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Pentagon's Political Strategy

Aired April 04, 2003 - 14:45   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: As the fighting continues around Baghdad, the Pentagon talks about its plan to take control of the city of some 5 million people, and the possible dangers.
Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With U.S. troops approaching the capital, the Pentagon revealed a political strategy for taking Baghdad, in which Saddam Hussein is so militarily isolated, his government no longer has anyone left to govern. Saddam is irrelevant, the U.S. is in charge.

The Pentagon made it clear they hope U.S. forces won't have to lay siege.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: When you get to the point where Baghdad is basically isolated, then what is the situation you have in the country? You have a country that Baghdad no longer controls, that whatever is happening inside Baghdad is almost irrelevant, compared to what's going on in the rest of the country.

STARR: If this plan works, and the Iraqi regime is not counterattack in the streets, the U.S. will move quickly to restore an interim provisional authority to govern the country, even if Saddam remains in his Baghdad bunker.

MYERS: You may have a regime, you may not. I use the term "irrelevant" because at this point, they are not going to be able to communicate with the people of Iraq. That will all be shut down. They won't be able to communicate within certain parts of Baghdad. And you'll continue to ensure that happens with -- you know, there's -- we would control the water, the electricity, things like that.

STARR: Washington still isn't sure how the 5 million people of Baghdad will react, and the Pentagon warns plenty could still go wrong.

Special Republican Guard and security forces in Baghdad could launch raids against U.S. forces in the city. The Iraqi regime may attack the huge Shi'a population of Baghdad and blame the U.S. for casualties.

There is recent information, officials say, that Iraqi forces are more likely to use chemical weapons as they get desperate.

The northern oil fields are still at risk, not yet fully protected by the relatively small number of U.S. forces in the area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: So Wolf, on a day when these new tapes of Saddam Hussein have appeared, the most interesting thing at the Pentagon is, officials say it may not matter. The U.S. military is moving ahead with its plan, Wolf.

BLITZER: They also are saying, Barbara, that they're having a tough time shutting down Iraqi TV. Why is that so hard?

STARR: Well, I think there is a plan to shut it down at interim points, when it suits them, when they want to. There's every indication that the U.S. military, the intelligence community, actually is watching Iraqi TV very closely. It's the biggest clue they have as to the status of key Iraqi military leaders.

By all accounts, TV, like the electricity in Baghdad, comes and goes. The U.S. will make every effort, we are told, to control that transmission once they fully control Baghdad.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr, doing some excellent reporting for all of us. Thanks, Barbara, very much.

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 April 4, 2003 - 14:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: As the fighting continues around Baghdad, the Pentagon talks about its plan to take control of the city of some 5 million people, and the possible dangers.
Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With U.S. troops approaching the capital, the Pentagon revealed a political strategy for taking Baghdad, in which Saddam Hussein is so militarily isolated, his government no longer has anyone left to govern. Saddam is irrelevant, the U.S. is in charge.

The Pentagon made it clear they hope U.S. forces won't have to lay siege.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: When you get to the point where Baghdad is basically isolated, then what is the situation you have in the country? You have a country that Baghdad no longer controls, that whatever is happening inside Baghdad is almost irrelevant, compared to what's going on in the rest of the country.

STARR: If this plan works, and the Iraqi regime is not counterattack in the streets, the U.S. will move quickly to restore an interim provisional authority to govern the country, even if Saddam remains in his Baghdad bunker.

MYERS: You may have a regime, you may not. I use the term "irrelevant" because at this point, they are not going to be able to communicate with the people of Iraq. That will all be shut down. They won't be able to communicate within certain parts of Baghdad. And you'll continue to ensure that happens with -- you know, there's -- we would control the water, the electricity, things like that.

STARR: Washington still isn't sure how the 5 million people of Baghdad will react, and the Pentagon warns plenty could still go wrong.

Special Republican Guard and security forces in Baghdad could launch raids against U.S. forces in the city. The Iraqi regime may attack the huge Shi'a population of Baghdad and blame the U.S. for casualties.

There is recent information, officials say, that Iraqi forces are more likely to use chemical weapons as they get desperate.

The northern oil fields are still at risk, not yet fully protected by the relatively small number of U.S. forces in the area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: So Wolf, on a day when these new tapes of Saddam Hussein have appeared, the most interesting thing at the Pentagon is, officials say it may not matter. The U.S. military is moving ahead with its plan, Wolf.

BLITZER: They also are saying, Barbara, that they're having a tough time shutting down Iraqi TV. Why is that so hard?

STARR: Well, I think there is a plan to shut it down at interim points, when it suits them, when they want to. There's every indication that the U.S. military, the intelligence community, actually is watching Iraqi TV very closely. It's the biggest clue they have as to the status of key Iraqi military leaders.

By all accounts, TV, like the electricity in Baghdad, comes and goes. The U.S. will make every effort, we are told, to control that transmission once they fully control Baghdad.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr, doing some excellent reporting for all of us. Thanks, Barbara, very much.

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