Verbatim Special

Pentagon was a legitimate military target for the Sept. winter. ... We’re setting in for the long haul.”—Myers,

11 terrorists], and it’s important I not have an opinion on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” 11-4-01.

that, as I sit here in my capacity right now. The way I

conceive my job running a news organization, and the “I think we do have substantial fights ahead of us. In

way I would like all the journalists at ABC News to some ways they have been eviscerated, but not in all

perceive it, is there is a big difference between a norma- ways. So we are pretty much where I think I said we are.

tive position and a positive position. Our job is to deter- We have the initiative, the Taliban do not.”—Myers, NBC’s

mine what is, not what ought to be, and when we get into “Meet the Press,” 11-4-01.

the job of what ought to be, I think we’re not doing a

service to the American people. I can say the Pentagon “[Bin Laden has] been trying to take advantage of Islam,

got hit. I can say this is what their position is, this is what distort Islam, to take on moderate regimes in the Middle

our position is, but for me to take a position this was East, to take on civilized society in the West, and in

‘right’ or ‘wrong’— I mean, that’s perhaps for me in my different parts of the world. But it’s a distortion. I don’t

private life. ... But, as a journalist, I feel strongly that’s agree with the argument. Islam has nothing to do with

something that I should not be taking a position on.”— what he is propagating.”—Nabil Fahmy, Egypt’s am-

David Westin, president of ABC News, in remarks at bassador to the US, CBS’ “Face the Nation,” 11-4-01.

Columbia University journalism school, WP, 11-1-01. “There really is not a government to speak of in Afghani-

“I was wrong. ... Under any interpretation, the attack on

stan today. As a military force, they [the Taliban] have

the Pentagon was criminal and entirely without justifica- concentrations of power that exist. They have capabili-

tion.”—Westin, backtracking from earlier statement, ties that remain. They have tanks and anti-aircraft. They

WP, 11-1-01. undoubtedly have some Stinger surface-to-air missiles

[but they] are not making major military moves. ... They

“In other American wars, enemy commanders have come are pretty much in static positions.”—Rumsfeld, press

to doubt the wisdom of taking on the strength and power conference in Pakistan, 11-4-01.

of this nation and the resolve of her people. I expect that

somewhere in a cave in Afghanistan there’s a terrorist “The reality is that the threats of additional terrorist acts

leader who is at this moment considering precisely the are there. ... They are credible, they are real, and they

same thing.”—Rumsfeld, DOD briefing, 11-1-01. offer the prospects of still thousands of more people

being killed.”—Rumsfeld, press conference in Paki-

“We are not just dealing with the possibility of govern- stan, 11-4-01.

ments diverting nuclear materials into clandestine weap-

ons programs. Now we have been alerted to the poten- “I do not personally believe that there is a risk with

tial of terrorists targeting nuclear facilities or using respect to nuclear weapons of countries that have those

radioactive sources to incite panic, contaminate prop- weapons. I think those countries are careful and re-

erty, and even cause injury or death among civilian popu- spectful of the dangers they pose and manage their safe

lations. The willingness of terrorists to commit suicide to handling effectively.”—Rumsfeld, press conference in

achieve their evil aims makes the nuclear terrorism threat India, 11-5-01.

far more likely than it was before Sept. 11. ... While we

cannot exclude the possibility that terrorists could get “We are going to eradicate al Qaeda from Afghanistan

hold of some nuclear material, it is highly unlikely they and we’re going to take away the Taliban’s ability to

could use it to manufacture and successfully detonate a support terrorists. And there isn’t anything that’s going

nuclear bomb.”—Muhammad el-Baradei, director gen- to deter us from that mission.”—Stufflebeem, DOD brief-

eral of International Atomic Energy Agency, NYT, 11- ing, 11-5-01.

2-01. “The religious edicts issued by [bin Laden] are the main

“Supporters of Islam: This is your day to support Islam.

evidence [for his guilt] because they call for attacking

... The heat of the crusade against Islam has intensified, American soldiers and civilians. Only those people de-

its ardor has increased, and the killing has multiplied void of feelings will still ask for evidence. ... Those who

against the followers of Muhammad.”—Osama bin Laden, still call for evidence are closing their eyes to the facts

letter to news organizations, NYT, 11-2-01. and are searching for justification of [bin Laden’s] acts.”—

“He [bin Laden] is fully aware, I’m sure, that the world Turki al Faisal, interview on Saudi TV, WSJ, 11-5-01.

“Do I think Afghanistan will take years? No, I don’t.”—

would like to see more of him, in person, and have an

opportunity to locate him. But he is careful, as are all the Rumsfeld, press conference in India, 11-5-01.

senior leaders in al Qaeda. They’ve been spending a lot

of time in caves and tunnels and moving frequently, and “Al Qaeda operates in more than 60 nations. ... These

I think that the reports are probably as much wrong as terrorist groups seek to destabilize entire nations and

right, from time to time, but they are always late.”— regions. They are seeking chemical, biological, and

Rumsfeld, en route to Moscow, 11-2-01. nuclear weapons. Given the means, our enemies would

be a threat to every nation and, eventually, to civilization

“I think we are making great progress. I’d characterize itself. So we’re determined to fight this evil, and fight

our progress as effective because we’re doing our work until we’re rid of it. We will not wait for the authors of

on our time line. We’re doing our work on the basis of mass murder to gain the weapons of mass destruction.

our initiative— an initiative which we have and we intend We act now, because we must lift this dark threat from

to keep.”—Franks, ABC’s “This Week,” 11-4-01. our age and save generations to come.”—Bush, remarks

to Warsaw Conference on Combating Terrorism, 11-