Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
U.S. Lawmakers Call on Administration to Shift Iraq Policy
Aired August 25, 2003 - 10:25 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now back to Iraq, where Sunday brought more deadly attacks against U.S. troops. But some lawmakers say more American forces should be sent in to help stabilize the country, but the Bush administration says that is not the answer.
And joining us now with more on all of this is CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
Good morning -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
Critics of the Pentagon, both Democrats, Republicans and even some military experts, argued that it's just common sense that with security being the big concern in Iraq, the U.S. needs more troops on the ground -- troops that would pursue the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime, troops that could possibly seal the borders with Iraq and Syria, preventing foreign fighters from entering the country, and also troops to guard critical infrastructure in the country.
But the Pentagon says that that argument just doesn't hold water; that they have the correct number of troops. But what they need is not more troops on the ground, but better intelligence to allow the troops there to go after Saddam Hussein. They say having more troops wouldn't help find Saddam Hussein or his followers, but better intelligence will, better cooperation with the Iraqis and to put an Iraqi face on the operation.
To that end, the United States is accelerating the training of Iraqi police, a new Iraqi police force, including a program to bring tens of thousands of Iraqis into Hungary, where there is a police training academy that would be operated by the United States to bring that force up-to-speed.
But the debate rages on, and the Pentagon is sticking to its guns, insisting that is it does not need to increase the number of troops in Iraq -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And, Jamie, back just for a moment to the American troops. Is the administration worried now at this point at all about retention?
MCINTYRE: Well, they are worried, because there is one thing that there is no debate about, and that is that the U.S. military is stretched pretty thin. The Army had to go through a very complicated plan to work out an arrangement to relieve the troops in Iraq and had to basically tell troops that they will be serving a one-year tour of duty in Iraq, and a very complicated schedule to bring that about.
So, they are worried that as those troops come home after what is a very grueling assignment, sometimes a deadly assignment, that they'll be disinclined to re-enlist when their time is up. So, that is a concern.
The Pentagon is insisting, though, that they believe this stress is a spike and is not something that requires a long-term increase in the U.S. military.
COLLINS: All right. Well, certainly the incredibly hot temperatures there are not helping things too much, I'm sure. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Policy>
Aired August 25, 2003 - 10:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now back to Iraq, where Sunday brought more deadly attacks against U.S. troops. But some lawmakers say more American forces should be sent in to help stabilize the country, but the Bush administration says that is not the answer.
And joining us now with more on all of this is CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
Good morning -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
Critics of the Pentagon, both Democrats, Republicans and even some military experts, argued that it's just common sense that with security being the big concern in Iraq, the U.S. needs more troops on the ground -- troops that would pursue the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime, troops that could possibly seal the borders with Iraq and Syria, preventing foreign fighters from entering the country, and also troops to guard critical infrastructure in the country.
But the Pentagon says that that argument just doesn't hold water; that they have the correct number of troops. But what they need is not more troops on the ground, but better intelligence to allow the troops there to go after Saddam Hussein. They say having more troops wouldn't help find Saddam Hussein or his followers, but better intelligence will, better cooperation with the Iraqis and to put an Iraqi face on the operation.
To that end, the United States is accelerating the training of Iraqi police, a new Iraqi police force, including a program to bring tens of thousands of Iraqis into Hungary, where there is a police training academy that would be operated by the United States to bring that force up-to-speed.
But the debate rages on, and the Pentagon is sticking to its guns, insisting that is it does not need to increase the number of troops in Iraq -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And, Jamie, back just for a moment to the American troops. Is the administration worried now at this point at all about retention?
MCINTYRE: Well, they are worried, because there is one thing that there is no debate about, and that is that the U.S. military is stretched pretty thin. The Army had to go through a very complicated plan to work out an arrangement to relieve the troops in Iraq and had to basically tell troops that they will be serving a one-year tour of duty in Iraq, and a very complicated schedule to bring that about.
So, they are worried that as those troops come home after what is a very grueling assignment, sometimes a deadly assignment, that they'll be disinclined to re-enlist when their time is up. So, that is a concern.
The Pentagon is insisting, though, that they believe this stress is a spike and is not something that requires a long-term increase in the U.S. military.
COLLINS: All right. Well, certainly the incredibly hot temperatures there are not helping things too much, I'm sure. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Policy>
