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CNN Live At Daybreak

More Troops Deployed to Gulf Region

Aired January 13, 2003 - 06:34   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: Washington, of course, is stepping up troop deployment to the Gulf region. Since Friday, the Bush administration has ordered more than 60,000 more forces to the area.
CNN security analyst Kelly McCann joins us live from Washington to discuss that and much more.

You know, before we get to the deployment of troops, Kelly, I want to ask you about this plot to attack an American airliner carrying military troops.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, for years, Carol, you know, we've used civilian carriers -- Flying Tigers, for example, we've gone back a long time with them -- to get troops over to a particular place for deployment. And this falls into the category of counterintelligence that goes on specifically and especially when you're looking at war, because obviously, one of the most effective ways to reduce the forces would be to keep them from getting in the theater.

So, since Khobar Towers, there's been a lot more focus on what's called "force protection." A good example of that was what happened in Kuwait, when the shooters went into where the Marines were conducting training, were actually shot by MPs who were conducting over-watch while the training was going on. Well, this is the same kind of thing.

Obviously, the intelligence community is looking very, very carefully at who might try to preclude troops from getting in-country, and this falls under that category of counterintelligence...

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Well, this is really frightening to people who fly a lot, because I know when I go through Atlanta's airport, you can see the troops right there, waiting to take the plane overseas. So, it's kind of hard to keep that stuff secret.

MCCANN: It is, but it isn't. In other words, the community -- the military community, a lot of times the friends, the families of all of those troops that are going to deploy know, and that is difficult to control. However, they are at the total control of the military commanders. In other words, quick and significant changes of where you're going to board, when you're going to board and all of that can be made, you know, very, very easily. You can't do that in a civilian world.

So, there are additional measures of security that can be applied to the military that just simply wouldn't work with civilians.

COSTELLO: That the intelligence community was able to give a specific airline, a specific date and time, that's encouraging, isn't it?

MCCANN: Oh, it absolutely is. It shows that the intelligence machine is operating, and that, in fact, however they were to come to that, whether it was through signals intelligence or ongoing investigations or through human intelligence assets that are working the communities, it doesn't really matter. The fact is it surfaced, and they thought it was credible enough to take steps. So, I think that's a good indication that we've got control of it.

COSTELLO: Kelly McCann, many thanks to you.

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 January 13, 2003 - 06:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Washington, of course, is stepping up troop deployment to the Gulf region. Since Friday, the Bush administration has ordered more than 60,000 more forces to the area.
CNN security analyst Kelly McCann joins us live from Washington to discuss that and much more.

You know, before we get to the deployment of troops, Kelly, I want to ask you about this plot to attack an American airliner carrying military troops.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, for years, Carol, you know, we've used civilian carriers -- Flying Tigers, for example, we've gone back a long time with them -- to get troops over to a particular place for deployment. And this falls into the category of counterintelligence that goes on specifically and especially when you're looking at war, because obviously, one of the most effective ways to reduce the forces would be to keep them from getting in the theater.

So, since Khobar Towers, there's been a lot more focus on what's called "force protection." A good example of that was what happened in Kuwait, when the shooters went into where the Marines were conducting training, were actually shot by MPs who were conducting over-watch while the training was going on. Well, this is the same kind of thing.

Obviously, the intelligence community is looking very, very carefully at who might try to preclude troops from getting in-country, and this falls under that category of counterintelligence...

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Well, this is really frightening to people who fly a lot, because I know when I go through Atlanta's airport, you can see the troops right there, waiting to take the plane overseas. So, it's kind of hard to keep that stuff secret.

MCCANN: It is, but it isn't. In other words, the community -- the military community, a lot of times the friends, the families of all of those troops that are going to deploy know, and that is difficult to control. However, they are at the total control of the military commanders. In other words, quick and significant changes of where you're going to board, when you're going to board and all of that can be made, you know, very, very easily. You can't do that in a civilian world.

So, there are additional measures of security that can be applied to the military that just simply wouldn't work with civilians.

COSTELLO: That the intelligence community was able to give a specific airline, a specific date and time, that's encouraging, isn't it?

MCCANN: Oh, it absolutely is. It shows that the intelligence machine is operating, and that, in fact, however they were to come to that, whether it was through signals intelligence or ongoing investigations or through human intelligence assets that are working the communities, it doesn't really matter. The fact is it surfaced, and they thought it was credible enough to take steps. So, I think that's a good indication that we've got control of it.

COSTELLO: Kelly McCann, many thanks to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.