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Grange: January key for deployment
Editor's Note: CNN Access is a regular feature on CNN.com providing interviews with newsmakers from around the world. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More U.S. troops, aircraft carriers and warplanes are getting ready to head to the Persian Gulf in case there is a war with Iraq. As a former commanding general of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division -- the "Big Red One" -- CNN military analyst David Grange is familiar with mobilizing troops and weapons. He discussed the current buildup with CNN Correspondent Kitty Pilgrim. PILGRIM: Let's talk about the mobilization. Is it your impression that we're in the full push at this point? GRANGE: Well, I think January is the key month to continue to build up the forces to somewhere around the [200,000 to] 250,000 level, along with Great Britain and possibly Australia and some other countries. Because the military, if it's asked to attack, they'll be asked to do it tomorrow. And so it takes awhile to get everything in position, so it's very prudent to do that now. PILGRIM: We see the 3rd Infantry Division out of Georgia being deployed. They specialize in desert warfare. Are we seeing the bulk of the desert forces moving into place? GRANGE: Most of the U.S. Army and Marine units train in desert warfare. The 3rd Infantry Division has a training location called Intrinsic Action in Kuwait on a continuing basis. Other units also participate, and it really gives the units familiarization training, live-fire training, in terrain very similar to what the battle would be if we went into Iraq. And so these units are at the high peak of readiness for desert warfare, with heavy armored formations. And it's a great unit, the 3rd Infantry Division, and I'm sure they're ready to go. PILGRIM: Let's talk about the countries where they're being based and how effective that is in terms of any action that will have to take place, as you point out could be at the spur of the moment. GRANGE: I think the basing is a little more restrictive than it was in '90-'91 for Desert Storm. But, of course, Kuwait is key [as are] Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and [for] the Air Force ... Saudi Arabia. They're still allowed to put aircraft and the personnel to support the aircraft in that country. And I think there's probably some movements around Turkey and elsewhere in the Middle East. Some movements are overt, and I'm sure that some movements are covert that are not visible right now to the media or anybody else. PILGRIM: There is something else I'd really like to ask you about for some insight and that's the training of Iraqi exiles. About 1,000 are being trained. What are they being trained for, and how might they be utilized in a military action, given the chain of command, to have this extra group of trained Iraqis? GRANGE: Yes, I believe there is approximately 1,000 [who were] selected out of 3,000 or 4,000 volunteers from the different factions, probably mainly in the Kurdish areas, to support a coalition attack on Saddam's regime. And ... they're trying to get, I think, the old ... Soviet base in Taszar, Hungary, with Hungary's permission, of course, as a training facility. This was used by U.S. troops for Bosnia. It's a great facility for that type of training. But some are also being trained, especially with the Shiite faction, in Iran itself. Now these forces would be used as guides for American and British forces, as liaisons between the different factions, and also as just connectivity with the populace in Iraq itself. And all factions, whether it be Suni, Shiite or Kurd, would be involved, because they all have a part, obviously, in the future of Iraq after the attack. PILGRIM: General Grange, we would like to train your military mind on the Korean Peninsula for just a minute. What's your assessment of the dangerousness of the situation and the U.S. troops there? GRANGE: Well, Korea is always, obviously, a dangerous peninsula. North Korea has -- the leader's very unpredictable. We're not sure what he may do. The 37,000 U.S. troops in Korea are key to deterrence. Having been assigned there for a year and a half, [I have] no doubt in my mind that one reason there hasn't a war is because of the U.S. presence there with the South Korean army. PILGRIM: Well, the U.S., South Korea and Japan will hold trilateral talks on Monday, or next week. And we hope for the best on a diplomatic solution there.
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