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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

America's New War: Bush Administration Examining Its Military Options

Aired September 17, 2001 - 20:00   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Tonight on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, military options. President Bush visits the Pentagon and warns this will be different kind of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the past, there have been, you know, beaches to storm, islands to conquer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: As the Pentagon prepares call-up orders for reservists, what else do military planners have in mind? The main target of U.S. wrath is increasingly clear, the Al Qaeda terror network.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: All roads lead to the leader of that organization, Osama Bin Laden and his location in Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The war is already being waged on the diplomatic front. As the U.S. seeks to build a broad coalition against terror, Pakistani officials have passed out a warning to Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, but others have tried to get tough with Afghanistan and failed.

We'll hear from our correspondents at the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department, and in Islamabad and Moscow. And I'll speak with retired Air Force General George Harrison as America weighs its military options.

Good evening, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Washington. We'll look at America's military options in just a moment. But first, here are the latest developments in America's new war.

U.S. stock markets reopened today, the first day since the attacks. Seeing significant drops, the Dow was down 684 points, the largest single-day point loss ever. The Nasdaq was down 115 points.

Airlines may be hardest hit. U.S. Airways is laying off 11,000 people, reducing its capacity 23 percent. American and Northwest Airlines are both expected to announce layoffs later this week. Continental has already said it will layoff 12,000 people. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill tried to put a positive spin on the day's events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL O'NEILL, TREASURY SECRETARY: You have on to remember when you're looking at markets, for every seller, there's a buyer. And for every buyer, there's a seller. My guess is that when we look a year down the road, the people who bought today are going to be the happy people. The people who sold will be sorry they did it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And the national pastime returned to field with six National League games tonight, including the Mets and the Pirates. The rest of teams play tomorrow.

Meanwhile rhetoric at the White House is heating up, with President Bush using some of the most harsh language yet in discussing Osama Bin Laden.

CNN's senior White House correspondent John King is live now with details. John, a show of solidarity by the President and his military brass today.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is right, Wolf. The President traveled across the Potomac River to the still damaged Pentagon for an update on military preparedness efforts. This on a day of urgent meetings and increasingly harsh rhetoric for the President.

During a discussion with the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others at the Pentagon about the impending call-up of members of the National Guard and other military reservists, the President took a few questions from reporters. He called this action barbaric, referred to the hijackers slicing the throats of some of those aboard some of the hijacked flights. And Mr. Bush's rhetoric turned especially tough when he zeroed in on the prime suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Osama Bin Laden is just one person. He is representative of networks of people who absolutely have made their cause to defeat the freedoms that we understand. And we will not allow him to do so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want Bin Laden dead?

BUSH: I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, "Wanted, Dead or Alive."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now Mr. Bush shook some hands in the hallways of the Pentagon, an effort there to try to boost morale as the military planning continued. Senior administration officials telling CNN already underway are efforts by the administration, through cybertechnology, through cooperation with other governments, to try to disrupt the financial support of Mr. Bin Laden's organization.

As for any military operation, most officials here saying they do not believe anything is imminent, but they also the President just now beginning to narrow his options and have discussions. One called it modest debates with other senior administration officials -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, you say nothing is imminent -- nothing appears to imminent, John. What are you hearing about timing for at least the start of what the American public would see as military action?

KING: Very careful here at the White House and I believe over at the Pentagon. Just as much though as well, to not to talk about any specifics at all. But administration officials do note the Pakistani government today gave the Taliban three days to turn over Osama Bin Laden or face military attacks.

Senior officials saying obviously the cooperation of Pakistan is critical here. So they do not believe they would do anything in that three-day window, unless as one official told me "it was irresistible," meaning Mr. Bin Laden suddenly came out hiding and was easy to get. No one expects that to happen.

Also the French President Jacques Chirac due here tomorrow. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair due here on Thursday. U.S. officials say the President wants to have face-to-face conversations with those key allies. Other consultations with Nato and moderate Arabs as well. So no one believing this is imminent. At the same time, they also say if it were imminent, they wouldn't tell us.

BLITZER: John King at the White House. Thank you very much.

And as the Bush administration moves forward with its war on terrorism, the Pentagon is preparing to help carry out any plan that is approved. Let's go live to the Pentagon and CNN military affairs correspondent, Jamie Mcintyre.

Everyone seems to say, Jamie, this is going to a different kind of war. Is there any evidence on the ground over the Pentagon where you are that this is -- they're setting the stage for different kind of war?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf as you said, well war planners are busy drawing up plans for possible strikes, they are not making many plans for the press to cover the war. This is a war in which they hope, if all goes right, the battles will be fought before you see anything about them on television.

Pentagon sources tell CNN that this new war against terrorism will be fought with unprecedented secrecy and heavy press restrictions. Pentagon sources say that planning for possible military action has been highly compartmentalized, to ensure that the fewest number of people have access to classified war plans.

And according to Pentagon officials close to the process, the Bush administration has decided to clamp down on even routine information, such as how many ships have been moved to where. You may recall during the build up to the Persian Gulf War that that kind of information was readily available, so-called routine information. Even that has been cut out. If you go to the web sites where the ships usually post where they are, you'll see that they have not been updated since September 10, the day before the strikes took place. And President Bush, during his visit to the Pentagon, underscored that today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I want to make it clear to the American people that this administration will not talk about any plans we may or may not have. We will not jeopardize in any way, shape or form anybody that wears the uniform of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now as for what the Pentagon is planning, sources say that there are both high end and low end options that are being drawn up. High end would be options against countries or nation states that support terrorism or harbor terrorists. Those would be things like airstrikes. And then the low-end options would be aimed against individuals or terrorist leaders, such as Osama Bin Laden. That might involved a special forces mission.

But the President will be given long menu of options. And what he will approve is closely-guarded secret -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie, of course as I remember during my days covering the Pentagon during the Gulf War, walking around the physical complex of the Pentagon was pretty easy, very open. As you well know, any plans to restrict movement around the Pentagon?

MCINTYRE: Well, so far, reporters still have full access inside the Pentagon, where -- except for the parts, obviously, that were be damaged in the terrorist attack. But as a security measure, the Pentagon is closing the VIP parking lots that were right next to the building. Those VIPs will be moved down into lower lots. Everything is getting harder for people here at the Pentagon.

They've lost about 3,000 parking spaces taken up by recovery effort. Lots of people are being told they're going to have take the subway to work. And daycare center that was inaugurated with great fanfare some years ago as a convenience for Pentagon workers, it's been closed because the separate facility in front of the Pentagon is seen as just too inviting a target for terrorists attack -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie Mcintyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, the government of Pakistan is taking a hardline toward Taliban officials demanding they turn over Osama Bin Laden. CNN's senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy joins us now live from Islamabad in Pakistan with details.

First of all, Mike, what are you hearing about the meetings that the Pakistani delegation is having with the Taliban in Afghanistan? MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf. Well, it's Tuesday morning here in Islamabad and next door in Afghanistan. And the high- level Pakistani delegation is getting ready for a second day of meetings with Taliban officials. The Taliban having called together reportedly several of Afghanistan's leading mullahs to debate how to respond to what's being described as an ultimatum.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Amid heightened security and growing tension at home, Pakistan's government waited for news of its last-ditch effort to avoid war. In the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, a team from Pakistan's military intelligence service delivered a blunt message to the Taliban. Hand over Osama Bin Laden and his associates, or face the consequences.

ABDUL SATTAR, PAKISTAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We hope that the government of Afghanistan will act with responsibly in the terribly grave situation raised by these horrendous terrorist acts.

CHINOY: If anyone can influence the Taliban, it's the ISI, Pakistani military intelligence, which played a key role during Afghanistan's civil war in helping the Taliban seize and hold power.

Now though, as President Pervez Musharraf moves to ally his government with Washington, officials here are unclear whether the Taliban will listen to them.

SATTAR: The assumption that Pakistan is in a position to exercise complete influence is flawed in our opinion. We have constantly pointed out to our friends that we have diplomatic relations, but that doesn't necessarily translate into great influence.

CHINOY: Meanwhile, the government has already responded to one U.S. request, closing its borders with Afghanistan, keeping growing numbers of refugees at bay, and halting shipments of everything but food.

The government's stance has stirred sharp opposition in some quarters here, especially from Islamic fundamentalists, many of whom have close links with the Taliban. Demonstrations against President Musharraf have broken out in several cities. There are fears things could get worse.

NAJAM SETHI, NEWSPAPER EDITOR: It could be pretty destabilizing. It will begin in the northern areas, between you know, the border areas of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and the frontier. If the conflict is long drawn out, it will spill over into the streets of Lahore and Karachi and the urban areas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHINOY: In fact, a group of Islamic fundamentalists called The Afghan Defense Committee has announced plans for a nationwide strike and protest demonstrations on the 21 of September, that's this Friday, to protest Pakistan's moves to ally itself with the United States.

Meanwhile, the latest indications we're getting from Kandahar are that Pakistani officials are deeply frustrated by the Taliban's so far intransigent attitude in response to the demands that the Pakistani team has been conveying -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mike, as you know, U.S. relations with Pakistan have been severely strained for about a decade. Where does all this leave the U.S. government's relationship with the government of Pakistan?

CHINOY: Well, there have been a great many issues, notably Pakistan's nuclear program which lead the U.S. to impose sanctions, Pakistan's close ties with the Taliban, and also the fact that this is military government that took power in a coup d'etat two years ago.

Pakistani and American officials are now talking about what Pakistan hopes will come out of it, which would be an easing of sanctions and a resumption of economic aid to reverse this country's terrible economic decline.

There are some here who hope that if this plays out well, that General Musharaff will be able -- the President of Pakistan will be able to bring some of the Islamic radicals, the fundamentalists under control and thus help address some of the concerns that have led to the deterioration in U.S.-Pakistani relations in what appeared to an emerging American tilt toward India in the past year or two -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mike Chinoy in Islamabad, thank you very much.

After 10 years spent fighting in Afghanistan, Russia pulled out in defeat. What are the lessons Russia learned that the United States should consider, as it contemplates action against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban?

CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here, more than 20 years ago, in the treacherous mountains of Afghanistan, Leo Korolkov fought a war like no other. His assignment was to train Soviet special operations commandos, similar to America's Delta Force.

LEO KOROLKOV, FORMER RUSSIA SPECIAL SERVICES (through translator): Modern weapons, rockets, laser-guided missiles, they're useless against these mountains.

DOUGHERTY: Leo was there when Soviet troops moved into Afghanistan. And he was there when they left, after a decade of fighting and 15,000 dead.

KOROLKOV (through translator): I feel sorry for the people who are going to be thrown into those deserted mountainous regions where the enemy knows every single rock, every cave. No maps, no computer training can prepare you for it. DOUGHERTY: As for finding Osama bin Laden, Korolkov says there are a million places he could hide, just like the Mujahadeen he and his men tried to find during their war. Diversionary tactics, terror, suicide attacks were the way the enemy achieved his aims.

Leo says he saw Afghan fighters shot to ribbons, still clutching their weapons and firing until their last breath. Many of them, he says, used drugs before launching operations. But they were, he says, the most effective force he has ever seen, honed on 20 years of continual war.

They were also well-supplied, with stinger missiles provided by the Soviet Union's Cold War foe, the United States. Russia expected to stay a few months in Afghanistan. It ended up fighting for 10 years. It was a searing lesson, Leo says, that scarred Russia just as Vietnam tore at the soul of America. "These fighters can bring any country," he says, "even a superpower, be it Russia, the United States or Europe, to the brink of catastrophe."

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And this a war which will also be fought in parliament buildings, in embassies and the hotline telephone, as the United States seeks to build an anti-terror coalition. Let's here about that diplomatic campaign now from CNN state department Andrea Koppel. She joins us you now live -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, because this war will be won without boundaries, one that is fought literally around the world in countries wherever there are terrorists, it's going to require a very different kind of coalition, a much larger coalition than the one you reported on during the Gulf War. And that is why Secretary of State Powell today has the world on speed dial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): With the Bush administration's diplomatic campaign now in high gear, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the international coalition against terrorism is coming together.

POWELL: It is rhetorical in nature. And they really don't have much else to give us, other than words of support and encouragement. Others, it is far more than that, to the point of, if you have to do something militarily, ask us if we can participate.

KOPPEL: At the heart of this diplomatic puzzle is Afghanistan, where Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist network have safe haven. And for that reason, administration officials say, the U.S. is focusing on several key pieces: Pakistan, Central Asia, Russia and the Arab world.

Diplomatic sources tell CNN, Pakistan President sent a delegation to deliver a letter to the leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia Monday. The message: hand over Bin Laden or face U.S. military retaliation.

In Central Asia, where members of Bin Laden's network are known to operating, the U.S. is appealing to these governments to close their borders and round up the terrorists. Experts say the country of Uzbekistan could also help in a future U.S. military operation.

FRED STARR, CENTRAL ASIA CAUCUS INSTITUTE: It has led the Central Asian activism on the issue of Afghanistan. And it has the best air base in the region.

KOPPEL: That's among the reasons Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, is traveling to Russia this week, to seek Moscow's help in bringing Central Asia onboard, as well as its advice from Moscow's 10- year war with Afghanistan.

A pivotal piece of this puzzle is the Arab world. Countries like Saudi Arabia, a source not only of money to Bin Laden's network, but also home to some of Islam's holiest sites. The U.S. needs the Saudis and others to explain that this is not a U.S. war against Islam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The administration will get a chance to reinforce that message, Wolf, later this week when the Saudi foreign minister comes to Washington. The U.S. looking to Saudi Arabia and Arab world to emphasize throughout the Muslim world that last week's attacks were un-Islamic and the terrorists who committed them were un-Islamic as well, traitors to Islam -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department. Thank you very much.

And up next, the U.S. war machine is gearing up for possible action, but how effective can traditional warfare be in Afghanistan? We'll ask a retired Air Force Major General when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Joining us now, someone who knows quite well the landscape and obstacles the military forces will likely face in any conflict in Afghanistan. Retired U.S. Air Force Major General George Harrison.

General Harrison, thanks for joining us. And tell our viewers why you believe this war will be very different than the Gulf War or the Vietnam War or any other war the U.S. has ever fought?

GEN. GEORGE HARRISON, U.S. AIR FORCE: Well, Wolf, I believe that this conflict requires a more complex interaction of all the elements of national power. This will have to be a military effort that's well coordinated with diplomatic and economic activity. And I think we've seen that just in the report that you've put on tonight.

The president has clearly stated that we won't do anything until we're ready. He stated that we're going to have very tight operational security. And I think all those things add to the complications of what's going on.

The geography, assuming Afghanistan should be a target, the geography of the situation is going to make it more difficult. But I think that as an element of a coordinated national strategy, our military power can and will be very effective.

BLITZER: General Harrison, you're standing in front of a map. And it's obvious to everyone that Afghanistan is landlocked. No ports, no water. What does that mean that air power alone is going to be able to get the job done?

HARRISON: Well, of course, none of us ever believe that air power alone does the job in any circumstance, but air power will be a key element. It's just going to be a very complicated element.

We'll need very much to figure out how to do in-flight refueling. We'll need to figure how to base our forces. We'll need to figure out what kinds of long-range operations we can conduct and what kind of op tempo we can sustain.

As you know from the nearest water to Kabul, for instance, the distance is about 700 or 800 nautical miles. That's beyond the unrefuel roundtrip range of most of our tactical aircraft and certainly it would be a long trip for any of the strategic aircraft. So it'll be a complicated operation. And I think that's one of the reasons why our planners are being very closed mouthed about exactly the kinds of options that they're going to employ.

BLITZER: General, as you know, any military option will require good intelligence. Satellites may or may not be very effective in the kind of operation the U.S. is considering, if in fact it goes up against Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Is that right?

HARRISON: Well, I think that we all understand very clearly that the intelligence operation or the intelligence portion of this operation, by the way, operation's probably the wrong term. Campaign is probably a more correct term. But the intelligence portion of this campaign is going to be very difficult, very involved and very time- consuming.

We can probably gain some quick intelligence and have gained quite a bit over the last few days, but I believe that the requirement to get on the ground to get human intelligence is going to be pervasive and it's going to be very, very difficult.

BLITZER: Retired U.S. Major General George Harrison, thank you very much for joining us.

HARRISON: Pleasure to be here.

BLITZER: Thank you.

And up next, the mood of the military. We'll talk to some of the soldiers who could wind up on the front lines of America's new war. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

President Bush has called on the U.S. military to "get ready."

CNN's Ed Lavandera talked to some troops at Fort Hood, Texas. He joins us now live with a look at the mood among these men and women -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these soldiers here at Fort Hood, in Fort Hood, Texas which is just southwest of Waco, Texas are waiting for their marching orders tonight. This is the nation's largest army base. with almost 45,000 troops. And to say that the troops that are stationed here are motivated to participate is quite an understatement. Because quite frankly, every troop we've spoken with here, wants a piece of the action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you get down to the grunt level, it's the same war it has always been. It's always been about men and soldiers and resolve. Resolve to overcome your foe. And I know the people upstairs are going to put us where we need to be to do our job. And beyond that, I know we can handle our end of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it that has just fired you guys up so much?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, the best way I can put it is they came onto the biggest, baddest dog's porch, did something they shouldn't have. And they're going to pay for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we have get on the ground and we have to go into a cave to pull somebody out, I guarantee you, we'll do that. And when we do it, we're not going come by once and we're going to come by twos. We're going to come by 10s and 20s. And it's going to be me and my Stetson and 1,000 of my best friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They forced the people in my country to be afraid to live their every day live, the freedom that they've had for years and years. They've forced them to be afraid. And that's not something that happens in my countries, sir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Very passionate words from a couple of the soldiers we were able to speak with this morning. Fort Hood,this base is actually known for its armored vehicle weaponry. Thousands of troops were deployed from this base back in 1991 to the Persian Gulf War. A lot of the weaponry that is used from here is heavy armories, like the Bradley and the Abrams tank, which is used both on the frontlines.

So a lot of the troops that are stationed here, well prepared for what might lie ahead in the weeks and months to come.

I'm Ed Lavandera reporting live from for Fort Hood, Texas.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

And please stay with CNN throughout the night for continuous coverage of America's new war. I'll be back with Jeff Greenfield at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 p.m. on the west coast. Coming up at the top of the hour, Larry King talks with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, attorney general John Ashcroft, and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Tomorrow night, we'll continue our look at America's military options. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN" begins right now.

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