Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Cmte.

This is a partial transcript from Your World with Neil Cavuto, September 11, 2002, that was edited for clarity. Click here for complete access to all of Neil Cavuto's CEO interviews.

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NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: As we mark this day, we remain vigilant as the nation is keenly aware of the heightened state of alert that was just raised yesterday to high. But does that really mean Americans are safe? Let's ask Senator Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Senator, thanks for coming.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R-AL), RANKING MEMBER, SENATE INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: Thank you.

CAVUTO: Do you feel safe?

SHELBY: I feel relatively safe. But I think we all ask our self, are we totally safe? and the answer is no. But I say this, we're a lot more alert and in a lot of ways I believe we are safer than we were a year ago.

CAVUTO: All right. Senator, these code alerts, and orange and all of that, I mean, a lot of Americans, as I was raising with a New York security expert, get blase about it. Are you afraid that this gets to be like the boy who cried wolf and people just ignore it?

SHELBY: It's always the danger. We've talked about this before. If you put out the alert over and over and over, soon people become deaf to a real alert. And there will be a catastrophe. But on the other hand, when you have credible information, through the CIA, FBI, or the local police, that something could happen, or there's real danger out there, I think we'd be derelict if we didn't alert the people. So you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

CAVUTO: Well, do you have any signs of - any more danger than we did a few weeks ago?

SHELBY: Well, there was a big alert yesterday, as you well know, September 11, today, a lot of events coming up. We've been hearing that something would possibly happen if the terrorists could pull it off on or about September 11. There was credible reporting without getting into the details that prompted the alert. Nothing has happened thus far. The day is not over and let's hope it won't happen tomorrow.

CAVUTO: Well, do you think, Senator.

SHELBY: But I believe an alert is much better than no alert. When you have information that something could happen, the people ought to know.

CAVUTO: All right. Senator, do you think that the risk is more to American interests abroad than it is here?

SHELBY: Well, that's a judgment call. I think we thought that before. And yet we were hit a year ago on our own soil. Sometimes the information is they're going to hit our interests overseas, maybe that is a ploy, a trick, and then they hit us here. They'd rather hit us here if they can. I hope it never happens.

CAVUTO: All right. Senator, it's always a pleasure having you. Thank you very much.

SHELBY: Thank you.

CAVUTO: Richard Shelby, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee in the United States Senate.

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