Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Anchors Away for Battle Group Heading Toward Iraq
Aired December 05, 2002 - 07:52 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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A fleet of U.S. warships is about to head toward Iraq. The battle group, Harry S. Truman, is leaving the big naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, with warplanes, missiles and a lot of American military personnel, who are going to be away for the holidays. They will be part of any opening salvo in an attack against Iraq, if and when it comes.
Bob Franken is at the Norfolk Naval Base live for us this morning.
And, Bob, I remember the last time we did this exercise, you were down there to greet the returning ships and sailors from the war in Afghanistan, a very joyous occasion, marriage proposals, all kinds of happy hearts. A little different emotion I guess this morning, though, huh?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, of course, 8,000 marines and sailors leaving their loved ones and going off to the uncertainty that is in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. And they are led by a person you would recognize, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem. And he was somebody who did all of the Pentagon briefings.
And now you're heading into the possibility of another kind of war, Admiral Stufflebeem. This is a very serious endeavor.
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, U.S. NAVY: It is. The global war on terrorism is the kind of a fight where we cannot afford to just sit at home and believe in a strong defense. We've got to have offense. We've got to find them where they are, and get them before they were to come back and do anything more to us.
FRANKEN: I know that this is a routine -- if I can use that word -- transfer of one aircraft carrier battle group for another. But nevertheless, you face the possibility of going right into the middle of a war with Iraq. Does that make this different?
STUFFLEBEEM: It does not. We're going to deploy with all of our capabilities practiced. Every man and woman, sailor, marine is well- trained on this ship, and many good subordinate leaders that are here in this group. And as such, they're going to be ready for whatever the president or our leaders ask us to do. And if that were to be into war, then we're prepared for that.
FRANKEN: They, of course, also besides being members of the military, are human beings and all that kind of stuff, and you're the type of person who stays in close touch with them. Do you get a feeling, though, that they are more somber, more serious about it, because of the geopolitical situation?
STUFFLEBEEM: They certainly are more serious, but I have sensed that since 9/11, and not to anything that's happening rhetoric-wise or otherwise today. We're not watching what's going on in the U.N. very closely. What we're paying attention to is what it is that we need to do to get our job done, and that may be anywhere in the world, much less the one that you described.
FRANKEN: Admiral John Stufflebeem, who is the commander of this entire group that is going out now to whatever faces them in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.
And, Jack, the one thing I'll point out is that the weather here does affect operations. It will influence when the planes that are part of this battle group will actually land on this ship as it steams toward its destination -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: All right, Bob Franken live at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia, thank you for that report.
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 December 5, 2002 - 07:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A fleet of U.S. warships is about to head toward Iraq. The battle group, Harry S. Truman, is leaving the big naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, with warplanes, missiles and a lot of American military personnel, who are going to be away for the holidays. They will be part of any opening salvo in an attack against Iraq, if and when it comes.
Bob Franken is at the Norfolk Naval Base live for us this morning.
And, Bob, I remember the last time we did this exercise, you were down there to greet the returning ships and sailors from the war in Afghanistan, a very joyous occasion, marriage proposals, all kinds of happy hearts. A little different emotion I guess this morning, though, huh?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, of course, 8,000 marines and sailors leaving their loved ones and going off to the uncertainty that is in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. And they are led by a person you would recognize, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem. And he was somebody who did all of the Pentagon briefings.
And now you're heading into the possibility of another kind of war, Admiral Stufflebeem. This is a very serious endeavor.
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, U.S. NAVY: It is. The global war on terrorism is the kind of a fight where we cannot afford to just sit at home and believe in a strong defense. We've got to have offense. We've got to find them where they are, and get them before they were to come back and do anything more to us.
FRANKEN: I know that this is a routine -- if I can use that word -- transfer of one aircraft carrier battle group for another. But nevertheless, you face the possibility of going right into the middle of a war with Iraq. Does that make this different?
STUFFLEBEEM: It does not. We're going to deploy with all of our capabilities practiced. Every man and woman, sailor, marine is well- trained on this ship, and many good subordinate leaders that are here in this group. And as such, they're going to be ready for whatever the president or our leaders ask us to do. And if that were to be into war, then we're prepared for that.
FRANKEN: They, of course, also besides being members of the military, are human beings and all that kind of stuff, and you're the type of person who stays in close touch with them. Do you get a feeling, though, that they are more somber, more serious about it, because of the geopolitical situation?
STUFFLEBEEM: They certainly are more serious, but I have sensed that since 9/11, and not to anything that's happening rhetoric-wise or otherwise today. We're not watching what's going on in the U.N. very closely. What we're paying attention to is what it is that we need to do to get our job done, and that may be anywhere in the world, much less the one that you described.
FRANKEN: Admiral John Stufflebeem, who is the commander of this entire group that is going out now to whatever faces them in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.
And, Jack, the one thing I'll point out is that the weather here does affect operations. It will influence when the planes that are part of this battle group will actually land on this ship as it steams toward its destination -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: All right, Bob Franken live at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia, thank you for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
