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Rudy Giuliani Reflects on 9/11

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    Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani looks back on his experiences on 9/11 on its 11th anniversary.

  • Duration 6:44
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Can demonstrate our resolve and our support for the people who were viciously attacked today by going about their lives and showing everyone.

-- vicious cowardly terrorists can't stop us from being a free country.

You -- I want to go back in time here he was literally on his way out months -- -- coming former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Then September 11 then of course everything changed not only the meaning of being in office for every remaining day.

You're in office but what -- can do and who you can help.

And what a difference you can make while you're still very much in that office.

Eleven years ago Rudolph Giuliani for ever prove you can do and you can help.

A lot the man who it's simply became America's mayor.

I wanted to have with me right now.

Thank you -- with a you know your ears -- of entering because our crew was talking about you and remembering that -- And I just remember.

How old -- -- state.

And I know who -- -- -- is reporting and -- -- com.

How did you do that.

Well its next session will let me just say to yourself I'm not to -- not go into what these things I get to me I'm just gonna remain calm -- -- remained cool.

My father told me when I was very young if you ever to fire used to say.

Become -- cannot come potentially come personally gonna figure way out of this should remain come to get over excited -- get confused.

And I I've been through a lot of emergencies up to that point as -- -- nothing like that but a lot of -- a plane crashes and train derailment -- hostage situations and so I had experience with it.

And this was this really challenged -- the mean.

Particularly finding out about my good friends that were dead now.

Being told to follow the judgment dad being the number again and she was that it would -- the person you -- -- -- school yourself you don't like a real threat we were trapped for 20/20 five minutes in the building -- weren't sure we can get out right there on the when we got -- we weren't sure Hoosier state in the building.

Because the debris was hitting people all around -- I just kept saying to myself you know when they came and it's only the for the judgments did which is the first person I found out.

You know -- been -- first victim that was discovered body that was discovered I just said to myself.

My first feeling was a long long now.

He was on that helped me explain death to people you know.

And I said well I can think about that now I -- have to think about father judge tonight.

Can think about in my -- Then as those things sort of hit me.

Where if I would just you know in normal person and I was at home you called me up until we know to a good good friends -- just died.

I maybe spend the next two weeks in the Catholic -- -- go to the way can we but I did have that I'd have a look.

But it is something else you didn't do men and a lot of -- -- but in May be the great.

Mayor LaGuardia motif -- -- gifted telling stories.

You you you you didn't see yourself as above.

The fray or or or above them neat and disorder meals that's the -- how you get home tonight New Yorkers went.

This was all your -- all you what's all your concern all your worry.

So I don't that you put it to done like -- an act like the big elder statesman here and have have these people tell you -- to go what to do you took over.

All Y one of the criticisms of me is that I was a micro manager not an all hands on mayor.

Not at all that's that's the only way I can do it I think the mayor has to be hands made -- different than governor president.

I was in.

Jerusalem once would -- Omer -- big demonstration going on.

And I didn't know what that familiar with the peace process so whatever the demonstration that was going on is after a bombing in Israel was over he -- -- -- the garbage on top of it.

And he and I just left it to the that's what I just rings a bell that's our job our job visit peace process.

Every day something would you change having never locked down the city people didn't get in our house then some began to do later on there was another lockdown -- another threat.

-- this is a constant worry New Yorkers and there was a real legitimate concern at the time everyone remembered may want to get the hell out.

I don't want to be in Manhattan and there was that period there were people were really doing Dicey.

I think one of the things people don't remember when they look back on it is from the moment it happened.

One of the one of the great concerns was.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- who first told it was seven planes unaccounted for.

I expected one -- -- -- -- hit New York City you do what we tried to get the police.

To that area we tried to make sure we had air support.

We're what do we think grow other targets on this well we had a whole list of the Miranda and as you know the number one target in New York City at the time the stock exchange.

That -- probably on our priority with the stock exchange was number one -- liberty that drove around liberty Empire State Building Grand Central station.

World Trade Center but not number one.

So we started worrying about those places maybe they'll -- that we thought maybe they'll be a group a suicide bombings.

Maybe this was a trigger.

To a lot of Islamic extremists -- agents.

To set off first and suicide -- -- we closed down.

Bernie kerik with my please commissions -- -- he closed down the tunnels.

And the bridges would allow -- -- people -- remember wanted people got very annoyed that the reason was we didn't want more terrorists sneaking in.

I mean what do we had New York City we want to contain wouldn't want any more sneaking it.

So a lot of that of the concern.

Was what's gonna happen next and then when anthrax happened.

Almost a month later.

You know for a few days.

We were sure it was -- that another terrorist it to you think we were at.

War did you think -- -- -- the first attack the first plane the second Brian -- planned pentagon and one criticism doesn't it.

This is this -- neutral for the first how much older war.

As I was rushing down to the scene I Paris saint Vincent's hospital.

Before even knew.

About the second place or when -- happened yet and I so all the doctors and nurses on the street.

And the stretches out on the street if it look like a war zone to me that look like what happens near battle when you set up field hospital.

And I said my god -- just like we're at war and the second plane hit and -- -- the -- the cloud.

You know with the first building coming out second building -- and I thought as in the middle of an atomic war mean is that the millions this -- like -- white cloud going through the streets carrying debris hitting people.

People bloodied.

And it we were -- eight.

They declared war -- us long before September 11.

It took us September 11 to figure out there were -- -- now some parts of our country or some parts of our government.

Think the war's over here's his new show them nobody told terrorist act but a consistently well I -- an application -- -- -- 93 the first to -- That people forget how patient.