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CNN Live Sunday

How Does Iraqi Declaration Impact Pentagon's War Planning?

Aired December 08, 2002 - 15:35   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: How does Iraq's weapons declaration impact the Pentagon and its planning for a possible military strike against Baghdad? CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us with an answer on that. And Barbara, would it impact the Pentagon strategy in any way?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing that's been very interesting over the last couple of days, is the answer to that question is, not right away. The Iraqi declaration about their weapons of mass instruction doesn't really impact Pentagon war planning at this point.

The planning that has been going on is continuing, but nothing has really changed here in the last couple of days. And the reason is the Pentagon, Fredricka, doesn't want to start sending large numbers of troops over to the Persian Gulf, thousands and thousands of troops, more troops, and have them sit there for several weeks or months, pending an outcome of the situation with the U.N. and a final decision by President Bush to actually initiate military action against Iraq.

So right now, the planning is continuing. The buildup, the gradual buildup continues. The training exercises that have been going on in the region are continuing. But other than that, nothing has really much changed in the last few days.

WHITFIELD: Well, Barbara, you said the Pentagon doesn't want troops -- personnel to be sitting there doing nothing, but already at least 40,000 are in that region. And at least one of the carriers that was expected to return home is now being asked to kind of return to that Gulf region. So certainly, there are going to be quite a few thousand who have to wait it out?

STARR: Right. There are about 40,000 or so troops in the immediate region right now. These are the initial troops. In other words, if President Bush was to order military action for some reason, there is enough fire power there to get started, to be blunt.

Once that would happen, then larger and larger numbers of troops and equipment would flow to the region very quickly. That's the Pentagon's plan. But what they don't want to do is do what they did last time, spend six months building up a large force, and then starting the military action. The whole idea, get as much ready as you possibly can, shorten the response time, and then as Jamie McIntyre said in his piece, once there's a decision to go, make it a lightning attack, hit Saddam Hussein before he knows what's really happened, cut off his communications with his own military forces. The Pentagon believes that's the way to quick victory in Iraq.

WHITFIELD: And already, Barbara, is it a pretty good balance of air support and sea support? In terms of U.S. military there?

STARR: At this moment, certainly the most rapid response would in fact come from air attacks, whether it's land-based aircraft that the Air Force has in the region, or aircraft on board Navy aircraft carriers. Perhaps the thing that is lacking at the moment is large significant numbers of ground forces, Army and Marine Corps forces. There are several thousand in Kuwait. They would be the forward element launching into southern Iraq, if there is an order to go to war.

But by all accounts, it would require thousands and thousands of more ground troops before there could be a significant move into Iraq.

WHITFIELD: All right. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, thank you.

STARR: Sure.

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




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Aired December 8, 2002 - 15:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: How does Iraq's weapons declaration impact the Pentagon and its planning for a possible military strike against Baghdad? CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us with an answer on that. And Barbara, would it impact the Pentagon strategy in any way?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing that's been very interesting over the last couple of days, is the answer to that question is, not right away. The Iraqi declaration about their weapons of mass instruction doesn't really impact Pentagon war planning at this point.

The planning that has been going on is continuing, but nothing has really changed here in the last couple of days. And the reason is the Pentagon, Fredricka, doesn't want to start sending large numbers of troops over to the Persian Gulf, thousands and thousands of troops, more troops, and have them sit there for several weeks or months, pending an outcome of the situation with the U.N. and a final decision by President Bush to actually initiate military action against Iraq.

So right now, the planning is continuing. The buildup, the gradual buildup continues. The training exercises that have been going on in the region are continuing. But other than that, nothing has really much changed in the last few days.

WHITFIELD: Well, Barbara, you said the Pentagon doesn't want troops -- personnel to be sitting there doing nothing, but already at least 40,000 are in that region. And at least one of the carriers that was expected to return home is now being asked to kind of return to that Gulf region. So certainly, there are going to be quite a few thousand who have to wait it out?

STARR: Right. There are about 40,000 or so troops in the immediate region right now. These are the initial troops. In other words, if President Bush was to order military action for some reason, there is enough fire power there to get started, to be blunt.

Once that would happen, then larger and larger numbers of troops and equipment would flow to the region very quickly. That's the Pentagon's plan. But what they don't want to do is do what they did last time, spend six months building up a large force, and then starting the military action. The whole idea, get as much ready as you possibly can, shorten the response time, and then as Jamie McIntyre said in his piece, once there's a decision to go, make it a lightning attack, hit Saddam Hussein before he knows what's really happened, cut off his communications with his own military forces. The Pentagon believes that's the way to quick victory in Iraq.

WHITFIELD: And already, Barbara, is it a pretty good balance of air support and sea support? In terms of U.S. military there?

STARR: At this moment, certainly the most rapid response would in fact come from air attacks, whether it's land-based aircraft that the Air Force has in the region, or aircraft on board Navy aircraft carriers. Perhaps the thing that is lacking at the moment is large significant numbers of ground forces, Army and Marine Corps forces. There are several thousand in Kuwait. They would be the forward element launching into southern Iraq, if there is an order to go to war.

But by all accounts, it would require thousands and thousands of more ground troops before there could be a significant move into Iraq.

WHITFIELD: All right. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, thank you.

STARR: Sure.

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




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