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American Morning

Countdown to War?

Aired March 04, 2003 - 07:03   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 on our top story now. In what could be the countdown to war, 60,000 more U.S. troops are being sent to the Persian Gulf region, and the White House may push for a U.N. vote as early as next week on a resolution that would authorize military action against Iraq.
We have two reports for you this morning. John King joins us from the White House; Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning.

Let's start with John -- good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

As you noted, the timetable for a vote on the new U.S.-British- Spanish resolution is early next week. Some White House officials want it next Monday, some want it one week from today on Tuesday. All of that, of course, will follow the critical report from the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, on Friday of this week.

Some U.S. officials even saying now, they will not seek a vote if the United States and Great Britain do not have the votes to pass it in the Security Council. So, some critical diplomacy to be done over the next five to seven days, and many senior officials now say by the end of next week, President Bush could be making the fateful decision about whether to order U.S. troops into combat. That doesn't mean a war would start right away, but many, many officials here say the president could be making that decision by the end of the week next week -- Paula.

ZAHN: Let's turn our attention now to North Korea. Can you describe to us this morning some of the options under consideration now that North Korean MiGs came within 50 feet of U.S. surveillance planes at the same altitude?

KING: Well, White House officials tell us there is no question there will be an official protest filed over this incident perhaps at the United Nations, to the North Korean mission at the United Nations, perhaps through some other venues. Meetings late here at the White House last night on this issue, conversations with the government of South Korea as well, as the government of Japan as well. The White House says this is clearly the highest provocation yet from the North Korean government.

One perhaps silver lining: China and Russia have been unwilling to give the United States the diplomatic muscle it wants to pressure Pyongyang in the nuclear standoff. Some officials here think perhaps in Beijing and Moscow they will say, OK, now North Korea is going too far, and come to the United States' assistance in the broader issue of the nuclear standoff -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks so much. John King reporting from the White House for us this morning.

Back to Barbara Starr and our top story of the morning, and that is the showdown with Iraq.

What's the very latest -- Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it's going to be a couple of very busy days here at the Pentagon. General Tommy Franks, the man who would run any war against Iraq, is due in Washington later this morning for a two-day series of meetings, including, of course, possibly a final update on the war plan with President Bush.

Now, General Franks is already working on alternatives, we are told, if the Turkish government gives its final turndown to that U.S. proposal to base some 60,000 troops in Turkey. Some of the alternatives could include another aircraft carrier to make up for the denial of additional land-based aircraft, a change in overflight rights, possibly overflying Saudi Arabia instead of overflying Turkey, possibly use of lighter forces, as it were, instead of heavy armored forces that they had planned to put into Turkey to move into northern Iraq, possibly elements of the 101st Airborne Division -- all of that being worked on by General Franks now.

But the buildup is indeed continuing as we speak. B-52 aircraft arrived in Fairford, England yesterday. These are the heavy bombers that we fully expect to see action in the opening days of any war. And an additional tens of thousands of ground troops got their deployment orders yesterday, including the 1st Calvary Division at Fort Hood and the 1st Armored Division in Germany.

So, more troops on the way, and decisions clearly on the cusp of being made -- Paula.

ZAHN: Finally this morning, Barbara, a number of published reports have suggested that the United States and Britain agree it's kind of pointless to argue this second resolution beyond much -- beyond next week. What kind of timetable is the Pentagon talking about if war starts?

STARR: Well, they certainly are watching, of course, the diplomatic and political end of this, as John King just said, because the military will do what the president orders once that diplomatic and political string plays out.

The president will then make a decision, and they will now be in a position to be ready to go whenever he makes that decision. With all of those thousands of troops in the region, it is simply a matter of deciding whether or not they need to wait for a final decision on this northern front question, or whether or not they can go ahead and move. But they are ready to go, they say. ZAHN: Thanks, Barbara -- Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon this morning.

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 March 4, 2003 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More on our top story now. In what could be the countdown to war, 60,000 more U.S. troops are being sent to the Persian Gulf region, and the White House may push for a U.N. vote as early as next week on a resolution that would authorize military action against Iraq.
We have two reports for you this morning. John King joins us from the White House; Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning.

Let's start with John -- good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

As you noted, the timetable for a vote on the new U.S.-British- Spanish resolution is early next week. Some White House officials want it next Monday, some want it one week from today on Tuesday. All of that, of course, will follow the critical report from the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, on Friday of this week.

Some U.S. officials even saying now, they will not seek a vote if the United States and Great Britain do not have the votes to pass it in the Security Council. So, some critical diplomacy to be done over the next five to seven days, and many senior officials now say by the end of next week, President Bush could be making the fateful decision about whether to order U.S. troops into combat. That doesn't mean a war would start right away, but many, many officials here say the president could be making that decision by the end of the week next week -- Paula.

ZAHN: Let's turn our attention now to North Korea. Can you describe to us this morning some of the options under consideration now that North Korean MiGs came within 50 feet of U.S. surveillance planes at the same altitude?

KING: Well, White House officials tell us there is no question there will be an official protest filed over this incident perhaps at the United Nations, to the North Korean mission at the United Nations, perhaps through some other venues. Meetings late here at the White House last night on this issue, conversations with the government of South Korea as well, as the government of Japan as well. The White House says this is clearly the highest provocation yet from the North Korean government.

One perhaps silver lining: China and Russia have been unwilling to give the United States the diplomatic muscle it wants to pressure Pyongyang in the nuclear standoff. Some officials here think perhaps in Beijing and Moscow they will say, OK, now North Korea is going too far, and come to the United States' assistance in the broader issue of the nuclear standoff -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks so much. John King reporting from the White House for us this morning.

Back to Barbara Starr and our top story of the morning, and that is the showdown with Iraq.

What's the very latest -- Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it's going to be a couple of very busy days here at the Pentagon. General Tommy Franks, the man who would run any war against Iraq, is due in Washington later this morning for a two-day series of meetings, including, of course, possibly a final update on the war plan with President Bush.

Now, General Franks is already working on alternatives, we are told, if the Turkish government gives its final turndown to that U.S. proposal to base some 60,000 troops in Turkey. Some of the alternatives could include another aircraft carrier to make up for the denial of additional land-based aircraft, a change in overflight rights, possibly overflying Saudi Arabia instead of overflying Turkey, possibly use of lighter forces, as it were, instead of heavy armored forces that they had planned to put into Turkey to move into northern Iraq, possibly elements of the 101st Airborne Division -- all of that being worked on by General Franks now.

But the buildup is indeed continuing as we speak. B-52 aircraft arrived in Fairford, England yesterday. These are the heavy bombers that we fully expect to see action in the opening days of any war. And an additional tens of thousands of ground troops got their deployment orders yesterday, including the 1st Calvary Division at Fort Hood and the 1st Armored Division in Germany.

So, more troops on the way, and decisions clearly on the cusp of being made -- Paula.

ZAHN: Finally this morning, Barbara, a number of published reports have suggested that the United States and Britain agree it's kind of pointless to argue this second resolution beyond much -- beyond next week. What kind of timetable is the Pentagon talking about if war starts?

STARR: Well, they certainly are watching, of course, the diplomatic and political end of this, as John King just said, because the military will do what the president orders once that diplomatic and political string plays out.

The president will then make a decision, and they will now be in a position to be ready to go whenever he makes that decision. With all of those thousands of troops in the region, it is simply a matter of deciding whether or not they need to wait for a final decision on this northern front question, or whether or not they can go ahead and move. But they are ready to go, they say. ZAHN: Thanks, Barbara -- Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon this morning.

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