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Breaking News: Attacks on U.S. Soil
With Jay Coupe
President, Coupe Associates
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001; 3 p.m. EDT

Both towers of the World Trade Center have collapsed; the federal government in Washington was evacuated after an apparent terrorist attack at the Pentagon. Four commercial airliners have crashed. All air traffic in the U.S. has been grounded.

Jay Coupe served as Chief of Staff for the Joint Commission on the 1998 Africa American Embassy bombings under the command of Admiral William J. Crowe (USN-Ret.). Coupe was online at 3 p.m. EDT to answer questions about the day's breaking news.

Coupe, a former Captain in the U.S. Navy, has been involved in handling press relations and providing public affairs counseling in numerous international crises, including the shootdown of the Iran Air flight in the Persian Gulf, the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, and the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

washingtonpost.com: Is Osama bin Laden involved in this attack?

washingtonpost.com: What similarities do you see between today's events and the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa?

Jay Coupe: The most disturbing factor of today's terrorist acts, apart from the terrible injuries and loss of life, is the highly coordinated nature of them. The embassy attacks in Tanzania and Kenya occurred within 15 minutes of each other. Such was the case today. It is hard to imagine the degree of coordination necessary to accomplish this and that is a particularly frightening aspect of today's event.

washingtonpost.com: What were the findings from the Commission on the Africa bombings?

Jay Coupe: The State Department Accountability Review Boards for the Embassy Bombings in Africa found that the issue of embassy security had not been seriously addressed by either the various Administrations or the Congresses in many years. The priority given to the protection of our American and foreign national embassy employees abroad was seriously lacking and more than 85% of our overseas embassies did not meet the basic security standards that had been in place for 15 years. The focus of both the Congress and the White House Office of Management and Budget seemed to be on saving money and not on saving lives.

Charlottesville, Va.: Do you think the possibility that this could have been an internal attack (another Oklahoma City) is being overlooked? Also, could biological weapons have been used in this attack and just not yet have been discovered?

Jay Coupe: Many of us were too quick eight years ago to suggest that the Oklahoma City bombing was the work of "overseas" terrorists. We were clearly wrong. The only thing that would lead one to that conclusion today is the fact that the perpetrators committed suicide in carrying out their attacks. That is a characteristic of Middle Eastern terrorism organizations, as it was in the bombing of the American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. So, while no one can be sure at this point, the evidence certainly points in that direction. To be sure, biological weapons are a distinct threat.

Akron, Ohio: Are we at war?

Jay Coupe: We are not at war, because we do not know who the enemy is. But we should be better prepared for these attacks in the future. We need to increase our intelligence efforts to anticipate these events.

North Wilmington, Del.: When will our government be able to keep us safe from all these terrible attacks?

Jay Coupe: The sad truth is that we will NEVER be completely safe from terrorist attacks of this nature. Of even greater concern to me is the danger of biological warfare terrorism. It is much easier to smuggle a suitcase of anthrax to the top of the Empire State Building and release it than it is to hi-jack four planes and coordinate a well-timed mission, such as occurred today.

Overland Park, Kan.: Obviously there will be tremendous change from this event. In your view, what will change?

Jay Coupe: What SHOULD change is our complacency. The terrorists are there. We should never forget that fact and we should never assume that we are immune from attacks of this sort.

Laurel, Md.: Why would some come out and say bin Laden was not responsible if he had nothing to do with it?

Jay Coupe: It is very hard to consider any statements from Osama bin Laden as credible. It is clear that his organization was behind the attacks on our embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in 1998. It is equally clear that he has continued to build a strong and active terrorist organization.

Omaha, Neb.: When we do find out the responsible party(ies), what retaliation do you believe will occur? The American people want this to end once and for all. I would like to see a fierce military campaign saying not to mess with the U.S.

-Bryan Miller

Jay Coupe: The clear problem with retaliation is how effective it will be. You will recall that we did launch attacks on bin Laden training camps several years ago, but without any noticeable success.

McLean, Va.: What possibly could be the point of these attacks? All this is going to do is bring retaliation from America, and we're the most powerful nation in the world.

Jay Coupe: We have attempted "retaliation" against Osama bin Laden in the past and it does not appear to have had any effect.

Reston, Va.: Dear Mr. Coupe:

1. Was the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania shot down? Were any planes shot down by the U.S. Air Force today?

2. One if not both Trade Center towers "collapsed" from the top to the bottom. It looked strikingly like a controlled demolition project. Are there any indications that either building was mined with explosives?

Thank you.

Jay Coupe: I don't have any information on the plane in Pennsylvania. While it seemed that the World Trade Center building collapses were caused by some sort of internal explosion, it is much too early to speculate.

Sacramento, Calif.: Isn't the area over the Pentagon a "No Fly Zone?" If yes, then why didn't the planes show up on radar and alert somebody to something going on within secure air space?

Jay Coupe: The Pentagon is a mile from Reagan National Airport. It would be virtually impossible to alert our forces within the 15 seconds it would take for a plane to veer off course and head toward the Pentagon.

Bethesda, Md.: Not that any of us have a crystal ball, but I am sure I am not the only one wondering when the next "hit" will happen. Do you have any ideas whether you believe it is over for the day/week?

Jay Coupe: I have no idea and the problem is that I don't think anyone else does either. This is the nature of terrorism.

Can't Work in Rockville, Md.: Several commentators have said that this kind of operation would need to be well-funded and that's one reason why some folks these bin laden is involved. Why would it cost so much?

Jay Coupe: Just imagine the cost involved in orchestrating a terrorist attack such as those we have seen today. Scores of people are involved at all sorts of levels. Movement of people throughout the world. Highly secretive communications and movements. From all indications, we didn't have a clue that any of this was going to happen. That means that the operation was incredibly well-planned and equally well-funded.

College Park, Md.: Could this be the work of a government, such as China?

Jay Coupe: Frankly, this is not the sort of operation that China would launch against the United States. It seems rather clear to me that the perpetrators are a terrorist organization with strong animus against our country. Frankly, that narrows the field.

Eugene, Ore.: How is it possible that four or five planes could be hijacked simultaneously in the USA? I assume that more than one hijacker entered each hijacked plane and that some form of arms were required. It's unbelievable.

Jay Coupe: Incredible, to be sure, but hardly unbelievable. Once again, we are dealing with a remarkably well-coordinated enemy, one that understands the need for great timing and secure communications.

Nanaimo, BC, Canada: The level of organization could imply a collaborative effort. Is it possible that there was more than one terrorist faction involved in this attack?

Jay Coupe: I would think not. The need for secrecy in this sort of an operation is paramount and I doubt that any terrorist country or organization would risk another group being involved.

Austin, Tex.: If our justice system accepts one as "innocent until proven guilty," why are you so quick to call Osama Bin Laden 'guilty' even before any facts are known?

Jay Coupe: I certainly did not suggest that Osama bin Laden was "guilty." However, I did point to the knowledge that we have acquired about his organization and its methods of operation. I mentioned that we were wrong to point to the Middle East when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred. But that does not suggest that we should ignore the past indications of bin Laden's involvement in attacks against the United States.

Washington, D.C.: I find it interesting that all the planes hijacked were 757s or 767s. Since these planes have basically identical flight decks, wouldn't this suggest a common training location for these terrorists? Can the U.S. discover where this training might have taken place?

Also, did a plane crash at Camp David? There have been several conflicting reports.

Jay Coupe: I have not heard anything about a crash at Camp David. However, your comment on the 757 and 767 training sites is an interesting one and should definitely be pursued.

Jay Coupe: Many thanks for your interest. This has been a terrible day for our country and I can only hope that our response will be to protect our citizens and punish those who have caused this great tragedy.