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American Morning
In Kuwait, Number of U.S. Forces About 100,000
Aired February 18, 2003 - 07:18 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: We're going to head back to Kuwait City, where Bill Hemmer is on duty, after doing a fair amount of traveling yesterday.
Good morning again -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Paula.
We had an exclusive opportunity earlier today. General David McKiernan is the highest-ranking member of the U.S. military on the ground here in Kuwait. He says his force on land is already at 100,000, the first time we have ever heard that number. In addition to his duties in Kuwait, he's responsible for forces in two dozen countries here throughout Central Asia.
He tells us 12 years later now with Iraq still on the table, a couple of issues that are quite peculiar to the military. The possibility of war could open up the military to the possibility of going into Iraq and actually searching for these weapons of mass destruction, completely different from back in January of 1991.
He also says in terms of strategy and planning, they're dealing with a size in Iraq that's three times the size of Kuwait, much different from a dozen years ago.
But if the order came from the White House to go into Iraq and initiate the battle, the general tells us the U.S. military is ready to go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. DAVID MCKIERNAN, COMMANDING GENERAL, THIRD U.S. ARMY: We will have the time available to execute when we want to, not when an adversary wants to. We'll have the capability, and we'll be ready to conduct an operation on a time, a place of our choosing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And so much of the game right now for the military is waiting. Certainly, they do exercises, but so much down time as well. That costs money, but the general insists it will not cost precision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCKIERNAN: It can be sustained as long as it takes. You get to a certain point where we might consider rotating units or doing certain re-supply actions, but I will guarantee you, we can stay here and conduct an operation for any length of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And again, the general quite optimistic right now as far the planning goes on a 24-hour basis, as one would suspect.
I want to show our viewers right now, the first time we have even seen this. Essentially, it's the transformation of the military, how the Army becomes modern. It's known as the EECP, the Early Entry Command Post. It was constructed back in June.
Essentially, you have large vans that can be folded up and essentially driven north into the desert. If the call were to come for General McKiernan to go into war, he would climb into this command post, drive north into Baghdad. He would essentially be much closer to the action than at any other time before. It's the fist time any reporter has been given an opportunity to see inside this.
And by the way, Paula, inside that van, they've got satellites, phones back to Washington, and they're watching CNN, too. Just so you know.
Back to you.
ZAHN: I'm glad to hear that, and I think when you come home, you're going to know more acronyms than any of us put together. EECP. You'll know them all.
Thanks, Bill.
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 February 18, 2003 - 07:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to head back to Kuwait City, where Bill Hemmer is on duty, after doing a fair amount of traveling yesterday.
Good morning again -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Paula.
We had an exclusive opportunity earlier today. General David McKiernan is the highest-ranking member of the U.S. military on the ground here in Kuwait. He says his force on land is already at 100,000, the first time we have ever heard that number. In addition to his duties in Kuwait, he's responsible for forces in two dozen countries here throughout Central Asia.
He tells us 12 years later now with Iraq still on the table, a couple of issues that are quite peculiar to the military. The possibility of war could open up the military to the possibility of going into Iraq and actually searching for these weapons of mass destruction, completely different from back in January of 1991.
He also says in terms of strategy and planning, they're dealing with a size in Iraq that's three times the size of Kuwait, much different from a dozen years ago.
But if the order came from the White House to go into Iraq and initiate the battle, the general tells us the U.S. military is ready to go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. DAVID MCKIERNAN, COMMANDING GENERAL, THIRD U.S. ARMY: We will have the time available to execute when we want to, not when an adversary wants to. We'll have the capability, and we'll be ready to conduct an operation on a time, a place of our choosing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And so much of the game right now for the military is waiting. Certainly, they do exercises, but so much down time as well. That costs money, but the general insists it will not cost precision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCKIERNAN: It can be sustained as long as it takes. You get to a certain point where we might consider rotating units or doing certain re-supply actions, but I will guarantee you, we can stay here and conduct an operation for any length of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And again, the general quite optimistic right now as far the planning goes on a 24-hour basis, as one would suspect.
I want to show our viewers right now, the first time we have even seen this. Essentially, it's the transformation of the military, how the Army becomes modern. It's known as the EECP, the Early Entry Command Post. It was constructed back in June.
Essentially, you have large vans that can be folded up and essentially driven north into the desert. If the call were to come for General McKiernan to go into war, he would climb into this command post, drive north into Baghdad. He would essentially be much closer to the action than at any other time before. It's the fist time any reporter has been given an opportunity to see inside this.
And by the way, Paula, inside that van, they've got satellites, phones back to Washington, and they're watching CNN, too. Just so you know.
Back to you.
ZAHN: I'm glad to hear that, and I think when you come home, you're going to know more acronyms than any of us put together. EECP. You'll know them all.
Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
