Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Rumsfeld Set to Visit American Troops in Gulf of Aden
Aired December 11, 2002 - 05:33 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is set to visit American troops in the Gulf of Aden port. He flew this morning from the Ethiopian capital to neighboring Djibouti on his thank you tour. And later today, he'll head to Qatar to observe a war game.
On his five day tour, Rumsfeld has been visiting U.S. troops training in the deserts of the Horn of Africa. And yesterday he also met with the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Both countries eager to support U.S. anti-terror efforts.
Let's just talk about the war game part. Rumsfeld will join General Tommy Franks in Qatar later today. He'll get a firsthand look at a war game, around the clock exercises giving the U.S. Central Command what if scenarios that could come up if the U.S. does go to war with Iraq.
CNN's John Vause joins us again with more from Doha, Qatar -- good morning.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol.
We can tell you that the Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, expected here in the next couple of hours. A fairly light schedule tonight, we're told, not much planned, at least we're not being told about what he's doing tonight. But tomorrow a fairly busy day. He'll head out to the top secret As Sayliyah Military Base, where exercise Internal Look is under way.
It's into its third day now. They've been going pretty much around the clock with those scenarios where we're told that Iraq is, in fact, a consideration, but not the only consideration. This, as we know, is a test of the communications, command and control of that forward command center, which they flew here from Tampa, Florida.
Now, when the secretary of defense gets out to As Sayliyah Military Base he will meet with Tommy Franks. He will meet with the senior military staff. He plans o have lunch there with the troops. He also, I am told there's talk that he will also meet with the emir of Qatar. The emir, of course, has extended the hand of friendship to the U.S. military, encouraging U.S. forces to come here, even building the Al-Udeid Air Base even before this country even had an air force. So that meeting, there is talk that that meeting will, in fact, take place tomorrow.
Now, as you mentioned, the secretary of defense coming here from Djibouti. Djibouti a very small country not far from here. In Djibouti there's about 800 U.S. special forces based there, as well as a CIA unit which operates those Predator drones, which was involved in a missile strike last month in Yemen which killed an al Qaeda operative as well as five others.
Now, also on this trip, the secretary of defense has met with the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Both those countries very, very keen to win U.S. support and to show their eagerness to help the United States war on terrorism. But the secretary of defense saying that this is not about horse trading. This is not about getting access to military bases. This trip, rather, is more about a gesture of good will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What you see is each day and week and month a larger coalition of nations that respect sovereignty and respect freedom and a closer cooperation, putting more and more pressure on terrorists of all types in all continents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now, all this, of course, Carol, against the backdrop of that North Korean vessel which was seized with SCUD missiles, the 12 SCUDs. Now that vessel is now being taken to a port in Bahrain just north of here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, John Vause, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 11, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is set to visit American troops in the Gulf of Aden port. He flew this morning from the Ethiopian capital to neighboring Djibouti on his thank you tour. And later today, he'll head to Qatar to observe a war game.
On his five day tour, Rumsfeld has been visiting U.S. troops training in the deserts of the Horn of Africa. And yesterday he also met with the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Both countries eager to support U.S. anti-terror efforts.
Let's just talk about the war game part. Rumsfeld will join General Tommy Franks in Qatar later today. He'll get a firsthand look at a war game, around the clock exercises giving the U.S. Central Command what if scenarios that could come up if the U.S. does go to war with Iraq.
CNN's John Vause joins us again with more from Doha, Qatar -- good morning.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol.
We can tell you that the Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, expected here in the next couple of hours. A fairly light schedule tonight, we're told, not much planned, at least we're not being told about what he's doing tonight. But tomorrow a fairly busy day. He'll head out to the top secret As Sayliyah Military Base, where exercise Internal Look is under way.
It's into its third day now. They've been going pretty much around the clock with those scenarios where we're told that Iraq is, in fact, a consideration, but not the only consideration. This, as we know, is a test of the communications, command and control of that forward command center, which they flew here from Tampa, Florida.
Now, when the secretary of defense gets out to As Sayliyah Military Base he will meet with Tommy Franks. He will meet with the senior military staff. He plans o have lunch there with the troops. He also, I am told there's talk that he will also meet with the emir of Qatar. The emir, of course, has extended the hand of friendship to the U.S. military, encouraging U.S. forces to come here, even building the Al-Udeid Air Base even before this country even had an air force. So that meeting, there is talk that that meeting will, in fact, take place tomorrow.
Now, as you mentioned, the secretary of defense coming here from Djibouti. Djibouti a very small country not far from here. In Djibouti there's about 800 U.S. special forces based there, as well as a CIA unit which operates those Predator drones, which was involved in a missile strike last month in Yemen which killed an al Qaeda operative as well as five others.
Now, also on this trip, the secretary of defense has met with the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Both those countries very, very keen to win U.S. support and to show their eagerness to help the United States war on terrorism. But the secretary of defense saying that this is not about horse trading. This is not about getting access to military bases. This trip, rather, is more about a gesture of good will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What you see is each day and week and month a larger coalition of nations that respect sovereignty and respect freedom and a closer cooperation, putting more and more pressure on terrorists of all types in all continents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now, all this, of course, Carol, against the backdrop of that North Korean vessel which was seized with SCUD missiles, the 12 SCUDs. Now that vessel is now being taken to a port in Bahrain just north of here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, John Vause, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
