country. i'm bill hemmer. thank you for being with us. how are you doing, martha? >> fine. to see you and good to have you with us. this is a special day, of corse, a day we stop and remember. and we think about what is now called ground zero. we watch the pentagon. and the scenes from there. and, of course, shanksville, pennsylvania. all of those sites of rvices today, to honor the many who gave the ultimate sacrifice o n september 11, 2001. >> we have a great line-up for you in the next two hours. in a moment, we'll be joined by the former mayor rudy giuliani, a bit later here. he knows the memorials too well. beginning this morning. in lower manhattan with a moment of silence. 8:46 a.m. that's the time t the first plane hit the first tow they' -- tower that tuesday morning. >> at this time, please join us and allmo new yorkers in a moment of silence. [ moment of silence ] [ bells toll ] [ silence ] lorraine g. bay. [ bells toll ]>> todd m. beamer. ] [ bells toll ] it is always the faces somehow that are the most telling of the images and the emotions we see on this day. we'll be sharing a lot of what we have seen already as we move throughout the afternoon here. first stop today is ground zero in lower manhattan. that is where eric shawn is positioned today. and a eric,ood afternoon to you. >> good afternoon, bill, martha. it haseen a day of tears and tributes here at ground zero. intensely personal, emotional day. as the family members of those who perished nine years ago this morning, gathered once again in honor and remembrance and there were those four poignant moments of silence. [ bells toll ] >> those moments of silence mark the times the two planes hit both tower and the glming buildings fell, 10:28 a.m. nine years ago. there were carrying signs and photographs and flowers and the american flag, as the families gathered in heartbreak. read the list of the 2,752 nam names. each team that read the list, one includ a relative of the victims. this especially, emotional and poignant commemoration of thisanniversary, considering the ongoing debate over that islamic center two blocks away. earlier, joe biden and his wife jill laid a wreath at reflecting pool and read a poem. others, mayor michael blooerg and family members reflected on the meaning of this day. >> we have learnednch by inch the best day through the dark night of our personal sorrow i link our hands with those who can lead us toward the daybreak of new day. >> let us remember this is not a celebration. a day to be somber and reflect on all the thousands of people that died for us in the united states. thank u. >> my father, jose, there isn't a day that goes by that we don't miss you and love you. >> the reading of the names hould be wrapping up shortly. tonight, another tribute. tribute in light, the two beams represented in the twin towers will be lit ltonight. all evening. almost as t if the twin towers are still here. those lights seen throughout the new york city area disappear. bill? >> it's a remarkable sight, too. especially on a clear day as we expect throughout the day here. eric shawn is down at ground zero. to the vie rs at home, you can see the cranes behind m. later t we'll get back to eric and let you know there issulia progress. substantial progress to advance the construction site. and the memorials in lower manhattan. back to eric later. >> that what fls different about today. you see that progress, you see the movement of what is built there. for the memories come flooding back as you look to voices of the family members at ground zero this morning. we all remember that day and watching it all unfold. wman, as we remember, who had the task of telling president bush that america was under attack. >> page 153. >> you cannot forget those moments. >> cameras were rolling in the classroom. the predent was in florida visiting students. they were talking about reading. the white house chief of staff andy card as you saw ahe moment ago approached president bush as he was in the classroom. then got word in his ear that the second tower had been attacked. and that inde america was under attack. he said thi ws was no accident that was unfolding at the world trade center. andy cardha reflects on that day, his memories what it was like for him to be in that position, that room, in that moment. he will join us in a little while on this special edition of america's news >> headquarters on september 11. >> day of a remembrance. it's a day of progress. you can see for yourself here. what has happened to the rld trade center site in one year, that is visible as om and start to emerge take shape. the freedom tower now nears 0 of its eventual 109 stscories. the skyscraper expected to be completed in the year 2013. it will be the tallest building in america. today you can see the outline of reflecting pools with the 9/11 memorial and museum. they will stretch eight or nine stories deep bo the ground, down there below the street surface of low manhattan.ff the officials promise to open the memorial plaza by this date next year, 9/11/2011, een years after the attacks to the day. that will be remarkable. decade later. >> who can forget that this important element of the story, on thely deadly day, the man known as america's mayor in weeks t lhat follow. he led the city literally through the dark in the hours of that morning. promising to help them stand strong in the face of terrorism. rudy giuliani pauses to remember lives lost in september 11. he spoke to us in tamerica's proposed about the islamic center near groundnd w zero and what he thinks should happen. >> i'm trying to figure out if the imam is a man of god and of healing. or a man of confrontation. i believe a man of healing and god would move out of respect for the people who lost loved ones there, who feel really strongly about this. after all, i feel strongly about it. i lived through it. mayor bloomberg feels strongly about in a different way. governor paterson feels ut strongly about in a different way. none of us lost loved ones down there. i defer toed people who lost loved ones down there. they are telling me 80-90% of them should be thoutrage. this would be really rtful. i think a man would say i need to heal. >> we have more with giuliani on america's newsroom. so many emotions and you can hear it in uliani's voice. we see the pictes of the nat geo special owa him walking through the streets to make the decision to walk out in the complete darkness. they were in what they thought might be safe spot in the building. but it is sood important that everybody walk about emotion and moment of that day. he will also talk about the relationships in that time that have been tightened and strengthened because of events nine years ago. he does an afternoon event for children and evening dinner for the staff members with him that day. hi will tell us about the relationship and the mosque. more from america's mayor. the president wasth speaking on the closed mosque. forcul new comment on whether or not it should be built. what he says and how it compares to what majority of americans want in lower manhattan. we hear that and talk to barbara york in a mont. >> we know the attack on 9/11 s changed america in so many ways and affecte domestic and foreign policy, it launched two wars. that still echo today. live in afghanistan where we're still fight iing those perpetrated the attack. >> ultimately we continue to remember lives of de3,000 people murdered on this day ni years ago. >> denise connelly. >> susan p. conlan. >> margaret mary connor. >> cynthia murray lease-come canly. >> john e. connelly junior. >> james lee connor. # activia is better than ever! hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? 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[ female announcer ] s.c. johnson. a family company. ort time ago, this woman was limited by her lack of mobility. a month ago this man wasn't even able to get around his house. these are people who chose mobility. and they chose the scooter store. if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i guarantee, no other company llork harder to make you mobile. if we pre-qualify you for a new scooter or power chair and medicare denies your claim, the scooter store allows you to keep your scooter or power chair at no cost. that's the scooter store guarantee. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice ...or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. you don't qualify for medicare? no pro blem. we'll work with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. call the scooter store for free information today. there was onece remarkable difference this year on september 11. the days leading up to this we have seen divided tion. tempers over the proposed mosque near ground zero. and yesterday's news conference at the white house, fox's wendell goler asked president obama about that. here is the president addressing it in part about the ongoing debate i lower manhattan.y from friday afternoon. >> if you could build a church on a site. if you could o build a synagogue on a site. if you could build hindu temple on a site, then you le to build a mosque on the site. i recognize the extraordinary sensitivities around 9/11, but i go back to what i said earlier. we are not at war against islam. >> this topic today is unavoidable. byron york is fox ns contributor, chief political correspondent of "washington examiner." there was a lot said about this. did we move the ball? it appears as if that the white house is --he president is pretty set in stone on his opinion. so if anyone is going to encourage the imam rom moving the mosque, it will not come from washington. it will have to come from an outside source. how did you evaluate the answer from yesterday? >> you are right. it's not the president. what is interesting is there in widespread agreement for sides of the controversy that the group involved as illegal and constitutional right to place the mosque in that place. the question has always been is that a good idea or not? wendell goler, if you go back to listen to wendell's question he asked specifically the president to weigh in on the wisdom of placing the mosque in that location. the president didn't do it. what he said again is he affirmed the constitutional right of the group to do th that. that is not changing a lot from august 13 at the ishtar dinner at the white house and he made comments that sounded very much like he supported the project himself, not the right of the group but the project himself. he walked it back the next day and that's where he is otaying right now. >> i have not spoken to wendell specifically, but i think the reason why hesed that word "wisdom" is because that is the word the president used the following day on the gulf coast. >> exactly. >> you have the right to do it. i question the wisdom to choose that location. there is a piece inou the "wall street journal" journal today. i don't want to lose sight of what this is all about. about the families dealing with the scars for the rest of theirve lives. the "wall street journal" rerts today about some of the families that are feeling more isolated and frustrated han ever. because of arguments like this.io because of the discussions like these. continues that much more tension will be taken away from the issues that we should be addressing. >> you ow, it's interesting. it seems to me that this september 11 anniversary, so mme of the emotions are more intense and more raw than they've been in quite a while. the "new york times" had an article yesterday in which it characterized americans -- the united states' relationship with the islamic world as more frayed than ever since the invasion of iraq. this is a time when the emotion seem to be particularly tense. it's in part because of the still unresolved nature of this. the bush adnistration was not able to get osama bin laden and the obama administration has not been able to do so, so far.th they have all of the unresolved feeling about it. >> thank you for coming in today. something we'll pick up today, too. enjoy your weekend. >> martha? >> we continue our special coverage of september 11 nine years later. in a moment, we'll talk to andy card who wnd with president bush that day and take us through the paces of where they went and how they made their decisions. then we will also move on and take a visit to afghanistan where the troops fight to this day. we rememr the thousands of lives lost and how all of this changed the world as we know it. >> we were on the roof of the it, a block away. what is going through your mind as we see it happens. bodies flying out of the sky and you can't do nothing about it. you tell me. you tell me what you think. my heart is in my mouth. there is no words to describe what is going on out there. bodies coming a half hour later coming out of the sky. devastating. can't imagine anything worse than this. ma [ male annncer ] let's throw down some style. style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the soft feel we need, and have it stand up to anything we throw at it. then let's get it installed, and save money on the whole project. we're lower of going baref. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive marthag and platinum plus installed in your whole house for just 37 bucks. and platinum plus installed in your whole house why does it say box tops for education on your soup?so. oh, it's a program that raises money for schools. that's great, but this is a can. ye it is. you can't have a box top on a can. yes we can. but a can isn't a box. we know. i don't think you do. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. everybody remembers the images and it comes back today and it should as it does every day. we also remember troops fighting the war on terror. this morning the troops are markg this day as you expect. we have to remember that me than 4,000 soldiers have lost their lives serving our country in honor there. it has been a long war and conor powell is live in kabul. >> a lot has changed in the way the war has been executed and persecuted over the last s.eight or nine or so words. particularly in the last year. now more than 100,000 troops here and nearly 40,000 international troops from 49 countries. this is the largest international forcever during this eight or nine-year war. violence hit new levels and taliban are as strong as ever. aouple of big changes here. particularly, the strategy. the u.s. commander has spent most of the last eight or nine years o cplaining there weren't enough troops or resources and there wasn't enough money to fight the war the way it needed to be work -- the way the war foneed to be fought. that's all changed. when president obama sent an additional 30,000 troops in december. a lot of resources here. the strategy is in place. and it's not just going out hunting and killing the taliban. they are going to ultimately hand over responsibility from fighting the war from the u.s. and international troops to the afghan. there will be an international presence in the years to come but the idea that ahans over time will take over this. the other big troops is they are battle tested on the fourth tour in afghanistan and iraq. the level of knoedge and experience that they have they believe, the u.s. military believes will ultimately be able to change this situation over the next few years, martha. >> we wish them well on this day. we thank them for the service. conor powell from afghanistan. >> talk about aough job. ongoing. nine years ago he was the president's chief of staff who brought news that america had been attacked. remember this picture. >> on page 153. >> he was in the middle of all of it.sd andy card is here today. we will hear directly from him in moments. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] ever have morning pain slow you down? ♪ introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid, specially formulated to fit morning pain and fatigue. ♪ so get up and goin'! with new bayer am. the rning pain reliever. with new bayer am. host: could switching to geico did the little piggy cry wee wee wee all the way home? piggy: weeeeeee, weeeeeee, weeeeeee, weeeee weeeeeeee. mom: max. ...maxwell! piggy: yeah? mom: you're home. piggy: oh,cool, thanks mrs. a. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. > on this saturday, whenever you are, the pictures we're seeing again are unavoidable. show you a liv look at grounds zero right now. in the foreground, you see the giant square, that is the outline for the south tower where a year from today will be fillewith the giant running waterfalls, some seven or eight stories deep in the ground. that ceremony is slated for next sepmber 11. however today thateremony in new york city including the moments of silence and the reading of the names of those ki eed a list that goes for hours and takes your breath away every time you listen to it. the services taking place at gon where the president wasn shanksville, virginia. we'll check out sites later inhe special edition of america's newsroom. martha has more. >> one of the most searing images of september 11 among many. >> get ready. >> 60. page 153. >> who can forget that moment? white house chief of staff andy card whispering into president bush's ear as he was sitting with the school children in that room. "a second plane h struck the twin towers. america is under attack." mr. card joins me now. welcome. od to have you with us. i don't know how you t watch. i can't watch that tape witthou getting emotional. it is such an unbelievable moment to watch unfold. what is it like for you? >> well, first of all, i was compelled with the responsibility that rest on the president's shoulders. uniquely on the president's shoulders. he is the oneth that took the oath to preserve, protect and defend. was mightily impressed withto w how he reacted to words he never wanted to hear. and there is n h doubt in my mind he was reflecting on his obligation as commander in chief and president of the united states. h could notknew keep his oath without other people keepi their oath. and that they wou beaking w sacrifices that we would never invite on them. it was a very, very difficult experience for the president, but i was mighty impressed with how he handled it. >> in that moment, he bore the full moment of the presidency in a way tha as you say every president knows is their responsibility. but they hop the moment neve comes. talk to me about being on the plane that day and the travel and there was so much, you now, confusion and chaos in new york and in pennsylvania wand washington, of course. what was going on the? >> first of all, the fog of war is real. we were led to believe that air force one itself might have been a target for attack. there was lots of confusion. we were anxioso get the president to a safe place where he had gd communication, air force one. we made arrgements get the crew back on the plane, as soon as we found out there had been an attack. get the plane gassed and ready to go