Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

How Important Is Turkey to War Against Iraq?

Aired March 01, 2003 - 17:43   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey's parliament has failed to pass a measure that would let the U.S. operate from Turkish bases to attack Iraq. Another vote on that could come Tuesday, but what does this hangup today mean for the Pentagon's Iraq war strategy? Retired Major General Don Shepperd joins us now from Tucson with more on this.
And General, I'm wondering, the idea that there are six countries around Iraq. We have some that are on board with the United States- led coalition; others that are on the fence; others that are definitely not going to have anything to do with this. Can you talk a little bit about this, and we're going to show a map to our audience, you know, detailing what exactly -- which countries are we talking about.

MAJ. GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You bet, Renay. Well, basically, the countries that are not going to help us or be involved in any way at all are the countries of Iran and Syria. Turkey is still in question. We'll probably know more next Tuesday. Kuwait is clearly on board, letting us mass troops there and prepare them. Saudi Arabia is allowing us to use air bases for certain things, and also their air space. And the country of Jordan, not much is being said, but there are indications that we are receiving at least some help from the country of Jordan.

So it's a mixed bag around there. The big issue, of course, in front of us is, what about the northern front in Turkey? That's the most important thing on our plate right now, today, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: And we're having -- we should explain to our viewers -- we're having a little bit of trouble with our Telestrator here, because I was going to put some arrows here regarding the countries that we're talking about, but when you talk about that northern invasion route from the U.S., Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers did say yesterday in an appearance with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that U.S. forces were going to be in northern Iraq one way or another. But tell us how much more difficult that will be without Turkey's cooperation.

SHEPPERD: It makes it much more difficult. Throws a real wrench in the plans. If you have to come in out of the Kuwait ports and across Kuwait and then move up through southern Iraq and around the west of Baghdad to establish a northern front, it is a big deal and a logistical nightmare. Even if you have to do it by airborne insertion as opposed to marching across the ground, you have to get that stuff there. So no matter what anyone tells you, it is a big deal if we are not allowed to come in from the north and Turkey, Renay. SAN MIGUEL: And the idea that we also did get, I believe the U.S. did get approval to use the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. To use those. That takes on much more importance if Turkey is not on board?

SHEPPERD: It does. Now, Prince Sultan, we've been operating out of there for some time with certain restrictions. We operate certain airplanes out of there, allowed to do certain things, not allowed to do others. So we will be seeking permission to do other things, and additional things if Turkey is not allowed.

Now, remember, right now what we're talking about is the approval of 62,000 ground troops, 255 airplanes and 65 helicopters. It could be that we're not allowed to put ground troops in there, but we can continue with our air operations, such as we've done in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Much to be worked out. And there are many ways to go about this problem, but it will be a lot easier if we can come through Turkey with ground troops.

SAN MIGUEL: Sixty two thousand troops scheduled to be deployed in Turkey; that on hold right now. But five to six carrier groups, aircraft carrier groups in the region, in the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. What about the importance of the ships that would be coming from there, and the Navy's role, if Turkey is not a part of this plan?

SHEPPERD: Very, very important. The Navy is important no matter whether Turkey is part of the plan or not. They carry everything to the war. The heavy stuff goes by ship. People go by air. And of course the ships also fire the Tomahawk missiles and the carriers allow us to launch airstrikes from the carriers, in addition to our land base. It puts more pressure and more airplanes on the system, and the Navy is very, very important, Renay, no matter what the scenario is.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. One other quick question. We haven't talked a lot about Jordan, about whether they would play a supporting role in this, in the U.S.-led coalition against Iraq. Talk about some of the pressures that are facing the leadership there.

SHEPPERD: King Abdullah is western educated in the United States, he is a friend of the West, as was his father. He faces internal opposition, of course, being an Arab country, and also many Palestinians in his country with the Arab -- with the Israeli/Palestine situation looming in the background there. So this is a tough political position to put him in. And again, we are not saying what we are being allowed to do there. And neither is he. Much is done in the Arab world and not said, but this is an important connection for now and for the future, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Retired Major General Don Shepperd, CNN military analyst, thanks for your insight.

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 March 1, 2003 - 17:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey's parliament has failed to pass a measure that would let the U.S. operate from Turkish bases to attack Iraq. Another vote on that could come Tuesday, but what does this hangup today mean for the Pentagon's Iraq war strategy? Retired Major General Don Shepperd joins us now from Tucson with more on this.
And General, I'm wondering, the idea that there are six countries around Iraq. We have some that are on board with the United States- led coalition; others that are on the fence; others that are definitely not going to have anything to do with this. Can you talk a little bit about this, and we're going to show a map to our audience, you know, detailing what exactly -- which countries are we talking about.

MAJ. GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You bet, Renay. Well, basically, the countries that are not going to help us or be involved in any way at all are the countries of Iran and Syria. Turkey is still in question. We'll probably know more next Tuesday. Kuwait is clearly on board, letting us mass troops there and prepare them. Saudi Arabia is allowing us to use air bases for certain things, and also their air space. And the country of Jordan, not much is being said, but there are indications that we are receiving at least some help from the country of Jordan.

So it's a mixed bag around there. The big issue, of course, in front of us is, what about the northern front in Turkey? That's the most important thing on our plate right now, today, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: And we're having -- we should explain to our viewers -- we're having a little bit of trouble with our Telestrator here, because I was going to put some arrows here regarding the countries that we're talking about, but when you talk about that northern invasion route from the U.S., Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers did say yesterday in an appearance with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that U.S. forces were going to be in northern Iraq one way or another. But tell us how much more difficult that will be without Turkey's cooperation.

SHEPPERD: It makes it much more difficult. Throws a real wrench in the plans. If you have to come in out of the Kuwait ports and across Kuwait and then move up through southern Iraq and around the west of Baghdad to establish a northern front, it is a big deal and a logistical nightmare. Even if you have to do it by airborne insertion as opposed to marching across the ground, you have to get that stuff there. So no matter what anyone tells you, it is a big deal if we are not allowed to come in from the north and Turkey, Renay. SAN MIGUEL: And the idea that we also did get, I believe the U.S. did get approval to use the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. To use those. That takes on much more importance if Turkey is not on board?

SHEPPERD: It does. Now, Prince Sultan, we've been operating out of there for some time with certain restrictions. We operate certain airplanes out of there, allowed to do certain things, not allowed to do others. So we will be seeking permission to do other things, and additional things if Turkey is not allowed.

Now, remember, right now what we're talking about is the approval of 62,000 ground troops, 255 airplanes and 65 helicopters. It could be that we're not allowed to put ground troops in there, but we can continue with our air operations, such as we've done in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Much to be worked out. And there are many ways to go about this problem, but it will be a lot easier if we can come through Turkey with ground troops.

SAN MIGUEL: Sixty two thousand troops scheduled to be deployed in Turkey; that on hold right now. But five to six carrier groups, aircraft carrier groups in the region, in the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. What about the importance of the ships that would be coming from there, and the Navy's role, if Turkey is not a part of this plan?

SHEPPERD: Very, very important. The Navy is important no matter whether Turkey is part of the plan or not. They carry everything to the war. The heavy stuff goes by ship. People go by air. And of course the ships also fire the Tomahawk missiles and the carriers allow us to launch airstrikes from the carriers, in addition to our land base. It puts more pressure and more airplanes on the system, and the Navy is very, very important, Renay, no matter what the scenario is.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. One other quick question. We haven't talked a lot about Jordan, about whether they would play a supporting role in this, in the U.S.-led coalition against Iraq. Talk about some of the pressures that are facing the leadership there.

SHEPPERD: King Abdullah is western educated in the United States, he is a friend of the West, as was his father. He faces internal opposition, of course, being an Arab country, and also many Palestinians in his country with the Arab -- with the Israeli/Palestine situation looming in the background there. So this is a tough political position to put him in. And again, we are not saying what we are being allowed to do there. And neither is he. Much is done in the Arab world and not said, but this is an important connection for now and for the future, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Retired Major General Don Shepperd, CNN military analyst, thanks for your insight.

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