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CNN AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN
Interview With Tom Ridge, Homeland Security Secretary
Aired February 10, 2003 - 07:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Be prepared. That is the message the Bush administration is delivering to all of us. The government has raised its nationwide terror alert warning to the second-highest level from code yellow to orange, signifying high risk.
What prompted the change, and what does it mean for all of us? Well, earlier this morning, I spoke with the man in charge of homeland security, Secretary Tom Ridge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Secretary Ridge, good morning. Thanks so much for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Good morning, Paula.
ZAHN: Sir, are you raising the level of alert as a precaution or a prediction?
RIDGE: As a precaution, Paula. The accumulation of information from around the world, from our own sources, and from our allies in the war against al Qaeda lead us to believe that this is probably the most significant, the most serious threat we've seen to American interests, both in this country and abroad, since September 11.
ZAHN: What is the most concerning thing you're hearing in the chatter now that would cause you to raise this level?
RIDGE: Well, as normal, the information we receive is very vague with regard to specifics, as to time and place and location, although in this instance, there were several sources that unfortunately indicated that the attacks might occur during the Muslim holy period, or the hajj, during the pilgrimage to Mecca.
But at the end of the day when you have so many credible sources from around the world talking about attacks, and you're able to corroborate those credible sources, you have to conclude that this is a most serious period for the United States.
ZAHN: In a recent CNN/TIME poll, 77 percent of Americans polled say that they thought terrorism in the U.S. was more likely if the U.S. sent troops into Iraq. How much of a factor is Iraq in all of this?
RIDGE: Well, the possibility of war with Iraq is absolutely no factor at all in our raising the threat level on Friday from yellow to orange. And if and when the president would make the decision to engage Iraq militarily, we would continue to do a daily assessment with regard to the intelligence we get from our own sources and from foreign sources.
I think you and I have had this discussion before, Paula, but several times a day, we analyze the threat to this country's interests, both here and abroad, and whether we're in war with Iraq or not, we continue to use that same process every single day.
ZAHN: The FBI has put many Jewish organizations on alert. What is the specific concern there?
RIDGE: Well, I think the fact that the rhetoric around al Qaeda's justification for their evil, for their hateful and vengeful acts, has begun to take -- clearly it's taken an anti-Jewish tone to it, the fact that they targeted a hotel frequented by citizens of Israel, I think it's pretty clear that -- and in some of the information we received is that this a group of Americans and a group of international citizens who right now seem also to be a target of al Qaeda's hatred and vengeance.
ZAHN: According to a survey by the National League of Cities, the last time the level was raised to orange, one-third of cities did absolutely nothing in response. Some of those communities say they're financially-strapped. There's simply not more they can do. Can you elaborate on that?
RIDGE: Paula, I'm familiar with that report, and one of the reasons I think some cities didn't do anything more is that during the past year or so, they have basically elevated their level of preparation, the level of cautionary measures that they've taken. And our preliminary indications subsequent to Friday's warning is that state and local communities have responded accordingly.
A lot of times, Americans will see what the local officials have done, but there are a lot of invisible things below the radar that a lot of people don't have an opportunity to see, the way bridges are checked, tunnels are checked -- things of that sort.
So, we think America's response to the latest elevation of threat warning has been significant.
ZAHN: Secretary Tom Ridge, as always, good of you to be with us.
RIDGE: Thank you, Paula.
ZAHN: And congratulations on your new post.
RIDGE: Nice joining you. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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