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White House Has Plans for Occupying, Rebuilding Post-Saddam Iraq
Aired February 24, 2003 - 07:32 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the issue of Iraq. If it comes to war with Iraq, the White House already has plans for occupying and rebuilding a post-Saddam Iraq. Today, the Bush administration will unveil some details of that plan.
Barbara Starr joining us now from the Pentagon with a preview -- good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Paula.
Well, indeed, this briefing expected later today at the White House. But we already do know a fair bit about what the Bush administration has in mind once the shooting stops in Iraq. Now, the administration, of course, is calling it the liberation of Iraq, not the occupation of Iraq. But a lot of plans, a lot of details in the works.
There was a highly classified two day meeting over the weekend here in Washington. Top administration officials from various agencies getting together, going through the plan, determining what still needs to be done. By all accounts, the results were that they've realized they're going to need more money, more time, more attention to the very detailed plan of basically how the U.S. government will run the country of Iraq if there's a war and once the peace is achieved.
Now, the plan calls for the U.S. military here at the Pentagon to be in charge of Iraq in the initial phases. General Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, and his troops, of course, will be in charge of security throughout Iraq. But there are additional very elaborate plans for civil reconstruction and it's going to be led by the Pentagon, by the U.S. military in the initial stages.
The Pentagon has now formed an Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance here at the Pentagon. Those people, indeed, will eventually move to Baghdad and run the operation from there. A retired U.S. Army general, General Jay Garner, who has had some experience in northern Iraq, humanitarian efforts with the Kurds, is in charge of that operation.
What they tell us is that General Garner will not run the reconstruction of Iraq, but he will be sort of a super coordinator, working with other government agencies, private organizations trying to bring it all together.
Now, that Office of Reconstruction will basically have several parts. It will involve humanitarian assistance governing the country. But the military will still play the major role. And what they will do is they will secure the weapons of mass destruction, they will coordinate relief supplies, secure and operate the oil fields and work with the Iraqis to develop a new legal system.
But still, lots of issues on the table. It will a lot of time, money and attention, and, of course, most of it will depend on how much destruction is caused by a war. That will dictate how much reconstruction has to take place -- Paula.
ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks for the preview.
We'll be looking forward to hearing more details later today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Saddam Iraq>
Aired February 24, 2003 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the issue of Iraq. If it comes to war with Iraq, the White House already has plans for occupying and rebuilding a post-Saddam Iraq. Today, the Bush administration will unveil some details of that plan.
Barbara Starr joining us now from the Pentagon with a preview -- good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Paula.
Well, indeed, this briefing expected later today at the White House. But we already do know a fair bit about what the Bush administration has in mind once the shooting stops in Iraq. Now, the administration, of course, is calling it the liberation of Iraq, not the occupation of Iraq. But a lot of plans, a lot of details in the works.
There was a highly classified two day meeting over the weekend here in Washington. Top administration officials from various agencies getting together, going through the plan, determining what still needs to be done. By all accounts, the results were that they've realized they're going to need more money, more time, more attention to the very detailed plan of basically how the U.S. government will run the country of Iraq if there's a war and once the peace is achieved.
Now, the plan calls for the U.S. military here at the Pentagon to be in charge of Iraq in the initial phases. General Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, and his troops, of course, will be in charge of security throughout Iraq. But there are additional very elaborate plans for civil reconstruction and it's going to be led by the Pentagon, by the U.S. military in the initial stages.
The Pentagon has now formed an Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance here at the Pentagon. Those people, indeed, will eventually move to Baghdad and run the operation from there. A retired U.S. Army general, General Jay Garner, who has had some experience in northern Iraq, humanitarian efforts with the Kurds, is in charge of that operation.
What they tell us is that General Garner will not run the reconstruction of Iraq, but he will be sort of a super coordinator, working with other government agencies, private organizations trying to bring it all together.
Now, that Office of Reconstruction will basically have several parts. It will involve humanitarian assistance governing the country. But the military will still play the major role. And what they will do is they will secure the weapons of mass destruction, they will coordinate relief supplies, secure and operate the oil fields and work with the Iraqis to develop a new legal system.
But still, lots of issues on the table. It will a lot of time, money and attention, and, of course, most of it will depend on how much destruction is caused by a war. That will dictate how much reconstruction has to take place -- Paula.
ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks for the preview.
We'll be looking forward to hearing more details later today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Saddam Iraq>
