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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush Administration Waits for Response from Baghdad
Aired November 10, 2002 - 11:05 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: With the U.N. firmly supporting its stance on Iraq, the Bush administration can only wait for a response from Baghdad. And of course, during that time, officials are doing a lot of planning. CNN's Frank Buckley is live from the White House today with more on that.
Frank, what are you hearing?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol war plans have been in place for sometime here at the White House, but, assets would have to be moved into place, military assets, and a build-up would have to occur of troops. The war plans call for some two to 250,000 U.S. troops, soldiers, airmen, sailors to be in the region. Currently, only about 27,000 U.S. military personnel are in the area.
The plan also calls for a call-up of 265,000 National Guard and Reserve soldiers. The air campaign would deploy B-2s and other aircraft in a punishing opening air assault designed not just to knock out air defenses, but also to deliver a knockout blow to Iraqi military leaders that planners hope will dissuade them from using chemical or biological weapons.
Today, administration officials are making the rounds in the Sunday morning talk shows to reiterate the president's position that war is a last resort, but they say that if the U.S. feels that military action is necessary, it will be ready.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I can assure you if he doesn't comply this time, we're are going got ask the U.N. to give authorization for all necessary means and if the U.N. isn't willing to do that, the United States with like minded nations will go and disarm him forcefully. And the president has made this clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Now, the Security Council resolution that was passed 15-0 on Friday puts a timeline in place. By this Friday, the Iraqis need to issue an answer as to whether or not they plan to cooperate. Within 30 days, they need to issue an inventory of any chemical or biological weapons or any parts of a growing nuclear program. By November 18, Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, expects to be on the ground. And by late December, around December 23, the full team of U.N. inspectors should be at work in Iraq -- Carol. LIN: Frank, do you have any sense from the administration how quickly they would be able to actually gear up to these numbers and go to war with Iraq if Iraq does violate the U.N. resolution?
BUCKLEY: Well, clearly the U.S. is ready for some military action now, but we are told that the full compliment, that build-up that we talked about, the 200 to 250,000 troops, that that would take place sometime -- that could be in place by early January, sometime into February. So, realistically, the kind of military planning that's being called for right now wouldn't be implemented until sometime after the first of the year.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Frank Buckley live at the White House today.
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 November 10, 2002 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: With the U.N. firmly supporting its stance on Iraq, the Bush administration can only wait for a response from Baghdad. And of course, during that time, officials are doing a lot of planning. CNN's Frank Buckley is live from the White House today with more on that.
Frank, what are you hearing?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol war plans have been in place for sometime here at the White House, but, assets would have to be moved into place, military assets, and a build-up would have to occur of troops. The war plans call for some two to 250,000 U.S. troops, soldiers, airmen, sailors to be in the region. Currently, only about 27,000 U.S. military personnel are in the area.
The plan also calls for a call-up of 265,000 National Guard and Reserve soldiers. The air campaign would deploy B-2s and other aircraft in a punishing opening air assault designed not just to knock out air defenses, but also to deliver a knockout blow to Iraqi military leaders that planners hope will dissuade them from using chemical or biological weapons.
Today, administration officials are making the rounds in the Sunday morning talk shows to reiterate the president's position that war is a last resort, but they say that if the U.S. feels that military action is necessary, it will be ready.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I can assure you if he doesn't comply this time, we're are going got ask the U.N. to give authorization for all necessary means and if the U.N. isn't willing to do that, the United States with like minded nations will go and disarm him forcefully. And the president has made this clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Now, the Security Council resolution that was passed 15-0 on Friday puts a timeline in place. By this Friday, the Iraqis need to issue an answer as to whether or not they plan to cooperate. Within 30 days, they need to issue an inventory of any chemical or biological weapons or any parts of a growing nuclear program. By November 18, Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, expects to be on the ground. And by late December, around December 23, the full team of U.N. inspectors should be at work in Iraq -- Carol. LIN: Frank, do you have any sense from the administration how quickly they would be able to actually gear up to these numbers and go to war with Iraq if Iraq does violate the U.N. resolution?
BUCKLEY: Well, clearly the U.S. is ready for some military action now, but we are told that the full compliment, that build-up that we talked about, the 200 to 250,000 troops, that that would take place sometime -- that could be in place by early January, sometime into February. So, realistically, the kind of military planning that's being called for right now wouldn't be implemented until sometime after the first of the year.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Frank Buckley live at the White House today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
