DoD News Briefing
Thursday, November 20, 1997 - 1:45 p.m. (EST)
Captain Mike Doubleday, USN, DASD (PA)
................
Before I take your questions let me just give you a brief update on where we stand on deployments which are taking place to the Arabian Gulf.
Earlier this week we made some announcements, and I think you've seen coverage from this morning of six B-52s which departed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana enroute to Diego Garcia, and they'll arrive there tomorrow. Additionally, there are nine KC-10 tanker aircraft from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base in California that are supporting the B-52 movement to Diego Garcia. Also six F-117s from the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico departed Langley Air Force Base in Virginia this morning enroute to Kuwait. They also arrive there tomorrow. They're supported by three KC-135 tankers from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.
As National Security Advisor Sandy Berger mentioned late this morning, the Air Expeditionary Wing which had been on standby for movement to the Gulf Region has been requested by General Zinni who is the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, and approved by Secretary Cohen for deployment to Bahrain. They will arrive there sometime over the weekend and be operational early in the week.
The 347th Air Expeditionary Wing Provisional from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia will consist of 12 F-15Cs from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; 12 F-16Cs from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia; six F-16C/Js from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; and two B-1 aircraft from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota; and four KC-135R aircraft from Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington.
Additionally, elements of a Patriot Battery from the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas, are being sent to Bahrain to provide ground air defense for the Air Expeditionary Wing.
Finally, as we announced last week, the GEORGE WASHINGTON carrier battle group continues enroute to the Gulf Region. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON will arrive there in the next couple of days. Accompanying the GEORGE WASHINGTON is the cruiser NORMANDY, the destroyer CARNEY, the submarine ANNAPOLIS, and the replenishment ship SEATTLE; and I believe that that is an up to date picture of where we stand on the deployment. With that, I'll try and answer some of the questions.
Q: What number does that bring to the round, the number of forces now in the region. Do you have that number?
A: We will be at... Let me turn to the right page...
Q: And this will include the GEORGE WASHINGTON, all of the planes, and...
A: This is where we stand with the deployments, and I'm going to give you these in kind of round numbers. Aircraft, it will be about 180.
Q: That doesn't include the aircraft in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Q: All the Air Force planes that are already there...
A: The Air Force aircraft that are there, plus the two carriers, plus the...
Q: You've got 100 attack craft on...
Q: 180 attack planes plus...
A: Plus the additional ones. I'll tell you what, let's take a look at these numbers, and we'll get you those before the end of the brief.
Q: How many people are going from Fort Bliss?
A: I don't have an exact number, but it will be less than 100, as I understand it.
Q: It's a firing unit that's going. Will that be...
A: Yeah.
Q: Will that be extra missiles, a launcher, an additional launcher?
A: Right. It will include launchers and missiles, yes.
Q: How many launchers?
A: I can't give you the exact number, but it's not a complete battery.
Q: A battery is already based there, right?
A: There are batteries in the region. This will augment those that are already there.
Q: But there's a battery already based in Kuwait, is it not? This will just round it out.
A: This one is going to Bahrain.
Q: In Bahrain. There's a battery in Bahrain, and this will round it out, will it not?
A: I am not aware of a battery being there. This is in addition to the batteries that are already deployed in the region.
Q: How long will it take the Patriots to get there and get set up?
A: I can't give you an exact timeframe, but the overall plan has the wing up and operating early in the week.
Q: Why does the Pentagon feel it's necessary to send the AEF?
A: As National Security Advisor Sandy Berger said earlier today we're, of course, pursuing the diplomatic approach to resolve this issue, but we're doing so from a position of strength. What these additional deployments do is to provide additional flexibility, and it also provides us with an ability to protect the operations that we have over Southern Iraq, our Southern Watch operations.
Q: Is this believed to be the largest buildup of forces in the Gulf region since the Gulf War?
A: I would hate to characterize it that way without actually going back and reviewing it. It's certainly a significant force that we're moving into the area, but I don't have numbers to compare it with right now. We'll see if we can get some for you.
Q: Just for the average person who may hear, well, "gee, we have a diplomatic solution at hand," why in fact are the planes going out there? Is it to encourage Saddam to carry out his promise to allow these inspectors back in?
A: We had announced these deployments before. What this whole effort has to do with, of course, is to get the UN inspectors back to doing what their job is, which is to inspect the program that Saddam Hussein has set up on weapons of mass destruction. What this will do is to provide us with all the resources that we may need in order to carry out any missions that are given to us, but as you point out, we're pursuing the diplomatic track and hoping that the issue can be resolved that way.
As I said before, this gives us some additional flexibility, gives us some additional capability in the region, and it's the prudent thing to do until we actually see results on the ground.
Q: Until you actually see the inspectors go into Iraq?
A: As you have seen in the last few days, we can move forces very readily; we can move forces into a region; we can move forces out of a region. But what I think everybody is looking for is compliance with the UN sanctions that were imposed after the Gulf War, and to see the inspectors back doing the things that they need to do to monitor the weapons of mass destruction program.
Q: Will these forces, the additional forces, be there for what you'd call the foreseeable future?
A: It will be there until we feel that there is no longer a requirement for this level of force in the region. Even on a routine basis we maintain quite a capability in the Gulf region, not only with aircraft that are positioned ashore, but also from the aircraft that are assigned to the aircraft carrier. Our plans for the foreseeable future, maintain a certain level. We're able to augment that as we have in the last week or so. When the National Command Authority makes the decision that this heightened number is no longer required, we'll be able to move them out of the area in an expeditious way.
Q: What do we think the Iraqis have been doing while the inspectors were gone?
A: I think that the past indicators are that they have been moving equipment, the kind of equipment that was associated with their programs on chemical and biological weapons, so the inspectors will have their work cut out for them.
Q: Did we learn anything from the U-2 flights to help us know what they're doing?
A: The U-2 flights are certainly part of the overall program to monitor activities and to assist the UNSCOM inspectors in their work. But I don't have any detail on exactly what they have seen in the last few flights they've made.
Q: Are the U-2 flights in fact going to continue?
A: The U-2 flights are going to continue.
Q: Is there any suggestion whatsoever -- there had been some reports earlier that Iraq had said there would be no more U-2 flights.
A: There are no indications that I've seen that the U-2 flights are not going to continue. We fly those flights, as you know, at the request of UNSCOM and every indication that I've seen would lead me to believe that we'll continue flying those flights.
Q: Isn't there a window through the end of this week?
A: There is, indeed.
Q: And that window has not been closed.
A: The window has not been closed. And then, of course, there may be additional windows after this one.
Q: Has anyone requested them to increase the frequency of these flights?
A: I have not seen any indication of a change in the frequency of the flights. We're certainly in a position to do whatever is requested by UNSCOM to support their requirements.
Q: The Russians -- it's reported that the Russians might negotiate something on behalf of Iraq, ending the U-2 flights. I take it the United States would be completely opposed to any termination of the U-2 program, is that correct?
A: We want to be supportive of UNSCOM. We want to be supportive of the program that is going to monitor the programs that are ongoing in Iraq to rebuild their programs of weapons of mass destruction. If that requires aircraft, and it has certainly for the last five years, I would anticipate that it will require aircraft in the future, too, and that the U-2 will be playing a significant role in all of that.
Q: Is the U.S. under the impression that Iraq has been busily restoring these weapons of mass destruction programs and facilities in the absence of...
A: I don't know that we have any specific information on that because one, the inspectors haven't been there; and secondly, the cameras that monitored some of the inspection sites have, in some cases, been covered up.
Q: Is there any reason to believe other than what you might learn from on-site inspections or the cameras that they may be doing that?
A: That they may be moving and...
Q: And restoring...
A: I think the primary information that we have is based on past performance.
Q: Your answer to his question on the U-2 flights if the UN says hey, we don't want any more U-2s -- you were leaving the door open to that possibility that there would be no more U-2 flights?
A: I am not leaving any door open. Our full expectation is that the U-2s will be not only required, but they will be flying.
Q: Has there been a change in the Iraqi air defenses in the south? There was a concern that they were attempting to set things up, or...
A: I think the situation in that regard remains the same.
Q: Is the same true for the alert posture that they're on?
A: Yes, it is -- no change that we have seen in the last few hours in that regard.
Q: Do you have an incremental cost of all these latest deployments?
A: No. I would anticipate, based on past experience, that not until the deployment is complete would we be able to give you any kind of accurate assessment of how much this will cost.
Q: On the air defense issue, are there any plans then to issue another demarche to Iraq or are they on notice that they could be subject to strikes if they continue this behavior?
A: I believe that there is a move afoot to do something in terms of communicating either with a demarche or by some other means, but...
Q: Communicate what?
A: The fact that this is not acceptable.
Q: Which is not acceptable?
A: The status of their air defense units.
Q: Which are violations of the..
A: Which are a violation of the procedures that have been set up for Southern Watch under the UN sanctions.
Q: Are they flying their aircraft?
Q: What is it about the movement of their air defense units that is a violation?
A: Let me get back to you on the specifics of that. We'll see if we can't get you a specific answer to that one.
Q: Iraq was warned not to "reconstitute" air defenses after they were destroyed last...
A: Yes, but let me get back...
Q: Is it reconstituting of air defenses?
A: It's been evident over some time that they have certainly improved their air defense situation over the last several years.
Q: But since they were ordered, after the strikes last year, not to reconstitute their air defenses, is that in effect what they're doing, and is that where the violation lies?
A: Let me get back to you with the specifics of what communications are going on between...
Q: Have the Saudis or other countries where our aircraft will be based given permission that if we decide to take action against these air defenses that that will be okay to do from aircraft launched from their countries?
A: We're not there at this point. I think everybody wants to get a little specific about the military approach to things, and I want at this point to stress that we continue to move down the diplomatic road. We are, however, making these deployments in an effort to give us greater capability and flexibility in the region, but we continue to pursue the diplomatic path.
Q: What are the Iraqi aircraft doing? Are they flying anywhere near the no-fly zone...
A: There have been no violations of either the north or the south no-fly zones in several days.
Q: Within the zone they can fly, and is it just a normal pattern of flying activity by their military? Or has it increased or decreased lately?
A: When you say lately, it certainly has increased over the last several months, but in the last several weeks it has not had any unusual increases.
Q: Is Iraq going to be told it's got to stop moving its air defense systems around by a particular deadline?
A: Say it one more time.
Q: Is Iraq going to be given a deadline by which it must stop this moving of its air defense system?
A: I cannot answer your question right now. I need to get back to you on that aspect of it.
Q: Any unusual movements in the north? Any movements in garrison, out of garrison, any activity that's occurred...
A: No. The movements that we've seen are pretty much as Ken has described them in the past. That is to say that they don't seem to be moving toward any of Iraq's neighbors. There is, I think the overall characterization would be that they are moving in a way that is defensive as opposed to offensive.
Q: And no action against the Kurds?
A: No action against the Kurds that I've seen here recently, no.
Q: Since the whole thing started at the end of October, have we seen any signs that the Iraqis have moved to deploy any of their sea skimming missile type hardware that could attack our carriers?
A: Have the Iraqis deployed any of those? I have not seen anything like that, no.
.........
Captain Doubleday: Before you all leave I want to get on the record some numbers. I believe that I was not calculating totally the numbers of aircraft and others. The number of aircraft is about 281 when all of the deployments are completed. The number of ships will be about 22. The number of personnel will be about 30,000.
.........Press: Thank you.
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