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CNN Live Today

A Call to Duty

Aired January 21, 2003 - 10:17   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As America faces the possibility of war with Iraq, more U.S. troops are being called into action. Thousands of soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas have received their deployment orders. That will likely take them to the Persian Gulf region. The soldiers make up what's known as Task Force Iron Horse. That's a joint air and ground force that will total more than 37,000 troops from some 10 military installations around the country.
In Rhode Island, about 30 members of a National Guard left for duty in Southwest Asia. That unit created communications networks for units out in the field.

As these American troops are sent abroad, there are some concerns here at home about what they'll face. Joining us now to talk more about that, as well as to talk about U.S. military strategy, is CNN military analyst, retired General Wesley Clark.

Good to see you, General, how are you?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Nice to see you, too, Leon. Just fine, thanks.

HARRIS: All right, let's talk about this, major deployment numbers that we're seeing here in the U.S., some 37, 000 troops, plus also in the headlines, 26,000 British troops, in what is termed by many as a surprise deployment, because that number amounts to nearly a quarter of all British troops. Now being sent to that region. How would you read all of that, what does it mean?

CLARK: First of all, it's not a bluff, by either the administration or the British. The administration is consistently saying time is running out for Saddam Hussein. We've heard all the weekend the calls that the United Nations for more time. The simple fact of the matter is the administration's logic has been relatively consistent on the issue of Iraq from the beginning. They pointed out there was an urgent problem to deal with, and they've given the U.N. time to deal with it. And in their own minds, they probably don't have a specific date deadline, but it's clear that as the administration said, they're going into the final phase after the 27 January report. So I'm looking for conflict to begin in mid-February.

HARRIS: Now, we've been talking this morning, also, about this shooting incident that happened in Kuwait. Let's talk about Kuwait. These troops sent over there, do we know where they will be going? Because as it stands right now, the U.S. troops are stationed across that country, are they not? CLARK: They are. We don't know precisely where they're going. Chances are they're going to Kuwait. This is a mechanized force, it's a heavily armored force. I suppose it could be going to Turkey. But more likely, they'd put an air mobile force in Turkey. So it's probably going to Kuwait.

HARRIS: What do you make of the news from Kuwait, this ambush in which two civilians were killed leaving that Doha base. And what does that bring to your mind? Because as I also read it this morning, those men were civilians. However, when U.S. troops do leave that base, they're dressed as civilians. How do you read that, and does this mean that it's time to take extra precautions there?

CLARK: It is time to take extra precautions, Leon, you're exactly right. I think that what you've go over there now, and we learned this during the Gulf War, really, when the U.S. troops go out, we always bring contractor support with us. These are American civilians, many of them former military, they're specialists in weapons. They have the high technology skills it takes to keep our weaponry going. They don't exactly live with the troops exactly. They're probably staying in a hotel in Kuwait City, but they're going out there to work on some of the equipment during the day, and calibrate it and so forth, and they're vulnerable. So this is a blow at America's military power, not just at America.

HARRIS: Do you sense this is the beginning of signs of increasing anti-Americanism in that crucial area of Kuwait?

CLARK: I think it is. I think that what you're going to see is a rising tide of anti-Americanism as we approach the climax of the diplomatic phase here, and so from now until mid-February is going to be very dangerous in the Middle East.

HARRIS: Since you bring up the diplomatic phase, let's talk about this. Widely talked about, that you want to be president, or may want to be president. I won't put you on the spot right now. But I will say this, let's have you be the president for the next 20, 30 seconds or so. You're in a situation right now, if you are Mr. President, where it seems like you're being ambushed in the U.N. Security Council. Support there is waning, and you're hearing this from major sources, major veto holding members within the Security Council. There's no smoking gun found in Iraq, and the Iraqis are now appearing to commit themselves to cooperate just as you have demanded them to do. What is the next step? What do you do now?

CLARK: Well, Leon, if I had been in that position, I probably wouldn't have made the moves that got us to this point. But just assuming that we're here at this point, then I think that the president is going to have to move ahead, despite the fact that the allies have reservations.

HARRIS: You mean move ahead unilaterally?

CLARK: With whatever coalition we can establish. The administration has always said it didn't need a second U.N. Security Council resolution in order to go ahead. If there is an urgent problem in Iraq, and we've known for years that he has weapons of mass destruction, there's no question that those weapons are there. We're not quite sure exactly where. Maybe the inspectors will find something more in the next week, maybe they won't. But there's no assurance that we'll be any better off in a month, or two months or three months. So I think from the administration's logic, it makes sense to go ahead and face the diplomatic heat, but do what you think is right.

HARRIS: It's clear there will be a lot of diplomatic heat to face, because we're hearing more and more calls for the U.S. to pony up proof of what they're saying. Right now, we're hearing voices, France's ambassador to the U.N. spoke out vehemently against any action outside of the continuing inspections.

Let me ask you this, finally, because we talked about the waning support, or at least now somewhat tenuous support in the U.N. Security Council. What do you find around the country? I know you've been traveling around the country, talking to a lot of groups in the last few months or so. What is it that you're seeing and hearing in the American public about support for all of this?

CLARK: The American public doesn't understand the urgency of this, and there's not broad support. There's a sort of resigned, OK, the president got us into this, and Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we'd like to get rid of him. Not sure about going to war. Pretty much opposed or resisting going to war without U.N. support. And so there's really no support.

And my concern is that this is a political issue, the president and his party put this forward, and I just hope that all Americans will understand that the men and women in the United States armed forces are doing -- they're following the orders, within the bounds of the Constitution. They're doing what they have signed up to do and raised their right hand to do, which is take orders from the commander in chief. So I hope all those people who are concerned about this policy don't take it out on the men and women who volunteer to give their lives in the service to this country.

HARRIS: Understood. General, for now, Wesley Clark. And if you do decide to change titles, make sure you let family here at CNN know about it first.

CLARK: Thanks, Leon.

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 21, 2003 - 10:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As America faces the possibility of war with Iraq, more U.S. troops are being called into action. Thousands of soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas have received their deployment orders. That will likely take them to the Persian Gulf region. The soldiers make up what's known as Task Force Iron Horse. That's a joint air and ground force that will total more than 37,000 troops from some 10 military installations around the country.
In Rhode Island, about 30 members of a National Guard left for duty in Southwest Asia. That unit created communications networks for units out in the field.

As these American troops are sent abroad, there are some concerns here at home about what they'll face. Joining us now to talk more about that, as well as to talk about U.S. military strategy, is CNN military analyst, retired General Wesley Clark.

Good to see you, General, how are you?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Nice to see you, too, Leon. Just fine, thanks.

HARRIS: All right, let's talk about this, major deployment numbers that we're seeing here in the U.S., some 37, 000 troops, plus also in the headlines, 26,000 British troops, in what is termed by many as a surprise deployment, because that number amounts to nearly a quarter of all British troops. Now being sent to that region. How would you read all of that, what does it mean?

CLARK: First of all, it's not a bluff, by either the administration or the British. The administration is consistently saying time is running out for Saddam Hussein. We've heard all the weekend the calls that the United Nations for more time. The simple fact of the matter is the administration's logic has been relatively consistent on the issue of Iraq from the beginning. They pointed out there was an urgent problem to deal with, and they've given the U.N. time to deal with it. And in their own minds, they probably don't have a specific date deadline, but it's clear that as the administration said, they're going into the final phase after the 27 January report. So I'm looking for conflict to begin in mid-February.

HARRIS: Now, we've been talking this morning, also, about this shooting incident that happened in Kuwait. Let's talk about Kuwait. These troops sent over there, do we know where they will be going? Because as it stands right now, the U.S. troops are stationed across that country, are they not? CLARK: They are. We don't know precisely where they're going. Chances are they're going to Kuwait. This is a mechanized force, it's a heavily armored force. I suppose it could be going to Turkey. But more likely, they'd put an air mobile force in Turkey. So it's probably going to Kuwait.

HARRIS: What do you make of the news from Kuwait, this ambush in which two civilians were killed leaving that Doha base. And what does that bring to your mind? Because as I also read it this morning, those men were civilians. However, when U.S. troops do leave that base, they're dressed as civilians. How do you read that, and does this mean that it's time to take extra precautions there?

CLARK: It is time to take extra precautions, Leon, you're exactly right. I think that what you've go over there now, and we learned this during the Gulf War, really, when the U.S. troops go out, we always bring contractor support with us. These are American civilians, many of them former military, they're specialists in weapons. They have the high technology skills it takes to keep our weaponry going. They don't exactly live with the troops exactly. They're probably staying in a hotel in Kuwait City, but they're going out there to work on some of the equipment during the day, and calibrate it and so forth, and they're vulnerable. So this is a blow at America's military power, not just at America.

HARRIS: Do you sense this is the beginning of signs of increasing anti-Americanism in that crucial area of Kuwait?

CLARK: I think it is. I think that what you're going to see is a rising tide of anti-Americanism as we approach the climax of the diplomatic phase here, and so from now until mid-February is going to be very dangerous in the Middle East.

HARRIS: Since you bring up the diplomatic phase, let's talk about this. Widely talked about, that you want to be president, or may want to be president. I won't put you on the spot right now. But I will say this, let's have you be the president for the next 20, 30 seconds or so. You're in a situation right now, if you are Mr. President, where it seems like you're being ambushed in the U.N. Security Council. Support there is waning, and you're hearing this from major sources, major veto holding members within the Security Council. There's no smoking gun found in Iraq, and the Iraqis are now appearing to commit themselves to cooperate just as you have demanded them to do. What is the next step? What do you do now?

CLARK: Well, Leon, if I had been in that position, I probably wouldn't have made the moves that got us to this point. But just assuming that we're here at this point, then I think that the president is going to have to move ahead, despite the fact that the allies have reservations.

HARRIS: You mean move ahead unilaterally?

CLARK: With whatever coalition we can establish. The administration has always said it didn't need a second U.N. Security Council resolution in order to go ahead. If there is an urgent problem in Iraq, and we've known for years that he has weapons of mass destruction, there's no question that those weapons are there. We're not quite sure exactly where. Maybe the inspectors will find something more in the next week, maybe they won't. But there's no assurance that we'll be any better off in a month, or two months or three months. So I think from the administration's logic, it makes sense to go ahead and face the diplomatic heat, but do what you think is right.

HARRIS: It's clear there will be a lot of diplomatic heat to face, because we're hearing more and more calls for the U.S. to pony up proof of what they're saying. Right now, we're hearing voices, France's ambassador to the U.N. spoke out vehemently against any action outside of the continuing inspections.

Let me ask you this, finally, because we talked about the waning support, or at least now somewhat tenuous support in the U.N. Security Council. What do you find around the country? I know you've been traveling around the country, talking to a lot of groups in the last few months or so. What is it that you're seeing and hearing in the American public about support for all of this?

CLARK: The American public doesn't understand the urgency of this, and there's not broad support. There's a sort of resigned, OK, the president got us into this, and Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we'd like to get rid of him. Not sure about going to war. Pretty much opposed or resisting going to war without U.N. support. And so there's really no support.

And my concern is that this is a political issue, the president and his party put this forward, and I just hope that all Americans will understand that the men and women in the United States armed forces are doing -- they're following the orders, within the bounds of the Constitution. They're doing what they have signed up to do and raised their right hand to do, which is take orders from the commander in chief. So I hope all those people who are concerned about this policy don't take it out on the men and women who volunteer to give their lives in the service to this country.

HARRIS: Understood. General, for now, Wesley Clark. And if you do decide to change titles, make sure you let family here at CNN know about it first.

CLARK: Thanks, Leon.

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