Americans React to Osama bin Laden Tape
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And now to New York, to an area near where the Trade Centers collapses. Our own Michael Okwu is there talking to some people who live in that neighborhood. Hello, Michael.</s>MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. This is a very special place for New York City police officers and for firefighters and other volunteers here. Since September 11, this restaurant called Nino's has not accepted any paying customers. In fact, they have served something over 400,000 meals here to those recovery team members. And I am joined now by several folks here who came in from Connecticut today, who were watching the bin Laden tape earlier. Let me ask you gentleman -- Dwayne (ph) Tony and Darrell, right?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.</s>OKWU: What was your feeling when you saw the bin Laden tape?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, a few minutes that I looked at it, as a former veteran, you know, the military in me wants to say this man is evil and he needs to be taken care of. And it hit home personally. When I see this man, it affects me so personally that I want to say this man is evil. He needs to be taken care of. And, you know, innocent lives -- people woke up that morning, you know, as a normal life, getting on a normal airplane, and thinking I'm going to see my mom, going to see my dad. And then, all of a sudden, they never dreamed that that morning, that destiny would be waiting, you know.</s>OKWU: Tony, all three of you essentially come from -- have religious faith.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.</s>OKWU: That is part of what you do.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.</s>OKWU: You have been going to areas that are in need and trying to spread the word as it were and to try to restore faith in people who might have felt battered by what happened on September 11. When you were watching Osama bin Laden talking, for example, about how he calculated, just essentially, where the jets were going to hit and how many floors would be taken out, what was your feeling?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I...</s>OKWU: Does it test your faith?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it does not test my faith. It would take a lot more than that to test my faith. I feel that he is the epitome of evil and initially I was against any air time. But then I thought there are people in this world that have never even seen the pictures of the World Trade Center and what happened here. So I think that if showing that tape helps the president in any way keep together the coalition he has or help to make a future coalition, then I am for it. But I agree with Dwayne (ph) that the veteran in me is -- you know, I kind of tense up and I want to see him dead, actually.</s>OKWU: Dwayne (ph) Tony and Darrell -- I'm sorry we did not have time to get to you -- I really appreciate your time. Judy, essentially, this is an area where there have been many New York City police officers who have come in and come out. We have not seen too many firefighters today. But it is a very special place in the heart of those people who have been involved in the recovery effort. They have very deep feelings, as you know, about what happened on September 11 and very deep feelings about Osama bin Laden -- back to you, Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, Michael, thanks to you and to the people there you have been speaking with. We appreciate hearing from them. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com