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CNN Live At Daybreak

International News Desk

Aired July 16, 2003 - 05:50   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: We've been talking all morning about an American soldier who was killed this morning in Iraq. And that brings, what, the total of Americans killed during the war to 147, which equals the number killed in the first Gulf War.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: In terms of troops killed in combat, yes. We are now at a total of troops killed in Iraq since the beginning of combat this time around equaling the amount killed in Iraq in the first Gulf War. That's a significant milestone. And it brings up an important point. You know, we've talked a lot and we're going to be covering Tony Blair talking to parliament today. He's coming to visit Washington tomorrow.

There's been a lot of talk in regards to Blair and Bush, in regard to the credibility of the prewar claims justifying the war. I think it's very interesting now to look at the idea of credibility in terms of what they, both Blair and particularly President Bush, are saying and their ministers of defense, secretaries of defense are saying about how long U.S. troops and British troops will be there.

COSTELLO: Well, we know Tommy Franks has said troops may be there up to four years.

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: But Paul Bremmer seems to be saying something different.

CLINCH: Well, there is a point we need to clarify on that. Paul Bremmer saying yesterday that once the present group of Iraqi leaders that they've put together is replaced eventually through elections by a legitimate, or what they say will be a legitimate Iraqi government, a process that's expected to take about a year or so, that he said yesterday, "The coalition's work will be done. We don't need to stay a day longer."

Well, we pressed him a little bit on that, and I think it's clear, although he won't really go on the record on that, I think it's clear that what he's talking about is the political entity, his administration. I don't think he's prepared to really talk about how long U.S. troops will be there. And, yes, the Defense Department on record as saying it will be a matter of years.

So it's not a question of anybody lying about that. It's just that, for instance, with U.S. troops yesterday and the 3rd I.D. hearing within the last 48 hours that they will have to stay longer, we had some of them saying on camera and a lot worse off camera about what they would do to Donald Rumsfeld if he was there. Not that they don't think they have a job to do, but they're very, very disappointed to hear that they'll have to stay longer.

COSTELLO: Well, those guys have been there since before the war began. They've been there a long time. They're frustrated.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: They want to come home so...

CLINCH: Yes, and...

COSTELLO: ... maybe they're just blowing steam.

CLINCH: For the most part, though, we have to make it clear, U.S. troops know they have a job to do and they are there to do it. And these, you know, gripes, if you can call them that, will probably go away when they do find out that they will get to go home.

The bigger issue is the credibility question for the U.S. public of how long the U.S. troops will stay there and when another is killed today, how many of them will die. And so that's a question we'll be looking at as Blair comes to Washington tomorrow.

Just very quickly on North Korea, too. We've been talking about that and mentioning in reports, former Defense Secretary Perry saying that this idea that North Korea says it's reprocessing enough plutonium to make nuclear weapons could put the U.S. on the path to war.

Now, why would he say that?

Just very briefly, the key point here is North Korea is not a normal country. Kim Jong Il is not a normal leader. The question of how to deal with North Korea is not just a diplomatic one. It's how predictable or unpredictable is the North Korean leadership.

COSTELLO: Yes, we're going to talk to Elise Labott about that, our State Department producer, in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And you'll be back, too.

CLINCH: I will.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

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 July 16, 2003 - 05:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've been talking all morning about an American soldier who was killed this morning in Iraq. And that brings, what, the total of Americans killed during the war to 147, which equals the number killed in the first Gulf War.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: In terms of troops killed in combat, yes. We are now at a total of troops killed in Iraq since the beginning of combat this time around equaling the amount killed in Iraq in the first Gulf War. That's a significant milestone. And it brings up an important point. You know, we've talked a lot and we're going to be covering Tony Blair talking to parliament today. He's coming to visit Washington tomorrow.

There's been a lot of talk in regards to Blair and Bush, in regard to the credibility of the prewar claims justifying the war. I think it's very interesting now to look at the idea of credibility in terms of what they, both Blair and particularly President Bush, are saying and their ministers of defense, secretaries of defense are saying about how long U.S. troops and British troops will be there.

COSTELLO: Well, we know Tommy Franks has said troops may be there up to four years.

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: But Paul Bremmer seems to be saying something different.

CLINCH: Well, there is a point we need to clarify on that. Paul Bremmer saying yesterday that once the present group of Iraqi leaders that they've put together is replaced eventually through elections by a legitimate, or what they say will be a legitimate Iraqi government, a process that's expected to take about a year or so, that he said yesterday, "The coalition's work will be done. We don't need to stay a day longer."

Well, we pressed him a little bit on that, and I think it's clear, although he won't really go on the record on that, I think it's clear that what he's talking about is the political entity, his administration. I don't think he's prepared to really talk about how long U.S. troops will be there. And, yes, the Defense Department on record as saying it will be a matter of years.

So it's not a question of anybody lying about that. It's just that, for instance, with U.S. troops yesterday and the 3rd I.D. hearing within the last 48 hours that they will have to stay longer, we had some of them saying on camera and a lot worse off camera about what they would do to Donald Rumsfeld if he was there. Not that they don't think they have a job to do, but they're very, very disappointed to hear that they'll have to stay longer.

COSTELLO: Well, those guys have been there since before the war began. They've been there a long time. They're frustrated.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: They want to come home so...

CLINCH: Yes, and...

COSTELLO: ... maybe they're just blowing steam.

CLINCH: For the most part, though, we have to make it clear, U.S. troops know they have a job to do and they are there to do it. And these, you know, gripes, if you can call them that, will probably go away when they do find out that they will get to go home.

The bigger issue is the credibility question for the U.S. public of how long the U.S. troops will stay there and when another is killed today, how many of them will die. And so that's a question we'll be looking at as Blair comes to Washington tomorrow.

Just very quickly on North Korea, too. We've been talking about that and mentioning in reports, former Defense Secretary Perry saying that this idea that North Korea says it's reprocessing enough plutonium to make nuclear weapons could put the U.S. on the path to war.

Now, why would he say that?

Just very briefly, the key point here is North Korea is not a normal country. Kim Jong Il is not a normal leader. The question of how to deal with North Korea is not just a diplomatic one. It's how predictable or unpredictable is the North Korean leadership.

COSTELLO: Yes, we're going to talk to Elise Labott about that, our State Department producer, in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And you'll be back, too.

CLINCH: I will.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

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