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CNN Live Today

Great Deal of Talk About Role of Special Forces in Hunt For Al Qaeda Leaders

Aired August 12, 2002 - 13:06   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: There is a great deal of talk about the role of U.S. special forces in the hunt for Al Qaeda leaders. Pentagon sources say one strategy would include covert missions to find Al Qaeda leaders, and those missions could go into countries other than Afghanistan. Joining us now, CNN military analyst, retired Army General David Grange.
Good afternoon, General. Good to see you.

GEN. DAVID GRANGE, (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Same to you.

LIN: Let's expand on this report further. This is something that CNN has already explored. But interesting to note that when we talk about this plan to use special ops in these covert operations, it would be in countries where the U.S. is not at open war, and it would also be a situation where the local government would not necessarily be informed of their presence. Is this legal?

GRANGE: It's actually -- you have to look at it two ways. There's covert operations and there's clandestine operations. By law, the military doesn't conduct covert operations. That's where you hide the sponsor of those responsible for an act. Clandestine operations is when you go into an area, like another country, let's say to perform reconnaissance, and then you come back out nondetected, not detected. You are hiding the act. The military has always been allowed to do clandestine, but not by law covert. That takes a waiver to the present law.

LIN: How would you imagine the special forces operating in a city? What would the scenario be?

GRANGE: Well, to get into specific tactics and techniques, we probably shouldn't do that right here. Obviously, you want to infiltrate without being detected, you want to conduct your mission, and then move out and get picked up safely without losing any -- having any loss of life to your people, and accomplishing your mission. But in some places in the world, this is very difficult to do, because, again, of languages or the ethnic background of the individual doing the mission.

LIN: What would the mission be, though? Would the mission be to track down these subjects and gather intelligence, or would it be to track down these subjects and arrest them, or even kill them?

GRANGE: I would think that missions that would be given to the military, and again, depending if it's covert or clandestine. But given to the military, let's say that they authorized to do the mission, it would mainly be probably to gather intelligence, perform a reconnaissance mission, or it could be to capture someone, and if the capture may prove unsuccessful, then to kill that person, or persons, with that type of mission.

LIN: But hasn't there in the past been a real effort by the American government to make a distinction between the combat role of the military and the intelligence, or covert, or clandestine operations of the CIA, which needs to operate under very specific legal parameters?

GRANGE: Well, the military conducts reconnaissance. That happens on any kind of mission that the military conducts, combat or humanitarian assistance, or whatever it may be. A lot of the missions are also going into to prepare an environment, what they call shape a environment. In other words prepare it, check in on airfields, soil composition and the attitude of the local people before you launch a combat operation. So some of the missions would be to set that up for future activities.

LIN: Do you think that the plan that is now being revealed, was reported on earlier by CNN, is now being reported in "The New York Times" today, has this been in operation before in a different arena, something that we would be more familiar with?

GRANGE: The United States military has conducted clandestine operations, and at times covert operations, through history. So it's nothing really new. It may be an additional focus. But again, there are specific laws, and waivers are required, depending on what type of mission the military has set on.

LIN: Thank you very much, General David Grange, CNN military analyst.

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