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Central Command Changing of the Guard

Aired July 07, 2003 - 15:01   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: At this hour, General Tommy Franks turns over the reins of U.S. Central Command and, in turn, the military mission in Iraq, to General John Abizaid. We'll be bringing you the ceremony in Tampa, Florida, live. It comes at a sensitive time for efforts to rebuild Iraq.
The CIA says that a taped statement attributed to Saddam Hussein is more likely than not authentic. It is a fresh indication that the ousted Iraqi leader may still be alive and urging Iraqis to fight a holy war against U.S. forces.

In the latest hit-and-run attacks, two U.S. soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad overnight. And four others were wounded in an attack west of the Iraqi capital. Despite all the violence, the new Baghdad City Council was called to order today. U.S. administrator Paul Bremer says it marks the resumption of a Democratic system in the capital for the first time in 50 years.

We're following that situation in Iraq and the changing of the guard at CENTCOM with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, with CNN military analyst General David Grange, and senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Baghdad, all three.

Barbara, to you first. At the Pentagon, what does this mean, to have a new person coming in?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, like any other new commander new to the job, General Abizaid is going to be conducting a review of the status of military forces in Iraq, about 145,000 or so U.S. forces there now.

And with these attacks continuing, he's going to be taking a very hard look at the situation. There's a lot of pressure to try and rotate some troops, bring them home. They've been there for a very long time, some of them. But as the attacks continue, it's going to be very tough to justify or figure out how he can bring troops home.

So the other option on his plate, there will be pressure for other allies to contribute more troops to the Iraq mission, so far, a very minimal number of troops being contributed by other countries. General Abizaid is expected to look for some help in that area.

WOODRUFF: General Grange, how is John Abizaid different from Tommy Franks? What should we look to change out of Iraq and out of Central Command?

RETIRED BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Every commander is different. They all have their own command philosophy. They lead in a little different way. But they've been trained very much the same. John Abizaid has a little bit more of a Ranger background, whereas General Franks more of an aviator, artilleryman. But they're both very competent.

The big transition now is going to be, you're in a stability phase in Iraq. It's a little bit different than the major combat operations that were ongoing, so a little bit different task for Abizaid than for Franks.

WOODRUFF: And to Nic Robertson, who is in Baghdad right now.

Nic, from the perspective of the people on the ground, the Iraqis and the Americans, what are they looking for?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, as Barbara said, there are troop rotation issues. And many of the troops here would be keen to know when they'll be able to rotate out.

We did talk to some troops with the 3rd Infantry Division based near Fallujah, just west of Baghdad. They got word just in the last few days that they would be rotating out soon. That was good for them. There will be other troops looking to get the same sort of heads-up of when they can look forward to getting back home.

But, for the Iraqi people, it really is a case of, it doesn't matter for them who's in charge. What matters for them, from their point of view, is getting security on their streets. They want to see that happen. Their interaction on a daily basis is with the troops. They're sergeants, they're privates first class who are out on the streets here doing their job, providing security. And it is to them, to their attitude towards the Iraqi people and to that provision of security, that is what the people on the street here are looking for, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Barbara, while we're watching the ceremony about to get under way in Tampa, Florida, at Central Command headquarters, what's the Pentagon -- what's the thinking right now at the Pentagon about these increasing, continuing, relentless attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq?

STARR: Well, General Abizaid already has given a hint about his thinking on this matter.

At his Senate confirmation hearings, he said, the U.S. would not be driven out, that it understood, the U.S. military understood, that the Iraqi Saddam loyalists, the Baath Party loyalists, were looking to pick off U.S. soldiers one at a time, two at a time, four at a time. He said the U.S. would not change its policy. The U.S. will stay the course, look to rebuild Iraq, look to establish some security and stability.

But he also indicated he has a very hard sense of the reality there. He said he understood that those Baath Party loyalists and other elements were looking to engage in what he called terrorist attacks against U.S. forces, and that they did have the capability of inflicting large numbers of casualties. So, as the days and weeks go on, it's still every -- there's still every indication of a very tough road ahead for U.S. forces in Iraq, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Again, as we watch the ceremony get under way in Tampa for the changing of the guard, let's listen to some of...

(SINGING)

WOODRUFF: The ceremony continuing to move along there in Tampa, Florida, the changing of the guard at Central Command headquarters.

As we wait for the remarks to begin, let's come back to our panel.

And to General Grange, to you again.

The troops who are on the ground in Iraq, how many of them were trained to do what they're being asked to do right now?

GRANGE: Well, the transition from combat to a stability operation, some of those tasks are very similar to peacekeeping operations. If you take the 1st Armored Division -- which, by the way, John Abizaid was an assistant division commander in Bosnia in that particular unit -- they have some experience in these kinds of things.

And after any combat operation, there's consolidation, stability, security of the environment. Those type of operations are very similar to each other in some of the tasks. But I would say that there are troops that are trained better than others on these type of conditions that they're seeing right now.

WOODRUFF: And, Nic Robertson in Baghdad once again, ordinary Iraqis -- you said a minute ago, it doesn't matter to them who's running the show. They just want to get on with their lives. How much frustration do you hear? How much patience? I mean, is there a way to measure what they're thinking and feeling right now?

ROBERTSON: I could give you one example, Judy.

Today, I went to see a family -- the parents of a translator, a young male translator. He had been working with the troops here in Baghdad. He was shot in the head and killed just a few days ago, because he was working with the U.S. troops here. Now, the parents of that family told me that their son was very close to the soldiers he worked with. He identified with them. And he went to work for them not for the money, but because he was an Iraqi patriot.

They told me that they feel, whenever a U.S. soldier is injured or hurt, it's the same for them as if it was their son. They say, like many Iraqis here, they are very grateful to the United States for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, but just concerned about the lack of security. And, as we sat in their house in a nice suburb of Baghdad, you could hear gunfire and explosions going off around. It's still unsafe. And that's what people's real concern is, Judy. WOODRUFF: All right, we've been talking with Nic Robertson in Baghdad, with General David Grange in Chicago, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon as we watch these live pictures coming to us from Central command in tampa, Florida. Let's go there now for live coverage. You can see Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Tommy Franks and General John Abizaid who will be taking control of Central Command.

I think David Grange, General Grange is still with us. General, tell us what part of the ceremony are we watching right now?

GRANGE: What we just saw is that when you change command, the command sergeant major, that's the most senior sergeant, you might say, of the command, most senior enlisted person, passes the colors, the colors that represent Central Command, to the outgoing commander, who was General Franks.

He in, turn, then, passes them to the secretary of defense, which symbolizes now he has now relinquished command. And the secretary of defense, with his authority, then passes those colors to the new commander, John Abizaid. And by taking the colors, he accepts the responsibility for commanding that unit, that Central Command and responsible fort lives of all those service members. And then he passes the colors back to the command sergeant major who was the keeper, the protector, the holder of the colors of that command.

WOODRUFF: As we watch this, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, we watch John Abizaid about to assume the control at Central Command. What is the size of the task he's facing? We've been talking about what's been going on in Iraq. But put it all in perspective.

STARR: That's absolutely right, Judy. It's worth remembering that this is one of the most powerful military commands that really has ever existed. The U.S. Central Command, he will keep an eye on 25 countries ranging from the Horn of Africa on the east side of the African continent all the way through to southwest Asia, the Persian Gulf. All of that will come under his purview. He will be responsible for all U.S. military operations and U.S. military and national security interests.

And it's also worth remembering, of course, he will be in command in charge of the war in Afghanistan, the hunt for al Qaeda -- if it continues throughout that region. And as you look ahead, during the period of his command coming up over the next two or three years, he will be in charge of trying to find Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, the Iraq weapons of mass destruction, and rebuilding Iraq, of course.

WOODRUFF: A full platter, indeed. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

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 July 7, 2003 - 15:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: At this hour, General Tommy Franks turns over the reins of U.S. Central Command and, in turn, the military mission in Iraq, to General John Abizaid. We'll be bringing you the ceremony in Tampa, Florida, live. It comes at a sensitive time for efforts to rebuild Iraq.
The CIA says that a taped statement attributed to Saddam Hussein is more likely than not authentic. It is a fresh indication that the ousted Iraqi leader may still be alive and urging Iraqis to fight a holy war against U.S. forces.

In the latest hit-and-run attacks, two U.S. soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad overnight. And four others were wounded in an attack west of the Iraqi capital. Despite all the violence, the new Baghdad City Council was called to order today. U.S. administrator Paul Bremer says it marks the resumption of a Democratic system in the capital for the first time in 50 years.

We're following that situation in Iraq and the changing of the guard at CENTCOM with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, with CNN military analyst General David Grange, and senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Baghdad, all three.

Barbara, to you first. At the Pentagon, what does this mean, to have a new person coming in?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, like any other new commander new to the job, General Abizaid is going to be conducting a review of the status of military forces in Iraq, about 145,000 or so U.S. forces there now.

And with these attacks continuing, he's going to be taking a very hard look at the situation. There's a lot of pressure to try and rotate some troops, bring them home. They've been there for a very long time, some of them. But as the attacks continue, it's going to be very tough to justify or figure out how he can bring troops home.

So the other option on his plate, there will be pressure for other allies to contribute more troops to the Iraq mission, so far, a very minimal number of troops being contributed by other countries. General Abizaid is expected to look for some help in that area.

WOODRUFF: General Grange, how is John Abizaid different from Tommy Franks? What should we look to change out of Iraq and out of Central Command?

RETIRED BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Every commander is different. They all have their own command philosophy. They lead in a little different way. But they've been trained very much the same. John Abizaid has a little bit more of a Ranger background, whereas General Franks more of an aviator, artilleryman. But they're both very competent.

The big transition now is going to be, you're in a stability phase in Iraq. It's a little bit different than the major combat operations that were ongoing, so a little bit different task for Abizaid than for Franks.

WOODRUFF: And to Nic Robertson, who is in Baghdad right now.

Nic, from the perspective of the people on the ground, the Iraqis and the Americans, what are they looking for?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, as Barbara said, there are troop rotation issues. And many of the troops here would be keen to know when they'll be able to rotate out.

We did talk to some troops with the 3rd Infantry Division based near Fallujah, just west of Baghdad. They got word just in the last few days that they would be rotating out soon. That was good for them. There will be other troops looking to get the same sort of heads-up of when they can look forward to getting back home.

But, for the Iraqi people, it really is a case of, it doesn't matter for them who's in charge. What matters for them, from their point of view, is getting security on their streets. They want to see that happen. Their interaction on a daily basis is with the troops. They're sergeants, they're privates first class who are out on the streets here doing their job, providing security. And it is to them, to their attitude towards the Iraqi people and to that provision of security, that is what the people on the street here are looking for, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Barbara, while we're watching the ceremony about to get under way in Tampa, Florida, at Central Command headquarters, what's the Pentagon -- what's the thinking right now at the Pentagon about these increasing, continuing, relentless attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq?

STARR: Well, General Abizaid already has given a hint about his thinking on this matter.

At his Senate confirmation hearings, he said, the U.S. would not be driven out, that it understood, the U.S. military understood, that the Iraqi Saddam loyalists, the Baath Party loyalists, were looking to pick off U.S. soldiers one at a time, two at a time, four at a time. He said the U.S. would not change its policy. The U.S. will stay the course, look to rebuild Iraq, look to establish some security and stability.

But he also indicated he has a very hard sense of the reality there. He said he understood that those Baath Party loyalists and other elements were looking to engage in what he called terrorist attacks against U.S. forces, and that they did have the capability of inflicting large numbers of casualties. So, as the days and weeks go on, it's still every -- there's still every indication of a very tough road ahead for U.S. forces in Iraq, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Again, as we watch the ceremony get under way in Tampa for the changing of the guard, let's listen to some of...

(SINGING)

WOODRUFF: The ceremony continuing to move along there in Tampa, Florida, the changing of the guard at Central Command headquarters.

As we wait for the remarks to begin, let's come back to our panel.

And to General Grange, to you again.

The troops who are on the ground in Iraq, how many of them were trained to do what they're being asked to do right now?

GRANGE: Well, the transition from combat to a stability operation, some of those tasks are very similar to peacekeeping operations. If you take the 1st Armored Division -- which, by the way, John Abizaid was an assistant division commander in Bosnia in that particular unit -- they have some experience in these kinds of things.

And after any combat operation, there's consolidation, stability, security of the environment. Those type of operations are very similar to each other in some of the tasks. But I would say that there are troops that are trained better than others on these type of conditions that they're seeing right now.

WOODRUFF: And, Nic Robertson in Baghdad once again, ordinary Iraqis -- you said a minute ago, it doesn't matter to them who's running the show. They just want to get on with their lives. How much frustration do you hear? How much patience? I mean, is there a way to measure what they're thinking and feeling right now?

ROBERTSON: I could give you one example, Judy.

Today, I went to see a family -- the parents of a translator, a young male translator. He had been working with the troops here in Baghdad. He was shot in the head and killed just a few days ago, because he was working with the U.S. troops here. Now, the parents of that family told me that their son was very close to the soldiers he worked with. He identified with them. And he went to work for them not for the money, but because he was an Iraqi patriot.

They told me that they feel, whenever a U.S. soldier is injured or hurt, it's the same for them as if it was their son. They say, like many Iraqis here, they are very grateful to the United States for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, but just concerned about the lack of security. And, as we sat in their house in a nice suburb of Baghdad, you could hear gunfire and explosions going off around. It's still unsafe. And that's what people's real concern is, Judy. WOODRUFF: All right, we've been talking with Nic Robertson in Baghdad, with General David Grange in Chicago, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon as we watch these live pictures coming to us from Central command in tampa, Florida. Let's go there now for live coverage. You can see Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Tommy Franks and General John Abizaid who will be taking control of Central Command.

I think David Grange, General Grange is still with us. General, tell us what part of the ceremony are we watching right now?

GRANGE: What we just saw is that when you change command, the command sergeant major, that's the most senior sergeant, you might say, of the command, most senior enlisted person, passes the colors, the colors that represent Central Command, to the outgoing commander, who was General Franks.

He in, turn, then, passes them to the secretary of defense, which symbolizes now he has now relinquished command. And the secretary of defense, with his authority, then passes those colors to the new commander, John Abizaid. And by taking the colors, he accepts the responsibility for commanding that unit, that Central Command and responsible fort lives of all those service members. And then he passes the colors back to the command sergeant major who was the keeper, the protector, the holder of the colors of that command.

WOODRUFF: As we watch this, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, we watch John Abizaid about to assume the control at Central Command. What is the size of the task he's facing? We've been talking about what's been going on in Iraq. But put it all in perspective.

STARR: That's absolutely right, Judy. It's worth remembering that this is one of the most powerful military commands that really has ever existed. The U.S. Central Command, he will keep an eye on 25 countries ranging from the Horn of Africa on the east side of the African continent all the way through to southwest Asia, the Persian Gulf. All of that will come under his purview. He will be responsible for all U.S. military operations and U.S. military and national security interests.

And it's also worth remembering, of course, he will be in command in charge of the war in Afghanistan, the hunt for al Qaeda -- if it continues throughout that region. And as you look ahead, during the period of his command coming up over the next two or three years, he will be in charge of trying to find Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, the Iraq weapons of mass destruction, and rebuilding Iraq, of course.

WOODRUFF: A full platter, indeed. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

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