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CNN Live Sunday

Are Both Iraq, North Korea Threats to U.S.?

Aired January 05, 2003 - 17:08   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The questions just keep coming. We keep hearing how North Korea and Iraq are both threats to the U.S., but they each pose very different dangers. Retired Brigadier General David Grange spent 30 years of his life in the Army, and if anyone can help us untangle some answers, he can. David Grange, thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: My pleasure.

COOPER: Let's talk first about Iraq. Your gut feeling, do you think it's inevitable that we are going to war?

GRANGE: I think it is going to happen, for mainly three reasons, Anderson. Number one, the, you know, Saddam is unpredictable. He is a proven bad guy and I don't think he is going to change. So he is going to continue to delay, stall, give little pieces of information here and there and this thing will get dragged out.

Number two, is that we said we wanted a regime change early on, our administration, and I personally support that, and I believe to make Iraq better and in the eyes of the Islamic world, that's necessary for us to survive in the future, or some of the roots of this terrorism issues will just continue to expand.

And lastly, the change of regime in Iraq will be a catalyst for change in the whole Middle East. Everything will fall in line more towards geopolitical agenda than it is right now.

COOPER: If this is going to happen, when do you think it will happen, and obviously this is just your own personal opinion, when do you think it's going to happen, and what do you think the war is going to look like?

GRANGE: Well, I believe that near the end of February, beginning of March. If war happens, it will be then. And I believe it will be a rapid operation. At least the takedown of the regime part. There may be some continued pockets of resistance and portions of this, say, Baghdad or other areas, but that part will go quickly. The hard part, the long part will be the consolidation, reconstruction phase that follows combat.

COOPER: You have a lot of experience leading troops in these kinds of situations. If you had to choose between leading your troops into Iraq or North Korea, which would you choose? GRANGE: I would rather lead my troops into Iraq, because you would have -- it would be better for the safety of your own soldiers. They're not as well trained, they're not as tough. They don't have the robustness of the even the conventional weaponry that North Korea has, and the terrain is much easier for us.

COOPER: I have heard over and over from many, many people saying that basically there is no military option against North Korea. Do you believe that's true?

GRANGE: I believe that's true. There is a military option, and I believe your question is if the situation deteriorates where things can't be solved peacefully, if there was a war, North Korea can be beat, yes.

COOPER: But the, I mean, yes, they say -- the people who say there is no military options say that, yes, North Korea could be beaten, but the price would be extraordinary high in human lives, particularly among South Koreans.

GRANGE: That's correct, because of the location of Seoul, Korea, because of the array of forces of North Koreans on the DMZ with their fire capability, that is a true statement.

COOPER: You worked on the DMZ. What are North Korean troops like?

GRANGE: North Korean troops don't care if they're cold, they don't care if they eat one meal a day. They're very obedient. They're very focused on their hatred through propaganda of Americans, and so they're a determined enemy. They're tough. They'll be tough to beat.

COOPER: All right. Brigadier General David Grange, we appreciate you joining us.

GRANGE: Thank you.

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 January 5, 2003 - 17:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The questions just keep coming. We keep hearing how North Korea and Iraq are both threats to the U.S., but they each pose very different dangers. Retired Brigadier General David Grange spent 30 years of his life in the Army, and if anyone can help us untangle some answers, he can. David Grange, thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: My pleasure.

COOPER: Let's talk first about Iraq. Your gut feeling, do you think it's inevitable that we are going to war?

GRANGE: I think it is going to happen, for mainly three reasons, Anderson. Number one, the, you know, Saddam is unpredictable. He is a proven bad guy and I don't think he is going to change. So he is going to continue to delay, stall, give little pieces of information here and there and this thing will get dragged out.

Number two, is that we said we wanted a regime change early on, our administration, and I personally support that, and I believe to make Iraq better and in the eyes of the Islamic world, that's necessary for us to survive in the future, or some of the roots of this terrorism issues will just continue to expand.

And lastly, the change of regime in Iraq will be a catalyst for change in the whole Middle East. Everything will fall in line more towards geopolitical agenda than it is right now.

COOPER: If this is going to happen, when do you think it will happen, and obviously this is just your own personal opinion, when do you think it's going to happen, and what do you think the war is going to look like?

GRANGE: Well, I believe that near the end of February, beginning of March. If war happens, it will be then. And I believe it will be a rapid operation. At least the takedown of the regime part. There may be some continued pockets of resistance and portions of this, say, Baghdad or other areas, but that part will go quickly. The hard part, the long part will be the consolidation, reconstruction phase that follows combat.

COOPER: You have a lot of experience leading troops in these kinds of situations. If you had to choose between leading your troops into Iraq or North Korea, which would you choose? GRANGE: I would rather lead my troops into Iraq, because you would have -- it would be better for the safety of your own soldiers. They're not as well trained, they're not as tough. They don't have the robustness of the even the conventional weaponry that North Korea has, and the terrain is much easier for us.

COOPER: I have heard over and over from many, many people saying that basically there is no military option against North Korea. Do you believe that's true?

GRANGE: I believe that's true. There is a military option, and I believe your question is if the situation deteriorates where things can't be solved peacefully, if there was a war, North Korea can be beat, yes.

COOPER: But the, I mean, yes, they say -- the people who say there is no military options say that, yes, North Korea could be beaten, but the price would be extraordinary high in human lives, particularly among South Koreans.

GRANGE: That's correct, because of the location of Seoul, Korea, because of the array of forces of North Koreans on the DMZ with their fire capability, that is a true statement.

COOPER: You worked on the DMZ. What are North Korean troops like?

GRANGE: North Korean troops don't care if they're cold, they don't care if they eat one meal a day. They're very obedient. They're very focused on their hatred through propaganda of Americans, and so they're a determined enemy. They're tough. They'll be tough to beat.

COOPER: All right. Brigadier General David Grange, we appreciate you joining us.

GRANGE: Thank you.

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