A very large plane. It was going south. And battery park. It flew right past and almost hit it and then went in. This is so shocking. Of course to everybody watching. Ive never seen anything like it. It literally flew itself into World Trade Center. Obviously now we move from what appears to there it is right there. Ill looking from south to north. And it went into the one on the right. That appeared to be at least a 727. We saw the second. Here comes the the video tape that we just showed you. You will see what appears to be a large plane. Could be a 727, right there, maybe bigger, flying right into the side of the World Trade Center. It was at least a 747. It was a jet. I couldnt believe my eyes. Watching it right above me. And now you have to move from talk about a possible to accident to talk about something deliberate that has happened here. Were going to immediately check
with air Traffic Control in the area to find out if they had contact with either of these planes. Pfr the accident. But what we have seen is the most shocking video tape i have ever seen. Moving on to two separate planes. Elliott, are you still there. Hello . Elliott. Im still here. What can you see right now from your perspective . I cant see anything personally. It is completely impossible to understand why this is happening and to figure out what in the world is going on. I think we have to be grateful one hit before 9 00 a. M. And its now after 9 00 a. M. And i wonder how many people were in there. Hopefully they were evacuated following the first incident and we can only hope it was a very short period of time from when we first hearned about this. Probably about 8 50 eastern time. The second installed tent occurred about 9 05 so that
would be a short amount of time to get people out of the building. Ollie is another witness on the ground. Can you hear me . Yes, hello. Please tell me what youre seeing. Well, i live in Lower Manhattan. I face the north tower. The north side where the first plane crashed into the building and right now theres a lot of chaos on the ground. A lot of emergency vehicles. Everyone from the World Financial Center has exited and is walking north up to battery park north. There is just mass and mass of people walking north uptown of manhattan. I happened to look on the first tower and i actually saw people waving where the first plane crashed through and then it was unbelievable seeing the second jet come crashing into the second tower. What is going on . Unfortunately here in new york many of our nations cannot
see this because the antennas are in the World Trade Center. Back up tower is on the Empire State Building but Television Communication is new york city is probably knocked off the air. Were looking at the picture here where it appears because of the angle i think that the towers are leaning and i dont think that that is actually the case because after the first impact it looked as if the right hand tower was leaning and now somebody is saying were getting a witness saying they are leaning actually right now. An idea of the type of impact were talking about. And perhaps theyre buckling under the force of the collision. Were going to go to george right now thats also witnessed both or one of these collisions. Can you hear us . I can hear you. What did you see george. I was in the car driving north on west street and an enormous explosion happened and it was larger than a construction explosion. I looked out the window and what appeared to be the ground and i believe it hit the car to the right of me and it was just so scary and then there was also a ton of people and i jumped out of the car and i ran south away from the building because i thought there would be further explosion. Have you seen anyone injured on the ground, george . A man next to me was actually hit by a piece of debris on his arm and someone had been badly hurt in a car ahead of me. Im not sure if its the car ahead of me and i cant verify that but all i can say is a lot of debris was falling because everybody assumes that a bomb had exploded and thats what had people thinking that further bombs may explode. There was a rush away. Did you see, george, the second plane, that jet fly into the other twin tower. I heard two explosions,
however. The first explosion was louder and i did not i could not see that and i looked up and when i looked up i saw debris falling and a very lashlg tire. Well of course this is as we have said completely shocking video and a shocking turn of events and we have been talking here that the first incident, one might surmise it was some kind of accident and then to have a second, what appeared to be 727 jet, of course the question of terrorist attack activity has to surface and the question of whether this was an intentional terrorist act of some kind. Keep in mind were in an area where theres three major airports. You have newark airport, Kennedy Airport and laguardia airport. Its very unusual for a get into this area without being completely tracked or identified by air Traffic Control so you
would have to imagine that a, if this plane were headed right for the World Trade Center there must have been someone trying to talk or communicate with that pilot and for it to fly right into the side of the building the smaller plane, you can understand almost but a jumbo jet, a large jet lets rerack that video if we could in the control room where we actually saw the jet flying into the building. And Elliott Walker said it was a big plane. I was look in the distance and saw a small plane. To see this plane come into the picture, that is a big plane. And its hard to imagine its a 737 were now being told. And flying directly into the midsection of the what would be the eastern tower of the World Trade Center. Im wonndering if jennifer i
still on the phone. She was near a police officer, at least we could have perhaps gotten more information from that officer. Needless to say its pandemonium i am sure down this and we gathered that when either the eyewitnesses spoke about how terrifying this was for them to see and you can only imagine as you get closer to the twin towers, a new york landmark how what the scene must be like there. You talk about the building looking like they buckled. Theyre design for a 2 degree sway but Something Like that is probably more. Jane, can you hear me . Yes i can hear you. Im down here near the World Trade Center. I was walking down 6th avenue this morning at 8 42 a. M. A group of us saw a plane veer think the building and then a huge cloud of smoke and then
fire came out of one of the towers. Its near the upper floor as you can probably see with your chopper shots and then about ten minutes ago a second explosion in the second tower. Lower down. That was not effected by the plane so im not sure what happened there but right now theres a huge gaping hole in one of the towers and the other building is on fire. The team down here is incredible. People are out of their Office Buildings watching. Crying, taking pictures. Ive never seen anything like it down here. Jane, you said you saw the first plane. Could you get a glimpse of what kind of plane that was . We were told a small commuter plane. It looked it was a larger plane, mid sized plane and we could hear it very well. And walking down the street, a couple of us looked at each other thinking whats happening . And then it veered drastically on its side through the buildings and then went into the upper floors of the world trade
center tower. We want to mention when the impact hit the first tower you would hope that people who were in the second tower were beginning to evacuate. Especially if air Traffic Control had some indication that this was deliberate you would hope they were starting to get people out of the other tower before the second plane hit that tower. Although, we have been upstairs in the towers, in the restaurant up there, to try to get down. The elevators would have been jammed but if there was an indication this was deliberate you would hope they would immediately begin evacuation in the second tower. We have another eyewitness wed like to speak with. Dan is on the phone. Tell me where you are and what youre seeing or what you saw. What i saw was one plane coming in low from the north down over 7th avenue. It crashed over the top and the middle of one of the towers. Ten minutes later i saw another plane crash into the other side of the tower at a lower level. It looks to be a small commercial plane, a plane i saw. It crashed into the top of the tower and there was a huge fire ball and the gaping hole in the side of the tower. As we were waiting outside and looking at it, another plane came in low i believe from the other side and hit the middle of the other tower. I saw both planes, two separate planes crash into each tower. And dan, again t size of the planes, tell me about that. I would say that the plane was a mid sized, looked to be a commercial airline. I dont know, i thought perhaps a commercial airline. A mid sized, not a jumbo jet. This of course is unconfirmed but we are getting information
from an employee at United Airlines and we want to emphasize this is unconfirmed but there is speculation that an American Airlines plane was hijacked and crashed purposefully, on purpose into the World Trade Center and that the second plane was, another plane perhaps hijacked was then flown in the second tower. Dan tell me about people on the ground. Can you see whats happening on the ground . Im farther up in the west village. Im not on the ground here at the base of the towers. Where were you when it happened . Walking down 7th avenue south. About, oh, charles street. Which is about 15 or 20 blocks north of the towers. Well, obviously this was a shocking thing for you to witness on this Tuesday Morning. You know some wires came out and said in 1945 an army air core
b25 twin engine bomber crashed into the 79th nofloor of the Empire State Building. This was a Crystal Clear day in manhattan. So it is completely unclear how there would be any kind of problems with visibility. Dan, thank you so much for talking with us. Hopefully you can stay on the phone and we can check back in with you at another point in time. We really appreciate it. We want to also remind me that World Trade Center populationing th bombing that took place in 1993, the product of a terrorist attack that killed six people and injured more than a thousand, of course that happened on a friday afternoon. I think matt, you and al were working that day. I know i was at home in virginia watching it in disbelief and now it feels a bit like deja vu but this is so much more bizarre. No question and keep in mind that killed six people and injured 1000 and happened in a
garage in the basement. This is a direction hit on the midsection or upper section of the tower so the potentials for injuries and death much larger. Of course also the people on the planes. Also. If they were hijacked and on route to a different destination. This story continues to unfold. Bob joins us now. Bob where are you and what can you tell us . The north lawn at the white house and the first thing we looked for here is whether theres any unusual activity out here. People on the roof. That sort of thing. The president is out of town and he is in florida and he has been informed of this and i can tell you that the White House National security staff that remains here is at a senior level reading and we are hoping to hear from them as soon as
possible. But the reaction here to the pictures youre seeing and the initial pictures when they came up. Even in whats called the Lower Press Office here at the white house was one of shock. People are just standing around television monitors looking at this. I dont mean the reporters. I mean the people in the office who work here at the white house. Very Little Information is coming out of the white house. But needless to say if the speculation is true about some kind of terrorist event this will be a major, major crisis for the bush administration. Nick are you hearing any more information if there . Or any attacks on buildings in the new york area. U. S. Intelligence officials
report this morning that they constantly are hearing about threats, possible terrorist threats against american targets worldwide but this morning they have no early indications that anything of this nature could have occurred. Pentagon officials are are calling this a terrorist attack. They say that they have not yet ordered the scrambling of any military jets. If National Guard were to be scrambled in that area that would be at the order of the government. Now of course the president does have the authority to scramble American Military forces. What do you defend against exactly . If you put war planes in the
air. Although i believe according to officials here theyre now off limits and restricted but so far the u. S. Military and pentagon officials are scrambling to get as much information as they possibly can to determine what course of action if any the u. S. Military would take. But they are describing this as a terrorist attack either now. There are some officials here in the pentagon that are calling this an obvious terrorist attack based on very preliminary information. The information that intelligence officials are getting in terms of a possible hijacked plane and of course the very horrifying video of the plane veering into the tower itself is a clear indication here that this is not an accident. Thank you. Of course the coordination that took place to have two planes hit the towers within 18 minutes
of one another. Lets go back to the white house now. Of course the president has the authority to scramble military forces and this is a case obviously in which retaliation if it proves to be a terrorist incident will be an investigation and the u. S. Government will say you have to determine who is responsible for this attack and someone is going to be made to pay. Thats a big if. If we could determine the origin of the terrorist attack so there is implications of that. Lets go back to jim. Bob, thank you. At the pentagon, you have more information. Bobs exactly right. What their primary concern right
now is protecting the American Public in the new york area right now against any possible further attacks by the air. There is concern that there may be other terrorist attacks that could be planned either in new york or elsewhere. This is the slew worst Case Scenario for the Counter Terrorist planners because apparently there were no firm indications prior to this that anything like this could have happened but in terms of scrambling the u. S. Military it would be for protection for the time being and not even thinking right now about any kind of retaliation. David gregory is now on the phone. Yes. The president is about to begin an education event which is obviously being cancelled. The event will go forward. The president will come out and make a stalt about thtement abo. He was made aware on route from his hotel to this school here where he was going to talk about education. Hell make a statement and then were told he will quickly depart for washington. We should mention that new york area airports have all been closed. The lincoln tunnel has been closed here in new york. Were getting ready to listen to theth, lets go back to the pent fwon. Jim you talk about Counter Terrorist measures in place. Can you shed any light for us on what things are in place in the event of the attack of this nature . Its very difficult for the u. S. Military to respond to this kind of thing right now because
its unclear who is behind it and if there are any other potential attacks or incidents like this and this has obviously not been officially declared a terrorist attack but all the experts looking at these pictures say theres no doubt about it. This was a coordinated terrorist attack but who and why is unclear right now and the problem with putting planes in the air to prevent any further attacks is these are after all open air spaces for the most part and its difficult cull for the u. S. Military to scramble jets and put them in the air and according to officials here, then do what . This area of course is declared off limits in terms of any air
traffic officials are scrambling to find out first what happened and what potential reaction the u. S. Military could provide in terms of protection. Possible further protection against any potential attack. If these planes were hijacked or carrying any theres not much they could have done. You cant shoot down the plane like that plus for the injuries you could cause on the ground in a place like manhattan. Thats exactly right and the president as we said earlier does have the authority to scramble the military to put them up in some kind of force protection mode. The governor has the air National Guard at his disposal and he can do that but officials are wondering what to do in toemp terms of protection and how. To the Counter Terrorist this is the worst Case Scenario
because there right now seems to be not much they can do in terms of it. Nick obviously were scrambling for information here. I want to read this reuters wire that says two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center on Tuesday Morning causing huge explosions and killing at least six people. Cnbc tv said this were at least a thousand injured. Both towers of the lower man hatd t manhattan landmark. The fbi told the Associated Press that it was quote foul play and not an accident. A person that answered the phone, that was reported by abc, a person that answered the phone on the Trading Floor located near the top of the World Trade Center said were blanking dying when asked what was happening and hung up. There was screaming and yelling in the background and a follow up call was not answered. Nick an eyewitness said before the first explosion he saw a plane fly over his apartment in
the soho district of Lower Manhattan. Jamie, is on the television. Our National Correspondent with more information. What can you tell us . Katie i just spoke to top us officials with the access to latest intelligence and they said, quote, that this was clearly terrorist related. No question about it. They said that they couldnt give any further details now. They just dont know yet. Theyre at the earliest stages. Do they know if a plane was, in fact, hijacked . They would not answer that and i think that its because i think that they are just getting the earliest details and theyre afraid of putting out misinformation. But they said that it was clearly terrorist related. Two planes have crashed into the towers. One before 9 00 eastern time. One shortly after 9 00 eastern time and as you can see the tower on the left was hit just above the midsection point. Theyre both 110 floors high. 1300 feet above the ground but you can see fires burning in both towers. We saw a video tape on to watch the second plane hit the building. Youll watch it enter from the right portion of your screen and make contact in what is shocking video. Here it comes right there. You can see the impact on one side of the building and residual damage coming out of one side of the building and one could only imagine that occurred shortly after 9 00 at the
moment. How many people were in the building at the time of the impact. Were told it was a 737. Some reports that the first plane was a 757. Some kind of airbus. Thats what the united worker told us. Apparently it was an American Airlines plane that had been hijacked from boston to los angeles. But were just getting initial reports of that and again we must tell you that were trying to get as much information but it is trickling in at a very slow pace. So all of this is unconfirmed and of course speculation of a terrorist attack is unconfirmed although that is what some pentagon officials are saying. Lets go to president bush right now. Unfortunately ill be going back to wash after my remarks. They will take the podium to discuss education. I do want to thank the folks here at Booker Elementary School for their hospitality. Today we had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. I have spoken to the Vice President , to the governor of new york, to the director of the fbi and i have ordered that the full resources of the federal government go to help the victims and their families and to conduct a full scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who come mi committed this act. Terrorism against our nation will not stand and now if you join me in a moment of silence. May god bless the victims, their families and america. Thank you very much. [ applause ] that of course was president
bush who was in florida. He was speaking at an Elementary School. He planned to be talking about literacy. Obviously he mentioned this is an apparent terrorist attack. He is traveling back to washington. He had spoken to the governor of new york as well as the Vice President. All the resources will be brought to bear by the federal government to determine who did this and who was responsible for this terrible, terrible event and then of course it was followed by a moment of silence for the victims. Were going to go to Andrea Mitchell now with more information on this tragedy. Andrea. Matt and katie have spoken to a top u. S. Official that says that early reports to our Intelligence Community and to other officials within the administration are that this was a hijacked American Airlines plane on route from boston to los angeles. One of the two planes they say was apparently a hijacked
American Airlines plane. They caution that early reports still need further confirmation but this is at least what u. S. Government is being told by American Airlines officials apparently. They are assuming and obviously informed the president that this is a terror attack. We have no information as to in what term of the flight this plane was taken over. How many warning that air Traffic Controllers may have had that someone hostile was at the control of this plane. Exactly right. No other information. Just that at least one of the other two planes was hijacked from boston on route to los angeles. Presumably after it had been in the air and on route to los angeles. So probably hijacked after it had taken off. As you know those are short flights. Usually 737s or 757s on that route but this clearly according to the u. S. Government is a terror attack. As you heard the president say. One of the things we should understand is that there was no specific threat that the u. S. Government is aware of. No specific terror alert other than the worldwide caution that had opinion reissued in recent days because of the strike in the middle east. Because of concerns over terrorists. Of course the best known is Osama Bin Laden but no alert coming from his organization and as of this morning and this minute he is in afghanistan. It appear this is a well coordinated bombing or terrorist act because the two planes were used both the substantial in size and they both hit the World Trade Center within 18 minutes of one another a lot of planning went into this attack. Lets go in at the pentagon now. What can you tell us . To add to what Andrea Mitchell just said, senior military officials here at the pentagon are saying they are getting information that the American Airlines flight 11,
after it left boston apparently was hijacked and was diverted. The early information was, was being diverted to jfk for some reason and then obviously nobody knows exactly who was at the controls of the plane but it broke off its route and was headed toward jfk. That was the initial information that officials received when obviously it did not go to jfk but veered off and headed toward the World Trade Center. But again no indication as to who may be responsible or who was at the controls of that plane when it rammed into the World Trade Center. Thank you. Well be talking with you throughout the morning. We want to talk with larry johnson. The former Deputy Director of
the state Departments Office counter terrorism. Mr. Johnson, can you please put this into some kind of perspective for us and give us your insight on what might have happened here . Well, first, we need to be cautious. I would be inclined based upon the preliminary reports to say thats the case but theres always the possibility that you may find out after the fact that this was some suicide pact or something that had nothing to do with politics. That said this is a first. Pack in 1992, there was excuse me, 93, there was a plane hijacked from germany and ended uplanding in new york. One of the concerns we had at that time was the possibility of a plane under control of the hijacker flying it into one of the buildings. My concern now is that theres
always a and this kind of thing. This is a very rare event. It is likely to be repeated and president bush put his finger on it. Put any country or any nation into world that in anyway is responsible when it turns out to be terrorism will require a response from the United States. The United States has to be willing to pay that price. After the first plane crashed into one of the twin towers. Another large plane but we have been talking with our correspondence all morning about if another incident could happen
on the heels of these two. What kind of measures are in place to prepare for Something Else that could conceivably happen . One step is already being taken. I was at National Airport getting read do fly to l la guardia and they shutdown air traffic going in and out of the city. And people are going to air on the side of caution. Across the board youll look at the major hubs in the United States. And measures taken. One possibility is to start putting it up and require that planes stay within a particular area and do not approach any closer and if they approach you would go to the extremes of having the u. S. Air force intercept. I wanted to ask you,
correspondents have been saying there was month warning attached to this event. Do we get a warning from a particular group or is this fairly typical in terms of an event happening without any foreshadowing. No, this is typical. Its only in the movies that you get the advanced warnings. You look at every major terrorist incident against the United States. Bombing in saudi arabia rarely do you get advanced notice. I hope youll stand by and continue to talk with us. I dont want to alarm anybody right now but apparently, it felt just a few moments ago like there was an explosion of some kind here at the pentagon. Were on the ering of the
pentagon. We have a window that faces out toward the potomac toward the kennedy center. We havent been able to see or hear anything after the initial blast. I just stepped out in the hallway. Security guards were hearding people out of the building and i saw a moment ago as i looked outside a number of construction workers that have been working here and have taken flight. Theyre running as far away from the building as they can right now. I hear no sirens going off in the building. I see no smoke but the building shook for just a couple of secondsment the windows rattled and security personnel are doing what they can momentarily to clear this part of the building. Again, i have no idea whether it was part of the construction work, whether it was an accident or what is going on. Were going to try to find those details and get them to you as soon as possible. One of the officials in the building said when he saw what appeared to be the coordinated attack on the World Trade Center his advice was to stay away from the outside of the building today just in case. Nobody has any indication of what happened and it felt like a small blast of some kind. The building shook and the windows rattled and and the construction workers are still keeping oh, ill sorry. The construction workers are still keep a distance. Thats all i can see. I see no extracurricular activity right outside but im going to have to break away and walk down the hallway and see what it is exactly that happened here just a few moments ago. See what you can find out. Please be careful and let us
know what is going on there. Meanwhile well go back to David Gregory where president bush was early this morning. The president declared this an apparent terrorist attack. He offered a prayer for the families and he will immediately convene a National Security meeting to see what steps are taken next. David im sorry to interrupt you but were looking at live pisks of the pentagon where there is billowing smoke. Jim just reported that he heard an explosion and were looking at a view of the pentagon. Can you talk to us . Officially nobody knows exactly what happened. I think the picture is pretty clear. According to one u. S. Army officer who went running past me in a full trot he said that it appears that a bomb was detonated at the heliport. The heliport is helicopter landing area right next to the pentagon just adjacent to the ering. The offices nearest the heliport area are u. S. Army reserve officers and it appears to be a significant blast. To give you perspective. We are almost on the opposite side of the building. The Worlds LargestOffice Building and as i reported to you we could feel the building shake and windows rattle and as i was in the hallway a few moments ago i could smell an
accurate smoke. Almost when you smell when a light goes bad. That kind of smell but thoracics are clearing the building i dont know if you can hear the sirens outside right now but it appears that in what i think people here in the build rg zriek as a highly sophisticated attack not only against the World Trade Center but against the pentagon and u. S. Military right here in washington. Tell me again, i worked at the pentagon as well. Its a huge building. Its miles and miles of offices. At what location did this seem to have detonated . The heliport. As you sit in the pentagon you have the Potomac River and washington d. C. On the other side and the heliport was located on the opposite side of
the building. Along one of the highways. Easily accessible. Even though they increased security here at the pentagon within the past couple of years. We are hearing, again, uncon if i recalled reports that this was the result of a plane crashing in the area as well. I have no idea katie. All i know is that people in the building that came running from that part of this building thought it was a bomb of some kind. According to chris brown my colleague that just came in it appears that whatever it was or perhaps it was a plane if those are the initial reports crashed into or the damage are on the roof of the building and the opposite of the Potomac River as i just said. Were looking at the white
house because were learning that there have been some evacuations from the white house. Im assuming that everyone is being evacuated from the pe pentag pentagon . Well, nobody has given us the official word yet but i think thats probably a safe bet. They have evacuated that portion of the building. Usually they have sirens alerting you to the fact that its time to get out. I havent heard those jet but just judging by the pictures its clear that that part of the building that is not damaged at least has been evacuated. Like i said in the hallway it was pandemonium. People were rushing from their offices. Rushing outside. And youre in your office at the pentagon right now reporting tous. I am in the office but im at
the opposite side of where this crash occurred. All right. Why dont you see if you can gather some more information. Please again be careful and were going to go to matt thats going to be talking. Katie thank you very much. Im joined by tom brokaw and well try to recap whats been going on all morning in a few moments but we want to go to nbc or todays National Correspondent with more information. Jamie. Matt, i just want to tell you that u. S. Intelligence sources are confirming the report that one of the planes was a hijacked flight, an american flight from boston to los angeles. They are also now looking into what is going on at the penta n pentagon. They dont have any details but they now put government buildings around the city of washington on a heightened state of alert. I think part of that is happening formally but obviously people are seeing what is going on and people are leaving
buildings as well simply because of the concern following these latest reports from the pentagon. Thank you very much. Again joined by tom brokaw and katie is with us tooful its 9 47 eastern time. Try to recap whats going on so far this morning and the news is terrible. Just before 9 00 8 42. A plane crashed into the right hand tower of the World Trade Center about three quarter of the way up. You can see the smoke from that point of the building and then about 18 or 20 minutes later a second plaeb, a large plane we saw it on tape hit the left hand tower of the World Trade Center about halfway up. And an enormous fire ball on several sides of the building. People trying to be he evacuated. Theres the second plane hitting as penople were trying to get ot of the first building. There was one plane hijacked
from boston to los angeles. Thats one of the planes used in this crash. Matt, there is a report on Dubai Television that, in fact, the group claiming responsibility, the Democratic Front for the liberation of palestine. This comes ironically on a day when the Israeli Foreign minister is scheduled to meet. We had the meeting the past several days in which the palestinians were accusing them of racism. The United States vacated that meeting. And the israelis vacated that meeting. But theres not been one specific incident. Also worth pointing out terrorism has two prongs to it. The physical threat and now the psychological threat. This does seem to be surreal but it is real when you have an explosion of undetermined origin at the pentagon. The most conspicuous symbol of
american capitalism and two deliberate attacks on those towers. And the u. S capital has been evacuated. Theres been evacuations taking place at the white house. Needless to say many people in the pentagon left that building as well. And this building in midtown new york they have asked a lot of people to leave. Its another highrise Capital Building which is in new york, i came down the length of manhattan and a lot of people were simply its election day here in new york. Primary day. And what we have is something that most americans thought could never occur. As larry johnson, a terrorist expert i just spoke with a few moments ago, the former director of the state Department Office of counterterrorism claims this is a first. That he had never heard or seen anything like it. He talked about back in 1993 a german plane being hijacked and
there were fears that it might be crashed into something. This is a major development. The federal Aviation Administration has shut down all air traffic nationwide. This country has been immobilized by these terrorist attacks in terms of air travel today. And we dont know where it goes from here. Well just ask that you stay with us so that he as we get hard information, we can share that with you. Theres going to be a lot of speculation. The president has described this apparently as a terrorist attack. The fbi has confirmed that an American Airlines flight boston to los angeles was hijacked. Its believed that that was the first plane that went into the twin trade towers. Lets go to James Kallstrom if we could, the former director of the fbi here in new york. Mr. Kallstrom, im sure youve never seen anything like this. Do you have any information that might be helpful to us . Well, not particular information on this tragedy, but certainly what an incredible tragedy, and you know, all of us in Law Enforcement and prior in Law Enforcement have talked for years and the public has seen
the hatred in the world. Theyve seen the bombing of the World Trade Center. They saw the conspiracy to blow up the tunnel and the United Nations and the fbi Building Back in the 90s. Theyve seen the bomb at the uss cole and the bombings of our embassies in africa. So i mean, weve known for some time now that this hatred exists and now it looks like that its culminated in this absolutely horrendous, incredible act. Against the United States and washington today. Jim if you can stand by for just a moment because jim and planning to pull off the one bomb in the World Trade Center, could you speculation what it might take to coordinate this, what we think is a threepronged attack this morning. Matt, it took a lot of coordination and there are groups that have the ability to
coordinate these type of attacks. Most people should know the United States is on open society. And weve talked for years about the downside of having our borders basically open on any given day, people fly into our airports undocumented and turn into the population. They are not certainly all terrorists, but i mean we live in a free society and im not espousing we change that. It is difficult for the fbi and Law Enforcement to keep track of this when we live in the society we live in. Jim if you can stand by for just a moment because Jim Miklaszewski has more information for us. Reporter katie, my colleague chris brown here at the pentagon encountered some of those who survived whatever it was, whether it was a bomb or an airplane crashing into the pentagon. One of the survivors who was reportedly injured had various lacerations was on the second floor of the d ring. That is one ring inside the
outer ring of the pentagon when suddenly, there was this horrific blast, and he said that the second floor buckled upward and then the third floor above him actually collapsed downward. The scene on the other side of the building as its being described to us, there are people being removed on stretchers. Security forces are evacuating the building right now, and according to the officials here at the pentagon, they still dont know exactly what it was, but as you reported katie, eyewitnesses reported that, in fact, it was a plane that crashed into the pentagon. And mik, any idea . I wasnt quite sure if you said this, about the number of people who might have been hurt or worse in this . Reporter no idea, at all. Katie, as you know having worked here on any given day, this is a small city. 25,000 to 30,000 people may be working here at any one time. That portion of the pentagon, by the way, had just been remodeled
and just reopened. If the crash had occurred just a few months ago, that section of the pentagon would have been virtually empty. But at this time of day, early morning, or midmorning, the pentagons very busy. Its impossible to say how many casualties there may be. But there have been a large number of people sighted being removed on stretchers and again, as one survivor said, the floor just buckled up under him and the roof caved in on him. All right, mik, thank you very much. We want to move a couple miles away from you right now to the white house where bob kerr is standing by. Bob, we understand that building has now been evacuated . Matt, thats true. It is surreal. As soon as word came of the pentagon incident, we were rather forcefully removed from the white house. The scene was one of administrators, cooks, whatever
running at fairly high speed. All the way out of the building through the top gates. Then we huddled for a while in Lafayette Park across the street. And weve been moved now from there a block or so away. The offices along Jackson Place which are across the street from the white house and adjacent to Lafayette Park also have been evacuated and in the most surreal of this mornings scenes here at the white house, a white plane, a very big jet, was flying an unusual pattern near the white house over Lafayette Park very slowly it made one circle and then we have not seen it since. There was a lot of concern about what that plane might be. But again, its only speculation. But most people say that since flights have been cleared from u. S. Air space and it was a totally white plane, looked unusual to all of us, that it
was a government plane of some kind. We should point out that were looking at pictures, bob, as you speak of the World Trade Center because all of the camera crews have been evacuated from the white house as well. When do you expect president bush to arrive there, bob . Reporter katie, hes coming back directly. You figure its about a twohour flight. So you can do the math. The reason i said that it was so surreal was that within just about 20 minutes ago, they were still conducting tours. You had hoards of tourists and others still in the white house on tour lining up outside to get in. There seemed to be absolutely no unusual activity outside the white house until word came of the incident at the pentagon. So its been quite a dramatic shift here. In terms of responsibility, tom and matt and bob, a senior official from the liberation of palestine denied the group had
any connection to the plane crash. An anonymous caller said it was behind the crash but, quote, i am fassize that the story released on tv is incorrect. A senior politician from the palestinian territories told reuters. They are against endangering the lives of civilians that are not connected with the struggle of this region. There are going to be claims and counterclaims in the next 24 hours or so. This is a task for an investigators of extraordinary magnitude to try to determine who did this and how they got away with. You think about an American Airlines flight on its way from boston to los angeles was hijacked in midair. Theyre not citing transmissions from the plane so they have hard evidence of that and then brought down here and made to fly into the twin trade towers. Did one of the hijackers get control . Did they shoot the pilot . Its it boggles the mind
beyond our ability to figure out what was going on. You talk about transmissions. I was just curious, have you had any evidence of what was said during the transmissions. Theyre just saying theyre citing transmission to know that the plane had been hijacked. Thats all theyre saying about it at this point. We also ought to remind everyone once again, this is an exceptional development. The faa has banned all takeoffs at all airports across america. This country in terms of air travel has been immobilized. A good portion of the nations capital, the most powerful center in the world, has been immobilized, as well. As a result of these terrorist attacks. And that is a haunting description that bob kerr gave of the low floiing picture and that could end up in the pentagon. We just saw a live picture of what seemed to be a portion of the building falling away from the World Trade Center. If we can rerack that to about 20 seconds ago, youll see something dramatic happening and
i dont know whether its another explosion or a portion of the building falling away. But something major just happened at that building. Here we go to the tape. We have the tape. Watch what happens in the lefthand tower. I dont know if this is the correct tape. There. Something there is about to happen. Falling away right there. Yeah, it looks like a big chunk of it has just peeled away. One can only hope that the area has been evacuated. Of course, you wonder about all the emergency vehicles and the people who might have been injured early in the morning. You remember how much chaos there was at that time. These are two coordinated airplanes on the upper reaches of it. And that will have an enormous structural effect. And those buildings, it is fair to say, will probably have to be
brought down. It is too early to speculate but there is damage. We have somebody from new york on wnbc and this was taken from boston on the way to los angeles. The report are that it was diverted to jfk and for people that arent familiar with the geography of the area, the southern tip of manhattan is near the flight, the landing pattern for jfk and it could have been easy for a hijacker to pretend he was taking the plane to jfk and take off at the last minute. I heard one eyewitness say over Washington Square he saw a plane go over it about a thousand feet and then do what he described as a sharp right turn toward the World Trade Center and then lost sight of it. And one person said he was getting off a path train and saw bodies falling out of the building as he approached it. Police told him to get out of the building immediately. He ran outside and watched people jump out of the first
building and then there was a second explosion. This footage were seeing right now shows that the damage is so severe. We had seen what seemed to be two fairly selfcontained impact craters before and now it appears something more dramg attic has happened dramatic has happened to one of the towers. These pictures are beyond believe. We have a report that the second plane may have flown out of newark, new jersey. This is an official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity. Again, there is no confirmation of that. We just know that there were two planes that went in. The first one was apparently an American Airlines flight from boston to los angeles. Were now seeing it from the harbor view of this continuing damage and destruction to the World Trade Center. Incidentally tom, i want to interrupt you because jamie gangel has more information. We have spoken with officials with access to the highest intelligence and they are
confirming this does appear that at the pentagon, it was a plane. Again, they are saying they believe now a third plane was involved at the pentagon. And this is the nightmare for National Security officials for a while and we talk about Nuclear Bombs or those kind of invasions or exchanges but everyone is worried about the suitcase size bomb of some kind or an attack on the subways in the large cities and this no one had anticipated, three airlines that were deliberately aimed at critical targets in america and we can only hope it is over for today but officials are taking no chances on all of that. They are evacuating all critical buildings because as mr. Johnson said, this is an open society and almost anyone could come in here and they have access to so many instruments that could be used as instruments of attacks and terrorism and that is the
case today. Lets go to our state Department CorrespondentAndrea Mitchell. What could you tell us. The state department has been evacuated. There was a meeting going on in the operates center and others were in the situation room at white house and colin pole is in colombia on a twoday trip but this information from the fbi. They have been operating a massive exercise from their hostage rescue unit. All of their top teams, about 50 personnel and helicopters and equipment were in monterey, california, for the last two days, scheduled to fly back today commercially. So all of those people are out of place. It is fair to say, according to sources that weve talked to here at nbc, that the fbi rescue operation and other fbi operations are in chaos right now because they cant reach officials in new york and all of the phone lines are down and now you have the special experts on this stuck in monterey, california, trying to get a
military flight back because there are no longer commercial flights. So they are out of pocket and there is a breakdown of the antiterror Coordination Team which is the Principal Team that would lead any effort and so effective in new york city during the World Trade Center bombing and the twa explosion which turned out not to be terror. Is the state Department Taking this claim for the front from the liberation of palestine seriously or are they giving any credence to that or dismissing it or how do you feel who is responsible for this. I think it is far too early for them to figure this out. They have one instant reaction as you know and it could be wrong. But their Immediate Reaction in a case like this would be to look toward Osama Bin Laden and the collateral groups connected to him. Simply because he has proved with the Embassy Bombings in africa that he is the one terror
leader capable of this kind of highly coordinated attack. The bombings went off in tanzania and in kenya almost simultaneously and well coordinated and they proved their case to a jury effectively and have managed to develop a great deal of information from sources from, in fact, some former members of his network. So they believe, tom, he is the most likely person but it is far to early to say anything. We want to tell you that American Airlines has confirmed that one of its flights, American Airlines flight number 11 from bostons Logan Airport scheduled to go to l. A. X. That left at 8 00 a. M. This morning, 45 minutes later, it was diverted into the World Trade Center. It was the airline involved. We can only assume on a popular flight like that, that it probably had a capacity load of passengers and crew on board. It was a high jacking. That was the first plane that was involved. We dont know about the second plane yet, nor do we know the
origins of a third plane that deliberately flew itself into the pentagon this morning near the heliport. Jim miklaszewski has forced to evacuate that building. And we saw dram atic pictures from the pentagon a few seconds ago. Lets go back to a few seconds ago. This is now about an hour after the first impact. We saw some dramatic footage of a portion of one of the twin towers actually it appears to fall away from the rest of the building. Can we go to the tape now . Here we go right here. When you look at it, the building has collapse. That tower just came down. Lets go to bob bissell at Saint Vincent hospital and what is going on there . Katie, this is one of the hospitals closest to the World Trade Center and ambulances are coming in one right after another. Most of the people they are bringing in have second and third degree burns, very serious burn victims. They say the smoke inhalation, people will probably be the most
serious but they are not even close to getting to them yet. There is a triage operation going on in the area. Ambulances are dispatched to every hospital in the new york city. The entire staff of the hospital have come in from wherever they are and hospitals across the city, they are standing there as soon as people pull in and medical workers rush up to it and it is a carnage just beginning. Everybody here and the Emergency Service workers have been into the World Trade Center site said this is just the tip of the iceberg and there will be massive amounts of casualties. What are they telling you about the people . Were there many people inside of the building or is it too early to tell. It is just there were certainly probably hundreds or thousands of people in the building, even though it was before 9 00 on the site of the usual work period because it is such a large area. The number of casualties is just enormous and they are just beginning to sort it out and starting to get to the first few they could get to but the ambulances are just coming in. They are lined up every ambulance in new york city has been summoned and standing at a cue and they go in as soon as they could get a victim and bring them up here right away. And we are looking at the lower end of manhattan as a consequence of the World Trade Center. The financial district is engulfed in smoke and debris and there is probably going to be more smoke inhalation problems almost certainly, tom. I was standing and saw that collapse and everybody here just gasped and even the medical workers and the ambulance attendants, people who are used to tragedy, grabbed each other and hugged each other and started to cry. And what about the triage unit that is set up close to the building trying to evacuate people and when a building of that size falls, it does not fall in its own footprint. Absolutely. Im several blocks north of there so i dont know what that looks like but one could only imagine. Well the consequences go on. Not just to the world trade
center and to the poor people who were trapped and caught there but of course, that is the heart of the world Financial Markets which have now been shut down effectively, as well. So the Ripple Effect continues this morning as we all try to adjust psychologically and intellectually to what we are witnessing here. It is difficult to comprehend, but this country, the strongest country in the world, has been the target of a major coordinated terrorist attack. And the end is not over yet, even if its confined to just these three targets. The Ripple Effect goes on. All air traffic has been shut down. No Financial Markets. Business has been stopped across the country. Of course, who knows the human toll that will be the result of this action. Matt just pointed out to me on any given day, 50,000 people, tom, work at the World Trade Center. And at 8 45 in the morning, if theyre not in the building, theyre around the building. Thats a beehive of activity down there. There is no more active area in terms of pedestrian traffic. I hate to keep going back to the collapse of the tower but if you consider this hit at mid structure and it would have taken out the electrical in the building where elevators wouldnt work and people struggling to get out of the tower and it takes a long time to come down over 100 stories and to think about the possible loss of life that just occurred by the collapse of that southeastern tower. Miikka saw the collapse of that towers. Mina. Tell me what you saw . Reporter matt, on the corner of dwayne and west broad way, walking down towards the give towers and it just lapse collapsed. It looked sort of like the building just demolished, smoke, clouds. Spoke in clouds of smoke everywhere. People running towards me. I was going towards the twin towers. People were going away from the towers. And it was just people running like ive never seen a scene like it. From where you were, mina, did you see many of the injures being treated and is there any indication that the type of perimeter that the ems people. I havent gotten close yet. They are totally clearing out the area. And more and more emergency officials are coming in to help. Can you give me an idea of the reaction of people down there, mina. Pedestrians. Reporter everyone, everyone in tears. People 0 who were ive met some woman who was in the building to the right of where the first thing happened. And just all crying, wondering if the people they know in the buildings next door are okay. Mina, take care of yourself. Jamie gangel our National Correspondent is on the phone now with some more information. Jamie. Reporter katie, as you well know, buildings around town are being evacuated. The state department has been
evacuated. White house has been evacuated. And the pentagon has been evacuated. Intelligence officials tell me that they do believe at the pentagon, that was a third plane going down. They have had the intelligence sources that ive talked to say that they have not received any claim of responsibility yet. Jamie, have you gotten any information from reagan National Airport as to air traffic in the area this morning or anybody who might have somehow trace this had plane or figured out from where it came or where it was going . Reporter they still do not have any of those details yet. It is almost impossible. They were confused for a long time as to whether its a bomb or a plane. They say now that it appears to be a plane. But they say that that is all the information that they have. All right, jamie. As you know, the faa has shut down all aircraft and they are now going back and trying to sort that out. But they do not have any information on that yet. Do they know what type of plane it might have been. Unfortunately, they just dont have that yet. All right, jamie. Thank you very much. Well be talk with you. This is the most serious attack on the United States in more than 100 years. Not since the war of 1812 and certainly the damage that we did to ourselves during the civil war has our country suffered this kind of damage within its interior. Obviously, pearl harbor which triggered world war ii was a horrific event, as well. But there never been an event to match the magnitude of this one in which everything has been shut down in terms of air traffic, the National Capitol has been immobilized, white house, state department, pentagon has been attacked. Financial markets have been shut down. Theres an untold loss of life. Here in manhattan at the nerve center of america. To say nothing about what is going on at the pentagon. And this is a shot of new york city in Downtown Manhattan that many people have cant remember. One tower. It looks like a movie frankly and it combined the horror of the twa flight 800 bombing and the mura Federal Building because both of the incidents coming together in the most horrific way. Right now, i aguess everyone is up, it is 7 15 in the west but for those of you just joining us at 8 42 an American Airlines flight from boston to l. A. X. Was crashed into one of the World Trade Center building and 15 minutes later another plane hit the other one and that has now collapsed and within an hour of that the pentagon was hit now we are told by a plane, an untold number of casualties there. President bush is on the air. He was in florida at the time saying this was a terrorist attack. Everyone now believes that,
carefully coordinated from the air and the consequences in terms of human loss and the effect on this country are still to be determined. We want to go to kathleen with nyu downtown hospital. Theyve been treating some of the injured. Kathleen, can you hear me. Yes, i can. Can you tell me about the people you are seeing and the numbers of people you are seeing. Weve seen a steady stream of patients for an hour and a half. Many appeared to be superficial injuries but i can tell you that ive seen the most serious ones because i believe theyre going into the ambulance bay. So we have high level activity. The First Priority is on the care of patients and we dont have a tally because of the level of activity at the hospital and weve been responding to Family Members and friends come seeking information to the hospital. And just quickly, kathleen, how far is the hospital from the
World Trade Center. The hospital is perhaps a fiveminute walk from the World Trade Center and we were the First Responder when the trade center was attacking in 93 so unfortunately we have prior experience. What kind of support is there downtown and how many hospitals in the immediate area that could help with it injured. We are the only hospital south of 13th street in new york city. So we serve a very large proportion of the city and the staff have been doing a heroic job. What about the triage unit on the ground, are they a team of nyu medical teams on the scene as well. Yes. There are. I could not respond to that question because im not on the scene and i dont have that information. About. You do have medical people your personnel there at the scene. That is my understanding,
yes. Katie, what were worried about now is that the other building may come down. Theyve obviously evacuated that whole area as a result of the crash. One World Trade Center and now im told there is concern about the second one collapsing as well. There is an enormous amount of structural damage in the floors of all that. And it is one more than 100 stories high. Kathleen, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Thank you. Were told now that a spokesman for yasser arafat, the leader of the pla, the palestinian liberation organization, that he has that arafat has condemned what has happened here in new york. He says that the plo has no role in it whatsoever. Theyre completely shocked and appalled by what is happening. There was just one earlier report that the radical Democratic Front for the liberation of palestinian claimed responsibility, but that was later denied, as well. We dont know yet who is in fact
responsible for this, but it was very carefully planned and coordinated and fair to say it has been a devastatingly efficient and effective attack on the heart of this country. Pat dawson is on the ground near the World Trade Center. Pat, are you there . Pat dawson, can you hear me . Okay. Hes having some audio problems. Well get to pat in just a moment. Just amazing. You have to stop and think about the hijacked plane and the terror of the passengers on board as it could have been up to an hour that they realize something was dramatically wrong with this flight. And then thinking that perhaps they were going to john f. Kennedy airport here in queens and the plane suddenly veering into the World Trade Center tower. You could only imagine. What is striking is that we
didnt have any early report of the hijacking. A lot of people monitor that air traffic talk that goes on. And it wasnt until this happened well the plane left boston at 8 00 this morning. 45 minutes later. And it was about 42 minutes later that this occurred. And it flew right over Lower Manhattan. A lot of people saw it at a low altitude and take a sharp right turn and wondered what is the world was going on and moments later, the World Trade Center was hit. It is about an hour after that Jim Miklaszewski told you he felt an explosion at the pentagon and we now learn there has been a plane flown into the pentagon. There have been people who have been hurt there and we hope no one has been killed but it seems like think there were probably casualties of a serious magnitude there as well. The white house has been evacuated. The state department is evacuated. Here is the pentagon now. Pat dawson, lets take a quick shot and look at the pentagon. As you could see, smoke continues to billow out of that
structure as tom just mentioned, it is unclear how many people were hurt and if, in fact, it was a plane. There is speculation they believe it is a plane. Lets go to pat dawson who is down by the World Trade Center. Pat, can you hear me . Reporter we cant tell you specific information other than to say there are probably at this stage, i would say, hundreds, perhaps in the thousands of emergency workers who in the last hour and a half have managed to work their way down there in Lower Manhattan. And basically, try to get into this fray. They are we are standing right here about 10 to 12 blocks north of the World Trade Center. These firemen that you can see firefighters firefighters are walking down towards the site now and they literally have been arriving by the dozens over the past hour or so. As we say, probably in excess of 1,000 or more emergency workers from new york city and surrounding areas converging on
this site now to try to make some sense of it. As you can imagine, at this point, there is a certain level of chaos because theyre just trying to sort out whos alive, whos not. When did speak to some of the emergency workers. They are Police Officers from the Port Authority of new york and new jersey and that is the organization with jurisdiction over the two buildings and bridges and tunnels. I spoke to two of them who were down there when the building collapses and they said they speculate the loss of life had to be horrific. There were not that many people down there on the streets at that point. That most of them who had been evacuated, that is civilians, but on the other hand they said there were literally hundreds of emergency workers down at that end and they have no idea the level of the loss of life at this point. When i asked one of them why he was going back in as he suited up since he could barely breathe, he said it is my job and there may be brother officers in there or other
people in there. So those officers going in here. And as you could see, all kind of fire workers going in there and literally in the thousands converging on this site. And you probably know that two separate aircraft have struck the two towers of the World Trade Center. If memory serves, i think each of the towers stands 110 stories, some of the dust as, you could probably see now is blowing in our faces. It depends on which way the wind blows as whether or not were enveloped in the dust and the smoke. As you could see from the pictures, the amount of the dust burning, flames and ash is extraordinary at this point. And at least a few emergency workers have said that they really arent so sure that other tower wont stay up now. They really didnt think the first one was capable of coming down but it did. So they are basically saying keep back as far as you can. On the other hand, facing that danger as we have been telling
you, many, many hundreds of these workers are heading over those lines down towards that burning building. To try to rescue those people who are in there be they emergency workers, be they the original crash took place just about quarter to 9 00. I dont know the exact time, but from my reckoning, and when that took place, at that hour the building would not be packed with people but it is still late enough in the morning that there could be enough people were listen to pat dawson standing near the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan and while pat was talking, you both spent some time out in Oklahoma City at the murrah Federal Building and it took more than a week to sift through that rubble of the building that was how many stories . Probably it was about 30 stories, as i remember. Im sorry to interrupt you both. But we have gotten a report that now a car bomb has exploded outside of the state department. Again, that is an in ishl report from the pro an in ishl report from the control room. Can we go to anyone with more information on that. Where is Andrea Mitchell, is she at the state department. It has been evacuated as well as the white house and the u. S. Capitol has been evacuated. Obviously the pentagon has as well. Well go to mik. What is the latest from the pentagon . Reporter katie, Security Officials here at the pentagon have not only evacuated the building but theyre clearing the entire area. Security forces have reported that they have received information of another plane hijacked that its about 20 to 25 miles out of washington, d. C. , headed into this general direction. Secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld a few moments ago was refusing to leave the building. We ran into the chief naval
officer, the top naval officer, burns clark, and they were loading him quickly in to take him to an alternative command site. Do you have me . They were taking the admiral clark to a alternative command site. Do you hear me. Yes. Go ahead, mik. There is no confirmation of the latest threat. But Security Officials here are taking it very seriously. We were standing with secretary rumsfelds security detail who as soon as they got the report went running into the building. And we were herded away. But they have set up an alternative command site somewhere in the area. The pentagon has set up a crisis team to deal with this situation. But so far, the latest reports are that another plane of some kind may have been hijacked and headed into this direction. Katie . We also should tell you, mik, this is tom brokaw, the faa says now that all International Flights headed for the United States are being diverted to canada. This as at a time when jim is telling us theres an unconfirmed report theres been another hijacking. All takeoffs were stopped, but there were planes in the air obviously at the time of the first two attacks on the world trade towers and then on the pentagon. Andrea mitchell is standing by. She was at the state department, andrea. Reporter the state department has been evacuated. Secretary of state colin powell is on the way home from lima, peru, he did not get to his destination of columbia today and that trip canceled and he and other officials heading back. State Department Officials an the white house officials and the nfc have been evacuated although condi rice was in the situation room and cia director george tenant has been Holding Meetings at his office in langley, virginia and team fbi rescue efforts and antiterror coordinating team were stranded in monterey, california, where they were on a secret military
exercise against exactly this kind of event. Let me interrupt. Could you tell us about reports that a car bomb has exploded outside of the state department . Reporter i do not have confirmation of that. They did evacuate but we do not have confirmation of a car bomb outside of the state department. Im sorry to interrupt. Were going back to Jim Miklaszewski at the pentagon. Ive got my eyes here, katie, i dont see anything but Security Forces in the area have just blaired out over the loud speakers to any pedestrians near the pentagon to take cover immediately. There was, as i said, an indication that another plane may have been hijacked and headed in this general direction. So far all we see are security helicopters circling the pentagon. Again, the skies are Crystal Clear blue and i cant see the speck of an airline. But Security Forces here are alarmed enough not only to tell people to keep some distance from the building, but to take immediate cover. Can you tell me a little bit more lets look at these live pictures at the World Trade Center. The other tower of the World Trade Center has just collapsed. You are looking at live pictures of the second twin tower at the World Trade Center collapsing as a result of the crash of an airplane into its side. That is the first tower that was struck this morning at 8 42 eastern time. That is now fallen to the ground and collapsed. Profile of manhattan has been change. Theres been a declaration of war by terrorists on the United States. Pat dawson, excuse me, tom, is down at the scene. Pat . Where is wayne . Pat, can you hear us . Obviously there is pandemonium downtown. Pat is not far from the World Trade Center as you could hear from the sirens and you could only imagine the confusion and the terror that is in that area after not one, but both trade Center Towers have not collapsed. And more than 100 stories of steel, concrete having electrical. There it is. Thats a videotape replay. We are back at 10 30 eastern time on this Tuesday Morning. This horrific and incredible not to be believed Tuesday Morning. You are looking at live pictures of the World Trade Center where just a few minutes ago, within the last minute, actually, the second twin tower collapsed. Just to recap, if you are joining us, around 8 42 eastern time here in new york city a
plane crashed into the right twin tower of the World Trade Center. About twothirds of the way up the building leaving a huge gaping hole and a huge fire and tons of billowing smoke. About 25 minutes later a second jet believed to be a 727 737 or a report of even 757 even. The first plane was on route from boston, massachusetts, to los angeles. Here is the first plane that struck the tower. The first plane that caused the hole on the righthand side and the other twin towers was from boston to l. A. X. To los angeles and it was flight 11, American Airlines and we have confirmed that plane was hijacked. What happened following the hijacking is unclear. We should know that about an hour after the first collision, at the pentagon, reportedly
another plane crashed into the pentagon, which is just outside of washington, d. C. In northern virginia. All air traffic has been stopped. Government buildings have been evacuated as have other buildings across the country. The sears tower in chicago was evacuated. You could imagine that other buildings in cities around the country are being evacuated as well. There is an unconfirmed report of a bombing at the state department and we have not pinned that down and Jim Miklaszewski was told there was an unconfirmed report of a hijacking. We share this in not to exacerbate what is already a terrible situation but so much has come true that we want you to have as much information as we could get. At the pentagon, all people outside were told to take cover moments ago. But Jim Miklaszewski said the skies were clear. There was an unconfirmed report with a plane hijacking
with a plane headed toward washington. We dont want to sound alarmist but that is something jim heard while at the pentagon. And we want to mention the president is on route from long bow key, florida, where he was there to visit a Elementary School to talk about literacy and his agenda has change and he will con seen a meeting convene a meeting of the National Security counsel and colin powell is on the way back from peru. And probably not at a white house or a safe location and some in the hills of virginia, as you know, and my guess is that air force one is in the unusual situation of having a fighter plane escort on the way back from florida today and that where we stand. And think about the loss of life that we could have seen this morning. If you think about when the World Trade Center hold about 50,000 people and no telling how many people were at work and shortly after 9 00 in the other hour but if you look at this picture at Lower Manhattan, it
appears that terrorists have succeeded in doing what terrorists tried to do back in 1993. This is war. This is a declaration and an execution of an attack on the United States. Two of our most conspicuous symbols of the american system of capitalism, the pentagon, which of course is the headquarters of the mighty military in the world was attacked today as well. The white house has been evacuated. The state department has been evacuated. Football marke Financial Markets have been immobilized. And internet flights have been to canada. Transatlantic flights going to canada now. So there have been great chaos visited upon this country as you pointed out, matt, so importantly, of the untold loss of life. And it is going to be horrendous. We dont know yet what the exact numbers are. But we can only tell you by looking at those pictures that you could guess as well as we can that there are going to be a lot of people who are not going to be able to escape this. Back in 1993 when the bomb blew up in the World Trade Center and survivors talked about how long it took to walk down the smokefilled scare ways and people were trying to escape when first one and then the second tower collapsed. And the triage unit set up with area hospitals all receiving victims and as matt said 50,000 capacity when everybody is in the building but many people at 8 42 a. M. Here in new york are at their desk working in their offices. One young man was reached by phone and was asked what is happening there and he said, we are blanking dying here. There was screaming and yelling and pure chaos understandably going on in the background. There is a picture of Lower Manhattan, ladies and gentlemen. The most important city in the world. In so many ways. And now it has been attacked by terrorists at the World Trade Center and the damage is beyond our ability to tell you in great detail. Let me mention that
i was going to say here is what the president said. He canceled an education appearance in florida. Here is what he said just a short time ago. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult moment for america. I unfortunately will be going back to washington after my remarks. Secretary rod pace and the governor will take the podium and discuss education. I do want to thank the folks here at the Booker Elementary School for their hospitality. Today weve had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. I have spoken to the Vice President , to the governor of new york, to the director of the fbi, and ive ordered that the full resources of the federal government go to help the victims and their families and to conduct a fullscale
investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act. Terrorism against our nation will not stand. And now if you join me in a moment of silence. That was george w. Bush about an hour ago speaking from longboat key, florida. He is on route to washington, d. C. Were looking at pictures on the ground, or we were, of apparently some of the victims. Lets go to pat dawson, if he could hear us. He is on the ground. Quite extraordinary. These are the emergency workers coming back, it was just about ten minutes ago that we described to you the possibility of that north tower collapsing. About five minutes after we went off the air, it did collapse. Once again, we have no idea at this point the loss of life. I could only tell you there were hundreds of emergency workers down there about five or six
blocks. It took probably about i would say no more than 50 or 60 seconds for that dust cloud, dust and smoke to literally make it the five or six blocks up here and begin to envel op us and there are trying to run past us and in fact or cameraman got in his car and [ inaudible ] and the people here are all emergency workers. Many ive seen in the last two to three minutes are coming out of here and remember this, these are professionals and coming out of there looking literally stunned, in shock, many of them, struggling for breathe and in serious distress and breathing problems are the problem for those that managed to make it out of the area down below us. You cant see more than a block south of me right now. And the World Trade Center
probably stands about 10 blocks south of where i am at this moment. And as you could see now, the dust begins to pick up here. It depends on which way the wind blows as to whether or not we get heavy dust or not. But at this point, i could tell you that in the first few minutes, the emergency workers were trying basically to get out of there and survive. Could you see that written in their facing. The situation was so desperate, they just wanted to get out of there. Now many of them are beginning to regroup and a couple of them asked me where their commander might be. They are trying to get together and go back in there and try to take care of the people who obviously are in serious trouble. There is no other way to describe it. The language here at times, if i slip into language that seems mellow dramatic, forgive me. But this is a circumstance which is very difficult to describe in many ways without sounding mellow dramatic. In 20 years of covering horrific events, this is something ive never seen before. As we say, the emergency workers
now beginning to try to gather themselves. Over there you could see a police Emergency Service unit. They are trying basically now to reestablish some kind of a safe perimeter and many of the emergency workers just happy to be alive. Certainly that picture tells it us. Many of them just happy to be alive at this point. Having survived what is an extraordinary event, the collapse of two towers. As we said in our report, 110 stories each. Ly tell you what fell, what i saw fall had to be 40 or 50 stories of the building at first. The skeleton was left at about i would say the 50 or 60th floor after the shell, after the structure of the building fell down. The skeleton, the steel skeleton was literally sheathed off and it took probably about another 30 seconds before the skeleton collapsed into the street. That was the last we saw of the World Trade Center. And that was maybe ten minutes ago, when those that final
met cal steel skeleton collapsed into the street. That was nbcs pat dawson. He is standing ten blocks from where the World Trade Center towers used to stand. You are looking at the collapse of one of the towers right now. We now have an a. P. News alert out of pittsburgh. Officials at Somerset County airport are confirming the crash of a large plane north of the airport. That is about 80 miles southeast of pittsburgh. Again, officials at Somerset County airport confirm the crash of a large plane north of the airport located about 80 miles to the southeast of the city of pittsburgh. We do not know whether that crash of that plane is related to what has become an obvious terrorist attack both here in new york city and in washington, d. C. At the pentagon. Now we just got a word that the state department Security Officials are denying the reports of a car bomb at the state department. Betsy stewart is at the entrance and said there is no sign of a
car bomb and Betsy Stewart that is very familiar with the state department. And top officials are in the operation center. Those are highly secured areas in terms of penetration physically and other wise. Colin powell, as andrea reported, was headed for lima, peru, but has done a uturn and is coming back and the president is on his way back and will have a National SecurityCouncil Meeting at about 11 30 or around noon. That is likely to take place at Andrews Air Force base or in some more secure location. White house has been evacuated. With this report of another plane going down, this time in the pittsburgh area, there were planes in the air when the order went out there would be no more takeoffs so we dont know how much more damage the terrorists had in mind. Lets go to bob hager, the nbc aviation expert. Bob, what kind of information are you getting from your sources . Not a lot, katie, from the faa. For instance. They are not talking about any possible hijacks. They could tell whether there is a high jack in progress because the original pilot of the plane has various buttons to push to set off a code and tell them there were hijacked but as a matter of security they are not saying anything about that. They did stop all takeoffs in the u. S. At 9 25 this morning. And then for pilots that were in the air, the question came up, what to do about them and they were given some discretion to continue on to their destination so long as it was not the new york or Washington Area or divert to an airport if that is what they wanted to do. I personally i saw the blast at the pentagon, not the blast take place but moments after, i had been at National Airport trying to get up to new york and could you see the smoke billowing out of the pentagon. I could give you a little description of what it is like on the streets of washington because it was crowded to work back here to nbc. They have now given not only the white house and those key buildings like the u. S. Capitol, but at this point theyve given
all federal employees the word to leave offices and get home so there are traffic jams in washington. Bob, im sure youre going to get more information but first we want to go to Jim Miklaszewski at the pentagon with more information. Mik . They are still clearing people away from the pentagon. Still Security Forces believe there may be another incoming plane headed into washington region. But there was a very telling dramatic moment just a second ago when a u. S. Air force f16 flew very low level, did a wide, sweeping turn around the pentagon and back over washington and as one air force officer standing near me, said, my god, they are now flying air cover over washington. A dramatic moment, a milestone in what tom has described as a declaration of war, terrorist war against the u. S. Lets go back and show you the pictures of Lower Manhattan where the situation only gets worse, not better. That is the financial district of the world and also a
residential and commercial area. Both twin trade tower buildings have collapsed and there is an untold loss of life and the ripple goes on with dust and smoke spread out against that densely populated area. It goes down below ground and as well as in the highrise buildings there and many Residential Structures in that area as well. Some heroic rescue workers were down there trying to get people out of the building when the first building came down and then the second building did as well. Without any sound and looking at this, there is a kind of surreal quality. But that is the epicenter of a great, Great National tragedy and a great loss of life. No question about it this morning. Were talking about people who were hurt, perhaps killed in this blast. Many of them have been brought to area hospitals, including Saint Vincent hospital. Bob bizzell is there. Bob, what is the latest . Reporter well, ambulances continue to stream in. Several new york city streets have been closed, major avenues
have been closed off so ambulances could continue to come in. In addition, the new york city subway system has now been closed down and several buildings that were not involved in the World Trade Center area have been shut down and people have been told to go home. But a lot of them are wandering aimlessly on the street and many people openly weeping and hugging each other and this is a time, as tom describes, as close to the beginning of a war. But the casualties do keep coming in. Burn and smoke inhalation is very severe and all of the medical people that i talk to say this is the tip of the iceberg. We expect casualties to be coming in through the night and way into tomorrow and beyond. Bob, if you could stand by for a moment because we have this report from a. P. That im just simply going to read. Alarge plane crashed Tuesday Morning north of the Somerset County airport about 80 miles southeast of pittsburgh. Airport Officials Say the plane believed to be a boeing 757
crashed north of jennerston according to wpxi tv reported and it came the same morning that terrorists crashed two planes in to the World Trade Center and explosions also rocked the pentagon and the state department and that was refuted moments ago and spread fear across the nation. There was no other immediate details on the pennsylvania crash and it was not clear whether the crash was related to the others. Again, that was a report, a bulletin just issued by the Associated Press. What is dramatic, is there no indication whatsoever that this carefully coordinated massive attack would occur. There is a complete intelligence failure here. And there will be obviously down the road a price to pay for that. Well that is actually not all that surprising, tom, because weve often talked in the past following every terrorist event about how vulnerable the United States is and many experts say how unprepared they are and the question is can you ever prepare
for an attack like this. And that is true. But we also have people out there who are enlisting post and weve penetrated these kind of organizations but to have this kind of an attack and this sophisticated and this sufficient striking at the heart of the nations capitol and at the heart of new york city and if this is true, that this plane went down as a result of the attack, we dont know whether it is the end of. It this is a massively wellcoordinated attack of some kind that is nothing short of a declaration of war on this country. And terrorist experts are saying and Intelligence Experts are saying there are very short or few number of terrorist groups that are capable of this kind of planning and a couple of names come to mind and i dont want to throw them out because we dont have any reports. But before we go to jamie gangel, some of the descriptions from Lower Manhattan are chilling. One man talked about getting off a path train, a subway train here in Lower Manhattan and looking up at the building after the first explosion and seeing
people jump out of the windows. We have no idea how high up. But hearing people on the ground scream each time another person jumped out of a window attempting to get to safety and when the second explosion occurred he felt the heat of the explosion on the back of his neck. Jamie gangel is our National Correspondent and joining us now on the phone. Reporter matt, speaking of the intelligence officials you were just mentioning, now we can finally no longer reach on the phone anyone at the cia. Apparently the cia has been evacuated. We know the National Security agency which is the electronic eavesdropping agency which is down in baltimore near fort mead, maryland, and what we are hearing from both places is that all nonessential personnel have been told to leave and i could only imagine they are trying to move some of the operations out of those ibuildings as well for
backup procedure. But in addition to whatever intelligence was or was missed in all of this, we now have perhaps some problems gathering intelligence as those buildings are now being shut down. Right, jamie, thank you very much. Tom, lets talk about something you mentioned a second ago, it shows the enormity of this situation in what we assume will be horrendous loss of life. All planes in this country have been grounded. You think about the impact that has. And is there ever a time we could imagine Something Like that happening before. The most powerful nation in the world and National Security officials and terrorist experts have been saying for some time, a small band of very willful and sophisticated people could bring us to a halt and they have done just that. There is a psychological terror as a result as could you only imagine how it plays out across the country today and people looking in who dont live in new york wonder what is happening around me. It is hard to overtate the consequences of all of this and
this is just the beginning. Well be living with this story and dealing with the consequences of it for some time. The United States will change as a result of all of this. We are already thought there was a lot of security in america at the airports and so on and yet there was a successful hijacks at boston airport and the consequences of that were seeing on the screen here this morning. So this is going to change this country profoundly, not in the coming days but in the coming months, so say nothing, as youve been saying, matt, of the horrific loss of life. And to continue what i started before, you were out at the murrah Federal Building and it took a week for them to find the people trapped in the wreckage. We have two buildings of each 110 stories, it is mindboggling to think of what will take for
the next couple days or weeks to find survivors. And there are a number of planes up in the air as this took place and a number of unconfirmed and frightening reports of about those planes that we heard earlier from Jim Miklaszewski that somebody had gotten word at the pentagon that perhaps there is another plane, whether they were talking about the one north of pittsburgh or it is completely unclear, but it is also unclear whether these planes that were on route to a destination have been grounded themselves. In other words, there were emergency lands or what. I think it is very difficult to get any communication with airports all across the country because they are, im sure, completely chaotic. Katie, you know from your time in Oklahoma City and the time you spent with the victims there, the psychological effect of all of this on this country and how it is going to affect our whole sense of security. And in a way, our sense of innocence. This is fortress america and it couldnt happen here. We said that about the murrah Federal Building and we said it about Columbine High School but this is a incident of a whole different magnitude. I have to say ive never ever witnessed anything quite as horrific. I hate to keep saying it because we have seen these types of things play out in movies. And you know and in worst Case Scenarios and in dramatic renditions of this kind of incident. But special no one has ever seen this kind of thing unfold and it is really shocking. We want to go now on the phone, we have Neal Livingston who is an expert on terrorism. Can you hear me . I can. We talk about what it would take in terms of planning and coordination to pull off an attack like this with so many prongs, two attacks here in new york city and one in washington, d. C. We dont know if the crash of that plane outside of pittsburgh is related. But give me an idea of how many groups there are in the country
that would be capable of Something Like this. Well there are very few groups in the world capable of this kind of action. And you have to remember also that we have the people that hijacked the planes were going to a certain death as well. So they were suicide bombers in effect. And that probably suggests that this was not Something Like the cartel or one of the other groups that has the financial wherewithal or and the infrastructure to carry out coordinated attacks. And the finger of suspension and were cautious about pointing that in any particular direction but we have to look to the middle east and look to Osama Bin Laden and look at some palestinian groups. Even in the past when we talk about bin laden and his group, there were Intelligence Experts that picked up conversations, transmissions that occurred before an attack to give some kind of indication, and even if we didnt understand them until after the attack, is it that
unusual that with so many prongs there wouldnt have been some type of warning through intelligence sources . It is a myth that we know these things are coming down. Part of our problem is, and we just had a warning go out to our embassies and military bases in the far east, that could have been a diversion. We have so many warnings these days, that they tend to fade into the background noise unless we have real specific information about it an upcoming attack, generally we dont take action. And these groups are very hard to penetrate. They are focused with bonds of kinship and people that have known each other for years so it doesnt surprise me that we didnt know this is coming. All right. Mr. Livingston, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Benjamin levi is at the scene near the World Trade Center and he will tell us precisely where he is and what he saw. Benjamin, can you hear me . Hello. Hello, benjamin. This is katie couric, could you tell me what you have seen. Right now im in Lower Manhattan but i work at the Federal Building behind city hall and we were just sitting at our desks at 9 00 a. M. This morning and we heard about a big explosion and about five minutes or ten minutes later we saw the other plane hit the building, the second tower. And then we just evacuated. And i was and as we started to walk away, we turned around about maybe 15 minutes after we left the building, and the second tower just disappeared from sight. And i tell you, ive never seen anything more horrible in my entire life. Did you see any people, any casualties . We bumped into a guy from tower one that said he had a chance to get out of the building after the after the plane hadity first one. He had a chance to get out of the second one. But he said that he said that people were jumping out of the
windows, to get away from the fire. Where are you now, benjamin . Im in a hair salon in Lower Manhattan, talking to you guys. Obviously, that was and was the whole Federal Building evacuated . We started running out of the building as soon as we saw the second explosion. And then i work on the 22nd floor and as soon as we down at the bottom they sounded the alarm and announced evacuation but most of us were already out. How far physically are you physically from the World Trade Center. Right now or where i work . When this happened. About six blocks away. And you were able to get out and there were no electrical problems in your building as a result of the impact of the fire . No, we got out pretty good, thank god. And the area down there, the city hall and the world Federal Building and all of the other commercial buildings, theyve been evacuated. As we were leaving, the police were telling the shop
owners to shut their shops and go home. And that is from the dust and everything that we see because that covers the lower end of manhattan which is a large area not only physically but in terms of the Financial Networks and the commerce done in residential areas. You could smell the smoke and you could smell it, but it wasnt we were walking away from it. Benjamin levi, thank you for talking to us and we appreciate it and glad you are safe. And i have a rundown about what is going on around the country. The state Department Officials have been moved into the state Department Training center in virginia and the state department has been evacuated and minneapolis airport shut down and Downtown Minneapolis downtown evacuated and all flights at hartsfield interNational Airport closed. The cnn World Headquarters was closed in maryland. Officials are tightening security throughout the state. That is the home of Andrews Air Force base. Navy installations throughout
the Hampton Roads have been placed under increased security and in pennsylvania, philadelphia oirpt has been closed and the liberty bell and Independence Hall are being closed. All national monuments, i believe, tom, have been evacuated. And in california, the stiet is put on the highest alert. They are on tactical alert and the department of Nuclear Defense put on heightened security. It is now coming up on 10 59 east coast time. Well give you a recap of what weve seen so far in just a moment. Just a quick note from a downtown hospital in new york city where they said hundreds of people have been burned from head to toe. This is from a doctor at greenwich village. Doctors and nurses standing by in scrubs. The entire room was lined with stretchers covered with white sheets and the victims mostly
had burned. And they are being treated in a number of area hospitals including Saint Vincent and nyu and downtown is just about five minutes away as a spokesperson told us earlier, theyve had a lot of experience dealing with problems at the World Trade Center from that february terrorist bombing in 1993. And obviously they have all been mobilized and emergency crews are working feverishly outside of the World Trade Center. You are looking at a live picture of Lower Manhattan at 11 00 east coast time on a day of tragedy and terror in the United States. You are looking at what remains of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. This morning, just before 9 00 and just after 9 00, two planes, in individual attacks, struck each tower of the World Trade Center. Causing gaping holes in both towers. You are looking at a tape now after the first impact. And there is the second impact of a large jet flown, we now believe, deliberately into the second tower. It was a short time after that that the towers collapsed. And then there was an attack in washington, d. C. We now have confirmed reports that a plane crashed into the pentagon. We have no reports of confirmed injuries or a death, however it is clear, officials all across the country are now saying this is a deliberate terrorist attack on the United States, as tom has put it so far this morning, this is a declaration of war by terrorists against the United States. And of course and by the taway, tom, befor we talk about terrorism, another large plane crashed north of Somerset County airport, 80 miles southeast of pittsburgh, pennsylvania. It was a boeing 767 that crashed
around 10 00 this morning. And it is unclear whether the crash was related to the other crashes that took place this morning. President bush is on route back to washington. The state department has been evacuated. There is an attack on the pentagon. That has been evacuated. The white house has been evacuated. There will be a meeting of the National Security counsel. The most serious attack on the state since pearl harbor. There has never been an attack in any country like this so far in the world as we could tell. The untold loss of life in new york alone. We only know there have been hundreds of burn victims brought to voarious hospitals and both trade centers have collapsed to the ground and we dont know the number of casualties yet at the pentagon and the number of deaths in the plane that went down as katie pointed out north of pittsburgh. And we leave out of a piece of information but we know that one of the planes crashed into
the World Trade Center was hijacked from boston this morning. It was American Airlines flight 11 on route from boston to los angeles. We had reports that it had been diverted to jfk and a short time later perhaps while feigning a landing at jfk it veered dramatically into the World Trade Center. All air travel have been stopped, airports have been close add cross the country to planes departing in terms of planes that on route. It is unclear if theyve made millennial landings or if they are reaching their financial destinations. The white house has been evacuated. The state department the cia has been evacuated. Of course, many, many buildings in manhattan and Lower Manhattan have been evacuated as well. And transatlantic flights to this it country are being diverted to canada. Still no claim of responsibility that is verifiable or credible at this time. Yasser arafat has condemned this attack saying it is shocking and appalling. Of course, we should mention back in february of 1993 was
when that bomb went off in the garage of the World Trade Center killing six people and injuring a thousand people. And that, of course, was an unbelievable scene. But compared to this this is what they intended to do back then. This is not minor. Lets go to bob hager which has some information for us. Reporter i was just thinking as you commented about the various planes involved. The one that we know of so far because it is confirmed by American Airlines the flight 11 which was scheduled from the boston Logan Airport to los angeles, that flight 11 was hijacked this morning and it is presumed that that may have been one of the planes that went into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. There were at least two more planes involved in this because the other tower was hit and then the pentagon was also there were eyewitness accounts that it was a plane that went into the pentagon. But so far we dont know the sources of those planes. Whether they were commercial planes or private planes or
whether they had been hijacked at all. And i would point out, the report from Somerset County, pennsylvania, is so far just local authorities commenting. The faa has not confirmed that crash. So we are waiting to hear more and im hearing just now bear with me. Faa faa is now confirming, so this adds to the earlier rumors, there are several airplanes that are unaccounted for. So there were some rumors that there might have been other planes hijacked that we didnt know the outcome of it and now the faa is confirming that there are several several is the word i heard, several planes unaccounted for that were evidently hijacks and has not come to a conclusion yet. We would like to get a list of those as specifically as possible. Well show you now and replay a tape of the Second Attack on the World Trade Center in slowmo. And there is the plane. As you could see a large
airlinetype plane and now the collision. Flown deliberately into the second one. And they say several, bob, do they give you any indication of what they are talking about. The description that hi, and that was just passed on to me a moment ago so i wasnt talking to the faa person but several is the account i had. And American Airlines flight 11 out of boston, do we know what kind of plane that was and perhaps how many people were on board . We do not yet. But i think well get some Additional Information from american. They were supposed to be adding comment to this from Dulles Airport here in a few moments. So we might learn a little bit more about that. But right now, it is very it is very important to worry about rumors and so forth. I would like to hear more confirmation that a plane has crashed in pennsylvania, for instance, since the faa hasnt confirmed that. But i think one needs to be
careful here in this chaotic situation. All right. We have a report here that Osama Bin Laden, who is often identified as the worlds leading terrorist warned three weeks ago that he and his followers would carry out an unprecedented attack on u. S. Interest with journal access said to him on tuesday in london. Ab dell barri al at won said Osama Bin Laden was almost certainly behind the attack of the World Trade Center in new york. Quote, it is most likely the work of islamic fundamentalists and Osama Bin Laden warned he would attack in an unprecedented attack, a very big one, told by reuters. And he maintains close contact with his followers according to reuters so that is the first report that Osama Bin Laden may have been responsibility. Obviously it was a very Sophisticated Organization and
carefully coordinated. It had to have the origins in this country. The fbi director, as he left office, said that his continuing great concern with a number of terrorist cells that exist in america, not just in some shadowy enclave in afghanistan but theyve taken root in this country because it is so easy to get here. Lets talk a little bit more about Osama Bin Laden because as you say he was associated with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Why dont we talk about him and what he has done here in the United States, tom, to give people a little bit of background. Well, he is from saudi arabia originally. He is wealthy. Hes very sophisticated in terms of using the new technology. We believe that hes been harbored in afghanistan. No one knows for sure. A number of people have attempted to get to him and have been unsuccessful in that. They also believe he was behind the bombings in kenya as well. He is obviously a zel you the of
great dark a zel out of great dark passion against the United States. And tell us about about Osama Bin Laden and if you think he might, in fact, have carried out this kind of wellorchestrated, horrific attack on the United States . Well, certainly he would have to be included in a short list of suspects but it is premature to be able to say with any confidence who might be responsible. And Something Like this, we know what has happened, we know when it has happened and where it has happened. Who and why, it takes it a bit longer to figure out. I have no doubt that we will ultimately be able to identify who is responsible. But until that time, we can only speculate. But brian, in a attack of this magnitude so carefully coordinated and executed with cold blooded sophistication, it
had to be a clear organization. And clearly this took organization. And while organization in terrorism has become more fluid, that is we are not dealing with the identifiable terrorist organization that we dealt with in the 1970s and 1980s, terrorism in the last decade has been a lot more fluid and from these universes of likeminded fanatics, people have been able to put together these ad hoc conspiracy, but nonetheless the magnitude of the attack and the coordination involved in the attack does indicate a considerable amount of planning and organization. Mr. Jenkins, if you will hold for a second. I want to go back to bob hager of nbc. Bob, we were talking apparently we dont have bob at the moment. Lets go to jim cal strom, the former director of the fbi, new york office and we talk about
sooner or later well know who did this but where does Law Enforcement start. In several cases were talking about the plane as the weapon, so to speak, but where do we start to track who is responsible . Well, matt, i think someone said, this is unprecedented. And Law Enforcement will start from the base of intelligence that they already have and hopefully always have. And that is the thats the argument in the country. We have a short memory in the United States. And maybe that is good and maybe its bad. But thats why we need effective Law Enforcement. Although in a fro society, as Brian Jenkins points out and i agree with him, it is very difficult to stop things like this. The first goal would have ton about stop this horrific, hoffic event. And of course the second goal now is to save as many people as we can and to find out who did it and thirdly and most importantly not let Something Like this happen again. If you were to start the investigation tomorrow morning, where would you begin with a man that hijacked an American Airlines flight. I would probably have a hundred courses of action taken simultaneously. Im sure that is what is going on as we speak. It is a bit of chaos. I look at the tragedy and why we responded the way we did. And we were at heightened threat for terrorism and it sure looked like terrorism and this is so much bigger than that. It is chaotic, but Law Enforcement is trying to make sense out of it. They are trying to obviously not let something happen again in the next ten minutes, the next hour. This is an nbc news special report. Here is lester holt. Good day from new york. Some concerns raised this morning about the well being of Hillary Clinton. Democrat candidate for president after she left the 9 11 Memorial Service at ground zero earlier than expected. Her campaign telling us that it may have been related to the heat and that she is okay. Lets go to nbc Hallie Jackson now for more. Left. I ill read you the statement from Hillary Clinton campaign coming to us moments ago a spokesperson saying secretary clinton attending a september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughters apartment and is now feeling much better. For about 90 minutes this morning, it was unclear what had happened to secretary clinton. Where she had gone. The small band of reporters traveling with her had been kept at the 9 11 ceremony. After clinton left around 9 30, walked out and we are told and ultimately apparently has gone to her daughter Chelsea Clintons house in manhattan. Lester. Thank you. We do know it has been unseasonably hot and humid here in the new york area for the last several days and our folks at ground zero say those were the conditions this morning when secretary clinton was taken away. Want to go to Andrea Mitchell on the phone, andrea, the health of secretary clinton has become an issue in this campaign and what we have driven today has speculation on social mee yaud and what can you tell us. And her health is an issue and traveling with her nonstop, it has been no issue for her. It is all been rumor and speculation driven really by her opponents, by the trump campaign. They and Rudy Giuliani in particular have raised all sort of questions. She has been healthy, she has been at the campaign. Her travel, she was [ inaudible ]. Cell phone signal is breaking up, but your point is taken. And were looking at the still photos, we believe this is about the time this was clearly before she was taken away. She seemed fine. Interacting with the other
dignitaries and politicians that would gather there for the reading of the names as the country marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks of 9 11. But again, to reiterate what Hallie Jackson said, the Clinton Campaign reporting that she was overhoo overheated and left after 90 minutes to ground zero and went to her daughters apartment in manhattan about four or five miles away and in the written statement they say she is feeling much better. That is what we know. Andrea, are you back with us . Back with you. I can just report that she has had no episodes of this kind. Not since 2012 when she caught the flu. She had a stomach flu. She was seriously dehydrated. She did faint and she hit her head and had a concussion. That was the last medical episode that we know of and that is wildly reported. At the time, there were a lot of speculation, but the doctors
report very complete doctors report did indicate that she has had issues, as she takes blood im sorry, she takes medications that includes medications to thin the blood because of previous episodes with thrombosis but nothing of any issue in this campaign other than the criticism from her opponents. And we had no indication she was taken to a hospital. In fact, there are strong indications even before the statement that she did go to her daughters apartment. We have a picture of a van here that appears to be the same one she was traveling into ground zero this morning and there it is in front of daughter chelseas apartment in the Flat Iron District of new york. So that apparently is where she is. We have no indication that she received any medical treatment from a hospital or anyone there at the scene. But simply went to her
daughters apartment. Well continue to follow this story and well have more when we see you tonight on nbc nightly news. For now im lester holt in new york. Good day. Welcome. Im alex witt here at nbc headquarters in new york. Were following up to lester holts breaking news. A Campaign Spokesperson said that Hillary Clinton left the 9 11 event in Lower Manhattan this morning, a bit earlier than expected. Because she was not feeling well. Im going to go now to nbc monica alba who is joining me on the phone. Monica has been following this campaign. And let me know, how things developed from your advantage point. You were with traveling press pool and tell me when you were made aware nothing is quite right. Hi, there, alex. We were attendance to say Hillary Clinton pay her respects and everything was going normally and she arrived and greeted elected officials and
was standing by several senators paying attention to the ceremonies and quietly standing to others when at about 9 30 a. M. She walked out and nothing seemed to be going wrong. She simply walked out unassisted but with her typical secret Service Agents in tow and a couple of aides around her but nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing that gave us pause is we were told she was expected to stay for the entire ceremony. That was the guidance given by the campaign. So to see her leave at that early hour did raise some eyebrows but we thought she was leaving and coming back. It appears that at that moment, that is why she left, because she had told her taf that she was not feeling her staff that she was not feeling well and she got into h motorcade and headed to h daughters apartment. So what we knew at the time she did not seem to be looking in any way out of the ordinary ill. She was walking on her own unassisted. But the press pool that was there for her was sort of kept in the media area and we were not able to see her get into the van. So we did not know whether she had departed and where she had departed to and that caused confusion for a an hour where we were not sure what the secretary was and what her condition was and where she was headed. Monica, im going to read the statement from the Clinton Campaign which you provided for us and also let everyone know, we have ann from the Washington Post standing by. The secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the sirm she felt overheated and departed to go to her daughters apartment and is feeling better. And the weather is hot and humid and while im dressed appropriately, i literally walked into 30 rock today myself wearing shorts and a tshirt
because it is just miserable outside. Talk about what it is like there, this pea soup kind of weather and secretary clinton is wearing longsleeved attire. That is absolutely right. It is very hot and humid out here today. Unseasonably warm for september. The press pool was remarking on other september 11th anniversaries weve had far more brisk weather and this was unusual and as you mentioned, yes, she was wearing long sleeves and in any kind of weather like this, to be standing for that amount of time, you could certainly understand why someone may suddenly not feel well or if any of the if someone was feeling ill or dehydrated, whether this weather could put you over the edge and it appears secretary clinton, that is what happened. She wasnt feeling well. She turned and told someone that that was the case and that she was feeling overheated and that is why she needed to leave. But yes, as someone who has been here and downtown since
about 7 00 or 8 00 a. M. , it only was getting hotter and that is clearly something that contributed to her decision to leave when she did. Understandably so. And monica, stand by as we bring in ann guerren of the Washington Post. And just the situation here, how unusual is it that you have the candidate leaving without any of the press pool following in tow. There is a sudden departure. Does that happen often . No. I mean, nothing like this has happened before. Clinton has left her traveling press behind on other occasions. But none that we know of that involved any kind of a medical issue. The pool did not even know she was gone until about 30 minutes later. Then the pool was informed shortly before other reporters
covering clinton were also informed that she had left because she felt in the words of her spokesperson, nick merrill, overheated and that she had gone to her daughter chelseas apartment which is not right next door, but certainly closer far closer than clintons own home up in westchester county. We should say it is in the Flat Iron District and that isnt too far from where she was. And do you know how long mrs. Clinton had planned to stay at the memorial, for the duration or just part of it. We dont know exactly how long she planned to stay. But since this is a very, very long ceremony, and many of the other dignitaries did leave early, are leaving early now, we assumed that she did not plan to stay for the entire thing. But there was no specific timeline given ahead of time. Yeah. So ann, lets talk about the campaign and what theyve been doing for the last few weeks. It hasnt exactly been a lot of sitdown, relaxing time that is for certain. So lets talk about what has led up to this day. Yeah. Since labor day, which is the traditional ringing of the bell for a more intensive period of campaigning in any year, clinton has really done just that. She started flying on a big Proper Campaign plane, with the press in tow. Shes certainly doing more events and more travel for campaigning as opposed to fundraising this week. Certainly, as you know, she was much more visible so her to the press. She took questions four times in four days. She gave a pretty big speech, actually, on safe, including her own experience with faith and how it informed her political
activism before an africanamerican audience at the National Baptist convention in kansas city the other day. That is part of a concerted effort by the campaign to blend some policy speeches with more personal revelations or an attempt to show a more personal and open side of clinton. Her Campaign Communications direct jonathan palmary have said they found it difficult to break through on all of the time donald trump approach to the media and the medias approach to him and they feel they want to try a different tact that showed her in a more direct and open and personal way. Uhhuh. And we should say that she also participated in the nbc news and msnbc commander in chief forum on wednesday night when put a bed time to her day. And i heard it being said and i
dont want to put words in your mouth but for those covering the secretary as she campaigns, she a hard lady to keep up with, she has such a rigorous schedule. Yes, she has been known for years as a hard worker with a lot of stamina. She gets up early, she could be demanding about what she wants to see in front of her first thing in the morning in terms of briefing books and policy papers and the people she wants to have on hand to talk her through those things. And certainly i know from watching her and covering her as secretary of state, that she kept up that sort of same pace in terms of reading things and being and Holding Meetings at all hours, really all of the time she would be on her plane having meetings for in the course of very long flights. Of course, taking a nap as everybody else on the plane would as well. But she kept her staff working. She has not had Real Health Problems with the exception of the 2012 fall at her home in washington which came about because she was severely dehydrated from the flu or a virus of some sort that had made her sick. She got dehydrated and fell and hit her head and had a con suggestion and ultimately hospitalized for a few days because of the blood clot that was not initially detectived or had detected or had not formed and that is a Mysterious Health issue shes had in her adult life. She had blood clots in her legs several years ago, not an uncommon thing. But the 2012 hospitalization clearly was shook her up but she has said after word she was surprised by it because she had
always been healthy and her husband told an audience at two years later in 2014 that it took her six months to get over the effects of the concussion. To add to your excellent accounting of what happened to all of you, it was 1998 when she had the blood clot in the lower leg that was treated and nothing came of that. And in december of 2012 when she became dehydrated due to a stomach virus or the flu and fell and hit her head and a couple of weeks later where she was going for a routine followup scan that a blood clot in a brain on the left side of her brain is discovered and that is the point where she was admitted to the hospital for three nights and received blood thinning medication and then discharged on january 2nd of 2013. Ann, when all of this happened, talk about the concerns, because
at that time, she was already eyeing a run for the presidency. So what was the back and forth on that . Well, yeah, the concern was certainly for her close aides, some of her some of whom could become a Campaign Advisers that this would be seen as a sign of weakness or infirmity or what they thought was a likely set of conspiracy theories of whether she was up to the task. No small measure of fear of sexism played a role in that. The idea that a woman who would be well into her 60s when beginning to run for president a second time had had this episode in her fairly recent past, her advisors certainly knew would be a topic of conversation and indeed it has been. It has been the basis for any number of of speculations and theories about whether she something more serious happened, that they covered up and so forth. There is no evidence of that whatsoever but it hasnt stopped four years of discussion. Okay. Ann, were going now to nbc Kristen Welker who has been following the Clinton Campaign for quite sometime. She has made her way to the Madison Square park area within the Flat Iron District not too far from where the 9 11 memorial was taking place and outside of daughter Chelsea Clintons apartment and tell me what you are hearing there . Reporter hi there. Well, we are waiting for an update as you say, secretary clinton was brought here after she apparently wasnt feeling well during the 9 11 ceremony and this is her daughters apartment. Let me read you this statement from the campaign and the official word from the nick
merrill, secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughters apartment and is feeling much better. And if we see the secretary leave or get some questions to her, well do that in short order. I heard you discussing secretary clintons Health History and this has been an issue in the campaign because you have a lot of republicans trying to make or raise questions about her health. The campaign and her physician have insisted she is in perfectly good health. Of course, she did have that coughing fit several weeks ago. But she said that was nothing more than seasonal allergies. So the campaign again saying that she left the 9 11 memorial a little bit early because she felt a little overheated and she is here now presumably resting at her daughters apartment. Kristen, let me say, viewers, you may be able to hear this in
my voice and im sick and im working. And many of us do that and not feeling 100 and you just keep going going. And to the extent that secretary clinton travels with a physician and there is some hay made of that and my father is a physician and ive spoken with hem and other physicians the prospect if she traveling with a physician, it is merely a precautionary measure when someone is taking blood thinners, it is important to have sort of a protective layer there, in case there were to be a fall. It is not necessarily some emergency focus. But rather something that just in case it is a wise thing to do. Do you know the extent to which she travels with a physician . Reporter that is right. And it is not out of the ordinary you would have that type of situation when you are on such a punishing schedule like a campaign. I think that is the right way to put into context. There seems to be movement here outside of the apartment, alex,
so were going to go try and see what we can figure out and get back to you asap. But again, she came here after not feeling well. And resting at her daughters apartment, presumably would be looked at by that physician that you mentioned, just to make sure everything is okay. Okay, kristen, thank you for gathering more news and well take that as soon as you get that. Well see you shortly again. Im joined on the phone by congressman joe crowelly standing there in the crowd at the 9 11 memorial and standing near to secretary clinton and congressman, let me know what you saw and also the conditions of this day and the weather there . Well, first, i could tell you i was there for about an hour with the secretary. I stood directly behind her and then to her left. I saw her interacting with all of the electives around there and the dignitaries and the number of the families of the victims that were coming to her and asking for photographs and
just to chitchat for a moment. I didnt see anything unusual. But i can tell you is that many of us continue to have a sigh of relief when a gust of wind would come by because it was incredibly stifling. I look at some at senator schumers shirt, it was a dark blue shirt and after about 25 minutes, i had been soaking through myself. And i actually left after the secretary to get some air as well. To move around because it was so stifling. Yeah, understandably so. And im pointing out to our viewers who could see some of the still photographs from the event this morning, that the secretary is wearing a not only a longsleeved suit jacket, but it is dark color. Of course there are many of us who deal with the humidity of new york and up and down the east coast and throughout the south and you know that lighter colors, wearing lighter colors helps. Breathable cotton, that sort of thing and it does not look like she was dressed for the weather, rather more appropriately dressed for the dignity of the
ceremony that was going on at 9 11 commemorating the events of 15 years ago today. So she was dressed pretty much like everybody else, i would say. We see gentlemen and im sure you were in a coat and tie as well, sir. I was. Just a jacket and tie. And i would just say, i think she was there for that purpose, was to not about herself i was with her five years ago. It was never about her. It was about the events that happened 15 years ago and i wanted to be there to i think commemorate that and remember that. It was a part of her own personal history and i think she is thinking about the folks that have changed her life and all of our lives. She is probably wincing that this is all about her, when it really i know she wants it to be all about the families of the victims and of our city and our country. They are doing a during a terrible time. She was scheduled to leave if not around that time any way. So i think a lot of it is
speculation and Something Else is going on. She got a little overheated. Granted, i was incredibly overheated and got water and many of the electives did as well. And i think you should probably rest and relax just like the secretary is doing right now. Yes. At her daughter chelseas home because when you get overheated, there is nothing like getting your feet up and getting a fan on you and getting into air conditions and that could be a wonderful an dote to how you are feeling. Exactly. Im heading home to do the same thing. I should think. And where are you now, congressman . Im actually in an airconditioned car. Ive gotten some food and a bit of water, and a little iced tea and im heading back to queens to my home. And congressman, you said people were coming up to the secretary and asking for pictures and the like. Talk about the secret Service Detail around her. How accessible was she to those attending the 9 11 memorial this morning . I think that there was special security around. It was a failly chaotic place
and the service did a wonderful job even during the cirques b circumstances but Family Members were being brought to her by staffers and bringing them up to her and she would have conversations. And when she saw me, she turned and gave me a hello and asked about my wife casey and just a real a real together moment. She seemed perfectly normal, exuberant and very happy to see me. I think she knows of my relationship to 9 11 and ours goes back over 15 years now in that regard. And so it was pretty much the normal Hillary Clinton i know and have come to know over the years. And i understand, sir, that you lost a Family Member as well during 9 11 so this is an incredibly poignant day for you. Representative joe crowelly of new york, democrat, and thank you for joining us and stay cool. That is my best advice of today. Thank you. And for all of you, just as a recap, at about 9 30 this
morning, two hours ago eastern time, Hillary Clinton left with a rather unceremonious departure from the 9 11 ceremony, the commemoration that happened 15 years ago today in Lower Manhattan in washington, d. C. And in shanksville, pennsylvania. She was scheduled to leave probably not all that long therefore, given it is a very, very long ceremony with the reading of all of the names of those who were killed at ground zero in the World Trade Center towers. That said, the secretary did leave. And want to let you know there was some speculation for a while as to what specifically had gone on. The traveling press pool was not made available of the details. The spokesperson reads secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony, she felt overheated and so departed to go her daughters apartment and is
feeling better. And Kristen Welker who has been outside of the apartment in the area of manhattan that she is inside and sitting in airconditioning and again feeling much better. Well take a short break here on msnbc and on the other side well speak with nbc medical correspondent natalie azoer about the detail and concerns that have been following Hillary Clinton since she fell and got a concussion back in december of 2012. Stay with us, everyone. Im alex witt here on msnbc. It was so sad for so many reasons. Ted kennedys passing was the final page of the camelot story, the story that began in 1960. And then there was this long epilog, ted kennedys years in the senate and his embrace of the senate. The senate had a handful of giants. I think it is faded a great deal. Im not sure who the senate staff sits around and looks at in awe when they walk on to the
senate floor now. I called for a rally and john lewis shows up and when they put up that sign, that ohio went obama, i looked toward the back of the church, which was over jam packed and john lewis is jumping straight up and down like uncontrollably. We did not know until that november night what we could do. It was always a dream. It became a reality. Welcome back. Everyone, im alex witt here at msnbc headquarters. 41 past the hour. And the news that we are keeping a close eye on are the developments regarding Hillary Clinton today and the fact she attended for some 90 minutes the 9 11 memorial commemorations down in the ground zero area in Lower Manhattan. That was something that was planned. What was not planned, was a rather sudden, unexpected departure. What we are being told, and im going to put up the statement
from nick merrill, who is a spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughters apartment and is feeling much better. We should let all of you know, it is just really pretty horrific weather right now here in manhattan. It is high humidity, pretty high temperatures the last few days. Somewhat cooling off today but still has that pea soup feel. Everybody who is familiar with the east coast and southern temperatures and weather, you know this is a condition of the summer and it is altogether unpleasant to try to endure. Notably as well, when the secretary was dressed in the kind of attire one would wear to be dignified and respectful of the commemorations that happened 15 years ago today. She was wearing a long jacket
and we dont know the kind of material but needless to say most people would appreciate wearing something akin to shorts and a tshirt out in this weather so the fact that she got overheated makes perfect sense. What i want to show you there, that black car that you see to the majority of your screen is the car in which mrs. Clinton departed the 9 11 ceremony. It took her to the Flat Iron District. Specifically the Madison Square park area. That is where her daughter Chelsea Clinton lives and she has been inside and recovering as you heard per that statement. We are getting word that a departure is imminent, that she is feeling better. This from Kristen Welker who is monitoring the situation. But right now, i have rehema ellis covering the ground zero and 9 11 memorial commemorations. Tell me what you saw, if anything, because again much of the traveling press pool with secretary clinton was unaware that she had departed until word started leaking out. And im in that same predicament. We are not right where the ceremony is taking place. You could see the tower behind me and we are a couple of blocks up the street from there. So i could not see secretary clinton personally. But like you, got the word of her leaving. And when i arrived here, i should just mention to you, that it was very humid here in new york this morning. The temperature was high. It is now the temperature is much cooler and there is a breeze. But she was in long sleeves and most people out here are in short sleeves or short or thin material because it was a very warm morning. She was standing during the ceremony, as were other people during the ceremony. And as you were reporting, according to her campaign, they say that she felt overheated and decided to go to her daughters apartment. But most people are not saying that they saw anything different. She was having conversations with people at the 9 11 ceremony where she came to pay her respects. And you know, alex, she was the senator from new york, the twoterm senator from new york at the time of 9 11. So it was customary for her to be here and to stay as long as she could. That was her intention this morning. And im certainly not wanting to disrupt the solemnity of the ceremonies downtown there. She probably tried to slip away as quietly as possible. Rehema, talk to me about what has been going on down there or if you think anybody was smch aware of the secretarys departure. And i do want to let people know, we are seeing a bit of movement in that black suv with the blacked out windows. The car in which mrs. Clinton traveled down to her daughters apartment and we had been told just a few minutes ago from Kristen Welker that a departure
was imminent. We dont know where she is heading. Perhaps Kristen Welker could provide that information. The door is open and we actually see the secretary. There is mrs. Clinton. She is coming outside. A completely unassisted. Waving to the crowd. Lets take a listen to her. How are you feeling . It is a Beautiful Day. [ inaudible ]. Can you tell us what happened, secretary clinton . What happened, secretary clinton . [ inaudible ]. Well, there you see secretary clinton leaving completely unassisted on her own accord, waving to her fans there that have been gathered at and shouted at by the traveling press pool about what hatppened. I didnt hear an answer but her spokesperson said she was overheated and went to her daughter chelseas apartment to i guess seek some consolation and try to rest and relax and cool down, frankly. One little girl was able to get through the crowd lines there, that secret service will use to hold back for security. And she got a little bit of a shoulder embrace from the secretary and probably said, i hope you are feeling better, as we all do, certainly. We dont want her to feel
anything but her very best as she is a very busy woman. And playing again that which just happened moments ago. And if you are just tuning in, you just missed it but well play it again. She is clearly walking out stable and on her own and not using any appendage to help support her. She looks robust and she is waving to the crowd. There is the little girl who came up to Say Something or other. Shell have a story to tell for sure. We dont know where the secretary is heading. We know that she had a along with the trump campaign, both had decided out of respect for the solemnity of the commemoration marking the 15th anniversary of 9 11, that they would neither of them do any campaigning for the presidency today. So there is probably a better than average chance she is heading home to her home in chappaqua. We dont know, im merely speculating but it may make sense. She may want to get out of the
heavy clothes given this weather. Rehema ellis joins us and you say there is a breeze and it is cooler. Im am thankful for that because even coming into work early this morning it was ridiculously awful outside weatherwise. It was humid. And if you are standing for a long time, an hour or more for the ceremony, it might make you you might feel something from that. As the statement from her press people from the Clinton Campaign said, that she felt overheated and decided to go to her daughters apartment and now you are seeing her coming out and waving to the crowd. And that is a good sign, i think that is what everybody wants to hear. The ceremony here at 9 11 continues for a little while longer as they continue to read all of the nearly 3000 names of those who lost their lives on the dark day, 15 years ago. And this was an opportunity for people to do what they have been doing, since that tragic day. And that is to remember loved ones, family and friends and to remind themselves of what was lost. Here in this community, i should also tell you, that speaking with people who live here and many of these buildings is here were built after 9 11, people moved into the area. One woman who was out here with her two young daughters said to me this morning, she said, this moved here deliberately because she wanted to prove new yorkers are not afraid, that the terrorists did not win, that they didnt shut this city down. So there is remembrance and honoring those who died but also a celebration of the resilience not only of the city but of the nation by many people here today. Yeah. And rehema, i just want to add on a personal note 15 years ago this night i was sent down to ground zero. You were there as well, and i had so much admiration and
respect for you. It was an honor to share a satellite truck with you and help to broadcast the horrific events of 9 11 around the world. As you have covered every year these commemorations, tell me how you think this one stacks up. It is 15 years. Did you get a sense that 15 years was a pretty prominent figure for a lot of people in most minds . How was the attendance . Reporter the attendance was very good, and as you know, the families will be coming to a memorial here for as long as they can. This is something that they are feel deeply about. This is deeply personal, and for those of us who were living in new york city and for all of us who have covered all kinds of stories all around the country and all around the world, this story was personal for so many of us, alex, for you and me and for everyone else. And i am sensing something
really strong about today. I know i felt it myself, and im not sure if its because its 15 years later, but for me standing here and looking at that tower that it took a long time to build, there is a sense of hope about being here today. Yes, i absolutely agree with you. Rehema ellis down there covering those commemorations. Thank you for all of that. For all of you right now, were going to take a break. Well go right to nbc news a special report hosted by lester holt. Lets take a listen. Hes got some more information on secretary clinton. Here is lester. This is an nbc news special report. Here is lester holt. Were back with an update about Hillary Clinton who left the 9 11 Memorial Service in new york this morning early after, according to her campaign, becoming overheated. She went to her daughters apartment and has just left in front of the cameras. Our Kristin Welker is there. Kristin, how did she look . Reporter well, lester, she
left chelseas apartment. She looked like she was feeling fine. We asked her how she was feeling. She says shes feeling better, and we did get the first glimpse of her after this incident in which she left the 9 11 memorial early. Take a look. Are you feeling better . Yes. Thank you. Very much. Thank you, everybody. Reporter now, here is the official word from the campaign. In a statement its said, quote, secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughters apartment and is feeling much better. We also shouted questions at her and asked her what happened shp she didnt respond to those questions. Instead, she said its a Beautiful Day in new york. She even took a few moments to talk to a small child wlo who w here. No word on where shes heading right now. A little broader context here, as you know, lester, as weve
been reporting, republicans have been trying to argue that secretary clinton is not in good health. Some conspiracy theories swirling about that. The campaign has pushed back against that. Secretary clintons physician has said thats not the case, that she is in fine health. We have seen her at times have a few coffee fi coughing fits. She says thats just seasonal allergy and her physician says nothing more than that. Theres no doubt that the timing of this is unwelcome from the perspective of the campaign because it will feed into those who would like to make hay of that issue. But again secretary clinton left her daughters apartment just moments ago, said she is feeling much better after having left the 9 11 memorial a little early. Kristin we willker in new yo. For now im lester holt in new york. Good day, everyone. All right, everyone. Again, im alex witt at msnbc world hours as we continue our coverage of this incident which
happened nearly 2 1 2 hours ago. You heard the summary there from nbc news with help from our nbcs Kristin Welker who was on scene there. Secretary clinton around 9 30 a. M. Eastern time after spending about 90 minutes at the 9 11 commemorations of what happened tragically 15 years ago today, she felt a bit overhetoverheate left rather suddenly. It did cause some alarm with the traveling press pool because there was no heads up warning and she sort of disappeared from view. There was speculation. Nobody really knew what was going on. The travels press pool was not given information until later. They wanted to make sure they knew exactly who was happened. I will read to you again the statement. The Hillary ClintonCampaign Spokesperson, secretary clinton attended the september 11th commemoration ceremony for just an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and
greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughters apartment and is feeling much better. Needless to say, it caused some alarm. There has been some history of health concern, most notably what happened back in december of 2012 when the secretary had either the flu or a stomach virus and she fell ill, got dehydrated, and fell hitting her head which resulted in a concussion. That, unfortunately, about two weeks later during a routine followup scan at the new york presbyterian Columbia Hospital discovered there was a blood clot. She was admitted to the hospital for three days for supervision and treatment and left on a series of blood thinners. You heard Kristin Welker saying her husband, former president bill clinton, said it took about six months for her to feel totally 100 again. There was speculation at the time would this impede her ability to run for the presidency. That was something that was being considered. Clearly that did not. Solt here we are seeing her again leaving on her own accord after just a bit of a scare, confusion, some concern about what specifically had happened. So were going to take a short break on msnbc, everybody. Well be back at the top of the hour with more from msnbc, the place for politics. Im alex witt. Flight 800. We have reports of a plane down. We werent quite up to the challenge of an instant map. There was a young man on our staff who remembered he had a road atlas in his trunk showing new yorks long island. Without that we wouldnt have had any visuals, any graphics at all. I remember seeing the flickering. Thats fuel burning on the surface of the atlantic ocean. It was so sad for so many reasons. Im alex witt here at msnbc World Headquarters in new york. We begin this hour with breaking news. Hillary clinton abruptly leaving this mornings 9 11 Memorial Service in new york. Her campaign saying she was feeling overheated and she was taken to her daughter chelseas apartment. A spokesman for mrs. Clinton just a few moments ago saying that she left, and you can see for yourself, unassisted. You can hear her talking with the crowd, giving a wave as well to reporters and onlookers who have followed her. We have been using the camera of nbcs Kristin Welker who will be joining us shortly from outside that apartment. As you see mrs. Clinton giving a
little shoulder embrace to that little girl who was able to break through the secret service line. Certainly with approval you can about imagine and probably wished mrs. Clinton her best and hoped that she was feeling okay. But clearly mrs. Clinton walking on her own accord unasus sisuna. Lets listen to her coming out of her daughters apartment in midtown. How are you doing . How are you feeling, secretary clinton . Are you feeling better . Yes. Thank you very much. Thank you, everybody. Mrs. Clinton there leaving. That took place close to a half an hour or so ago. We do not know where she is heading but we do know that both she and donald trump have suspended all campaign ti