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CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Troops Prepare for War Along Iraqi-Kuwaiti Border

Aired March 08, 2003 - 14:26   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're hearing about some unusual activity along the border between Iraq and Kuwait, signals that more war preparations are being put into place. CNN's Martin Savidge is live in Kuwait with more on the new movements inside the Demilitarized Zone -- Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the border between Iraq and Kuwait stretches about 125, maybe 130 miles on land. And it is marked by the DMZ, or the Demilitarized Zone that was set up after the Gulf War of 1991. For the most part, the peacekeepers, U.N. peacekeepers that are up there, it's been a pretty boring life, which is just the way they like it, by the way.

But recently, and I'm talking in the past couple of days, things have began to change. First of all, the U.N. says they have noted a number of people coming into the area, specifically men armed with weapons, dressed in civilian clothes, riding in SUVs. When they approach these men and ask them who they are and what they are doing there, some of them do identify themselves as U.S. Marines. Now, that is technically a violation, being in the DMZ for U.S. military troops. There are signs posted that say that 10 kilometers out, U.S. troops not allowed beyond this point. So apparently the U.S. Marines are going in.

Why? Well, probably to do some scouting work up there. You see, the DMZ also has an electric fence that stretches the length of the border, a massive trench about 15 feet deep and also two very large earthen berms. They were designed by the Kuwaitis to keep the Iraqis out if they were to try again. Of course, it would also make it difficult for U.S. and British forces to get into Iraq.

And so the planning for dealing with those obstacles is one thing that the U.S. military forces have been doing.

Also, reportedly, there are bridges that have now appeared up there, pre-assembled, sitting on the Kuwaiti side of the border that may be ready to quickly be in place over those trenches to allow troops and equipment to move. The one other thing, Kuwaiti authorities up along the border have reportedly been cutting holes in the electric fence. We're not talking small one-man holes. We're talking maybe 15 gaps measuring 300 meters wide each. Apparently, those preparations are being done.

As far as U.S. military forces here in Kuwait, they now number at over 128,000 troops and they still say growing daily. Those troops obviously involved in training. But the training in the past couple of days has intensified. Much larger military exercises, with joint exercises taking place between land and ground forces. Again, preparations for, if the president of the United States calls for military action, not just the troops are ready, but now apparently the border is getting ready -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Marty, it's certainly gotten serious. Talking about those large holes in the fence that you were describing, so large so that heavy machinery and military personnel would be able to get through those fences? That's the objective, correct?

SAVIDGE: That would be the objective. And then obviously there'd have to be bulldozers that would probably lead that charge, because beyond the electric fence is one more earthen berm that would have to be knocked down, so it would require a lot of engineering skill. And you want to do it in a number of different places, obviously, because the U.S. military would not want to tip off exactly where they're going to cross the border, and quite frankly, they're probably not going to do in just one place -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Marty, thank you very much.

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 March 8, 2003 - 14:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're hearing about some unusual activity along the border between Iraq and Kuwait, signals that more war preparations are being put into place. CNN's Martin Savidge is live in Kuwait with more on the new movements inside the Demilitarized Zone -- Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the border between Iraq and Kuwait stretches about 125, maybe 130 miles on land. And it is marked by the DMZ, or the Demilitarized Zone that was set up after the Gulf War of 1991. For the most part, the peacekeepers, U.N. peacekeepers that are up there, it's been a pretty boring life, which is just the way they like it, by the way.

But recently, and I'm talking in the past couple of days, things have began to change. First of all, the U.N. says they have noted a number of people coming into the area, specifically men armed with weapons, dressed in civilian clothes, riding in SUVs. When they approach these men and ask them who they are and what they are doing there, some of them do identify themselves as U.S. Marines. Now, that is technically a violation, being in the DMZ for U.S. military troops. There are signs posted that say that 10 kilometers out, U.S. troops not allowed beyond this point. So apparently the U.S. Marines are going in.

Why? Well, probably to do some scouting work up there. You see, the DMZ also has an electric fence that stretches the length of the border, a massive trench about 15 feet deep and also two very large earthen berms. They were designed by the Kuwaitis to keep the Iraqis out if they were to try again. Of course, it would also make it difficult for U.S. and British forces to get into Iraq.

And so the planning for dealing with those obstacles is one thing that the U.S. military forces have been doing.

Also, reportedly, there are bridges that have now appeared up there, pre-assembled, sitting on the Kuwaiti side of the border that may be ready to quickly be in place over those trenches to allow troops and equipment to move. The one other thing, Kuwaiti authorities up along the border have reportedly been cutting holes in the electric fence. We're not talking small one-man holes. We're talking maybe 15 gaps measuring 300 meters wide each. Apparently, those preparations are being done.

As far as U.S. military forces here in Kuwait, they now number at over 128,000 troops and they still say growing daily. Those troops obviously involved in training. But the training in the past couple of days has intensified. Much larger military exercises, with joint exercises taking place between land and ground forces. Again, preparations for, if the president of the United States calls for military action, not just the troops are ready, but now apparently the border is getting ready -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Marty, it's certainly gotten serious. Talking about those large holes in the fence that you were describing, so large so that heavy machinery and military personnel would be able to get through those fences? That's the objective, correct?

SAVIDGE: That would be the objective. And then obviously there'd have to be bulldozers that would probably lead that charge, because beyond the electric fence is one more earthen berm that would have to be knocked down, so it would require a lot of engineering skill. And you want to do it in a number of different places, obviously, because the U.S. military would not want to tip off exactly where they're going to cross the border, and quite frankly, they're probably not going to do in just one place -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Marty, thank you very much.

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