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CNN Live At Daybreak

Kuwait Readies for Conflict

Aired February 07, 2003 - 05:38   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: U.S. troops aren't alone in gearing up for possible conflict with Iraq.
CNN's Martin Savidge has been covering the buildup in neighboring Kuwait.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's a new kind of nightlife in Kuwait: police checkpoints. More and more of the country has the look of a nation preparing for war.

Kuwaiti special forces watch over key roads and highways. Dressed in black and blue camouflage, armed with semi-automatic rifles and machine guns, their appearance triggers mainly curious looks from passing cars.

The government calls the deployment of up to 4,000 security personnel a first step. Stronger measures are scheduled for mid- month, when Kuwaiti forces plan to go to their highest alert level.

The man who ordered the new security measures, Kuwait's minister of interior, was asked if Kuwait is still a safe place. He replied, "It was, it is, and I hope it always will be."

But Kuwaiti confidence has been shaken by recent attacks on Americans that have left two dead and four wounded. Police say they have evidence more attacks may be planned.

Then, there is the looming threat of a U.S.-led war with Kuwait's neighbor, Iraq. Iraqi leaders have warned Kuwait could become a battlefield since it's hosting U.S. troops.

Another sign of preparation: the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry declared starting February 15, the entire northern territories bordering Iraq will become a military zone closed to civilians. The huge swath of area covers over half the country.

As more American soldiers arrive, more U.S. civilians are leaving. The American School of Kuwait is suspending classes, as its American teachers and students heed U.S. State Department warnings to go.

PROF. SHAFEEQ GHABRA, KUWAITI ANALYST: This is extraordinary. It is unique. It's a time of conflict. It's a time of war.

SAVIDGE (on camera): Kuwaitis have seen these kinds of security measures before. Martial law was declared here immediately after the Gulf War. And even earlier than that during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, security forces were a common sight.

(voice-over): Their reappearance now is an indication of just how serious the Kuwaiti government believes the current situation has become.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Kuwait.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 February 7, 2003 - 05:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. troops aren't alone in gearing up for possible conflict with Iraq.
CNN's Martin Savidge has been covering the buildup in neighboring Kuwait.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's a new kind of nightlife in Kuwait: police checkpoints. More and more of the country has the look of a nation preparing for war.

Kuwaiti special forces watch over key roads and highways. Dressed in black and blue camouflage, armed with semi-automatic rifles and machine guns, their appearance triggers mainly curious looks from passing cars.

The government calls the deployment of up to 4,000 security personnel a first step. Stronger measures are scheduled for mid- month, when Kuwaiti forces plan to go to their highest alert level.

The man who ordered the new security measures, Kuwait's minister of interior, was asked if Kuwait is still a safe place. He replied, "It was, it is, and I hope it always will be."

But Kuwaiti confidence has been shaken by recent attacks on Americans that have left two dead and four wounded. Police say they have evidence more attacks may be planned.

Then, there is the looming threat of a U.S.-led war with Kuwait's neighbor, Iraq. Iraqi leaders have warned Kuwait could become a battlefield since it's hosting U.S. troops.

Another sign of preparation: the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry declared starting February 15, the entire northern territories bordering Iraq will become a military zone closed to civilians. The huge swath of area covers over half the country.

As more American soldiers arrive, more U.S. civilians are leaving. The American School of Kuwait is suspending classes, as its American teachers and students heed U.S. State Department warnings to go.

PROF. SHAFEEQ GHABRA, KUWAITI ANALYST: This is extraordinary. It is unique. It's a time of conflict. It's a time of war.

SAVIDGE (on camera): Kuwaitis have seen these kinds of security measures before. Martial law was declared here immediately after the Gulf War. And even earlier than that during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, security forces were a common sight.

(voice-over): Their reappearance now is an indication of just how serious the Kuwaiti government believes the current situation has become.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Kuwait.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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