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CNN Live Today

Interview with Jack Liles

Aired July 29, 2002 - 14:21   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More talk today about a potential U.S. strike against Saddam Hussein. A newspaper report outlines one strategy Washington is said to be considering. Both the "New York Times" report and the plan it describes are sure to raise controversy.
For insights, we are joined by former Lieutenant Commander Jack Liles, who flew for the Navy during and after the Gulf War -- Jack, good to see you.

JACK LILES, FORMER LT. COMMANDER, U.S. NAVY: Good to see you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's start with that "New York Times" article, OK, and this relationship between certain Pentagon military officials and the Bush administration. What's going on here?

LILES: Well, it is interesting as we debate the different strategies that are being considered for Iraq. You've obviously got the opinions of senior military officials in the Pentagon, as well as the civilian leadership in the Pentagon, as well as the executive branch of our government.

We'll hear those different opinions, and some will clash from time to time, but we must remember, as I know the senior officials in the Pentagon do, that essentially the Pentagon is a subordinate function within our government to our civilian leadership in the White House. So while their opinion is asked, and while they are asked to come up with various strategies and to offer plan A, plan B, plan C, these kind of leaks we're seeing to some of the press, about senior military opinion is a little bit of a thing that I'm sure is causing some unease within the senior levels of both branches of the government right now.

PHILLIPS: And on those senior levels, we are getting the word that there is no war plan in existence. Do you believe that?

LILES: No, I don't believe that. We always have plans and contingency plans for a variety of contingencies that may occur around the world, both with current threats as well as potential threats, so we're not sitting flat-footed right now with respect to Iraq, whether it be to continue the containment policy we have now, whether it be to tweak that policy somewhat, either more aggressively or more passively, or whether it be to take a much more aggressive stand, and that is some type of invasion plan or some other tactic or strategy to topple Saddam or his regime.

PHILLIPS: Now you were highly involved with tactical planning on the Iraqi strike missions. Let's talk about options here. What are the options?

LILES: Well, again, I think the options include everything from a full bore-type invasion of Iraq or a full effort to topple Saddam himself, or rid him of his position of power right now, to tweaking, in some shape or form, the current containment policy we have in place. I think a lot of Americans have kind of lost sight over the last ten years of what our policy and our tactics have been in Iraq in the last decade, and that is to continue to enforce those no-fly zones to the north and south of Baghdad. We have aircraft in the air over the skies of southern Iraq every day watching his installations, watching his missile defense systems, and gathering intelligence as necessary to kind of keep this containment policy effective. So, we're in place there. We have lots of forces that are very familiar with Iraq and are operating there right now. So this strategy of continuing this containment policy, both at sea, as we've seen some of the stories about maritime interdiction in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, as well as our no-fly zone policy are still very much in place, and I think that is what we are probably going to see the most of in the near future is a little bit of tweaking of that containment policy.

PHILLIPS: Jack Liles. Thank you so much. We will continue to follow this story, and no doubt be talking again, my friend. Thanks, Jack.

LILES: Thanks, Kyra.

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