Military

DATE=11/9/2001

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH REACT (L-O)

NUMBER=2-282929

BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND

DATELINE=CHICAGO

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: President Bush sought to assure Americans Thursday night that the country would win the war against terrorism. A recent public opinion poll suggests Americans' confidence in the campaign is slipping somewhat. V-O-A's Michael Leland tells us, commuters in Chicago Friday morning seemed to have mixed feelings.

TEXT: /// TRAIN SFX (FADE) ///

Of the few dozen commuters waiting for their train on a sunny but chilly Friday morning, just a handful said they had actually watched the president's speech to the nation Thursday night. Only one of the major television networks A-B-C aired the speech live, although news networks on cable T-V carried it as well.

Sue Ellen Tobe works as a nurse in downtown Chicago, and says Mr. Bush's speech was inspirational. She says she is proud of the president's actions taken since the September 11th terrorist attacks.

/// TOBE ACT ///

I am guarded but I feel as secure as I ever did. I feel confident that we are handling the crisis as we need to.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Bush said the war abroad against terrorism is just beginning, but that terrorists will be defeated. A public opinion poll released Thursday by the Pew Research Center suggests only 30-percent of Americans feel the military effort against terrorist groups is going very well. Katina Smith says she is frustrated that after a month of bombing in Afghanistan, the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden are still unknown, and there seems to be little evidence that his al-Qaida terrorist network has been seriously harmed.

/// SMITH ACT ///

The war, the whole thing, trying to find someone who is hard to find and we still haven't found him. The reasons why we are doing it, I understand the reasons why we are doing it but I just think it is kind of a wasted effort right now because we still can not find him.

/// END ACT ///

Bush administration officials have said the war against terrorism is not about capturing a single person, and will not be over quickly. Commuter Tony Jacob says he accepts that.

/// JACOB ACT ///

Whether it takes a year, a couple of years, it is something that is necessary. It is nice to see other nations supporting us because it adds, to a certain extent, a sense of legitimacy to what we are doing. It does not seem as if it is the Americans trying to control the world.

/// END ACT ///

The Pew Center poll says Americans seem less confident in the government's efforts to protect them from terrorism. Only a third of those surveyed said they felt the federal government was doing very well in reducing the threat of terrorism. One-half of those answering a similar survey a month ago felt that way.

/// REST OPT ///

Josephine Kish says she is not surprised.

/// KISH ACT ///

I think in general, people have lost confidence in their doctors and clergy and in their leaders. But, you have to look and say they have experience, more than I have, so you've got to trust it. I am not rah-rah, 100-percent confident, but it is what we have got.

/// END ACT ///

The Pew Center poll suggests Americans' fears of becoming terrorist victims has waned in recent weeks. It found 40-percent of those surveyed are either very worried or somewhat worried they or a family member will become a terrorism victim. Those are similar levels to those found on surveys conducted before September 11th. (signed)

NEB/MJL/KBK