(Via Milinet)
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2000 -- For the last few years, Marine
Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni has been on watch in one of the world's
most troubled regions, a land of oil wells and deserts, staunch
allies and determined enemies.
As the commander of U.S. Central Command, he's led U.S. efforts
to contain Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's aggression. He's dealt
with repeated violations of the U.N.-imposed no-fly zones over
Iraq and trained thousands of U.S. troops in the Kuwaiti sands.
Zinni is retiring in July after nearly 40 years' service. He is
moving to Virginia, but has no specific plans. "I'm going to
think about my future there," he said. "I'm certainly going to
stay active. I'm not ready to sit back and fish and watch the
days go by, and neither is my wife ready for me to do that. I
will be up to something constructive."
Army Gen. Tommy Franks, currently CENTCOM's Army component
commander, is slated to take over the unified command. "I feel
proud and happy that he's my successor," Zinni remarked. "I like
his style. I like the way he operates. He knows the region and
he knows the people out there very well. I see a continuation in
growth and improvement on all the things we've done."
At his request, Zinni met with the American Forces Information
Service here in mid-June to talk about issues affecting CENTCOM
and to bid his troops farewell. He especially highlighted the
role the command plays in world affairs.
CENTCOM's area of responsibility covers 25 countries from the
Horn of Africa and Egypt eastward through the Arabian Peninsula
into Southwest and Central Asia. This part of the world, Zinni
said, is vitally important to U.S. interests because of its
energy resources, trade markets and transit routes.
Zinni acknowledged the support the United States receives from
friends in the region, who, he said, "have been by our side in
many conflicts and supported us elsewhere in the region that we
help protect."
The United States maintains about 20,000 service members in the
CENTCOM area of responsibility. They enforce no-fly zones over
Iraq and U.N. sanctions against maritime smuggling. U.S. naval
forces, along with coalition and allied support, intercept and
interdict the gas and oil coming out of Iraq.
These sanctions against Iraq remain necessary, Zinni said,
because Hussein would again threaten his neighbors if given a
chance. "If he is allowed to rebuild his military forces and
weapons of mass destruction, we could repeat the same events we
saw in 1990 with Desert Storm," he said.
Hussein repeatedly challenges the sanctions. "Day-to-day we fly
the skies over Iraq and patrol the seas off of Iraq," Zinni
said. "Occasionally he fires at our planes and we are forced to
respond to protect our own pilots and to enforce the requirement
we are engaged in."
Since Operation Desert Fox ended in December 1998, there have
been nearly a thousand violations, Zinni said, including Iraqi
aircraft violating the no-fly zones, radar illuminating
coalition aircraft and Iraqi forces firing surface-to-air
munitions at the planes.
"We have responded to most of these," Zinni said, "and his air
defenses have paid the price. We have probably destroyed over 30
percent of his air defense system now as a result."
Zinni said Hussein continues to provoke a response to show he's
in charge and to distract the Iraqi people from the real cause
of their plight. "Unfortunately it's his poor military personnel
-- the troops that man the air defense systems -- that pay the
price."
The United States maintains a carrier battle group in the region
to help enforce U.N. sanctions and conduct exercises with allies
and coalition forces. Marine expeditionary units and an
amphibious readiness group are also deployed in the region part
time. If he had his druthers, Zinni said, he would like to see
even more U.S. military presence in the region.
"We would like to see full-time coverage," he said. These units
give CENTCOM the flexibility to respond to crises all over the
region. They've conducted noncombatant evacuations operations
and helped with humanitarian operations in Africa. They would
help us reinforce Army forces we have on the ground in Kuwait
should we see Saddam start moving toward the Kuwaiti border."
Zinni also acknowledged the air support the command receives. He
said the air expeditionary force initiative launched by Gen.
Michael Ryan, Air Force chief of staff, works very well for
CENTCOM. It promotes deployment predictability, cohesion and
teamwork and brings much more order and logic to deployments, he
said.
The United States also maintains a full-time rotation of ground
forces in the region as part of Operation Desert Spring, Zinni
said. A battalion task force and other reinforcements are in
Kuwait. Combat equipment is pre-positioned in Kuwait and Qatar,
and at sea.
"Army air and ground support forces in Kuwait give us the
capability to protect and defend Kuwait," he said. "I'm always
impressed with the units we see make up the battalion task
force. They do a great job in maximizing and taking advantage of
the facilities -- the ranges, live firing, the maneuver space. I
think each one goes home feeling much more ready than when they
came."
The U.S. units demonstrate America's resolve to protect Kuwait,
he added, and Kuwaiti forces appreciate joint training
opportunities. "The sense of protection and credibility we bring
to the defense of Kuwait has also aided them greatly in
improving their military capability," the general said.
Threat of Iraqi aggression puts U.S. forces on the front line
against chemical and biological weapons. Zinni said the
military's mandatory anthrax vaccination is an extremely
important force protection requirement for his command.
"I'm convinced that the anthrax vaccine is safe," he said. "I've
had all six of my shots. All my headquarters (staff) has had the
shots, too.
Iraq has anthrax capability, he stressed. "We know that the
Iraqis have the capability of using it, distributing it, and
they certainly have it stored." Its use would be devastating,
Zinni said.
"It's important that our troops be protected. We cannot afford
to have troops that are unprotected if we were to be exposed to
anthrax," he said. "The loss of the troops that haven't had the
protection would have a serious effect and put at risk those who
have had it and degrade our capability to react."
On another regional front, Zinni said, he see progress toward
stability in the political changes that have occurred in Iran.
"I'm hopeful about Iran. I'm hoping this moderation will
continue. It's a long way to go yet," he said. "We still worry
about their weapons of mass destruction program, their missile
program and the activities (of their) intelligence service …
in
supporting terrorism, but there's change in the wind.
"I think the people of Iran want change -- they want
moderation," Zinni continued. He sees the fact that they worked
hard to elect President Mohammad Khatami-Ardakami as a promise
and hope for the future. "Right now I think it's appropriate to
wait and see."
During his three years as CENTCOM chief, he said, he's carried
on the work of his predecessor, Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III,
in establishing the kind of military footprint in the region
that allows the United States to rapidly respond to crises.
"We've built strong relationships with our friends in the region
and they welcome our presence," he said. "We've worked hard in
Africa to develop the capability to deal with peacekeeping and
humanitarian operations."
CENTCOM has also developed Bright Star, an exercise conducted
annually in Egypt that involves 7,000 international troops. "I
see that growing," he remarked. "I think it's important for the
region. It shows our capability to operate as a coalition and
the willingness to do so."
As for the military's future, the general said, he sees the need
to adjust to the "other than war" missions required by the
changing world. More and more, he said, the military is being
pushed toward peacekeeping and humanitarian operations,
protection of the environment and dealing with transnational
threats such as terrorism.
"I think we've got to make those adjustments necessary and
recognize those are the real missions we have got to take on and
not be resistant," he said "Engagements around the world are
important. We are the last superpower and we need to do that."
Defense leaders need to take a hard look at the armed forces, he
said. "Do we have the military that is constructed the right
way? Is it the right size? Are we manned at the right levels? Do
we have the kinds of funding for our services in support that we
need?
"I'm not so sure that's the case across the board," he said. "I
think that after the Cold War ended, we anticipated peace
dividends that may not be there. We are going to see less and
less of the peace dividend and more and more challenges of this
transforming world post Cold War. Our military has to make the
adjustments and deal with it."
In a salute to the men and women of CENTCOM and the armed
forces, Zinni said, "In my 39 years of being in the military, I
have been blessed with seeing the finest young men and women in
the world in our armed forces. I can never remember a time when
they let me down.
"My son is a Marine second lieutenant, and I'm proud he chose to
serve. I am especially proud of those who wear this desert
camouflage uniform. In my three years as commander in chief they
have always performed magnificently. Those in uniform as well as
those in civilians' suits have delivered a performance that was
absolutely superb."
##END##
20006261a.jpg Marine Corps Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, commander U.S.
Central Command, talks with a member of the 31st Marine
Expeditionary United during a deployment in Kuwait. DoD Photo by
Lt. Lisa Brackenbury
20006261b.jpg Marine Corps Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, commander U.S.
Central Command, briefs reporters at the Pentagon following
Operation Desert Fox, the four-day bombing campaign against
Iraq. DoD Photo by R. D. Ward
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