Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS 16:00

October 5, 2004 Tuesday

Transcript # 100501CN.V15

HEADLINE: Cheney Vs. Edwards; Schwarzenegger White House?; Were There Enough Troops in Iraq?

GUESTS: Joseph Biden, Lindsey Graham, Ken Mehlman, Shaan Ghandi, LaToya Edwards, Fitzgerald Heslop, Adam Hosmer-Henner, Tom Vilsack
WOODRUFF: Back here in Cleveland, the site of tonight's vice presidential debate.

Just a moment ago, we heard from Democratic Senator and Foreign Relations Committee member Senator Joe Biden.

Now, for a different perspective, we are joined by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Senator Graham, we just heard from a very frustrated Senator Biden, saying what could be clearer? We now hear from Paul Bremer, the civilian administrator in Iraq, that there should have been more U.S. troops on the ground in the beginning and throughout, that he made that argument, and he wishes he'd made it more. Senator Biden's point is, what more evidence do we need that the situation in Iraq is different from what we've been hearing from President Bush?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM ®, SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, I think the argument that we could have had more troops up front I think is probably true.

But the truth, Judy, is that we are doing better now. We're going after the terrorists in Samarra. We're accelerating our training program. NATO is now involved. So, what I see is a more aggressive response to the January elections that will be forthcoming. The terrorists are killing Iraqi children in droves. And I think the population is fed up with it, so I'm right encouraged right now.

WOODRUFF: Well, Senator, Senator Biden reported his-I guess, the testimony yesterday or a day or so ago from the defense secretary and from others in the administration acknowledging that there are no fully, fully trained Iraqi police, police who have been through the full range of training that one would need to deal with the situation on the ground.

GRAHAM: Yes.

The course in Jordan-I've been to it-is an eight-week course. They've had several classes go through, but they have follow- on training. You have got to remember, the police force that we're talking about training is replacing a police force that protected a dictator. There's never been a police force in Iraq for decades to investigate and prosecute crime and protect people. The police force that was in place for Saddam Hussein was there to protect him.

So, we're starting from scratch. It is going to take a while. And people need to know that.

WOODRUFF: Back on what Ambassador Paul Bremer had to say, though, a number of people are saying, if this was the case, if this is what he was asking for and the president was saying no and yet the administration has never formally acknowledged that they didn't have enough troops, the question people are saying, is, is the administration leveling with the American people?

GRAHAM: Well, I don't know what Ambassador Bremer recommended to the commanders of the forces in Iraq, but I've never known a commander to make a force request that was turned down.

I know Shinseki said that we needed more troops, but I don't know of that have made a request that have been turned down. But I've been saying for a year and a half I think more troops would allow us to accelerate training and would be a good thing. But the truth is, the model to win this war, Judy, is Iraqi forces engaging with American forces to take places like Samarra and Fallujah.

And we're making a more aggressive attempt to do that. The terrorists are getting desperate. They're killing children. I really do think time is on our side, if we'll stay the course. And Senator Kerry is sending the worst message possible, talking about getting out in six months. So, I'd much rather adjust what President Bush is doing, rather than going the way of Senator Kerry, which is a message that we're going to leave.

WOODRUFF: Well, I think his message has been the troops. There should be a process to begin to get the troops out in four years.

GRAHAM: Well, no. He said he was going to-he hoped to get a process that we'd start leaving in six months. There's no way we're going to be able to leave in six months, I don't think.

WOODRUFF: All right.

Well, we appreciate your being with us. Senator Lindsey Graham, thank you very much.

GRAHAM: Thank you.