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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Troops Armed, Ready for Attack
Aired March 19, 2003 - 06:35 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Pentagon officials say that U.S. troops are ready to attack and have been for some time.
Let's get more now on what's happening at the Pentagon, and say good morning now to Chris Plante.
Hi -- Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon.
Yes, that's right. There are about a 130,000 U.S., British and Australian ground troops poised along the border in Kuwait ready to go in to Iraq when the president gives the order; 1,000 war planes, five aircraft carrier battle groups.
What we expect to see first in the early stages is the taking of the city of Basra in southern Iraq. Basra is a Shiite-controlled city, as most of southern Iraq is. The U.S. is expecting essentially to be more or less welcomed there as liberators, not as conquerors.
In the meantime, the U.S. is peppering troops throughout Iraq, particularly in the south, with leaflets from airplanes, advising them not to engage the U.S. forces when they come through, telling them how they can avoid being fired on by the U.S. and coalition forces as they come through.
And the U.S. is expecting that when they reach the gates of Baghdad, that's where they're most likely to run into problems with the Republican Guard; Republican Guard units, of course, the best- equipped, the best-trained, the most loyal to Saddam Hussein, a couple of lines of defenses around the city of Baghdad.
Republican Guard troops have dispersed throughout the suburbs, many of them taking refuge in private homes apparently as part of their plan to weather the initial shock-and-awe bombing campaign that the Pentagon has promised. But they do expect that there will be combat there with Republican Guard units, even though there have been some indications early on that many of the units in the Iraqi military, including Republican Guard units, are not necessarily eager for a fight -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. Chris Plante at the Pentagon this morning, we'll get back to you in just a bit.
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 19, 2003 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Pentagon officials say that U.S. troops are ready to attack and have been for some time.
Let's get more now on what's happening at the Pentagon, and say good morning now to Chris Plante.
Hi -- Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon.
Yes, that's right. There are about a 130,000 U.S., British and Australian ground troops poised along the border in Kuwait ready to go in to Iraq when the president gives the order; 1,000 war planes, five aircraft carrier battle groups.
What we expect to see first in the early stages is the taking of the city of Basra in southern Iraq. Basra is a Shiite-controlled city, as most of southern Iraq is. The U.S. is expecting essentially to be more or less welcomed there as liberators, not as conquerors.
In the meantime, the U.S. is peppering troops throughout Iraq, particularly in the south, with leaflets from airplanes, advising them not to engage the U.S. forces when they come through, telling them how they can avoid being fired on by the U.S. and coalition forces as they come through.
And the U.S. is expecting that when they reach the gates of Baghdad, that's where they're most likely to run into problems with the Republican Guard; Republican Guard units, of course, the best- equipped, the best-trained, the most loyal to Saddam Hussein, a couple of lines of defenses around the city of Baghdad.
Republican Guard troops have dispersed throughout the suburbs, many of them taking refuge in private homes apparently as part of their plan to weather the initial shock-and-awe bombing campaign that the Pentagon has promised. But they do expect that there will be combat there with Republican Guard units, even though there have been some indications early on that many of the units in the Iraqi military, including Republican Guard units, are not necessarily eager for a fight -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. Chris Plante at the Pentagon this morning, we'll get back to you in just a bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
