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CNN Live At Daybreak

More U.S. Troops Needed in Iraq?

Aired August 25, 2003 - 06:33   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: The question now: Does a bigger U.S. fighting force mean a quicker peace in Iraq? The question is fueling a fierce debate in Washington.
Live to D.C. and Skip Loescher.

Good morning -- Skip.

SKIP LOESCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning to you.

The International Red Cross has announced that it is pulling some of its non-Iraqi staff out of Baghdad. The humanitarian relief agency says the action is regrettable, but says it has credible information that it may be the terror -- the target, rather, of a terrorist attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOESCHER (voice-over): Two more U.S. soldiers were killed over the weekend in Baghdad. U.S. Central Command says they were not killed by hostile action.

And in the holy city of Najaf, a bomb went off outside the home of a Shia cleric, killing three people. The cleric survived.

This comes less than a week after the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, which has brought an increased call from members of Congress to get other countries to send troops to Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this administration is acting like Iraq is some prize that we won; that somehow we should covet this and take full responsibility for it. That is a serious mistake.

LOESCHER: The Pentagon contends it has no plans to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq, but it does admit:

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We are very busy right now. Our forces are stretched. But after all, this is a nation at war.

LOESCHER: And the Bush administration contends the operation in Iraq is already an international one.

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: We have the troops of 30 nations on the ground today, side by side with our men and women here, serving to bring security to Iraq.

LOESCHER: Yet, the Pentagon says it would like to have more non- U.S. troops in Iraq.

MYERS: And we're looking for a third multinational division? Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOESCHER: And there are reports the U.S. plans to train another 28,000 Iraqis as police officers. That's so they can take up the burden of security in Baghdad.

We're live in Washington. I'm Skip Loescher.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Skip.

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 August 25, 2003 - 06:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The question now: Does a bigger U.S. fighting force mean a quicker peace in Iraq? The question is fueling a fierce debate in Washington.
Live to D.C. and Skip Loescher.

Good morning -- Skip.

SKIP LOESCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning to you.

The International Red Cross has announced that it is pulling some of its non-Iraqi staff out of Baghdad. The humanitarian relief agency says the action is regrettable, but says it has credible information that it may be the terror -- the target, rather, of a terrorist attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOESCHER (voice-over): Two more U.S. soldiers were killed over the weekend in Baghdad. U.S. Central Command says they were not killed by hostile action.

And in the holy city of Najaf, a bomb went off outside the home of a Shia cleric, killing three people. The cleric survived.

This comes less than a week after the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, which has brought an increased call from members of Congress to get other countries to send troops to Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this administration is acting like Iraq is some prize that we won; that somehow we should covet this and take full responsibility for it. That is a serious mistake.

LOESCHER: The Pentagon contends it has no plans to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq, but it does admit:

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We are very busy right now. Our forces are stretched. But after all, this is a nation at war.

LOESCHER: And the Bush administration contends the operation in Iraq is already an international one.

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: We have the troops of 30 nations on the ground today, side by side with our men and women here, serving to bring security to Iraq.

LOESCHER: Yet, the Pentagon says it would like to have more non- U.S. troops in Iraq.

MYERS: And we're looking for a third multinational division? Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOESCHER: And there are reports the U.S. plans to train another 28,000 Iraqis as police officers. That's so they can take up the burden of security in Baghdad.

We're live in Washington. I'm Skip Loescher.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Skip.

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