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CNN Live At Daybreak

Project Eyes

Aired October 31, 2003 - 05:38   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 U.S. military is always looking for ways to avoid the dangers in Iraq. Pentagon officials are urgently looking at new high-tech solutions.
Our Barbara Starr tells us about some of those possible solutions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Iraqis and U.S. soldiers continue dying, the Pentagon is urgently looking for technologies to detect attacks before they happen. The answer may be a top-secret effort known as Project Eyes.

The idea: aircraft, like this Predator drone, with sensors to detect suspicious movements of people in vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of the vehicles are moving right now.

STARR: Ground sensors to spot the electronic signature of hidden missiles, like those used to attack the Al Rashid Hotel, or to determine if a soda can in the road is really a bomb.

MAJ. GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO, U.S. ARMY: I'd like a technology that allows me to jam or prematurely explode these improvised explosive devices.

STARR: The Pentagon wants to spend more than $70 million to develop radars, lasers, infrared or electromagnetic sensors to detect metal objects and explosives. Other devices could monitor and jam radio frequencies used to detonate explosives. Remotely-piloted drones, blimps or helicopters could carry the sensors. And computer programs are being developed to track patterns and predict trouble spots.

But caution even from the highest levels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should not unduly raise expectations that we have a silver bullet here.

STARR: Experts here say they know this classified work won't stop most of the attacks. The hope is it may stop some.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 October 31, 2003 - 05:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military is always looking for ways to avoid the dangers in Iraq. Pentagon officials are urgently looking at new high-tech solutions.
Our Barbara Starr tells us about some of those possible solutions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Iraqis and U.S. soldiers continue dying, the Pentagon is urgently looking for technologies to detect attacks before they happen. The answer may be a top-secret effort known as Project Eyes.

The idea: aircraft, like this Predator drone, with sensors to detect suspicious movements of people in vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of the vehicles are moving right now.

STARR: Ground sensors to spot the electronic signature of hidden missiles, like those used to attack the Al Rashid Hotel, or to determine if a soda can in the road is really a bomb.

MAJ. GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO, U.S. ARMY: I'd like a technology that allows me to jam or prematurely explode these improvised explosive devices.

STARR: The Pentagon wants to spend more than $70 million to develop radars, lasers, infrared or electromagnetic sensors to detect metal objects and explosives. Other devices could monitor and jam radio frequencies used to detonate explosives. Remotely-piloted drones, blimps or helicopters could carry the sensors. And computer programs are being developed to track patterns and predict trouble spots.

But caution even from the highest levels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should not unduly raise expectations that we have a silver bullet here.

STARR: Experts here say they know this classified work won't stop most of the attacks. The hope is it may stop some.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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