Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Buildup Continues in Qatar
Aired December 06, 2002 - 08:30 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Persian Gulf, right now. Straight away, Iraq getting ready to deliver its list of weapons programs this weekend. U.S. forces, meanwhile, getting ready for the potential for war. In Doha, Qatar, Operation Internal Look starts next week. In fact, on Monday, testing a new, high-tech mobile command center.
To Qatar now and CNN's John Vause who is on the scene watching and waiting there -- John, hello.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. A sign that everything looks like it's pretty much in place. We understand that the commander in chief, General Tommy Franks, is on his way to Doha. He should be here in within the next 12 to 24 hours. His exact timetable, his schedule is not being released because of security reasons, but we are told that he will oversee the final preparations for Internal Look. He will, of course, oversee that operation when it begins on Monday. It runs for about a week, that great big computer- simulated war game.
Now, out at Al Udeid air base this morning, there is activity again today. C-130 parked on the tarmac. We saw a lot of unloading of those cargo planes, hardware which we are assuming is going to be used for Operation Internal Look, although it could also be part of the huge buildup of military hardware which has been ongoing in this region for quite some time.
Now, Al Udeid air base, it is about 20 miles south of Doha, in the middle of the desert, quite out of the way, and it seems that is how the Qatari government likes it. While the royal family here is being quite keen to bring in the U.S. military, it seems not all the locals here are quite happy about having the U.S. personnel here, even less happy having those personnel involved in any potential attack on Iraq, let alone being a forward command position.
But the Qataris, for their part, they pretty much keep their opinions to themselves, Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks. John Vause in Doha, Qatar.
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 6, 2002 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Persian Gulf, right now. Straight away, Iraq getting ready to deliver its list of weapons programs this weekend. U.S. forces, meanwhile, getting ready for the potential for war. In Doha, Qatar, Operation Internal Look starts next week. In fact, on Monday, testing a new, high-tech mobile command center.
To Qatar now and CNN's John Vause who is on the scene watching and waiting there -- John, hello.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. A sign that everything looks like it's pretty much in place. We understand that the commander in chief, General Tommy Franks, is on his way to Doha. He should be here in within the next 12 to 24 hours. His exact timetable, his schedule is not being released because of security reasons, but we are told that he will oversee the final preparations for Internal Look. He will, of course, oversee that operation when it begins on Monday. It runs for about a week, that great big computer- simulated war game.
Now, out at Al Udeid air base this morning, there is activity again today. C-130 parked on the tarmac. We saw a lot of unloading of those cargo planes, hardware which we are assuming is going to be used for Operation Internal Look, although it could also be part of the huge buildup of military hardware which has been ongoing in this region for quite some time.
Now, Al Udeid air base, it is about 20 miles south of Doha, in the middle of the desert, quite out of the way, and it seems that is how the Qatari government likes it. While the royal family here is being quite keen to bring in the U.S. military, it seems not all the locals here are quite happy about having the U.S. personnel here, even less happy having those personnel involved in any potential attack on Iraq, let alone being a forward command position.
But the Qataris, for their part, they pretty much keep their opinions to themselves, Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks. John Vause in Doha, Qatar.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
