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United States Military Confident War Will End Quickly
Aired March 12, 2003 - 15:06 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: While we wait, let's go ahead and check out some of the numbers. There are 225,000 U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf region. Five of those include five aircraft carrier battle groups.
And Frank Buckley is aboard the USS Constellation. He joins us with more about war preparation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're continue to see a vigorous flight schedule off the flight deck of the USS constellation. A jet aircraft coming and going during the day and night, going into Iraq as part of operation Southern Watch, enforcing the disputed no- fly zone there. As we watch that activity continue, we're also beginning to get a glimpse of how the war might unfold if there is a war in Iraq.
A rear admiral, Barry Costello, the Constellation battle group commander, telling us that if there is a war, the first strike would probably come from tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. Navy ships in the region. He says some 30-plus ships are equipped with such weapons. They would be followed by wave after wave of jet aircraft going into Iraq, using precision weapons. The admiral predicting that if there is war, it will end quickly.
REAR ADM. BARRY COSTELLO, USS CONSTELLATION: If there is a, I think, a well-founded confidence that if we are ordered to go forward, it will be lightning quick. It will be devastating. It will be lethal. It will be persistent. It will be precise.
BUCKLEY: Rear Admiral Costello attributing the quick end to a war in Iraq, if there is one, to the precision bombs, he says, that a significantly higher percentage of smart bombs will be employed in Iraq this time as compared to 1991 during Desert Storm, if there is, in fact, a war in Iraq. Asked about his prediction of a quick end, Rear Admiral Costello was asked in a follow-up question do you mean the air war? The admiral said, no, I mean the whole war.
That's the latest from the Constellation. I'm Frank Buckley, CNN, aboard the USS Constellation in the Persian Gulf.
(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 March 12, 2003 - 15:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: While we wait, let's go ahead and check out some of the numbers. There are 225,000 U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf region. Five of those include five aircraft carrier battle groups.
And Frank Buckley is aboard the USS Constellation. He joins us with more about war preparation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're continue to see a vigorous flight schedule off the flight deck of the USS constellation. A jet aircraft coming and going during the day and night, going into Iraq as part of operation Southern Watch, enforcing the disputed no- fly zone there. As we watch that activity continue, we're also beginning to get a glimpse of how the war might unfold if there is a war in Iraq.
A rear admiral, Barry Costello, the Constellation battle group commander, telling us that if there is a war, the first strike would probably come from tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. Navy ships in the region. He says some 30-plus ships are equipped with such weapons. They would be followed by wave after wave of jet aircraft going into Iraq, using precision weapons. The admiral predicting that if there is war, it will end quickly.
REAR ADM. BARRY COSTELLO, USS CONSTELLATION: If there is a, I think, a well-founded confidence that if we are ordered to go forward, it will be lightning quick. It will be devastating. It will be lethal. It will be persistent. It will be precise.
BUCKLEY: Rear Admiral Costello attributing the quick end to a war in Iraq, if there is one, to the precision bombs, he says, that a significantly higher percentage of smart bombs will be employed in Iraq this time as compared to 1991 during Desert Storm, if there is, in fact, a war in Iraq. Asked about his prediction of a quick end, Rear Admiral Costello was asked in a follow-up question do you mean the air war? The admiral said, no, I mean the whole war.
That's the latest from the Constellation. I'm Frank Buckley, CNN, aboard the USS Constellation in the Persian Gulf.
(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
