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White House Pointing to Late January, Mid-February Timeframe for Decision on Iraq

Aired December 19, 2002 - 08:03   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on Iraq. The White House is pointing to a late January to mid-February time frame for making a decision on possible war with Iraq. U.S. military officials tell CNN it's about to "tighten the noose" around Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by doubling the amount of U.S. troops in the Gulf.
Let's go to Barbara Starr for more on this, who is live at the Pentagon this morning -- good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, the Pentagon is now planning a possible buildup of U.S. military troops in the Persian Gulf that could roughly double the number of troops there from 60,000 to over 100,000, we are told. General Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, the man who would run any war in the Persian Gulf, is in Washington this week for the next two days for meetings with President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on this plan.

What they are talking about if President Bush decides to proceed is a buildup of some 50,000 troops and equipment that would begin after the Christmas holidays. Officials say they have got to start now with a buildup if U.S. troops and equipment are going to be in place by early next year if the president decides to order war against Iraq.

On a related matter, U.S. intelligence officials are now saying that they have what they call solid evidence that Saddam Hussein is planning a scorched earth policy if the U.S. invades Iraq and that that policy would include he would destroy food warehouses. He would destroy power plants. He would use his biological and other weapons of mass destruction against possibly his own people and his neighbors. And finally, he would plan to destroy oil wells, as he did in Kuwait during op -- the end of Operation Desert Storm.

He would possibly even manufacture civilian casualties, blame all of this on the United States, creating a humanitarian disaster if war was to unfold.

But the Bush administration certainly is nowheres near backing down. They are now talking about a buildup and, as you said, tightening the noose -- Paula.

ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks so much for the update.

Appreciate it. Baghdad says its weapons declaration is factual, but you know what just about everybody else is saying. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix will offer his assessment to the Security Council this morning. Then the U.S. presents its position, which will take a dim view of the dossier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are not encouraged that they have gotten the message or will cooperate based on what we have seen so far in the declaration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So is Iraq's apparent failure to comply enough to trigger to a war?

Well, Con Coughlin is the executive editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and the author of "Saddam: King Of Terror."

He joins us from London this morning.

Welcome back.

Glad to see you.

CON COUGHLIN, "LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH": Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: Good morning.

We have just gotten a light bit of a preview from Richard Roth at the U.N. as to what Hans Blix might have to say. He will make reference to some omissions in this declaration. We've heard what Secretary of State Powell says. Yesterday British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw came out and said that there was an obvious falsehood that fools nobody.

What exactly do you think Mr. Blix will say? How far do you think he might go?

COUGHLIN: Well, Mr. Blix is a very cautious man, but he's also been given this dossier. You might remember, Paula, when I was last on the program, I described it as the mother of all gobbledygook, and they've had a high old time just trying to find out what is in it. They have read through it. They haven't found very much relating to biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

But remember, Hans Blix is a lifelong diplomat and he will want to pursue a diplomatic course on this. He will want to exhaust the U.N. procedure. And I think so far as he's concerned, there's still a lot of work to do. He will also be encouraged by the fact that on the ground in Iraq, the inspectors have had a fairly cordial welcome and the Iraqis have been helping the inspectors. There haven't been any major confrontations.

But I do, I expect this to really heat up in the next few weeks now.

ZAHN: Do you think Hans Blix will admit there is a material breach here already at this juncture of the process?

COUGHLIN: Precisely what words he uses I can't say. But I think he will certainly -- I'd be amazed if he didn't point out that there are certainly discrepancies in the Iraqi document and that he will certainly want further and better particulars from Saddam.

ZAHN: So based on what you're seeing play out right now, do you think we're any closer to going to war?

COUGHLIN: I think we are heading towards a military conflict next year. I've thought this for a long time. I also thoroughly agree with the American intelligence assessment about Saddam planning a scorched earth policy. I've picked up my own details of him preparing kamikaze units and all kinds of horrors if there is a military conflict. And, of course, Saddam will be basically trying to do everything he can to survive. He will go into this conflict believing he can win it.

ZAHN: So how is it that the Allies counter a scorched earth policy? There's nothing they can do to prevent that, is there?

COUGHLIN: Well, I think there is, actually, and I think the Americans and the British have elite units that can get into Iraq and to knock out a lot of these sites, weapons sites, the storage facilities and, I mean, the point is people have been working on this for some time. I think most people who know Saddam anticipate this kind of response from Saddam. As you pointed out in your report, just remember what Saddam did in Kuwait. When it became clear to Saddam that he couldn't have Kuwait, he trashed the place. He set fire to the oil fields. He trashed all the buildings. He said well, if I can't have it, you can't have it.

And I think that will be his policy with regard to Iraq.

ZAHN: And one final question for you. I know you've always maintained that we're looking at a potential war in late January, early February. You've heard the report from Barbara Starr about increased, the doubling of troop strength potentially during that period of time for America. And we also know there's a great deal of movement among British troops.

Just a final thought on that this morning.

COUGHLIN: That's right. Yes, well, clearly the military buildup is continuing. I think everything will be in place by the end of January, although I've been told actually that if America wants to go to war tomorrow, it would do so. There's a lot of kit out there. But the Americans and the British in particular are moving more equipment there and they could have a full scale military invasion by the end of January.

ZAHN: Con Coughlin, as always, nice to have you on the air with us. Appreciate your time.

COUGHLIN: A pleasure.

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





Timeframe for Decision on Iraq>


Aired December 19, 2002 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on Iraq. The White House is pointing to a late January to mid-February time frame for making a decision on possible war with Iraq. U.S. military officials tell CNN it's about to "tighten the noose" around Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by doubling the amount of U.S. troops in the Gulf.
Let's go to Barbara Starr for more on this, who is live at the Pentagon this morning -- good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, the Pentagon is now planning a possible buildup of U.S. military troops in the Persian Gulf that could roughly double the number of troops there from 60,000 to over 100,000, we are told. General Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, the man who would run any war in the Persian Gulf, is in Washington this week for the next two days for meetings with President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on this plan.

What they are talking about if President Bush decides to proceed is a buildup of some 50,000 troops and equipment that would begin after the Christmas holidays. Officials say they have got to start now with a buildup if U.S. troops and equipment are going to be in place by early next year if the president decides to order war against Iraq.

On a related matter, U.S. intelligence officials are now saying that they have what they call solid evidence that Saddam Hussein is planning a scorched earth policy if the U.S. invades Iraq and that that policy would include he would destroy food warehouses. He would destroy power plants. He would use his biological and other weapons of mass destruction against possibly his own people and his neighbors. And finally, he would plan to destroy oil wells, as he did in Kuwait during op -- the end of Operation Desert Storm.

He would possibly even manufacture civilian casualties, blame all of this on the United States, creating a humanitarian disaster if war was to unfold.

But the Bush administration certainly is nowheres near backing down. They are now talking about a buildup and, as you said, tightening the noose -- Paula.

ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks so much for the update.

Appreciate it. Baghdad says its weapons declaration is factual, but you know what just about everybody else is saying. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix will offer his assessment to the Security Council this morning. Then the U.S. presents its position, which will take a dim view of the dossier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are not encouraged that they have gotten the message or will cooperate based on what we have seen so far in the declaration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So is Iraq's apparent failure to comply enough to trigger to a war?

Well, Con Coughlin is the executive editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and the author of "Saddam: King Of Terror."

He joins us from London this morning.

Welcome back.

Glad to see you.

CON COUGHLIN, "LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH": Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: Good morning.

We have just gotten a light bit of a preview from Richard Roth at the U.N. as to what Hans Blix might have to say. He will make reference to some omissions in this declaration. We've heard what Secretary of State Powell says. Yesterday British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw came out and said that there was an obvious falsehood that fools nobody.

What exactly do you think Mr. Blix will say? How far do you think he might go?

COUGHLIN: Well, Mr. Blix is a very cautious man, but he's also been given this dossier. You might remember, Paula, when I was last on the program, I described it as the mother of all gobbledygook, and they've had a high old time just trying to find out what is in it. They have read through it. They haven't found very much relating to biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

But remember, Hans Blix is a lifelong diplomat and he will want to pursue a diplomatic course on this. He will want to exhaust the U.N. procedure. And I think so far as he's concerned, there's still a lot of work to do. He will also be encouraged by the fact that on the ground in Iraq, the inspectors have had a fairly cordial welcome and the Iraqis have been helping the inspectors. There haven't been any major confrontations.

But I do, I expect this to really heat up in the next few weeks now.

ZAHN: Do you think Hans Blix will admit there is a material breach here already at this juncture of the process?

COUGHLIN: Precisely what words he uses I can't say. But I think he will certainly -- I'd be amazed if he didn't point out that there are certainly discrepancies in the Iraqi document and that he will certainly want further and better particulars from Saddam.

ZAHN: So based on what you're seeing play out right now, do you think we're any closer to going to war?

COUGHLIN: I think we are heading towards a military conflict next year. I've thought this for a long time. I also thoroughly agree with the American intelligence assessment about Saddam planning a scorched earth policy. I've picked up my own details of him preparing kamikaze units and all kinds of horrors if there is a military conflict. And, of course, Saddam will be basically trying to do everything he can to survive. He will go into this conflict believing he can win it.

ZAHN: So how is it that the Allies counter a scorched earth policy? There's nothing they can do to prevent that, is there?

COUGHLIN: Well, I think there is, actually, and I think the Americans and the British have elite units that can get into Iraq and to knock out a lot of these sites, weapons sites, the storage facilities and, I mean, the point is people have been working on this for some time. I think most people who know Saddam anticipate this kind of response from Saddam. As you pointed out in your report, just remember what Saddam did in Kuwait. When it became clear to Saddam that he couldn't have Kuwait, he trashed the place. He set fire to the oil fields. He trashed all the buildings. He said well, if I can't have it, you can't have it.

And I think that will be his policy with regard to Iraq.

ZAHN: And one final question for you. I know you've always maintained that we're looking at a potential war in late January, early February. You've heard the report from Barbara Starr about increased, the doubling of troop strength potentially during that period of time for America. And we also know there's a great deal of movement among British troops.

Just a final thought on that this morning.

COUGHLIN: That's right. Yes, well, clearly the military buildup is continuing. I think everything will be in place by the end of January, although I've been told actually that if America wants to go to war tomorrow, it would do so. There's a lot of kit out there. But the Americans and the British in particular are moving more equipment there and they could have a full scale military invasion by the end of January.

ZAHN: Con Coughlin, as always, nice to have you on the air with us. Appreciate your time.

COUGHLIN: A pleasure.

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





Timeframe for Decision on Iraq>