins) you will NEVER get cancer.
Can I be SURE about this claim, NO, but i beleive it whole heartedly !
Heres a bit more about the program, and below, I will add my herbal and other recomendations.
I will also add a GENERAL HEALTH blog in the future, which i will link to
HERE (if not here yet, come back!)
-------------
NIACIN
The program consists of taking NIACIN, along with other vitamins, and excersice, with a "sweat" in a sauna. or steam room.
The NIACIN is the key. Niacin (Vitamin B3) opens your veins which help bring toxins to the surface.
More importantly, it opens the smaller capilaries that dont usually get good blood flow.
If you have ever taken Niacin, it makes your face red, and ears tingle.
It is even used in the manufacture of some street drugs for that purpose.
Also important to note:
The military gives NIACIN to people who are exposed to radiation !
Excersice also hels increase blood flow, so the idea is to exercise and take the niacin.
At that point, you will have lots of OLD toxins in your blood stream.
It is important to get them out, so the best way is to SWEAT them out !
There are MANY benefits to sweating. One is to excrete toxins which takes the job off your liver and kidneys.
You dont have to use this program to gain benefits from sweating, i do it all the time at the gym. I use a steam room and sauna several times a week.
The skin is the largest organ in the body, and sweating helps to detox you. Its great for the skin as well.
Now, this books program is pretty hard on the body. It says to double your niacin intake every day for several days.
This puts a strain on you system, unless you sweat and take antioxidants as well, but the benefits are WELL worth it !
It is very important to stay with the diet in the book, because your body looses certian oils, minerals and vitamins when you sweat, and the program calls for several HOURS of sweating every day!
My modifications to the program include certian herbs that add minerals, and also help you DETOX.
Dandelion root
Dandelion root is one of the best natural sources of potassium., and whne sweating, thats probably the mineral you loose the most of. At the same time, Dandelion is a very powerful safe diuretic, which will help pull the toxins from your bladder and kidneys. This will take stress of them, which is important in this program.
Mandrake Root
When i first started using mandrake, there was virtually nothing about it on the web.
My motto, is to use an herb for several days (by itself) to experience its effect. I know exactly what this herb does.
You do have to be somewhat carefull of the dose, and pregnant women should NOT take it.
Mandrake hels your body get rid of blockages.
The main effect you will experience, is that it will make you GO to the bathroom (#2).
Unlike laxatives however, Mandrake doesnt soften the stool, but it instead makes the muscles in your intestines contract. There may be a feeling of constipation, but, in effect, this is the opposite of whats happeneing. When the muscles contract, they start to push out anything inside (the intestines) and elsewhere.
Mandrake has been effectivly used to get rid of GALLSTONES, and other blockages as well.
Take Mandrake 2 nights before you start the program. It will take about 24 hours for it to finish working. You should also take it 2 days into the program to rid your body of toxins that are collected in the intestines during the program.
Most people know how much better they feel after a healthy bowel movement, and Mandrake REALLY cleans you out ! It can also get rid of toxins that have been in your intestines for a long time. There are other ways to clean the bowels, but I think Mandrake should be included in this program.
Before using it, you should read up on it though, or email me at
peace4u@ml1.net
Barberry Root (Oregon Grape Root)
Barberry has natural vitamin C, and bitter alkaloids that assist in detoxing the liver, and it also helps digestion.
Barberry is GREAT to help nullify and reduce toxins i the body, it is also an antioxidant.
Bilberry Leaf
Bilberry Leaf is being is used as an antioxidant, and is beneficial in the strengthening of red blood cells & capillaries around the eyes. By supplying added oxygen to the blood, Bilberry Leaf benefits all capillaries in the body to improve circulation to the hands and feet. Bilberry Leaf is rich in fatty acids, bioflavonoids, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. It also contains loeanolic and ursolic acids, magnesium, selenium, and trace amounts of sodium & calcium.
The fatty acids and minerals are needed for this program to replace what is lost during sweating.
Since the capillaries are directly affected by the Niacin, strengthening them is another plus for this herb.
A couple of quick notes:
Selinuim is an excelent antioxidant, and works well with vitamin E. I would much preffer natural sources for this (and other vitamins, minerals)
Magnesium helps calcium absorbtion, and people usually dont get enough.
Look for sources of it in foods.
Vitamin D also helps calcium absorbtion, and there are a LOT of new studies that show most people DONT get enough vitamin D. SUNSHINE is the best source as it leaves no residuals, and turns vitamin D to D3. Benefits from sunshine FAR outweigh the possible cancer concerns, and if you use this program, the negative effects from sunshine will be REMOVED from your body.
Calcium: Many people get enough, usually, they just dont get enough vitamin D, or magnesium. When this happens, they can still get a calcium deficiency, even though they are getting enough calcium !
OK, this is just in intro.
Like i said, i have my own version of the "clear body clear mind" program.
My version is not to totally REAPLACE theirs, but, it is a smaller program for those who cant follow the book to the "TEE".
My program will be blogged here...
2:34 PM - Dec. 23, 2006 - {0} -
CNN BREAKING NEWS
Terrorist Attack on United States
Aired September 11, 2001 - 08:48 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: This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center.
CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources and trying to figure out exactly what happened. But clearly, something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island Manhattan.
That is, once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: We could see these pictures. It's obviously something devastating that has happened. And again, there are unconfirmed reports that a plane has crashed into one of the towers there. We are efforting more information on the subject as it becomes available to you.
LIN: Right now we've got Sean Murtagh -- he is a CNN producer -- on the telephone.
Sean, what can you tell us what about you know?
SEAN MURTAGH, CNN PRODUCER: This is Sean Murtagh. I just was standing on the vice president of the vice president of finance for CNN.
CELLINI: Shaun, we're on the air right now. What you can tell us about the situation?
MURTAGH: Hello?
CELLINI: Yes, Sean, you are on the air right now. Go ahead. What you can tell us?
MURTAGH: I just witnessed a plane that appeared to be cruising at slightly lower-than-normal altitude over New York City, and it appears to have crashed into -- I don't know which tower it is -- but it hit directly in the middle of one of the World Trade Center towers.
LIN: Sean, what kind of plane was it? Was it a small plane, a jet?
MURTAGH: It was a jet. It looked like a two-engine jet, maybe a 737.
LIN: You are talking about a large passenger commercial jet.
MURTAGH: A large passenger commercial jet.
LIN: Where were you when you saw this?
MURTAGH: I am on the 21st floor of 5 Penn Plaza.
LIN: Did it appear that the plane was having any difficulty flying?
MURTAGH: Yes, it did. It was teetering back and forth, wingtip to wingtip, and it looks like it crashed into, probably, 20 stories from the top of the World Trade Center, maybe the 80th to 85th floor. There is smoke billowing out of the World Trade Center.
LIN: Sean, what happened next? Does it appear to you that the plane is still inside the World Trade Center?
MURTAGH: From my angle -- I'm viewing south towards the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. It looks like it has embedded in the building. I can't see, from my vantage point whether it has come out the other side.
CELLINI: Sean, what about on the ground or any debris that has hit down there?
MURTAGH: My vantage point is too far from the World Trade Center to make any determination of that.
LIN: Did you see any smoke, any flames coming out of engines of that plane?
MURTAGH: No, I did not. The plane just was coming in low, and the wingtips tilted back and forth, and it flattened out. It looks like it hit at a slight angle into the World Trade Center. I can see flames coming out of the side of the building, and smoke continues to billow.
CELLINI: Generally, is that a trafficked area in New York for aircraft?
MURTAGH: It is not a normal flight pattern. I'm a frequent traveler between Atlanta and New York for business, and it is not a normal flight pattern to come directly over Manhattan. Usually, they come up either over the Hudson River, heading north, and pass alongside, beyond Manhattan, or if they are taking off from LaGuardia, they usually take off over Shea Stadium and gain altitude around the island of Manhattan. It is rare you have a jet crossing directly over the island of Manhattan.
LIN: For our viewers who are just tuning in right now, you are looking at live picture of the World Trade Center tower, where, according to eyewitness Sean Murtagh -- he is the vice president of finance and eyewitness to what he describes as a twin-engine plane -- or possibly a 737 passenger jet -- flying into the World Trade Center. It appears to be still embedded inside the building.
Sean, are you in a position to hear whether any sirens are going, any ambulances, any response to this yet?
MURTAGH: Not from my vantage point. I am probably 1 1/2 to two miles from the World Trade Center.
LIN: It is a remarkable scene: flames still coming out of the windows, black smoke billowing from what appears to be all sides. Obviously, windows are shattered, and steel is jutting out from the structure right now.
CELLINI: Sean, we are looking at these pictures.
MURTAGH: I see them in my office. I have them on all my TVs.
CELLINI: And you are telling us you believe the plane remains embedded.
MURTAGH: I can't tell from my vantage point.
LIN: Sean , thank you so much for your eyewitness account there.
Right now, we want to go to our affiliate NYW, reporting on this as we speak.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little girl in his arms?
JIM RYAN (ph), WNYW REPORTER: Did you see what happened, sir? Did you see what happened? What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was in the PATH train, and there was a huge explosion sound; everyone came out. A large section of the building had blown out around the 80th floor.
RYAN: Was it hit by something, or was it something inside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was inside.
RYAN: It was inside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looked like everything was coming out. All the windows and the papers.
RYAN: What is on the sidewalk?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't see anything. I just ran, and everyone on the passenger train just ran. I don't know if anyone was hurt, but I assume they were because the windows were all blown out.
RYAN: Thank you.
You have to assume a very, very terrible situation if that is indeed the case, because I'm sure there were people up there.
We have lost -- again, our transmitter is on top of the World Trade Center. So we, apparently, have lost contact with Dick Oliver.
But we are on the phone with an eyewitness.
Rosa, can you hear me.
Is Rosa there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?
RYAN: Rosa?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes!
RYAN: This is Jim Ryan here in the studio. What is your last name, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cardona Rivera .
CELLINI: Again, you are looking at pictures now. We understand from a CNN vice president, Sean Murtagh, who was an eyewitness to this, that a commercial jet has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. You can see the smoke billowing out. There are flames billowing out there, a commercial jet crashing into one of these towers. At this point, we do not have official injury updates to bring you. We are only now beginning to put together the pieces of this horrible incident.
LIN: Just a few second ago, we were tuning into one of our affiliates in New York, WNYW.
We want to go to an eyewitness on the telephone right now.
Jeanne, what can you tell us what you saw?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can tell you that I was watching TV, and there was this sonic boom, and the TV went out. And I thought maybe the Concorde was back in service, because I've heard about that sonic boom. And I went to the window -- I live in Battery Park City, right next to the twin towers -- and I looked up, and the side of the World Trade Center exploded. At that point, debris started falling. I couldn't believe what I was watching.
LIN: Can you hear anything from your position now, ambulances, sirens?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. Positively. There are crowds of people downstairs in Battery Park City. Everybody's come out from the buildings. This is the financial area in Manhattan. There are a lot of fire engines; I can see them from my window.
LIN: Jeanne -- I don't know if you can tell which tower it is that is on fire, or the kinds of services that are inside that tower.
JEANNE YURMAN, WITNESS: I can't tell what is inside. It's the northern tower versus the southern tower, and it seems to be all sides of the building, from what I can tell. The west side, the south side, and it looks like smoke's coming from the east side as well.
CELLINI: Jeanne, can you see any of the debris currently on the ground area?
YURMAN: Absolutely. It's continuing to flutter down like leaflets, and at first there was tons of debris, and it continues to fall out. And it looks like these uppermost floors are definitely on fire.
CELLINI: Can you see any actual people in that area who may have been may have been hit by any of this debris or were not able to get out of way? Can you see any crowds that are maybe too close to where they should be? Anything like that?
YURMAN: No, I don't think so. It's not a highly trafficked area at the base of the World Trade Center. So that is one fortunate thing.
LIN: Jeanne, we are continuing to look at pictures of this devastating scene, according to Sean Murtagh, vice president of finance, who witnessed what he described as a twin-engine plane, possibly a 737. e was almost absolutely sure it was a large passenger jet that went into that.
Jeanne, you are saying you didn't see anything initially. You didn't see a plane approach the building?
YURMAN: I had no idea it was a plane. I just saw the entire top part of the World Trade Center explode. So I turned on the TV when I heard they said it was a plane. It was really strange.
LIN: Were you living in New York during the World Trade Center bombing?
YURMAN: No, I wasn't.
LIN: Fortunately so. When you say a sonic boom, did you feel anything? Were things shaking in your apartment?
YURMAN: Yes, you could feel it. It was a gigantic sonic boom. The TV went off for a second and went back on. And the windows -- you felt the vibrations on the windows.
CELLINI: You were saying it's not a highly trafficked area usually. You can guesstimate how many people may be in an area like that at this hour of the morning?
YURMAN: It would be hard to say. There is a huge courtyard between the two World Trade Center buildings, and the only issue might have been tourists or business people out in this courtyard area, and they possibly would have been hit. But the people that are immediately around the base of the World Trade Center, I would say, at any given time, you're talking about maybe 20 or 30 people at best.
CELLINI: We were talking with Sean Murtagh earlier, and he said this is not normally an area where you would see some sort of aircraft, certainly, obviously, that low. That is not a high-traffic area in terms of flights?
YURMAN: I don't know about flights. I have a balcony down here in Battery Park City, and they have that needle sticking out of the top of the World Trade Center, and I have always wondered if anyone would get too close to the building and accidentally bear into it.
CELLINI: Jeanne, tell us a little bit about that area and how emergency crews would be able to access that area. Would that be relatively difficult or easy to access for emergency people?
YURMAN: I would imagine it would be slightly difficult because to get around the base of the World Trade Center building there is really only the one street entrance. The other sides of the building are surrounded by other buildings in the court yard, and so it's just this westside highway, this one major street that runs up the west side of Manhattan that makes it accessible for the fire engines. And you know, it's amazing to sit here and watch this building on fire and you've got this tiny little fire engine that I'm watching.
CELLINI: That's all you see right now, is the one fire engine?
YURMAN: Well, where the fire engines are it's a little bit obscured by other buildings.
CELLINI: Right.
LIN: Jeanne, let me ask -- I know I'm asking you to be a bit of an expert on the World Trade Center, but there's a famous viewing deck for tourists on one of the towers. When you say that this is the North Tower, is this the one that services a lot of the tourists to get to the view and get to the restaurant at the top.
YURMAN: As a matter of fact it is. And, as I'm sure you can see, there's a ton of smoke coming out right now.
I'm just guessing, the fire seems to be worse on -- it looks like it's about 15 floors down from the top of the building.
LIN: Yes. One of the eyewitnesses, one of our affiliates I was talking to, said that she thought this was on the 80th floor. We know there is open-air deck 110 stories high and the glass-enclosed observatory is on the 107th floor. So there is the possibility that people may very well be trapped up there.
FURMAN: Yes.
LIN: All right, thank you so much, Jeanne Yurman...
YURMAN: You're very welcome.
LIN: ... eyewitness here to a loud sonic boom, she described, as she was sitting inside her apartment, and she looked up and saw the side of the World Trade Center exploded into flames and black smoke.
We are going to join another one of our New York affiliates, WABC for their live coverage. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... plane overhead, and then all of a sudden -- I thought it sounded kind of loud, and then I looked up and all of a sudden it smashed right dead into the center of the World Trade Center. A big flash of flame, fire coming out from all over, then all the bricks -- it's a huge hole right now. It almost Looks like the plane probably went through. I'm not sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winston (ph), can you see -- are you on the north side there where the plane made contact?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, when you say a huge hole, one of our earliest witnesses, Libby Clark (ph), said not much of the plane came down off the building, much of it went...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it went totally into the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's in the building, from what you can see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, can you see if there is a lot of debris downstairs, Winston?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, because it looks like it's inverted. With the impact everything went inside the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only thing that came out was a little bit of the outside awning. But I'd say the huge -- the hole is -- let me just get a better look right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say the whole takes about -- It looks like six, seven floors were taken out.
And there's more explosions right now -- hold on -- people are running, hold on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should hold on just a moment. We've got an explosion inside...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The building's exploding right now. You've got people running up the street.
Hold on, I'll tell you what's going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, just put Winston on pause there for just a moment...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, the whole building exploded some more, the whole top part. The building's still intact, people are running up the street. Am I still connected?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winston, this would support probably what Libby and you both said that perhaps the fuselage was in the building, that would cause a second explosion such as that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that's what just happened then.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would -- certainly...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are running up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are getting word that perhaps...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, hold on, there some people here -- everybody's panicing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, Winston -- you know, let me put Winston on hold for just a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. How much longer are we staying on? I'm inside of a diner right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Winston, you know what, if you could give us a call back. I just don't panic here on the air.
Let's just take some of our pictures from News Chopper 7.
Now, one of our producers said perhaps a second plane was involved, and let's not even speculate to the point, but at least put it out there that perhaps that may have happened.
The second explosion would certainly back the theory from a couple of eyewitness that the plane fuselage perhaps stayed in those upper buildings.
Now if you look at second building, there are two -- both twin towers now are on fire.
Now, this was not the case, am I correct, a couple of moment ago. This is the second twin tower now on fire. And we're going to check on the second flight, if perhaps that had happened.
This all began at about 8:48 this morning. Again, what we know in case you are just joining us, a small plane, not a Cessna-type or five or six seater, but instead, perhaps a passenger flight ran into the north side of the World Trade Center.
As you can see, the second explosion that you are looking at now in the second twin tower has spread much debris, much more debris than the first explosion of the first accident. If there is -- is Winston still on the line with us?
OK, he's not there.
But do we have -- I'll just talk to my producer. Do we have eyewitness that perhaps sees better than we do from the pictures?
Again you can see that there is debris falling off.
OK, we actually have an "Eyewitness News" reporter, Dr. J. Atlasberg (ph) who was downtown at the time and he is on the phone with us live.
Dr. J., what can you tell us?
DR. J. ATLASBERG (ph), REPORTER: Hello, Steve.
I'm actually uptown at 86th and Riverside. I can see the World Trade Center from about half the building up to the top. And about five minutes ago, as I was watching the smoke, a small plane -- I did -- it looked like a propeller plane, came in from the west. And about 20 or 25 stories below the top of the center, disappeared for a second, and then explode behind a water tower, so I couldn't tell whether it hit the building or not. But it was very visible, that a plane had come in at a low altitude and appeared to crash into the World Trade Center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. J, we're going to take a look at videotape just moment ago of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center.
That is spectacular pictures. I don't know if you could see the plane, and that too was a passenger plane, if perhaps some type of navigating system or some type of electronics would have put two planes into the World Trade Center within it looks like about 18 minutes of each other.
You want to go -- we have another copy. There is the second plane. Another passenger plane hitting the World Trade Center.
These pictures are frightening indeed. These are just minutes between each other. So naturally, you will guess, and you will speculate, and perhaps ask the question: If some type of navigating equipment is awry, the two commuter planes would run into the World Trade Center's at the same time.
Our director -- you are speaking in my ear at this point.
You are looking at live pictures right now of the World Trade Centers.
Again, we now have two passenger planes within 18 minutes of each other smashing into the World Trade Center.
Dr. J., are you still with us on the phone?
ATLASBERG: I'm still with you, Steve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. J, this is just frightening pictures indeed. And I would assume, or you would naturally think that...
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You have been listening to some of the coverage provided by affiliate WABC out of New York City.
Let's go now and check our other affiliate WNBC to get the latest -- I'm sorry, WNYW, WNYW, live coverage here of this amazing picture we're getting from lower Manhattan, two planes, one hitting each of the twin towers, at the World Trade Center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... very difficult too. They come by and they say, what happened, what happened? And you just got to say, something hit the building and then something hit both buildings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw clearly -- we didn't see the first one, but we saw clearly that a plane deliberately crashed into the -- one of the upper floors of the World Trade Center, that was the second plane. So two planes crashed into the upper floors of each of the World Trade Center towers. And I'm just -- I understand now that the Port Authority Headquarters are in one of those buildings somewhere near that location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim, I don't know whether we've confirmed that this was an aircraft, or to be more specific, some people said they thought they saw a missile. I don't know how people could differentiate, but we might keep open the possibility that this was a missile attack on these buildings.
Ali (ph), I must say that we have an eyewitness who said it was a large plane that crashed first. And then as we were watching the live picture here in the studio, we saw a plane crash into the -- crash into the other tower of the World Trade Center. And again, let's to be sure, there it is. There it is, the plane went right through the other tower of the World Trade Center.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is a very hard thing to watch.
HARRIS: These are incredible pictures that we're watching this morning, thanks to our affiliate WNYW in New York.
You are looking at this picture, it is the twin towers of the World Trade Center, both of them being damaged by impacts from planes. We saw one happen at about maybe nine minutes before the top of the hour, and just moment ago, so maybe 18 minutes after the first impact, the second tower was impacted with a -- by a another -- what appeared to be, another passenger plane. In fact, we've got some tape replay of that.
Do we have the tape available right now?
Here is the tape. You see the plane coming in from the east side and it goes into the building with the flames and the smoke billowing out the other side of the tower. It's hard for me to tell exactly which is the north side and which is the south side. But it appears it's coming out of south side there.
Incredible pictures. These happened just moments ago, and I believe we have someone with us on the line, Ira Furman? We have IRA Firmer, former NTSB Spokesman. You are watching these pictures as well with us, are you not? IRA FURMAN, FMR. NTSB SPOKESMAN: Yes, I'm with you on CNN.
HARRIS: What can you make of what we have seen, particularly with this replay we just saw moments ago?
FURMAN: That's absolutely inexplicable. There shouldn't be any aircraft in that area, much less something heading what looked like deliberately for the World Trade Center tower.
HARRIS: You don't think there is any this could be any kind of an accident, no kind of a navigational equipment failure or some sort of a navigational quirk by beacons or whatever?
FURMAN: No, you've got incredibly good visibility at this point, and no pilot is going to be relying on navigational equipment in such a circumstance that would cause them to crash into the World Trade Center.
HARRIS: How far out of way from an approach to either La Guardia or Kennedy would a plane have to be to hit the World Trade Center?
FURMAN: There are approach these come up along the Hudson River, which to the west of the World Trade Center, and those aircraft usually wind up going into La Guardia. So you can come within a mile owe two of the World Trade Center. But it is such a visible object as you are approaching New York City, that it's just not possible for a pilot during the daytime to have taken a course that would put it right into the World Trade Center. The second occurrence within a few minutes is beyond belief.
HARRIS: As you could see, there definitely is no weather problem. So weather would definitely be ruled out as a factor in this case?
FURMAN: Yes, the course is a normal course for commercial pilots coming into New York. It certainly appeared from the video on CNN, that the second aircraft was heading for the tower, and that it was a commercial-size aircraft.
HARRIS: Could you tell, have a better idea what size of plane was? It was kind of hard for me to tell. You are expert in the matters. Could you look at the tape and tell me what size the plane was?
FURMAN: It would have to be slowed down, and you need more than one angle on it, because you want see how many imagine engines are on it? The shape of the tail.
HARRIS: Guys, could we replay the tape right now? Do we have the tape right now of the second plane impacting. We're going to put that tape on in just a second. Here we are about to roll it now.
If you can, sir, I don't want you to speculate. But if you can, give us idea what you might think might be at play here, what kind of plane we're talking about, or at least what size, if we're talking about one that would hold say 100 people, one that would hold 300 people. From what you see -- back the tape up further than that, guys.
Here we go.
FURMAN: It's very hard to get a perspective on it. I don't know how far away we are with this. But that looks to me like it could be certainly a passenger jet and one of those aircraft that could hold 100 or more people. I caution you at this point to wonder whether or not that airplane was occupied by more than just a pilot or crew. We don't necessarily know that there were any passengers aboard that airplane.
HARRIS: Understood, understood.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Daryn Kagan joining the conversation here. Sir, but there is no indication there would be any air traffic on purpose in the area of the World Trade Center at this time of day, or any time of day for that matter?
FURMAN: Not directly into the world trade center?
KAGAN: No, but even close to it? you.
FURMAN: You would be clearing the World Trade Center by a few miles. Normal operations. And when you are looking at the pictures that you see, with all this smoke and fire and all of that, it's just absolutely unbelievable to think that a flight crew that wouldn't ordinarily see the World Trade Center, wouldn't ordinarily be on course would not see this as flaming beacon to avoid.
KAGAN: Let me ask you this about the airspace. Given that it appears two airplanes have flown into the World Trade Center in 18 minutes, is it possible to shut down the airspace and keep another plane from doing something just like it?
FURMAN: I don't think that this represents an accident.
And so I don't think that we're talking about having to now keep other aircraft away. This picture that CNN is broadcasting live is probably from a range of a couple of miles away, and you can see that.
KAGAN: No, certainly that. But if there was somebody intentionally trying to do the same thing again, is there a way to shut down the airspace to keep things out?
FURMAN: You can't shut down the airspace. There is no gate, there is not fence in airspace. All you can do is broadcast that that airspace is closed. But if someone is intent on breaking through it, that happens with our military airspace all the time off the coast.
HARRIS: I want to bring up a couple points if I may. We have been told that President Bush has been informed of this incredible tragedy happening in New York. He did have an event scheduled at 9:00 this morning, which we were going to cover here, and he has just canceled that event. We expect he will have some comments fairly soon, and we will bring those to you live the moment that we understand he is available. But I'd like to ask you once again, Ira, if I can get to back asking you about this particular crash. Is it possible that those who are tracking planes, either at La Guardia, can give us some more information about exactly what happened here. Were these planes I guess using beacons to come in, or was there some sort of identification of these planes, as they approach the New York area?
FURMAN: Yes, there should be, if they were under air traffic control. You've got one eyewitness telling you that The first aircraft flew from Westchester and flew down through Manhattan, and directly into the World Trade Center, presumedly the north tower. And now you've got -- you're showing the other aircraft coming in, looks to me like it would be from the West, into the other tower.
Those planes could be, should be, normally would be under air- traffic control. But it is also entirely possible for aircraft to fly into, through or over New York, or in this case into a building in New York, without being under the control, and we use that word advisedly. All that means is information is what air traffic control is. And just operate and do whatever they want, if they don't follow the rules of air traffic control.
HARRIS: Ira Furman, we thank you very, very much for your insight. And the longer we talk, the less convinced many will become that this was an accident. We thank you very much for your insight.
KAGAN: More information on that just ahead.
Now we want to bring in Todd Harris (ph). Todd on the scene, saw what happened.
Todd are you with us?
TODD HARRIS: Yes, I had a perfect view, and the plane was coming in. I noticed it a second before it hit the building. It looked like it was moving slowly, and it lined itself up to hit the building directly.
KAGAN: Are you talking about the first plane or the second plane?
HARRIS: The first plane.
KAGAN: Now, Todd, tell us exactly where you are, where you had this great view.
HARRIS: I was on highway 278, like a dead-on view of the side that hit building.
KAGAN: All right, Todd, hang on, we're going to continue our conversation. Leon has something to jump in here with.
HARRIS: Yes, I'm checking the wires even as we speak. The Associated Press is reporting right now that the FBI in Washington is investigating reports that these two plane crashes the result of foul play. There is a report here by the Associated Press of a possible plane hijacking. They don't say two. But they say a possible plane hijacking.
Let's go to Kelli Arena who's on the phone right now from Washington -- Kelli.
Kelli Arena, are you there? .
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here.
HARRIS: What have you learned?
ARENA: Hi there.
Well, an FBI official has told CNN that they are investigating, but they have not yet determined whether or not this was indeed a terrorist act. The official that I spoke to said that so far, there has been no communication, no one claiming responsibility for either of those crashes. There is an investigation under way. If there is anything to be said officially, it will come out of the New York City field office of the FBI, which is right now involved in that investigation to find out whether or not it was.
But I have to tell you, I repeat, right now the FBI has not determined whether or not this is a terrorist act, although they are investigating.
HARRIS: All right, thank you very much. Kelli Arena, we appreciate that.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: All right, let's go ahead and bring back in Todd Harris. Todd, are you still with us?
We don't have Todd.
OK, once again, if you're just joining us, the breaking story that we're following out of New York City. Within the span of 18 minutes, two separate planes crashing into the World Trade Center. The rescue operations under way, not clear -- we will show you -- this is second plane, after first tower already on fire. Let the pictures tell the story. You saw it live here on CNN as it happened the plane crashed right into the side of World Trade Center, causing a huge explosion.
And we're showing you live pictures now. Smoke and fire taking place in both towers of the World Trade Center.
HARRIS: It appears that second plane that we actually did have on videotape actually turned. And I have to think, I'm not an expert in these things, so I don't know, but it would seem as though that move actually may have caused much more damage.
These are incredible pictures, as you can see here.
KAGAN: Let's keep the pictures here. Joe Tractsonburg (ph) joining us on the phone. Joe, are you with us?
JOE TRACTSONBURG: Yes, I am.
KAGAN: Can you tell us what your vantage point is and what you've seen so far?
TRACTSONBURG: Well, I heard on the radio that one of the towers was on fire. And we went to a high point in our building, which is on the 25th floor, and you had a clear view of the both World Trade Centers and the one that was smoking hard, and there was another plane that was flying low, and we just looked at it, and before we know it, it was just kamikaze, boom, right into the other tower, and mass explosion, windows flying. It was horrible. I'm still distraught looking at it.
KAGAN: Were you close enough to see or get a general idea of what kind of plane that was that flew in the second time?
TRACTSONBURG: Well, I'm not an expert on planes, but it didn't seem like a big passenger jet. It was smaller type plane, because it made some pretty radical turn, and flying low. And you're not used to seeing big planes flying over Manhattan, because I don't think you're allowed to. But it was pretty tough.
KAGAN: And explain to me again, what your vantage point is, where you are in the city looking at this?
TRACTSONBURG: We're in Chelsea. It's -- like 25th Street, 7th Avenue, it's clear looking all the way downtown, and you could see the building, you know, the whole downtown, because it's a clear day, and it's a disaster.
KAGAN: And once again, describe for us what you saw as that plane went into the second building.
TRACTSONBURG: That plane just flew straight into the second building on the downtown side it appears. It was just a huge explosion. And smoke just immediately, fire started immediately coming from the second tower as it hit, and there was glass flying everywhere.
KAGAN: Looks like we have a little bit of audio problems. So I'm going to say thanks to Joe Tractsonburg for talking to us and telling us what he saw.
We are watching it right here, live on CNN, as that plane went it. He had a closer vantage point, and as you can see, as you heard, Leon, he doesn't think it was a big jet, but a smaller plane, from where he could see it.
HARRIS: Well, we do have the tape of a recounting by another eyewitness. We want to go to some tape we're getting from our affiliate WABC in New York, where they interviewed an eyewitness who saw the second crash as it happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say the whole takes about -- we saw six, seven floors were taken out, and there's more explosions right now. Hold on, people are running! Hold on!
UNIDENTIFIED WABC REPORTER: Hold on just a moment. We've got an explosion inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The building is exploding right now. You've got people running up the street. Hold on, I'll tell you what's going on.
UNIDENTIFIED WABC REPORTER: OK, just put Winston on pause there for just a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole building just exploded some more, the whole top part. The building's still intact people are running up the street. Am I still connected?
UNIDENTIFIED WABC REPORTER: Winston, this would support probably what Libby and you both said, that perhaps the fuselage was in the building that would cause a second explosion, such as that. That's what just happened then.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are running out.
UNIDENTIFIED WABC REPORTER: We are getting word that perhaps...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, hold the people here -- everybody here is panicking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Keep in mind the first plane hit about 8:48 a.m., so there had to already be a number of people at work inside the World Trade Center.
We're going to go right now and bring in Rose Arce, one of our producers here at CNN. She's with us on the phone, and has with her a number of people who have escaped the building -- Rose.
ROSE ARCE, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, there's a huge crowd out. There are hundreds of people on the streets that come from south to north. I mean literally thousands of people that have been running from inside these building. It's a very heavily trafficked area in downtown. Many of them are inside the building when they felt the explosion. And they say there was just pandemonium. There was no warning, no alarms, no anything.
Everyone just raced from their desks, ran downstairs and now there is a steady of stream of folks running away from the building. Some people fearing that there will be another explosion. And when they saw the second plane, convinced that this was dangerous. There is an actual flood of folks escaping downtown midtown Manhattan right now.
KAGAN: And, Rose, do you have anybody with you that could talk about being inside the World Trade Center when this happened?
ARCE: Right now, honestly, there scores of people literally running behind me. There is debris on the base of the building that has continued to fall. As you know, even as far as a block away from the building. And what's happened is everyone seems to have figured out that there's ongoing danger, and there's just a stream of folks running as quickly as they can uptown away from this.
KAGAN: Understandably. What about rescue efforts? I would imagine there is still a number of people inside those buildings.
ARCE: Right now. What you see right now, is there are trucks trying to get through. And people have actually jumped from the crowd and are trying to help direct traffic to try to get emergency vehicles there. There's no traffic going in the other direction, but because of the flow of people, it looks like some emergency vehicles are actually having trouble getting to the scene.
KAGAN: And from you are standing, is there any kind of command center, any place that people are being directed toward?
ARCE: Right now, what there is, is there is crush of emergency vehicles and rescue vehicles, but they don't seem to be quite organized in any direction. There's fire department vehicles on the one side, where you see the smoke coming out of the building.
On the other hand, you see groups of police officers trying to organize the crowd, and in more orderly fashion. I think there seems to be some fear on their part that such a huge crowd of people might injure each other on the way out.
KAGAN: All right, Rose Arce, on the ground there, near the World Trade Center. We continue our coverage live, with the live pictures as we go.
HARRIS: And we're just now getting word again from the Associated Press now, saying that the crash of these two aircraft into the towers, the World Trade Center in New York, appeared to be an act of terrorism. This, they are quoting a U.S. official. They did not say which department of this -- this U.S. official was speaking from, or the authority this official was actually carrying at this particular point. But they are saying that a U.S. official is now saying to the Associated Press, it is -- he is saying at least that these two aircraft crashes that we have seen into each of the towers of the World Trade Center are the act of terrorism.
We are just getting word now that President Bush is going to be coming out, and he's going to have comments momentarily, we understand. We are keeping an eye on the picture from Sarasota. He is going to be returning to Washington almost immediately, we understand -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And as you mentioned, President Bush is in Florida today. We're supposed to have an education event just minutes from now. That has canceled.
Our Major Garrett is traveling with the president.
Major, maybe you can tell us a little bit more on the president's immediate plans.
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
President Bush, as you said, will make a statement here at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota at the catastrophe in the twin towers in New York. Following that statement, the president will board Air Force One and return immediately to Washington. We are told by White House officials traveling with the president in Sarasota that he was notified either shortly before 9:00 or shortly after. We don't have an exact moment of the notification of the president. We believe his chief of staff Andrew Card told him of the events in New York City. The president has been monitoring them as best as he can.
He was at one moment this morning sitting, reading a book to some of the elementary schoolchildren as scheduled. Reporters asked him if he was aware of the situation in New York. He nodded a bit gravely, and said he would have something to say about that shortly. We are expecting that statement any moment now. I can tell you here in Sarasota with those traveling with the president, they are trying to sift through all of the amazing and terrifying -- both pictures and details as they can get them from New York City. But no confirmation here from White House officials about what this in fact is, whether it's accident or terrorism. They are trying to gather information as best they can, give it to the president, and trying to keep thing on a very calm and even keel as possible.
KAGAN: And on that not, Major, it sounds like that exchange of questions with the president came at what would be a sensitive time if you were sitting in front of a bunch of schoolchildren and not wanting to scare the children.
GARRETT: Well, precisely. And the president has a way of letting reporters know that it's either an appropriate time or inappropriate time to take questions. He does that in many different environments, many different situations. Clearly this morning, with a crowd of children, he wanted to keep an even keel, keep the situation under control as best as possible. He just nodded and said -- we'll talk about this later.
KAGAN: So once again, we do expect to hear from the president soon. A timeframe on that?
GARRETT: Within the next 10 minutes or so. Again, things are very much in flux, things a bit confused. The event here, which is scheduled to talk about education reform, talk about the importance of reading, that has been scrubbed. And the president trying to gather whatever information, all the information he can from various White House sources, make a statement, and then get aboard Air Force One, and get back to Washington just as soon as he can.
KAGAN: Major Garrett traveling with the president in Sarasota, Florida. Major, thank you very much. And of course, As soon as the president begins to speaks, you will see those comments live here on CNN -- Leon.
HARRIS: I want to inform you we've just gotten word according to Reuter's news service, trading on the markets in New York have been postponed indefinitely, and we will try to keep an eye on that. We can't expect that to get under way anytime soon. You just heard Major Garrett moments ago this investigation -- we're just not getting reports from the Associated Press, saying that U.S. officials are saying this is an act of terrorism.
Let's go now to our David Ensor, who's on the phone right now, and give us some more information on what may be at stake there -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leon, I can just tell you that U.S. officials are also telling me that the -- this is clearly not an accident in their view, and they do believe that terrorism is at the root of this. They believe that this is a terrorist act.
However, they have very little other information. Obviously, law enforcement agencies will be taking a lead on this, trying to find out who is -- who was flying the planes, whether they in fact had turned away from their regular flights and so on, so very little information.
HARRIS: David, we're going to have to cut you off. President Bush is speaking.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
6:33 PM - Dec. 21, 2006 - {0} -
'George And Laura'
NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2002
(CBS) Now about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, America's first couple has survived numerous challenges in both private and public life. Author Christopher Andersen explores the secrets to the Bush's success in his new book "George And Laura: Portrait Of An American Marriage."
Andersen has made a name for himself by writing about some of the most famous people of his time. Past subjects have included JFK, Jr., Princess Diana, Jack Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Bill and Hillary Clinton. Don’t miss Andersen's interview on Wednesday’s The Early Show.
Here is an excerpt from Chapter One:
September 11, 2001
A Tuesday
He rolled out of bed just before 6 A.M. at Sarasota's Colony tennis resort, pulled on shorts and an old T-shirt, then laced up his favorite pair of frayed-at-the-edges, broken-in-to-perfection running shoes. Thirty minutes later, in the half-light of dawn, the President of the United States was pounding around the palm-lined perimeter of one of Longboat Key's most exclusive golf courses, trailed by puffing Secret Service agents.
Richard Keil, White House correspondent for Bloomberg News and a former All-American distance runner, chatted with the President while they ran. "He was clipping along, and talking very comfortably," Keil recalled. "If you're not in real good shape and running that fast, you can't carry on a conversation." Running, George W. Bush explained, was his way to "cope with the stress of this job."
This morning, the President would cover just four and a half miles - two laps around the course in just over thirty-two minutes. Then it was back to his hotel suite and a quick shower before changing into the gray suit, blue shirt, and burgundy tie that had been spread out on the bed for him by an aide. Before he left, the President was given his daily intelligence briefing. The heightened threat of terrorism was mentioned this morning, as it had been nearly every morning since George W. Bush took office.
Nine hundred miles to the north, Laura Bush also started the day early. In her husband's absence, the job of taking Spot the English springer spaniel and their frisky black Scottish terrier Barney for their morning walk had fallen to the First Lady. Afterward, Laura returned to the second-floor family quarters for a quick breakfast with her in-laws. George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara had spent the night at the White House and were about to board a private jet bound for a speaking engagement in Minnesota.
Laura had always had an easy, comfortable relationship with the ex-president and his first lady, but now they rightly sensed their daughter-in-law was preoccupied. This morning, the former schoolteacher was going to appear before Senator Edward Kennedy's Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to plead for more federal funding of early childhood education. She took even greater care than usual in picking out just the right wardrobe for the occasion: tailored red suit, a three-strand pearl necklace, matching pearl earrings.
Laura kissed her in-laws good-bye, checked her purse for the essentials ("lipstick, hairbrush, Altoids"), then headed for the White House limousine waiting to take her to Capitol Hill. It was, she said to no one in particular as she stepped out into the brilliant September sunshine, "a beautiful day, just beautiful." But as she walked the few steps toward the car, a member of her Secret Service detail took her aside to tell her he was getting some disturbing news over his earpiece. Something terrible had just happened in New York ...
The presidential motorcade was making the twenty-minute trip from the Colony to Emma E. Booker Elementary School when Press Secretary Ari Fleischer's pager went off. There were early reports that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center just minutes before, at 8:48 A.M. President Bush had emerged from his car and was shaking hands with local officials standing outside the school when Chief of Staff Andrew Card sidled up to him with the news.
A terrible accident, Bush thought to himself as he walked into the gray-carpeted second grade classroom and, smiling broadly, took a seat to the immediate left of the teacher. Scrawled on the blackboard behind him was the slogan "Reading Makes a Country Great!" Less than twenty-four hours before, the President had been cheered at Jacksonville's Justina Elementary School as he declared "war on illiteracy." Sarasota was the second stop on a whirlwind tour of the Southeast to promote his administration's "Putting Reading First" initiative, and to muster support for an education bill that had stalled in Congress.
The eighteen students seated in two rows before him had just begun to take turns reading aloud a story about a goat when Card reappeared. He walked to the head of the classroom, leaned down, and whispered in the President's right ear. "A second plane has just hit the World Trade Center," he said. "America is under attack."
The President, sitting with his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, was intensely aware of the television cameras that were recording his every expression. "I have nobody to talk to," he thought to himself as he tried to absorb it all in an instant. "My God, I'm Commander-in-Chief and the country has just come under attack!"
There was no way he could conceal his feelings of shock and dismay at the horrible news. There was a fleeting look of panic in the President's eyes as Card stepped back. "It was a surreal moment," Card later said. "It was immediately obvious that it was neither an accident nor a coincidence."
But without all the facts at hand, George Bush had no intention of upsetting the schoolchildren who had come to read for him. The rest of the children's story about the goat did not register with him at all, but the President, raising his eyebrows and nodding, interrupted the second graders to praise them. "Really good readers, whew!" Bush told the class. "This must be sixth grade."
At the end of each chapter, the students read the line "more to come," and at one point the President asked them if they knew what that meant. "Something is happening!" several excitedly replied in unison. Something is happening ...
The foregoing is excerpted from "George and Laura" by Christopher Andersen. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
: © MMII, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved.
6:31 PM - Dec. 21, 2006 - {0} -
The drama in Sarasota
A day promoting the president's education policy suddenly becomes a historical turning point.
By BILL ADAIR and STEPHEN HEGARTY
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 8, 2002
 |
[The White House via AP]
Chief of Staff Andrew Card interrupts Bush's time with students at Emma Booker Elementary to give him an update. "A second plane hit the second tower," he said. "America is under attack."
|
SARASOTA -- Andrew Card stood at the doorway to the Sarasota classroom and decided to do something White House staffers rarely did: interrupt President Bush during a public appearance.
Bush had just sat down to hear schoolchildren read a story, but Card needed to tell him that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center.
The TV cameras were trained on Bush, so Card knew he had to choose his words carefully. He needed to capture the seriousness of the situation, but he didn't want the president to turn to him and start a conversation on live TV.
The White House chief of staff decided on two sentences -- one to state the facts and a second to convey the seriousness of the incident. He strode into the room, leaned down to Bush's ear and whispered:
"A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."
* * *
With so much drama on Sept. 11, the events in Sarasota have been overshadowed. But the moment Card whispered in the president's ear marks a critical point in Bush's presidency and in the nation's history.
For Card, the day began with the smell of rotting fish.
The presidential entourage had spent the night at the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. Card awoke early and opened his hotel window to enjoy the beachfront air. Instead, he got the stench of fish that had been killed by red tide.
Card, who is in charge of presidential details large and small, worried that the smell might affect Bush's daily jog.
In fact, the president managed to get in a brisk 4 1/2-mile run and returned to the hotel to get dressed. As usual, Bush was on schedule, although when Card took a look at the motorcade, he found it in disarray. The staff vans were in the wrong place, and Card had the stray thought that they might bump into each other.
Sept. 11 was supposed to be what White House strategists call a "soft" day -- no big speeches, just a few events to highlight Bush's education plans. Card was happy to be in Florida because he would get to see his sister Sara Struhs, a state education official who had come for the event.
The 20-minute drive from the hotel was routine, although a few protesters waved signs about the administration's policy on offshore oil drilling.
Waiting to greet Bush at the school were teachers, administrators, Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan and U.S. Reps. Dan Miller and Adam Putnam, Tampa Bay area congressmen who were supposed to return with Bush on Air Force One. A White House staffer told Putnam and Miller that Bush had to take an important call when he arrived at the school.
As Bush stepped from his limousine in front of Emma Booker Elementary School, Putnam could hear beepers and cell phones going off. Several White House staffers scattered.
The school was well-equipped for the brief presidential visit. Police and Secret Service agents were on the roof, on horseback and in every hallway. The White House had installed 49 new phone lines for staffers and reporters. One special line was known as the "red phone," though it was actually beige.
Bush stopped to greet the congressmen and school officials, but Card urged him to go inside.
"Mr. President, you really need to take this phone call," Card said.
Brogan followed Bush into a room set aside for the White House staff as the president took the call.
At that point, White House officials believed a small propeller plane had hit the tower. Bush ended the call and walked into Kay Daniels' second-grade classroom.
* * *
"Hello, boys and girls," Bush said, shaking hands with the children.
Principal Gwen Rigell was struck by how closely Bush followed the White House script. He sat in a plain padded chair and listened as the children read him a story about a girl and her pet goat.
Several minutes into the lesson, Rigell sensed commotion in the back of the room. Card walked toward the president. The principal, not realizing who he was, expected the Secret Service to stop him.
Card whispered in the president's ear.
Daniels knew something was wrong. This was not in the plan. Bush had been attentive and engaged with the kids, but the warmth had drained from his eyes. He now appeared distracted.
Bush finished the lesson and even took a few questions from the children. He then excused himself and walked into the adjacent staff room.
 |
[The White House via AP]
President Bush gathers information on the attacks on the World Trade Center as his staff watches footage of the attack while in Sarasota on Sept. 11.
|
"What's going on?" Bush asked. Someone pointed to the TV, which was showing the planes hitting the towers.
Bush got on the phone with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who was at the White House. He scribbled in a notebook with a Sharpie pen.
He got off the phone and told Brogan he would make a statement in the media center, where parents, students and reporters were waiting to hear him speak of the importance of reading.
After the president left her classroom, Daniels gave a puzzled look to one of the Secret Service agents. He brought her back into the staff room, where a television showed the scene in New York. Daniels started to cry.
Card made arrangements with the Secret Service and the crew of Air Force One for a quick departure. He saw his sister and gave her a big hug.
"Sara, there's been a terrible incident in New York City, and we're going to have to leave," he said.
Bush went to a lectern and read his hastily written remarks to the students -- and the world.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult moment for America," he told them.
He said he was returning to Washington. "Terrorism against our nation will not stand."
* * *
As the motorcade sped toward Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, Bush and Card were in the presidential limo speaking by phone with the White House.
Bush and Card were told about the attack on the Pentagon. They also received several reports that turned out to be wrong -- of a fire in the Old Executive Office Building, a car bomb at the State Department and that terrorists were targeting Air Force One.
As they zoomed away from the school, Putnam saw the protesters waving their signs, apparently unaware of the attacks. One protester made an obscene gesture to Bush's limo.
Putnam thought, When that guy finds out about the attacks, he'll regret he gave the president the bird.
At the airport, everyone scrambled onto Air Force One. Secret Service agents with dogs hurriedly checked the luggage. Card was frustrated because so many guests had come on the plane and were delaying the takeoff.
The plane taxied quickly, took off and climbed very steeply. The pilots wanted to get to cruising altitude because of the report that their plane was a possible target.
As the Boeing 747 climbed high above Florida, Bush said he was eager to return to Washington. But Card replied that they needed to wait.
"We've got to let the dust settle before we go back."
* * *
The chair Bush used is still in Daniels' classroom, with a purple ribbon tied to it.
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/08/911/The_drama_in_Sarasota.shtml
6:30 PM - Dec. 21, 2006 - {0} -
Original link http://web.knoxnews.com/web/kns/news/breaking/attack/texts/0911_0813pm.shtml
(Public domain record.)
Texts & Speeches
09/11/2001
Transcript of a Press Gaggle by Ari Fleischer
8:13 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Okay. What I'd like to do is just try to give you a walk through of the President's day, what he did when he learned various pieces of information. So this may take me a moment or two, but let me try to give you a good walk through.
The President arrived just shortly before 9:00 a.m., at the elementary school in Sarasota, when Andy Card informed him, as the President finished shaking hands in a hallway of school officials, about the crash of the first plane into the World Trade Center.
The President then proceeded directly into his hold and spoke with Dr. Condoleezza Rice, who provided him with that information, as well. The President then went before you all, in the public event, for the first event with the small children. And during the course of his speech to the -- his remarks to the children, Andy Card was notified about the crash of the second airplane.
Andy approached the President, whispered into his ear, with the press before and the children before him, about the crash of the second plane. The President had been intending to make remarks about the first plane in that session, but he decided to wait until he could ascertain additional information, given the fact now that it was not one, but two, crashes, which was an immediate indication, of course, of the serious nature of this suggesting terrorism.
Then, as you know, the President returned to his hold, received additional information from Dr. Rice. Information was still very sketchy at that point -- this is shortly after 9:00 a.m. And then the President proceeded -- the decision was made by the President that he would go and speak to the nation about what transpired. You have the record of that. And then the President immediately departed for the airport.
The President, upon arrival on Air Force One, called the Vice President. It was the first of many calls that he and the Vice President engaged in at one point. They had an open line between the two of them; the Vice President being here in the White House, the President, of course, being in what amounts to an air borne command center at times like this.
The President spoke with the Vice President. The President spoke with Secretary Rumsfeld, he spoke again with the Vice President to receive information and to give direction. It was on the flight to Louisiana where the President authorized putting America's military on a higher alert status.
The President continued to receive information aboard the plane and some of the information, for example, about a car bombing at the State Department; then the President was given the information saying that was an incorrect report, that erred. The President was given information about the crash south of Pittsburgh; information continued to come in to the President about developments in this case.
The Secret Service, of course, was analyzing the information that came in and the various rumors that were swirling and taking a very careful look to see what was fact and what was fiction. The President arrived at Barksdal Air Force Base, proceeded to the conference room with General Tom Keck, and then made a series of phone calls from the General's conference room. And he addressed the nation, as you know.
In the course of one conversation with the Vice President the President said to him, "it's the faceless coward that attacks," which became, of course, the statement the President made to the nation.
The President talked with Senator Schumer from the General's conference room. He said this was, "a sad day for America; condolences go to everyone in New York." He spoke again with Secretary Rumsfeld; spoke again with the Vice President. He departed at approximately 1:15 p.m. for Air Force One in what is called an up-armored Humvee vehicle. It's a camouflaged vehicle. On the tarmac at the airport there were armed security police with dogs that were there when we arrived and when we departed.
On the flight to Nebraska, the President again spoke with the Vice President. He called the meeting of the National Security Council for 4:00 p.m., upon his arrival, instructed the Vice President to have all the proper people assembled. He made clear that he wanted to get back to Washington as quickly as was possible.
He spoke with Mayor Guiliani, and Pataki, together. He said that, "Our sympathies are with you and the people of New York." He said, "I know your heart is broken and your city is strained, and anything we can do, let me know and we will do."
The President arrived at approximately 3:10 p.m. to the Command Center in Nebraska. He had a one hour and five minute meeting with his national security team. And during the course of that meeting, the President said -- at the very end of the meeting the President said, "We will find these people and they will suffer the consequences of taking on this nation. We will do what it takes. No one is going to diminish the spirit of this country."
The President also, at the security meeting, stressed how grateful he was to have heard from so many world leaders who sent him written communications, standing with the United States and expressing their outrage at the terrorist attacks. The President, on the flight home, spoke with Mrs. Bush -- he had spoken with her earlier in the day, too, upon departure from Florida -- said, "I'm coming home, see you at the White House."
And that's the chronology. And the President arrived back here, went immediately into the study just off the Oval Office, to work on his speech for tonight. He met again with his national security team, and then he returned to the study to work on the speech.
Q: Ari, can you rule out that there was any decision to shoot down the plane over Pennsylvania? There are still continuing questions that the government may have decided that that was necessary. Do you have any information about that crash?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't have information about the cause of that crash.
Q: But can you rule out that it was shot down by the U.S. military?
MR. FLEISCHER: That would be the first I've heard of anything like that. I have not heard anything like that at all.
Q: At what point did the President really -- did the gravity of the attack on the government excel? When did he hear of the Pentagon, the plane going into the Pentagon? And did that change the picture for the President?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think the picture changed for the President immediately upon hearing of the second crash into the World Trade Center. I think when information came in about the first crash, I think the natural reaction was, was it a plane that went off course, what could this be, is this terrorism?
As soon as Andy whispered in his ear about the second crash, there was no doubt in the President's mind.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about how the speech was put together? And was it Condi Rice that sort of wrote it?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President, on the flight back from Nebraska, talked to several staff members on Air Force One about what he wanted to say.
Q: Would that be like, Rove, Card, yourself?
MR. FLEISCHER: It was -- I think at that point it was Andy and me. And we talked to Karen. The President and Karen directly spoke. The President conveyed to Karen what it was he wanted to say. Mike Gerson and Karen wrote the remarks.
Q: And what was his mood as the news continued to roll in? And did he see -- at what point did he see the pictures? Since he was in the air all the time, the things that rocked people as they saw picture after picture -- did he see those?
MR. FLEISCHER: He was able to watch those pictures from the air. Terry, I've said this before about the President --
Q: He could watch from the air? I'm sorry.
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, he could watch from the air. I've said this before about the President, he is even-keeled at all times. I have really never seen him get very high, very low. He just has a steely demeanor.
Q: Anger?
MR. FLEISCHER: Resolve. I mean, it really is a question of -- and you've heard it in his public statements today, that those who committed this crime on the United States will pay the price. It's just tough determination and resolve.
In the speech tonight, I think what you're about to hear is a message of reassurance and resolve. In particular tonight, he wants to talk about the tragedy that has befallen people's families, those who have lost their lives.
Q: Most Americans are just downright pissed-off. Have you seen at any moment in him just sort of like a real gut-wrenching emotional reaction to all this? I know you're saying his resolve and that he's pretty even-keeled, but was there ever a moment where he really sort of showed the frustration I think that everyone is feeling?
MR. FLEISCHER: Like I said, it was really steely resolve. I mean, he's had a -- he had some tough words for those who did it.
Q: Ari, why did he go out to Omaha?
MR. FLEISCHER: And Louisiana -- I think you can ask that same question. As I tried to give you a hint in my remarks about the Secret Service assessing various information that was coming in -- including one report that said that the plane that went down near Pittsburgh, went down near Camp David -- for obvious security reasons.
Q: Can you give us any kind of sense of how close we are to finding out who did this or how long we think it might take to find out any information, that information?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, and I'm not sure that I'm going to be in a position to share that information as the White House and the intelligence team develop it. You know, that information is obviously being collected now and it's something I wouldn't indicate publicly, especially.
Q: Are there strong leads, Ari? Are there strong leads as to who may be responsible --
MR. FLEISCHER: Dick, tonight is not the night for the White House to talk about that. The President's message tonight is going to be focused on the victims. I think more on that privately later.
Q: Can I ask you a question about this morning and |