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Bush Administration Thinking How They Might Establish Long-Term Presence in Iraq
Aired April 21, 2003 - 07:34 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. Marines pulling out of Baghdad heading south right now, leaving the Army behind and in charge. And the Bush administration right now thinking about how they might establish a long-term presence in Iraq. `
With more on both these stories, Barbara Starr is standing by live at her post at the Pentagon this morning -- Barbara, good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, indeed, the First Marine division yesterday completed its pullout from Baghdad, now having it taken over by the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. The Marines are going to head south. The Army will continue to monitor events in Baghdad and in northern Iraq. And with the Army presence in Baghdad, they're going to take over all matters related to security, law enforcement, getting the electricity, water and sanitation services turned back on, providing medical care when and where they can.
But now, as you say, the question really is becoming what will be the long-term presence in Iraq. Now, the Bush administration has said the U.S. military will stay there, of course, to ensure a stable and secure government, and not stay there one day longer.
But there are a lot of questions being raised about the U.S. military's footprint, if you will, across the Persian Gulf in this post-Saddam Hussein era. Now that Saddam Hussein is gone, Iraq, of course, no longer poses a clear threat to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and its neighbors. So the U.S. is having to think now, we are told, about what its presence will be in those countries and whether or not it will seek to have a long-term military to military relationship with a new Iraqi government.
Now, any agreement Central Command and military, Pentagon officials tell us must be negotiated with a new government. But there are some areas that they are looking at. They are interested in some air bases, we are told, around the country. For example, Baghdad Airport is an air base of extreme interest to the United States. It provides an air head for continued humanitarian relief, supplies flowing into Iraq. And then it's interesting possibly even looking at other air bases around the country, Talil in the south, H1 out in the west, Bashir (ph) in the north.
All of this, of course, in the very preliminary stages of being thought about, would have to be negotiated with a new Iraqi government. But part of the thinking about what the U.S. wants its military footprint in the region to be -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, more on this story from the "New York Times" and Judith Miller, reporting on these weapons of mass destruction that may have been destroyed in the days before the war began.
Much from the Pentagon on this yet today?
STARR: Not yet, but as Sheila MacVicar pointed out, these are some of the things that had been floating around the bazaars, if you will, for the last several weeks. And, of course, there has been continuing concern about Syria.
What is worth pointing out is the Bush administration and the Pentagon in recent weeks have really shifted their hunt for weapons of mass destruction based on some of these stories that are beginning to emerge. They are much less interested in going to every site, poking their nose into every hole, we are told, and they are assembling much more of an intelligence gathering effort. A new group called the Iraqi Survey Group, about 1,000 people, is being formed, being sent over to Iraq, very heavy on intelligence analysts and the kind of people that can track down these stories, piece them all together and see if they can determine what did happen to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thanks, Barbara.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Long-Term Presence in Iraq>
Aired April 21, 2003 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. Marines pulling out of Baghdad heading south right now, leaving the Army behind and in charge. And the Bush administration right now thinking about how they might establish a long-term presence in Iraq. `
With more on both these stories, Barbara Starr is standing by live at her post at the Pentagon this morning -- Barbara, good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, indeed, the First Marine division yesterday completed its pullout from Baghdad, now having it taken over by the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. The Marines are going to head south. The Army will continue to monitor events in Baghdad and in northern Iraq. And with the Army presence in Baghdad, they're going to take over all matters related to security, law enforcement, getting the electricity, water and sanitation services turned back on, providing medical care when and where they can.
But now, as you say, the question really is becoming what will be the long-term presence in Iraq. Now, the Bush administration has said the U.S. military will stay there, of course, to ensure a stable and secure government, and not stay there one day longer.
But there are a lot of questions being raised about the U.S. military's footprint, if you will, across the Persian Gulf in this post-Saddam Hussein era. Now that Saddam Hussein is gone, Iraq, of course, no longer poses a clear threat to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and its neighbors. So the U.S. is having to think now, we are told, about what its presence will be in those countries and whether or not it will seek to have a long-term military to military relationship with a new Iraqi government.
Now, any agreement Central Command and military, Pentagon officials tell us must be negotiated with a new government. But there are some areas that they are looking at. They are interested in some air bases, we are told, around the country. For example, Baghdad Airport is an air base of extreme interest to the United States. It provides an air head for continued humanitarian relief, supplies flowing into Iraq. And then it's interesting possibly even looking at other air bases around the country, Talil in the south, H1 out in the west, Bashir (ph) in the north.
All of this, of course, in the very preliminary stages of being thought about, would have to be negotiated with a new Iraqi government. But part of the thinking about what the U.S. wants its military footprint in the region to be -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, more on this story from the "New York Times" and Judith Miller, reporting on these weapons of mass destruction that may have been destroyed in the days before the war began.
Much from the Pentagon on this yet today?
STARR: Not yet, but as Sheila MacVicar pointed out, these are some of the things that had been floating around the bazaars, if you will, for the last several weeks. And, of course, there has been continuing concern about Syria.
What is worth pointing out is the Bush administration and the Pentagon in recent weeks have really shifted their hunt for weapons of mass destruction based on some of these stories that are beginning to emerge. They are much less interested in going to every site, poking their nose into every hole, we are told, and they are assembling much more of an intelligence gathering effort. A new group called the Iraqi Survey Group, about 1,000 people, is being formed, being sent over to Iraq, very heavy on intelligence analysts and the kind of people that can track down these stories, piece them all together and see if they can determine what did happen to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thanks, Barbara.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Long-Term Presence in Iraq>
