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CNN Live At Daybreak
How Would U.N. Mission Under American Control Work?
Aired September 04, 2003 - 05:04 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Just how would a U.N. mission under American control work?
Our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre looks at the history of those kinds of arrangements.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A United Nations mission under U.S. command could work as well as it does in Korea, where an American general has been in charge for 50 years. Or as poorly as it did in Somalia in 1993, where U.S. commanders were frustrated at the slow response by Pakistani tanks needed to rescue U.S. troops trapped in a deadly firefight.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Blue helmets are very good at peacekeeping. They're not any good at peace making.
MCINTYRE: In Bosnia in 1995, the U.N.'s cumbersome dual key procedure, which required U.N. bureaucrats to approve any military response, allowed Bosnian Serbs to overrun the safe area of Srebrenica and massacre thousands of Muslims. Some argue bringing in the U.N. could make things worse.
FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: Io don't believe it is absolutely assured that if we have more troops under the wrong set of circumstances and perhaps of the wrong kind that it will actually help us.
MCINTYRE: But others counter the trade-off is worth it.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON (R), TEXAS: American taxpayers have footed the bill for the war on terror almost single-handedly so far. And it's time now for other countries to step up to the plate.
MCINTYRE: In fact, a Congressional Budget Office analysis shows the U.S. can't sustain the current troop level of 140,000 in Iraq beyond next March without a significant strain on its already over stressed military.
(on camera): A classified report done for the joint chiefs of staff faults the planning process, saying the Pentagon waited too long to get organized and that as a result, the post-war planning was rushed and inadequate. And Pentagon sources tell CNN of a separate report prepared for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld calling for a U.S. force of 200,000 to secure the peace in Iraq after the war. But Rumsfeld rejected that plan as too heavy on U.S. troops. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: For the latest on Iraq, be secure to log onto our Web site. You know the address, cnn.com. The AOL keyword is CNN.
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 September 4, 2003 - 05:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Just how would a U.N. mission under American control work?
Our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre looks at the history of those kinds of arrangements.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A United Nations mission under U.S. command could work as well as it does in Korea, where an American general has been in charge for 50 years. Or as poorly as it did in Somalia in 1993, where U.S. commanders were frustrated at the slow response by Pakistani tanks needed to rescue U.S. troops trapped in a deadly firefight.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Blue helmets are very good at peacekeeping. They're not any good at peace making.
MCINTYRE: In Bosnia in 1995, the U.N.'s cumbersome dual key procedure, which required U.N. bureaucrats to approve any military response, allowed Bosnian Serbs to overrun the safe area of Srebrenica and massacre thousands of Muslims. Some argue bringing in the U.N. could make things worse.
FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: Io don't believe it is absolutely assured that if we have more troops under the wrong set of circumstances and perhaps of the wrong kind that it will actually help us.
MCINTYRE: But others counter the trade-off is worth it.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON (R), TEXAS: American taxpayers have footed the bill for the war on terror almost single-handedly so far. And it's time now for other countries to step up to the plate.
MCINTYRE: In fact, a Congressional Budget Office analysis shows the U.S. can't sustain the current troop level of 140,000 in Iraq beyond next March without a significant strain on its already over stressed military.
(on camera): A classified report done for the joint chiefs of staff faults the planning process, saying the Pentagon waited too long to get organized and that as a result, the post-war planning was rushed and inadequate. And Pentagon sources tell CNN of a separate report prepared for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld calling for a U.S. force of 200,000 to secure the peace in Iraq after the war. But Rumsfeld rejected that plan as too heavy on U.S. troops. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: For the latest on Iraq, be secure to log onto our Web site. You know the address, cnn.com. The AOL keyword is CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
