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CNN Live Today

Vice President Visits Middle East

Aired March 13, 2002 - 14:07   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, the Middle East violence dominated the vice president, Dick Cheney's, agenda today, in the region there as part of a 12-country tour, including several Arab nations. He was in Egypt today. To the White House and Kelly Wallace. Not only the Middle East, but certainly Iraq is on the table as well. Kelly, good afternoon.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. And, you know, as we've been reporting, President Bush to hold a news conference just two hours from now. The situation in the Middle East, the situation dealing with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein definitely likely to get a great deal of attention.

You know, earlier, the White House said it is "very concerned" about recent Israeli military activity that has resulted in the deaths of Palestinian civilians. The vice president again, as you said, who is in the midst of a tour of the region today in Egypt, meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. We have seen this administration, for the most part, in the past really putting onus on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But over the past several days, the administration stepping up the pressure a bit on the Israelis. Here's how the vice president answered when asked if the burden now is shifting to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the burden is on both parties to bring an end to the violence. It is not going to be possible to make progress until both parties can agree to a ceasefire and to get into Tenet and the Mitchell plans. And so I think, obviously, the burden resides on both parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: That being said though, Arab leaders, including the Egyptian president, looking to see this administration step up the pressure even more on the Israelis. President Mubarak telling reporters at that news conference that while the Palestinians must exercise maximum restraint, Mr. Mubarak saying that the recent Israeli military activity cannot be tolerated.

Now at the same time, Bill, the vice president hailing the passage last night of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for the creation of a Palestinian state, to have the Palestinians and the Israelis living together side by side. Again, hailing that as a positive development. But as we have been stressing throughout the day, the work really tough for the vice president as well, for retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, who will be heading to the region.

And, you know, we have been saying the vice president also in the region, trying to talk to Arab allies about how to deal with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. President Mubarak making it very clear. He believes all diplomatic efforts should be looked into, that he is hopeful Saddam Hussein would allow inspectors to come back into the country. Clearly though, this administration wants those inspectors to have really unlimited access to the country, and has, of course, talked about the possibility of possible military action. So, a difficult challenge for the vice president, also for General Zinni who heads to the region very soon -- Bill.

HEMMER: Challenges on both ends. Kelly, thanks. Kelly Wallace at the White House.

She was talking about Iraq. How and when and if the U.S. deals with Saddam Hussein is a wide open question at this point. Let's talk about it with Don Shepperd, our retired military analyst with us live from D.C. General, good to see you.

I know you talk mostly about military matters, but let me just hit you on this diplomatic front here. King Abdullah in Jordan yesterday called it, in his words, a catastrophe if Iraq were taken on. He said it would be a disaster for the region. Hosni Mubarak did not go that far today. But how does this publicly hurt the U.S. position when it talks about the potential for military response?

RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, of course, Bill, it makes it more difficult. Obviously, we have to lay the diplomatic groundwork and have the legal basis for any military action against Iraq. We would like to have Arab allies in the Gulf region behind us for basing rights, overflight rights and just general support if we do that, so it is not perceived as the United States against the Muslim world. These types of statements make it very, very difficult, but in the Mideast, a lot is initially said and a lot takes place behind the scenes and a lot will change before we're ready to take military action, if we do, Bill.

HEMMER: And there are two things to dissect on that. Publicly is one thing, you're suggesting. Privately might be another. That's the suggestion we heard a couple of hours from John King. Others have stated it as well, even though King Abdullah says publicly, it could be disastrous. Privately, you think he may have a different position?

SHEPPERD: Indeed, that is true. But when they use words like disastrous, that is usually a strong position in the diplomatic world. And so we're going to have to be very careful, very thoughtful, very mindful, about how we go about this. And we are going to need support from many areas. So it is going to be a difficult task to put together the politics before any kind of military operation can be done. HEMMER: All right. Now, listen, there are two things that may play out substantially in the weeks and months to come. One is this weapons inspections team. If indeed it gains more and more steam as the weeks and months go by, does that build up the trump card for the U.S. if the U.N. is not completely granted access throughout Iraq?

SHEPPERD: Well, clearly, it plays into the United States hands if the United States intends to take military action. But I think what the United States is after is assuring, assuring that the weapons of mass destruction capability of Iraq is gone. If they could do that through inspections and diplomacy, I believe they would do it before military action. But they are not going to take some watered down access from Saddam Hussein. They are clearly going to see this through to the end is the message I'm getting, Bill.

HEMMER: What do you think then, based on military action, if the Middle East situation were to subside somewhat? Not an all out peace plan between the Palestinians and Israelis, but if indeed that situation were to improve, would that have an impact toward Iraq?

SHEPPERD: I think the situation between the Israelis and Palestinians overlays everything in the Middle East and is not overstated in any way. If that can be settled in any way, it will make the world easier, not just the United States' action against Iraq, but it will bring down tensions around the world. It is a very important issue that must be solved. We have to find a solution to this, Bill.

HEMMER: If indeed military action were eventually to go forward, let's say in the spring or in the summer or late summertime, what sort of action would you anticipate? Are we looking at something like we saw in the late 1990s and early 1991 or would it be a much reduced force there facing off against Iraq?

SHEPPERD: Well, I can't tell you what size force would be included, but it would be substantial, let's put it that way. And there would be elements of air power, elements of special forces and elements of ground power. You cannot go against Iraq with air power alone and do what you need to do this time, which would be to change the regime.

Clearly, Saddam Hussein is weaker. His forces are weaker than before. On the other hand, if you are really going to march to Baghdad and if you're really going to change the regime, and if you're really going to put Saddam Hussein in your sights, that makes it more complicated than what we did before, which was to oust them from Kuwait and then stop.

HEMMER: Again, all hypotheticals. We'll see how it all plays out together. Major General Don Shepperd, thanks, live in Washington with us today.

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