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Can U.S. Handle Two Conflicts Simultaneously?
Aired February 13, 2003 - 13:39 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, new revelations are adding to concerns about the threat from North Korea. CIA Director George Tenet confirmed yesterday that North Korea has a missile that might be capable of reaching America.
CNN Military Analyst Brigadier General David Grange joins us now low from Chicago. Sir, great to have you with us. First, want to ask you about this missile. What's your reaction to that?
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think we have had information all along that they had a missile like this, and are developing a missile that has the capability to reach that portion of the United States. But, again, I don't think it's a direct threat right now. But it's something that we're going to keep our eye on, of course.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keeping an eye on North Korea. You and I have been talking a lot about Iraq, North Korea. I was telling you -- I was speaking with some of my sources within the Army. I thought they'd be deployed already to the Persian Gulf. They said no, we're part of the contingency for North Korea. What's going on there? Are we getting ready for two wars?
GRANGE: Well, I think it's prudent -- and I'm sure I'm correct on this -- that we're going to always have contingency forces available for other areas that give a threat, like North Korea does, to the United States of America. So I'm sure that there is forces earmarked for North Korea, but the main focus, of course, is Iraq. That's the closest snake, you may say, that influences the United States. There's still action going on in Afghanistan. Troops are in a -- in harm there, a lot of reconstruction requirements, that we have to go the distance as a nation to make sure that goes right.
There's troops in Colombia and everywhere else in the world. So Korea, I'm sure there's troops earmarked, but also that there's contingencies to surge that way, if need be, to at least keep Korea in a box if something goes wrong.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, obviously, the realities are out there. It's not just a maybe, but the fact is they are prepping for two possible wars, and you just mentioned containment. Are you talking about a holding action, the fact that if two wars were to happen, it wouldn't be an easy defeat right away?
GRANGE: That's a great way to see it. It would be, I think, a holding action. In other words, if Iraq and North Korea happen simultaneously, though there's enough force in the U.S. armed forces and its allies to inflict severe damage on both North Korea and Iraq, I don't think you can soundly defeat one. In other words, occupy more than one of those target countries at one time. So you'd have a holding action, inflict max casualties -- maximum casualties on the North Koreans, if they, in fact, attack, but you could not probably occupy...
(AUDIO GAP)
PHILLIPS: All right, we had lost you for a second there, General. I got one more question for you. You had mentioned an attack, North Korea possibly staging an attack. Now, you and I had talked earlier. Do you think that they actually would attack, or do you think they would just act up if, indeed, the U.S. invaded Iraq?
GRANGE: You know, it's a great tactic for North Korea to aggravate the world situation, especially the United States of America right now, as we are focused on Iraq. I believe that countries like China could stop that almost right away if they wanted to, but it does them a little benefit to have North Korea aggravate us at this time, just because the geopolitical balance of power, the friction between the different competitive nations.
But that said, it's an aggravating tactic, but we still have to prepare -- our nation still has to prepare just in case. You can't depend on the possibility. You have to be ready to go if, in fact, both places erupt at the same time.
PHILLIPS: Final question, General, real quickly. Barbara Starr confirmed for us that special operations are in Iraq at this moment. What does that mean?
GRANGE: Well, I believe that it would be prudent, and I hope that special op forces are in fact, doing it, surveying airfields, working with local peoples, the indigenous population for coordination, support. Ensuring that if something does happen, civilian casualties don't occur in certain areas, maybe reconnaissance for a possible weapons of mass destruction sites.
I'm not sure, but the war actually has been going on to some extent since '91. I mean, if you're a pilot up there in the north or southern no-fly zones, you're at war. So to have our forces in Iraq somewhere is appropriate. It's prudent for precombat operations.
PHILLIPS: CNN Military Analyst Brigadier General David Grange, thanks a lot.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
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 February 13, 2003 - 13:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, new revelations are adding to concerns about the threat from North Korea. CIA Director George Tenet confirmed yesterday that North Korea has a missile that might be capable of reaching America.
CNN Military Analyst Brigadier General David Grange joins us now low from Chicago. Sir, great to have you with us. First, want to ask you about this missile. What's your reaction to that?
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think we have had information all along that they had a missile like this, and are developing a missile that has the capability to reach that portion of the United States. But, again, I don't think it's a direct threat right now. But it's something that we're going to keep our eye on, of course.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keeping an eye on North Korea. You and I have been talking a lot about Iraq, North Korea. I was telling you -- I was speaking with some of my sources within the Army. I thought they'd be deployed already to the Persian Gulf. They said no, we're part of the contingency for North Korea. What's going on there? Are we getting ready for two wars?
GRANGE: Well, I think it's prudent -- and I'm sure I'm correct on this -- that we're going to always have contingency forces available for other areas that give a threat, like North Korea does, to the United States of America. So I'm sure that there is forces earmarked for North Korea, but the main focus, of course, is Iraq. That's the closest snake, you may say, that influences the United States. There's still action going on in Afghanistan. Troops are in a -- in harm there, a lot of reconstruction requirements, that we have to go the distance as a nation to make sure that goes right.
There's troops in Colombia and everywhere else in the world. So Korea, I'm sure there's troops earmarked, but also that there's contingencies to surge that way, if need be, to at least keep Korea in a box if something goes wrong.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, obviously, the realities are out there. It's not just a maybe, but the fact is they are prepping for two possible wars, and you just mentioned containment. Are you talking about a holding action, the fact that if two wars were to happen, it wouldn't be an easy defeat right away?
GRANGE: That's a great way to see it. It would be, I think, a holding action. In other words, if Iraq and North Korea happen simultaneously, though there's enough force in the U.S. armed forces and its allies to inflict severe damage on both North Korea and Iraq, I don't think you can soundly defeat one. In other words, occupy more than one of those target countries at one time. So you'd have a holding action, inflict max casualties -- maximum casualties on the North Koreans, if they, in fact, attack, but you could not probably occupy...
(AUDIO GAP)
PHILLIPS: All right, we had lost you for a second there, General. I got one more question for you. You had mentioned an attack, North Korea possibly staging an attack. Now, you and I had talked earlier. Do you think that they actually would attack, or do you think they would just act up if, indeed, the U.S. invaded Iraq?
GRANGE: You know, it's a great tactic for North Korea to aggravate the world situation, especially the United States of America right now, as we are focused on Iraq. I believe that countries like China could stop that almost right away if they wanted to, but it does them a little benefit to have North Korea aggravate us at this time, just because the geopolitical balance of power, the friction between the different competitive nations.
But that said, it's an aggravating tactic, but we still have to prepare -- our nation still has to prepare just in case. You can't depend on the possibility. You have to be ready to go if, in fact, both places erupt at the same time.
PHILLIPS: Final question, General, real quickly. Barbara Starr confirmed for us that special operations are in Iraq at this moment. What does that mean?
GRANGE: Well, I believe that it would be prudent, and I hope that special op forces are in fact, doing it, surveying airfields, working with local peoples, the indigenous population for coordination, support. Ensuring that if something does happen, civilian casualties don't occur in certain areas, maybe reconnaissance for a possible weapons of mass destruction sites.
I'm not sure, but the war actually has been going on to some extent since '91. I mean, if you're a pilot up there in the north or southern no-fly zones, you're at war. So to have our forces in Iraq somewhere is appropriate. It's prudent for precombat operations.
PHILLIPS: CNN Military Analyst Brigadier General David Grange, thanks a lot.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
