For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 12, 2001
Monday's Press Briefing with White House Press Secretary
Press Briefing Index
12:08 P.M. EST
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. This morning,
as the President was convening a meeting of his National Security
Council to go over the latest developments in the war against
terrorism, he received a note handed into the meeting at 9:25 a.m,
informing him of the crash of an American Airlines flight at JFK
Airport in New York City. That flight, of course, turned out
to be Flight 587, from New York's JFK to Santo Domingo in the Dominican
Republic.
At that point, Governor Ridge came down into the Situation Room and
immediately began a conference call with the Attorney General, with the
Director of the FBI, with the Secretary of Transportation, with the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, with
officials from the Department of Defense, as well as the Federal
Aviation Administration, to monitor events, to receive the latest
information, to begin putting in plan the actions the federal
government will shortly take.
The President called Mayor Giuliani and spoke with Governor Pataki,
and the President expressed to both of them his deepest sympathy for
the people of New York to be enduring any other such trauma at a time
when New York has already gone through so much. The
President said to both that the federal government will do everything
it can to help, and he informed them both that the government was
sending up teams as they were speaking.
The President also praised the precautions taken by the Mayor and
the Governor, concerning the actions they took on the
ground. Specifically, the federal government has done the
following: the National Transportation Safety Board has a
team of investigators on site already, and they have an additional
go-team of a larger number of investigators that are en route. The
National Transportation Safety Board is the lead investigating agency.
The Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation out
of New York City is already on site; and the Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Administration, Joe Allbaugh, is en route to New
York, will be arriving there later this afternoon. The New
York Disaster Team Office remains open in New York, and Director
Allbaugh has stated that four urban search and rescue teams are on
standby and are available, in the event that officials in New York seek
their assistance -- they will respond, if requested.
That is the status of the information we have at this time.
Q The fact that the NTSB is the lead on
this, is this an indication that you believe that it was an accident as
opposed to a criminal act?
MR. FLEISCHER: John, I want to be very cautious about
any conclusions at this early time about what is the cause of
this. As you know, first facts are often facts that are
subject to greatest change. But the National Transportation
Safety Board is the lead government agency doing the investigating.
Q Is there any evidence of terrorism at this
point? And was there any reports of trouble from the
cockpit, or smoke from the cockpit?
MR. FLEISCHER: There were no unusual communications with
the cockpit. We have not yet discovered the black box; authorities
believe they will find it in this case. It has not been
found at this moment. There will be additional
communications that will be searched to see if there are any other
communications, but at this moment all communications were normal prior
to the crash.
Q Is there any evidence of terrorism at this
point?
MR. FLEISCHER: On the question of whether there's any
terrorism, as I indicated at the beginning, first information is always
subject to change. We have not ruled anything in, not ruled anything
out. But as I mentioned, the investigation is being headed
by the National Transportation Safety Board to try to determine the
cause of it.
Q You can't say what other officials have
said on background, that there is no evidence of terrorism?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm aware of what the other officials
have said and I understand why they're saying it. Just
simply, from the White House point of view, where we always maximize
caution at a time like this, the White House will continue to gather
the facts to review the information. The President is aware
of the statements that have been made by other
officials. There is understandable reason why they said what
they've said, and I leave it at that at this
moment. Obviously, the White House, as events unfold, as
information becomes available, will make all information available.
Q You're not disputing that information?
MR. FLEISCHER: Not disputing anything.
Q Ari, was there, in fact, an explosion on
board, and is that being investigated as something that may be purely
related to a mechanical failure at this point?
MR. FLEISCHER: I saw a report on the news earlier that
indicated a government official had said there was an explosion on
board. I've been informed that there was no government
official who gave any such indication. The government
continues to gather the facts to ascertain
information. There have been, according to eyewitnesses,
information that an engine was seen being detached from the plane, and
that it landed separately from the main body of the airplane.
Q Let me just follow on a different
point. Has the government received any credible threats that
coincided with this morning that would --
MR. FLEISCHER: No.
Q Nothing that would lead it to point it
toward terrorism?
MR. FLEISCHER: No.
Q Only the New York airports were shut
down. Is that a positive sign, you didn't shut down the
nation's entire air system?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't want to characterize anything as
positive or negative in this light. But, clearly, the facts
speak for themselves. And the four airports in the New York
area, including Westchester County, were ordered closed by the FAA, the
airspace. The FAA is reopening the airspace. And
I think that you can expect that the shutdown of the airports will be
of a limited duration.
Q Ari, who wrote the note that was passed to
the President, and how did the White House learn that information?
MR. FLEISCHER: There is a routine functioning here at
the White House, a 24-hour Situation Room, that was manned by some very
good experts who have developed a long history of monitoring events
around the world, of all types, whether they turn out to be accidental
or whether they turn out to be something otherwise. And the
President was in the one area of the Situation Room, in the middle of
his National Security Council meeting, with the Pentagon and other
officials. And a captain, who is in charge of the Situation
Room, brought a note in and that's how the President heard about it.
Q Ari, what can you tell us about the
President's reactions -- words, or other reactions in the hours since
then?
MR. FLEISCHER: I was with the President when he spoke
with Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki. And the President
was concerned. He was very concerned that New York has to
endure any other accident or anything else that this may or may not
be. He just has heartfelt concern for the people of New York
and for the victims of this flight. There are some
approximately 250, 255 people aboard the flight. The
appropriate FAA, or NTSB agencies will be having more specific
information on that later. But the President has deep
concern and sympathy for the families here, for the community in which
the plane crashed and, of course, for the people of New York,
generally.
Q Was there any consideration given to a
nationwide shutdown and is that no longer on the boards now?
MR. FLEISCHER: There is no such consideration at this
time.
Q Was there?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's fair to say that any time
something like this happens, the government asks a series of questions
about how best to handle this. And, again, the facts speak
for themselves. The FAA ordered the action it took at the
four airports. It's fair to say they considered other
action; the action speaks for itself, though.
Q Does the President still plan to meet
President Putin? Still plan to go to
Crawford? Has his schedule changed at all because of this?
MR. FLEISCHER: Absolutely, he still plans on
that. In fact, the President -- he had gotten to the Oval at
about 6:58 a.m. this morning, and spoke with President Jiang Zemin, of
China, and congratulated China on its accession into the World Trade
Organization, the WTO. He talked with him about the
cooperation in the war against terrorism.
The President also had a meeting of the Domestic Consequences
Committee in the Oval Office, where he discussed the importance of
Congress passing the economic stimulus package, as well as the aviation
security bill. He talked about the farm relief bill that is
being considered in the Senate. So the President has been
monitoring events, talking to officials on the ground, directing the
government agencies, as well as conducting other business of the
government. He spoke with Prime Minister Blair, as well.
Q Ari, any new precautions because of the
environment we live in? You have the domestic team, obviously;
Governor Ridge into the Situation Room right away. But are
there any new steps that are taken in these situations because of the
environment we live in -- say, the passenger manifest immediately given
to the FBI or anything like that?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's safe to say that as a result
of government protections and other programs and plans that were in
place prior to September 11th, as well as those that have been
beefed-up since September 11th, there are a series of steps that have
been taken. I think you'll hear additional information about
that from the appropriate government agencies.
Q You said that there was no unusual
communications from the cockpit. Can you tell us what your
understanding is of the nature of those communications? And
are you aware that the pilot declared to ground controllers that he had
a mechanical?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, that's what I mean by no unusual
communications. There were no communications in the cockpit -- first
reports -- and, again, I want to caution everybody, first reports do
change, and we will be looking for additional tapes, any other
information that is available. But by all first reports,
there were no unusual communications between the cockpit and the tower
at JFK or the New York facility that is handed over communications
after the plane is departed from the airport area.
Q So not even an indication that the pilot
declared an emergency?
MR. FLEISCHER: By all first reports, there were no
unusual communications between the pilot and communicators either at
JFK or at the New York facilities that monitor traffic after it has
taken off.
Q Will the President speak about this
publicly, do you think, today?
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll let you know if he does.
Q Ari, as a follow-up to that thought, what
does the White House make of the idea that the FFA said that at 9:17
a.m., they lost radar and radio contact, which is not -- which is
unusual? So even if there was no unusual communications, the
fact that they lost contact is unusual.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, that clearly happened, and that
speaks for itself. An airplane crashed. And when
airplanes crash, they go below radar ability to see them, and so that
you do lose contact. The question was, was there any unusual
contact, not lost contact. Clearly, contact was
lost. But were there any conversations between the pilot and
any of the towers or the communications facilities that would indicate
any trouble that the pilots were aware of? The answer to
that, based on all preliminary reviews, is no.
Q Ari, where was, and where is the Vice
President today? And is his location -- has his location
changed because of this event?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. Prior to this, the Vice
President was already at an undisclosed secure location. And
the Vice President also has been monitoring events. He spoke
with the President.
Q Ari, you said that it's way too early to
talk about the cause, there's no unusual communications. But
do you have -- has the White House received any details beyond what the
eyewitnesses, what we've heard the eyewitnesses say?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. Again, I've shared with
you as much as I can, and we'll continue to monitor events, monitor
facts and report as we know. I just caution everybody, first
reports typically are the reports that change the most. I
think you are hearing from people on the ground who are faithfully
reporting what they know at this time, what they had seen, what
eyewitnesses have reported. And we will continue to update
information and provide it as it becomes available.
Governor Ridge, by the way, has also spoken with Mayor Giuliani,
just now. So you can anticipate throughout the day that the
White House and federal agencies will stay in very close touch with the
people of New York.
Q Ari, the President, in his conversation
with Giuliani -- Giuliani made reference in New York to requesting air
cover as a precaution. Can you outline for us what decision
making was done on that, at this end, and whether the military alert
status changed at any time?
MR. FLEISCHER: And I think the Mayor alluded to this, as
well. Air cover had already been in place over New York and
Washington. There were a series of precautions since
September 11th across the country that have been in place and remain in
place. So that was already present.
Q He indicated he had asked for air
cover. So this was not an additional --
MR. FLEISCHER: It was already present in New York.
Q All right. Now, was the
military alert status changed at all because of what happened in New
York today?
MR. FLEISCHER: There were -- as a result of this, the
military -- and you may want to talk to them -- does have defense
crews, fighter capability that they will change the level of, in regard
to any particular needs. And they did take appropriate
defensive measures as quickly as they received word about
this. But, again, I mentioned that that's something you've
also seen since September 11th, across the country.
Q Has the President, Ari, ordered any other
actions to take place outside of New York, involving air travel,
involving any other security measures in the wake of this crash?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. As you know, the actions
taken by the Federal Aviation Administration apply to the three New
York City airports and the Westchester County Airport.
Q Ari, assuming that the President
ultimately makes those calls -- right, based on recommendations from
the FAA?
MR. FLEISCHER: Which calls?
Q Whether to close down additional airports
or do anything --
MR. FLEISCHER: Those are decisions that are made by the
FAA. That is within their authority and they act upon their
information to take those actions.
Q Does the President feel comfortable with
those decisions, given that what you seem to be saying is that they're
based largely on an absence of information? In other words,
no threats that have come in or you're not disputing what other --
MR. FLEISCHER: That's why I indicated to you that the
President said to Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki that they took
appropriate precautions in the actions that they took. The
President feels the same way about the plan that the federal government
took.
Q After September 11th, the President made a
great effort to talk about the airlines being safe and encouraged
people to fly. What is his message after today?
MR. FLEISCHER: That the President continues to believe
that. I think, again, it's important to wait to see exactly
what the facts are and as they develop. But prior to
September 11th, accidents took place. We don't yet know what
the precise cause of this is. But prior to September 11th,
events took place and the public still traveled; accidents took place.
And the President continues to believe that people need to travel,
the American people need to get on with their lives. And I
think the American people have responded to that.
Q That was my question: Given the
economic difficulties of the airlines, is he concerned it's going to be
a turn away from the airlines even more?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, actually, the facts bear out just
the opposite, that the American people are increasingly traveling,
increasingly flying. Obviously, this just took place a few hours ago
and we'll see how the public responds. But the President's
message to the public is that they should still travel, they should
still live their full lives.
Last question.
Q Ari, if there was evidence of terrorism,
you probably would have closed down the airspace already, wouldn't
you?
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, I'm not going to speculate beyond
anything that I've indicated. And, again, the reason for
that is because it's always important, from the White House point of
view, at a time like this to exercise maximum caution as first facts
are ascertained and reviewed.
Information will continue to be shared throughout the investigation
as events warrant. You will continue to hear from other
government agencies. There will be a series of other briefings
today. National Transportation Safety Board is going to
brief. I know that American Airlines is going to be speaking
shortly. So you're going to continue to receive information
and the White House will continue to provide it, as well.
Thank you very much, everybody.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END
12:23 P.M. EST
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