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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Seventh Bell Honors Victims Of 9/11-Related Health Issues; World Leaders Pay Tribute To Victims Of 9/11 Attacks; U.S. Marks 25th Anniversary Of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks; Houthis Take Over Key Island; Trump Tells Republicans To "Cheat Like Hell" In Midterms; Zelenskyy Calls For Support Against Russia The Way NATO Allies Backed U.S. After 9/11. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired September 11, 2026 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Just ahead this hour, 25 years on, the U.S. and the world remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in

the 9/11 terror attacks.

Today is a solemn anniversary here in the U.S., 25 years since the 9/11 terror attacks. Many moments the day to honor those who died. We're also

following stories in the Middle East. Iran-backed Houthis take over a key island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait just a day after seizing control of a

strategic port city along the Red Sea Coast. And U.S. President Donald Trump tells his fellow Republicans to, quote, "cheat like hell," that's a

quote, in the midterms and says they'd go to hell if they don't vote.

Well, across New York, Washington, D.C., the U.S., and around the world, many have been marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist

attacks. Events to honor the victims have been taking place across the U.S. These are live pictures from New York. A total of 2,977 people were killed

in the attacks in New York, Washington, and just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

They used to ring that bell six times, but this year, seven to signal moments of silence, one each for the four planes that crashed and others

marking the collapse of each of the two towers, and now a seventh bell to honor the many thousands who have since died from health complications

related to those attacks.

All four living former U.S. presidents attended a memorial ceremony at Ground Zero, while the current president honored American heroism and

resilience at the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: September 11th reminded us of the terrible power of hate. The 25 years since have shown us the even greater power of

the American spirit to endure and prevail and to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: World leaders also paying tribute to the victims of September 11th. At Buckingham Palace, a special changing of the guard ceremony taking

place, marking the 25th anniversary. The British Prime Minister says the U.K. and the U.S. stand together in memory of the many who were lost. Flags

at half-staff at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, with a ceremony held there to commit to commemorate the nearly 3,000 victims.

Perhaps like me, you will never forget where you were that frightening day. I was reporting for the Pentagon, watching dark plumes of smoke rise into

the sky, smelling the fumes of burning jet fuel, and hearing stories of service members who lost their lives there, and then later hearing word of

friends who died in the towers in New York. These sad memories will never disappear for any of us.

Nicholas Burns has his own memories of this. He was ambassador to NATO at the time, and he joins me now. Ambassador, good to have you on. Thanks so

much for joining.

NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Thank you, Jim. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: You, of course, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, and many to this day will note how NATO stood up in that moment and invoked Article 5, mutual

defense. Take us back to that day. What were your memories?

BURNS: Jim, it was a catastrophic day, as you've just shown, with so many people dead, thousands dead in New York City and Pennsylvania and at the

Pentagon. And I was at NATO headquarters with my military and diplomatic team, and in the wake of the attacks, we couldn't reach anyone in

Washington because the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon had been evacuated. Of course, the Pentagon had been attacked.

And so, we were trying to figure out, how can we support the home front? And my phone rang, and it was David Wright, the Canadian ambassador to

NATO.

[18:05:00]

And right off the bat, he said, Nick, we should invoke Article 5. And for your viewers who don't know what that is, that's the key clause of the NATO

Treaty. An attack on one shall be considered an attack on all. It had never been invoked in NATO history.

The expectation was, if it had to be invoked, Europe would be attacked, the United States and Canada would go to Europe's aid. And the huge irony of

9/11 is, every NATO ally stood up that day. I had call after call from the ambassador saying, we're with you, and we'll go to war with you if

necessary. It was so powerful to feel the support of allies.

And, Jim, when we voted the next morning, September 12th, early in Brussels, I called back to the White House to my good friend, Condoleezza

Rice, who was then the National Security Adviser. I wanted the President's personal instruction to vote for this because we saw it as an act of war

against al-Qaeda.

And Condoleezza gave me that presidential instruction at four in the morning in Washington. The president was getting some rest after a terrible

day. And she said something to me at the end of the call that I've never forgotten. And I've thought about a lot. She said, before you go to vote,

she said, it's good to have friends in the world.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BURNS: And she said it with some emotion in her voice. And, you know, I've thought back to that so many times that America is so fortunate to have

Canada as our neighbor and our ally, and Denmark and all the other countries of the NATO alliance. Russia and China have no allies, and we do.

And so, I just give thanks to our allies who were with us in those days. And, Jim, you know this from your reporting. They all went into

Afghanistan.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BURNS: The Canadians took on the toughest challenge, the heart of the casualties, and the Danes had the highest per capita casualties of any

country. So, I think Americans, as we mourn our loss today, 25 years later, we should give thanks for our allies, and we should be good to them and

respect them.

SCIUTTO: As you know, the sad fact is that we have new leadership now who is dismantling those relationships with NATO, with Canada, in a very

pointed fashion, and often disparaging the losses, the very real losses that they endured in these wars. How does that make you feel as someone who

represented the country at a different time, but also what is the impact of that for America, the country, for its national security?

BURNS: This is a great loss for the United States. We're facing two major authoritarian powers, and we will for the next decade. Russia in Europe,

China in Asia. And we're going to be so much more prepared to keep the peace with those countries, but to stand up to them and compete with allies

by our side.

It's shameful that the president has threatened to invade Greenland. Shameful that he is disrespectful to Canada by continually saying it should

be the 51st state over the weekend, saying he wanted to claim Iceland as well, and Iceland's a NATO member. This is not how Americans should act. I

think if you took a poll of 350 million Americans, very, very few would agree with any of this.

So, I very much hope that the Trump administration will return to a policy of respect and of working closely with these allies because they're our

true friends as we look to the Russia and China challenges.

SCIUTTO: From a strategic perspective, 25 years on, of course, 9/11 led to not one but two of America's longest wars, first in Afghanistan, then in

Iraq, with uncertain outcomes at best. Now, the U.S. finds itself back in another war in the Middle East. There is an argument that because of those

wars, the U.S. did not allocate the resources and attention to the challenges from Russia.

And we're now in the midst of the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II, or the challenge of a rising China. From a strategic perspective, did

9/11 take the U.S.'s eyes off the ball to some degree?

BURNS: You know, Jim, to look back, we had to go into Afghanistan after Osama bin Laden attacked New York and Washington. We didn't know where the

next attack would come from. They had the capacity to attack us here in the United States or at our embassies or military installations overseas. And

it's interesting to remember when President Bush, and he was a very fine leader in those months after 9/11, he unified us.

When he decided to go into Afghanistan, you know who supported us? Russia and China. They were different countries then in terms of their

relationship with the United States, and not nearly as powerful as the U.S. Every country in the world supported us in going into Afghanistan. I think

that was the right call. I never imagined, and I visited the NATO forces in 2002, '03, '04, '05, and '06, I believe, every year. I never imagined we'd

stay for 20 years.

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And so, I think the question to ask in Afghanistan, after we had defeated Osama bin Laden, had driven him out of Afghanistan, had really defeated al-

Qaeda, should we then have left and turn it over to other forces or to the Afghan National Army? Iraq is a very different question, a war of choice,

clearly not the war of necessity that I think Afghanistan was.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BURNS: And in the ensuing years, as you suggest, Jim, China and Russia have become much more powerful and much more aggressive towards the United

States.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, just turning back to the human element of the story, because ultimately, of course, it is and I lost friends in the attack, I'm

sure you did as well. And the politics inevitably inject themselves into anything, right, any event that happens today in this country.

But I will say that in most of the ceremonies, in the overall focus, it really has been once again, on just the suffering of that day and the

sacrifice and the families left behind. And I wonder if you see some hope in that, right, for a divided country.

BURNS: I do. We all have sympathy profound for the families who lost loved ones on 9/11. We saw many of them at the 9/11 Memorial today. We have huge

respect for the firefighters, the police officers, the first responders, the medical personnel. They're American heroes.

And it was good to see that Democratic and Republican officials were standing together, the Vice President, J.D. Vance, with four American,

living American presidents. And to see that unity that I know that you and I felt was in the United States in the weeks and months after 9/11. We're

all Americans. We have to heal our wounds to be successful at home, but also to be successful in meeting all the challenges overseas.

I think today, in that sense, I thought it was a healing day in both ceremonies in New York and Washington.

SCIUTTO: Well, Ambassador Nick Burns, we appreciate the work you did on that day 25 years ago, and thanks so much for sharing your recollections.

BURNS: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Please do stay with us on "The Brief." We will have more on the anniversary of this truly historic event later in the program. We're going

to speak to a volunteer who was there at Ground Zero in the very aftermath of those attacks.

Well, drone attacks crossing over from Iraq have now hit a key oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia. This, according to Saudi authorities, who stress they are

not blaming the Iraqi state. New satellite images show black smoke rising after the east-west pipeline was struck on Thursday. The Saudis say the

pipeline has now been shut down as a precaution.

Iraq is home to pro-Iranian Shia militias. The Iraqi government says the prime minister has now ordered an investigation into these attacks. This

comes as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have captured Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. They seized the port of Mocha earlier this week and

now have control virtually of all of Yemen's Red Sea coast. The Houthis say navigation through the strait is safe for all, except, this is crucial,

Saudi vessels.

Joining me now, former chief of U.S. Naval Operations, retired Admiral Gary Roughead. Admiral, thanks so much for taking the time.

ADM. GARY ROUGHEAD, U.S. NAVY (RET.): `Thank you. Pleasure to be with you.

SCIUTTO: So, we're seeing, well, the war open up another front. I mean, this front did exist prior. The U.S. effectively fought a war against the

Houthis and then backed off, but now it's hot again. How -- where does this stop, right, in terms of escalation? You have Iran threatening the Strait

of Hormuz, the U.S. mounting a massive operation to get some ships through, but now you have a threat of what was meant to be the outlet through the

Red Sea and also the pipeline, the Saudi pipeline, another outlet for oil to international markets.

ROUGHEAD: No, this is, in my mind, a very serious development. Not just the fact that the Houthis have gained key terrain and particularly Perim

Island, which sits in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb, but the fact that Saudi Arabia has now lost its safety valve, if you will, for its oil

exports. This has really changed the equation, and I think that this is not going to end quickly, largely because of the forces that would be required

to assure safe passage through the Bab and also the Strait of Hormuz.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ROUGHEAD: The number of ships that would take to support two aggressive campaigns, one by Iran, one by the Houthis, is not insignificant.

[18:15:00]

So, this is a serious development, not just for global shipping, for energy markets, but also, as you mentioned, with the east-west pipeline for the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SCIUTTO: The U.S. is providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting support. They're, according to CNN reporting, about 100 U.S. service

members there in Saudi Arabia. But it's stopping short of participating in strikes against the Houthis, and this seems to be, the reporting is, a

direct appeal from Saudi leaders. Can Saudi Arabia handle this front on its own?

ROUGHEAD: My sense is that it cannot. And this is where it will need support of the U.S. beyond just the intelligence support, but to provide

some of the enabling forces for, for example, refueling of their aircraft, and then also being able to provide security for shipping in the Red Sea

that I think is going to slow significantly in the coming weeks.

So, the support, not just from the U.S., but earlier, some of the European countries indicated that they would be sending some ships down into the Red

Sea to enable the flow of shipping. But I think that more support, not just from the U.S., but from Europe, and also some of our Asian allies and

friends who depend on Middle East energy, now is the time to come in and provide that assistance.

SCIUTTO: If you were chief of naval operations today, and the president asked you for military options to, if not open up every one of these

pathways, right, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, defend the pipelines, et cetera, what, and keeping in mind, right, that U.S. forces are already

stretched and munitions down to -- you know, down to a low magazine depth, as they say, what options might you give the president?

ROUGHEAD: Well, one, I would say that we need to be prepared to do this for a protected period of time. This is not just a one-shot deal. The other is

that I would encourage, and Nick Burns commented on the importance of allies, but to really reach out and seek some allied support in being able

to bring some forces into the Red Sea that would provide for greater security. And then, of course, we would be heavily involved in the Strait

of Hormuz.

But what we now have are two strategic choke points of the five in Asia that are significantly impacted, and we really do need to bring in more

forces and more players, because this is a global issue. It is not just isolated to the Middle East.

SCIUTTO: The U.S., before we go, has been, of course, diverting resources, including aircraft carriers, but also other weapons systems from Asia. It's

reduced, continued to reduce its support to Ukraine, in part because of all the forces occupied in the Mideast and the use of all those weapons in the

Middle East. From your perspective, has the U.S. left itself exposed in Europe and Asia as a result of this?

ROUGHEAD: Well, I think we have concentrated almost everything into the Middle East, and we do -- we are exposed, particularly in Asia, where we

normally have a fairly significant naval presence. And so, that is -- that should be of concern to all of us. And we really need to begin to think

about how we will apportion our forces in Eurasia, not just to the Middle East, but to East Asia, and also to the East Atlantic.

We are now having to deal with several critical problems, and we really need to think seriously about the types of forces and the extensive

operations that we're going to have to perform in the coming months, and I would argue years.

SCIUTTO: Admiral Roughead, we appreciate you joining.

ROUGHEAD: Thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: Still to come tonight on "The Brief," U.S. President Donald Trump tells Republicans they will go to hell if they don't vote for him and his

party. We'll discuss the other things he said at the first-ever Republican midterm convention.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know what happens if you don't vote? You go to hell, you know that. OK, you go to hell. And I don't want that to happen to you, so please

go and vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: That was President Trump's closing pitch to Republicans on the final night of the party's midterm convention in Dallas. At one point, he

made the crowd pledge to do whatever it takes to win, including cheating like hell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Please raise your right hand. I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that I will go out with my family, my

friends, I'll do it anyway. I don't care if I'm registered or not, I'm going to try and cheat like hell like they do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Today, Trump doubled down on his pledge to give every U.S. adult $5,000 if Republicans win. We should note he's made similar promises

before. $2,000 tariff rebate checks, $5,000 checks supposedly funded by doge cuts. They never materialized.

Joining us now is former Republican senator from the State of Arizona, Jeff Flake. Senator, thanks so much for taking the time.

FMR. SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R-AZ): Thanks for having me on.

SCIUTTO: I want to ask you if those listening to the president's comments should take the exhortation to cheat with any seriousness, because we

should keep in mind the president did attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Should they consider that just hyperbole, you know,

trying to get clicks or that there's something to that?

FLAKE: I think they ought to treat it with the same seriousness as his claim that he won the 2020 election. It's completely farcical and really

beneath the office, frankly. But no, they shouldn't take it seriously at all.

SCIUTTO: The key message from that convention, at least from the president himself and just the imagery, et cetera, was make the midterms about Trump,

even though, of course, he's not on the ballot. Based on what you're seeing, is that a good bet for Republicans?

FLAKE: No, I know somebody with that popularity number. No, I don't think so. And, you know, what else came out of that convention is this pledge to

give $5,000 to every adult American. You know that the president has made pledges like this before, and those aren't treated seriously.

But what is bothering is that members of Congress or cabinet officials or others will try to make sense of it or try to pretend that that somehow is

something worthwhile or that can be done or that can be done without taxpayer dollars, as one of his cabinet officials said.

[18:25:00]

So, yes, it's just a pretty unserious effort.

SCIUTTO: Yes, I think the way The Wall Street Journal editorial board put it is that the president has a $5,000 bridge to sell you. Skepticism, it

seems, across the board.

Today, of course, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, President Trump, notably, to Truth Social, posted his comments from January 6. And I want to play a

portion of it because I want to get a sense of whether you think this is significant. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There's never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us, from me, from you, from our

country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: He's been calling it a fraudulent election, as you just said, you know, ever since then. And that's long been debunked. But we do have a

midterm election coming. In less than two months, is there a red line for the GOP? If the president were to attempt to either overturn the results or

force the House speaker not to seat elected members of the House who are Democrats, would the Republican Party stand in the way of that? Are you

confident?

FLAKE: Yes, Republicans did it last time. The president has tried ever since to say that it was fraudulent. And Republicans have toyed with it.

And that's troublesome, certainly. But I do think that they will stand firm here. They did last time, gratefully, due to the efforts of some courageous

individuals like Mike Pence and others to stand in the breach. But I do think that Republicans will. I certainly hope so. But this is just tedious.

And to post something like that on 9/11, frankly, I thought the president's comments at the Pentagon were pretty good, most of them. And that would

have been good for the date. But to post something from January 6 is just not appropriate.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, given that it is 25 years since 9/11, I asked the same question of Ambassador Nick Burns earlier in the program. Given the

emotion we saw today and the lion's share of the focus was on the victims, and you remember that day, that there truly was unity in this country,

bipartisan unity. Do moments like this give you hope that the nation can put the worst of the current divisions behind it?

FLAKE: Yes, it does. I was there on the Capitol steps 25 years ago, one of the greatest shows of unity that I've ever felt. And we can feel that

again. But it takes leadership. And I hope that my former colleagues in Congress and others will exhibit that kind of leadership. And I'm convinced

that they will. And I certainly felt it today.

SCIUTTO: Senator Jeff Flake, we appreciate you joining. We appreciate your willingness to speak truth to power throughout.

FLAKE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: More next on our top story, the legacy of 9/11, a quarter century on. We will speak to one of the youngest volunteers at Ground Zero in the

minutes after and days after those horrible attacks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

America, remembering the victims and saluting the heroes after the 9/11 attacks. Moments of silence held to honor the nearly 3,000 killed. And to

reflect on the impact the attacks still have had on this nation. All four living former U.S. presidents attended the memorial ceremony at Ground

Zero. President Trump, he attended a ceremony on his own at the Pentagon.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have captured Perim Island in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This comes just a day after the group took

control of the strategic port city of Mocha on the Red Sea. The Houthis say navigation through the strait is safe for all, except for Saudi vessels.

The U.S. Republican midterm convention wrapped up Thursday in Texas. President Donald Trump urged his supporters to, quote, cheat like hell in

the upcoming midterm elections. In his speech, Vice President J.D. Vance acknowledged many voters dislike certain issues about the Trump

administration.

Well, 25 years after September 11th, Ukraine's president is asking allies to show the same support for his country as they did for America then.

President Zelenskyy spoke exclusively today with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. He recalled how NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in the very

aftermath of 9/11. Article 5, as we noted earlier in the broadcast, states that an armed attack against one member of the alliance is viewed as an

attack on all members. This time, President Zelenskyy says Kyiv has carried the burden of responding to Russian aggression largely on its own.

Here with me now, Ukraine's Minister for Veterans Affairs Vitalii Kim. He previously served as the head of the Mikhailov Regional Military

Administration, of course, a front-line region during Russia's full-scale invasion. He's here in Washington for meetings with U.S. government

officials. Thanks so much for joining.

VITALII KIM, UKRAINIAN MINISTER FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS: Thank you. Thank you for taking the time.

SCIUTTO: So, first, I want to ask your view of the current situation on the battlefield, because there's a great deal of concern now that after

Ukrainian successes with drone warfare, et cetera, and the ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, that Russia is simply going to

overwhelm Ukraine with the number of missiles, jet-powered drones, knowing that Ukraine is running so short of air defense missiles. Do you fear at

all that the war is turning against Ukraine?

KIM: I cannot say like this, because the front line is stable. The Russians have no success at all on the front line. They terrorize our people and

start to shell civilian objects, objects of trade, logistics, trains, and other. It is escalating from the point of view of problems to business and

civilian people.

SCIUTTO: Understood. And there's particular concern, of course, about the winter, because the Russian strategy in winter is to basically make people

freeze, attack energy infrastructure. How will Ukraine manage to survive that?

[18:35:00]

KIM: I think we are planning to survive like we did it for the last three years, because plans of Russians didn't change. And yes, there is a

cumulative problem that our infrastructure is not going better, and we have a plan how to defend our critical infrastructure. We will see.

Yes, Russians have a small window for opportunities, with their reactive drones, but as our president, Mr. Zelenskyy, said, we will manage it. We

need just more time. We have a plan that is realized on all the territories and front line and west part of our country. We will live.

SCIUTTO: The U.S., as you know, has for now said no to sending additional Patriot interceptors and other air defense missiles. Europe has been

stepping up. Canada as well, signing this agreement with Zelenskyy just in the last 24 hours. Can Europe supply -- Europe and Canada and other nations

supply what Ukraine needs for air defense without the U.S.?

KIM: To tell the truth, I don't know. But I know that all these missiles will support Ukraine to defend civilian people, because Russians terrorize

now especially the center of Kyiv and big cities, civilians. It will not occur about the front line. So, it will be stable. And from my opinion, we

will have results more than Russian even. But this support will help Ukraine to defend our cities from the terror of Russia.

SCIUTTO: Now, you're in Washington in your role with veterans, and you're meeting U.S. officials here as well. What do you hope to accomplish in

those meetings while you're in Washington?

KIM: I need new experience, because United States have a huge amount of veterans. It seems to me about 18 million, and you work with the veterans

for dozens of years. This new experience, effective programs I want to implement in Ukraine.

I have honor to meet today with the minister of veterans of United States, Mr. Douglas, and we discussed what success programs are in the United

States and what we can use in Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: As you know, with U.S. veterans, particularly of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health was a major problem, the suicide rate just

alarming. And the military has gotten better at handling this. I wonder in Ukraine how you manage that challenge, given that the war -- first of all,

the war is at home, right? It's affecting their family members and themselves, but it continues.

KIM: No offense, you're absolutely right. You do not have such an experience, because we have problems with PTSD, not only among military

forces or veterans, but among our civilian people and even children, because five years of shelling, it is a problem for our society. So, we

will do it, we will fight it in a complex, together with the families of veterans, we will try to manage our problems in psychological sphere.

SCIUTTO: Yes. They have to sleep in fear so many nights as well. I always think of the young people. Vitalii Kim, we appreciate you joining and we

appreciate the work that you're doing.

KIM: Thank you very much for your time and your attention to Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: Of course. And we'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: More now on our top story. The legacy of the September 11th attacks, 25 years on. Speaking at a memorial event in southern

Pennsylvania, the U.S. Interior Secretary said that 9/11 was a moment that split time into a world before and after.

New York's mayor honored the resilience and kindness of the city's residents at an event just in the past several hours. This week, his

administration released records that showed New York City officials knew the air quality around Ground Zero was unsafe very quickly after the

attacks, but told the public otherwise.

Earlier, a seventh moment of silence was added in honor of those who died from illnesses related to 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONIA AGRON, VOLUNTEERED AS A RECOVERY WORKER: My husband and I both have illnesses. He survived cancer, but between the both of us, we have about

six different illnesses, autoimmune diseases, no cure. And we know how it's going to end. And the seventh bell is really going to hit us hard this

year, because one day it'll be ringing for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: A sad thought. A quarter of a century on, a new aspect is emerging. In the legacy of 9/11, New York's former mayor, Michael

Bloomberg, recently reflected that more than 100 million Americans are too young to remember that day. They're learning about it through social media

and documentaries and history books.

Our next guest, however, remembers it firsthand. John Paluska was an 18- year-old college freshman on 9/11, and volunteered at Ground Zero in the days following the attacks, making him one of the youngest volunteers

there. John is co-founder of the 9/11 Visionary Network, which is part of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. He also co-founded the Special Operations

Foundation. He joins me now. John, good to have you on. Thanks so much for joining.

JOHN PALUSKA, FORMER GROUND ZERO VOLUNTEER: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first, I'll ask you your memories of the hours and days after the attacks. You're an 18-year-old. You're a college freshman. And yet, it

seems your first instinct was to go, go to where there was need.

PALUSKA: Yes. You know, I just moved from Iowa into, you know, college. So, it was my sixth day at Fordham University here in New York City. You know,

when the tragedy unfolded, you know, what I said, metro area. And, you know, I saw the shock and fear and sadness in everybody's eyes and trying

to get a hold of a cell phone and call and see if, you know, one of their loved ones or friends is OK. And, you know, I wasn't in that situation

because, you know, I just moved out here.

So, I jumped on the subway train and made it down in those early minutes before, you know, security was established. And, you know, what ultimately

led me to join the pile and their rescue and recovery efforts.

SCIUTTO: Yes. If you're from New York like me, I don't think anybody didn't know someone, right, who was in those towers at the time. You, of course,

continued your service because you went from volunteering at Ground Zero to serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq, which is important because, well, you

volunteered. But also, it showed that the impact of that day lasted many, many years after in the nation's two longest wars. Are you happy you went

to fight?

PALUSKA: That's a complicated question. And I think the more that time goes on, you know, history continues to write itself. And I hope the history

books write in a way that, you know, our service was, you know, for what we raised our right hand for.

[18:45:00]

Undoubtedly, I do not, you know, regret any of my service or any of my service obligations and, you know, certainly very proud of the people I

served alongside and, you know, my career that, you know, was ultimately ended short from being wounded overseas.

But you know, the -- you know, today is really about, you know, remembrance of the event that really led to, you know, the wars that, you know, we

continue to fight and, you know, many that, you know, continue to exist globally.

You know, I just want to point out another thing. You mentioned earlier about the seventh bell, ringing and the illnesses. You know, for the -- for

those of us who, you know, basically went to war, you know, many of us come home with wounds and, you know, the invisible battles of PTSD. You know,

for us who were fortunate here on 9/11, we still have our health.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

PALUSKA: But, you know, I think we're somewhere around ten thousand people have died post-9/11 from 9/11 related illnesses. And so, you think about,

you know, what happened on that day, not knowing, you know, the people that came down here and, you know, the heroes that I looked up to. And I spent a

short amount of time here, but it's a tragedy.

So, it's a real honor that they've taken the time to add that, you know, remembrance in because, you know, I think remembrance is an action and, you

know, never forget you know, belongs here and forever.

SCIUTTO: Yes. As we noted going into this segment, there are so many Americans living today who were born after or were far too young to

remember it firsthand. When you encounter people like that, given your quite direct experience on the day itself but also serving in the wars that

followed, how do you explain to them what it all meant, what it all means?

PALUSKA: Yes. Yes, I mean, I'm here -- I was here as a witness on Ground Zero. You know, the 9/11 Memorial Museum just opened today a special

exhibition for the 25th anniversary and the shrapnel that came out of my legs along with my respirator and Green Beret are behind glass, and that's,

you know, where they belong. They belong behind glass.

For me with our next generation and co-founding the 9/11 Visionary Network it's an incredibly important message to teach the history, to educate our

youth, you know, why this day happened and ensure that it doesn't happen again.

In educating the youth, I think, you know, we have to be thoughtful about where we are. You know, united we stand as everyone remembers, and we have

talked about that. You know, Jim, you're in -- from the area, September 12th was really a day that, you know, bonded people and united people

together. You know, we're not there today. We probably have to be a little bit more delicate and thoughtful of how we approach unity here in America.

And so, I think it just takes continued conversations.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Let's hope we find a way back to that unity of September twelfth and all those days that followed. Well, John Paluska, we appreciate

the work you did that day, the work you did since and the work you're still doing now. Thanks so much for joining.

PALUSKA: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: And we'll be right back after this.

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[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: In today's Business Breakout, Wall Street ended higher. The Dow and NASDAQ gained nearly 1 percent as oil prices retreated. Brent Crude

down more than 2 percent, but it remains above $104 a barrel.

Inflation accelerated in the U.S. last month. The August consumer price index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics up 3.4 percent from a year ago.

Gasoline prices alone rose nearly 4 percent just from July. Analysts say the CPI data strengthens the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest

rates that officials set to meet next week to decide on their next move.

Checking some of today's other business headlines now, U.S. consumer sentiment is falling. The latest survey by the University of Michigan shows

a sharp 7.5 percent drop in early September. It is now at the second lowest level recorded in more than 70 years. The survey director says rising fuel

prices and trade tensions are to blame.

Diesel prices, they top $6 a gallon for the first time in the U.S. The national average is now $6.06, according to AAA. The costs have risen more

than 55 percent since the start of the Iran war. Diesel, of course, powers almost all heavy trucks and freight trains in the U.S.

U.S. health officials say an outbreak of Cyclospora, the Cyclospora's parasite, is over. The microscopic parasite sickened nearly 13,000 people

in 21 states. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked this summer's outbreak to iceberg lettuce sourced from Central Mexico.

Well, history buffs are rejoicing as one of Europe's most famous historical artworks is back in England, at least for now. The Bayeux Tapestry tells

the story of the Norman Conquest and has significance for both England and France. Those are the crowds there lining up outside the British Museum.

Our Isa Soares has more on the homecoming almost 1,000 years in the making.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a medieval thriller crafted in the medium of its time. An embroidery that has regaled

people for nearly 1,000 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please have your passports ready. Thank you.

SOARES (voice-over): The Bayeux Tapestry, on a historic loan from France, just debuted at the British Museum in London, delighting fans born

centuries after the epic events on the ancient cloth.

PAULINE GAIREY, MUSEUM VISITOR: It's just magical, isn't it? So, I studied it at school, obviously a few years ago, but it's just so wonderful to have

it visible in the U.K.

SOARES (voice-over): It's already the British Museum's best-selling exhibition. The first round of tickets for the 10-month show sold out

quickly, with another batch due to release in October.

In its 950 years, the tapestry has rarely left Normandy, and this is the first time it has been on loan anywhere in the world. King Charles, Queen

Camilla, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte got an early look at its temporary London

home, an arrangement that took decades to negotiate.

Some visitors say they appreciate the effort to bring it closer to them, and it's rekindled their interest in history.

RICHARD SAMUEL, MUSEUM VISITOR: The color is still so vivid. I know it's been fiddled around with in places, but it's amazing it survived so well

and so long.

SOARES (voice-over): The tapestry spans nearly 70 meters long or 230 feet and depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, while offering a rare

glimpse of 11th century life. Historians believe it was originally created in England, sewn by English seamstresses and later sent to France.

But moving the delicate masterpiece has been a battle of its own. It travelled under police escort from France to the U.K. inside an air-

conditioned anti-vibration crate and is insured for more than a billion dollars.

MILLIE HORTON-INSCH, BAYEUX TAPESTRY EXHIBITION PROJECT CURATOR: Everyone was, you know, thrilled when it arrived that it seemed to have borne the

journey incredibly well and appears happy to be back in the U.K. And it was absolutely incredible. It was one of the most memorable parts of this

exhibition for me, watching my colleagues unpack it across many hours and realize how well it had fared.

SOARES (voice-over): It's an exciting time for history buffs, so much so a pub near the museum has a copycat tribute called the Beer Tapestry that

chronicles the history of beer in Britain.

[18:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just really wanted to get involved with it because, you know, it's such an exciting thing.

SOARES (voice-over): A very British welcome for a piece of history with ties to both France and the U.K., with the real deal residing just across

the street and once again telling its timeless tale to a new audience.

Isa Soares, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: And finally, tonight, the Princess of Wales made a surprise visit today to the hospital where she was treated for cancer. Earlier this year,

she scaled the three highest peaks in Britain in just 24 hours to help fund a new unit at the Royal Marsden Charity. Catherine told staff that it was a

small way of being able to say thank you and give back. The British Royal's in remission after undergoing chemotherapy.

Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

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