Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Strategy on Iraq Updated

Aired September 16, 2002 - 14:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More developments, I am told, now, on a possible war against Iraq.
Our military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre with more.

What do you have, Jamie?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, just a short time ago here at the Pentagon briefing, the secretary of defense conceded that, in fact, he has ordered a change in tactics in Iraq in recent months, a change that could have the affect of degrading Iraq's air defenses if the U.S. does, in fact, go to war with Iraq in the coming months.

Now, you know, in any military campaign against Iraq, the first job would be to neutralize Iraqi air defenses, and the U.S. has been bombing in both the northern and southern no-fly zones in response, they insist, to Iraqi provocations, but mostly, they have been targeting missile launches, gun placements, radars, that sort of thing.

Now they have moved to more fixed targets, bigger building, command centers and communication centers to try to blind the Iraqi air defenses, a tactic that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he ordered because he was tired of Iraq shooting at U.S. planes and the U.S. response not having much effect.

Now, how much would this actually lay the groundwork for a military campaign? Well, in any campaign, job one is to neutralize air defenses, but Rumsfeld pointed out, that Iraq is quick to rebuild things after the U.S. bombs them. So the real question is, how much time do they have to rebuild after the strikes, rather there is a net degrading.

The defense secretary conceding today that one of the objects in this ongoing enforcement in the no-fly zone is to try to seriously hurt Iraq's air defenses, something that can't help but help if the U.S. does, in fact, go to war -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jamie McIntyre, thank you.

When it comes to Iraq and nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency says it's in the dark. Conjecture notwithstanding, the agency says the outside world has had no real facts since U.N. inspectors pulled out in December of 1998. Determining Iraqi capabilities now, the agency says, it will take new inspections. Saudi Arabia now says the U.S. may launch attacks on Iraq from Saudi Bases or airspace, on one condition. The Saudis still say they oppose unilateral action, but in an interview with CNN, the Saudi foreign minister said U.N. action is another story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Saudi Bases would be available to the United States acting in support of the U.N. resolution?

PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAI, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: The United Nations, it has every country in the Middle East, everywhere else, if there is a Security Council decision, taking -- and ask lawyers about this -- don't take word of me or other diplomats, and everybody is obliged to follow through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Secretary of State Colin Powell is spending another day at U.N. headquarters, pushing for a quick resolution with a short deadline.

CNN's Richard Roth is live from the U.N. with more on that.

Short deadline -- is that even possible, Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. Countdown to a resolution or perhaps resolutions. We'll see.

Secretary of State Powell spent the day here in the morning consulting with allies and also delivering a speech on Africa, and then he spoke to journalists. Secretary State Powell said Iraq should expect a new resolution, probably within a few days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: The one thing I am absolutely sure about is that we are going to continue to more forward with the Security Council on a new resolution. I am very pleased that the response that the president's speech has generated. I've had quite a number of bilateral meetings, and I think that the political dynamic has changed, and there is a great deal of pressure now being placed upon Iraq to come into compliance with the U.N. mandates of the last 12 years, but it's going to be on the new terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Secretary of State Powell says this resolution will not mean negotiations with Iraq. It will be telling Baghdad what it has to do regarding the return the of inspectors. There you see is the Iraqi delegation at his high-level U.N. General Assembly session, led by the Foreign Minister Najee Sovry (ph). Mr. Sovry (ph) met today with the foreign minister of Iran, and also with foreign ministers from Turkey and Thailand. But a meeting planed with Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the U.N. has been canceled, as for the head of the United Nations. On Saturday, Kofi Annan did meet with Iraq's representative. The U.N. has nothing to report on any change in position from Iraq regarding the position on the return of inspectors -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thank, Richard.

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