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CNN Sunday Morning
'New York Times' Reports Significant War Plan to Topple Saddam Hussein
Aired April 28, 2002 - 09:04 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: OK, we have more now on that "New York Times" report this morning, indicating there is a significant war plan in the works to topple Saddam Hussein, the timing being a key issue here. For more on this, we're joined by our Senior White House Correspondent John King, who is with the President near Crawford, Texas. Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Miles. Perhaps most significant in this report and confirmed in recent weeks by senior administration officials is the idea that earlier this year over the past several months, there has been some thought that if there was a confrontation with Saddam Hussein it would come late this year.
Senior administration officials now believe it is most unlikely, especially if the administration chooses the option outlined in that New York Times report this morning, a full-scale U.S. led military assault, that any action would come until sometime next year.
Now a number of reasons for that and we should make clear first and foremost senior administration officials say the President has not signed off on any plan, whether it be diplomatic or military, just yes, we're confront Saddam Hussein, but there is contingency planning in the works for the possibility of a U.S. military campaign that would involve somewhere in the area of perhaps as many as 100,000 to 250,000 U.S. ground troops.
If they are used though, all those troops would have to be deployed overseas. You would have to get backup logistics and other assets. That would take months.
Remember the Persian Gulf War buildup more than a decade ago. It took months to build up those forces, but the President, of course, still debating other options, including the coming debate in the United Nations over weapons inspections.
And the new reality facing the administration is the diplomatic efforts to sell, especially in the Arab world, the possibility of a military confrontation with Iraq, still held up by the Arab priority, which is number one, dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian standoff. So, as those conversations continue, the Pentagon doing some contingency planning. Miles. O'BRIEN: John, it seems to me the President has to make a pretty impressive case to the American people before something of that scale would be launched. When would the administration begin that effort?
KING: Well, this is a big "if" more than a "when" right now, and we should make that clear. But if the President signed off on such a confrontation, he would deliver a major speech to the American people. He would begin to deploy troops overseas. You would see a buildup, both logistically through military forces, and politically through remarks from the President.
He says in almost every speech that eventually the United States is going to have to deal with the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, no where near yet telling the American people how he plans to do that, what it might take, and again a big "if", he went with the full scale military option, the risks to the American people and American military personnel, if he chose that path. We're months away from that, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, John, is the President on the move tomorrow, not headed to Washington, but to Los Angeles, to California to mark the tenth anniversary of the LA riots. Tell us a little bit about that.
KING: The main goal initially of the President's trip to Los Angeles was a fund raiser for Bill Simon, the candidate for governor, the Republican candidate for governor, but yes he will be there on the tenth anniversary.
So President Bush will focus on some of his faith based initiatives while there, again making the case that to deal with economic development, other problems, violence and other problems in impoverished neighborhoods.
It is critical that the federal government work with local community groups, especially, in the President's view, faith based groups to encourage economic development and social development in troubled neighborhoods, like those neighborhoods that were the sites of those riots ten years ago.
O'BRIEN: CNN's John King, thank you very much. We appreciate you being with us this morning. Kyra.
KING: My pleasure.
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