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CNN Live Today
U.S. Patriot Missile Hits Iraqi Missile Over Kuwait
Aired March 20, 2003 - 10:19 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: Let's go now to our Walt Rodgers, who's imbedded with the 7th cavalry unit out there in the desert there, somewhere between Kuwait and Iraq over there by the border. We don't exactly where they're at, but let's check in right now and see how things look right now, at least from Walt's perspective.
Walt, what can you tell us?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
It would appear the Iraqis badly miscalculated today, when they fired six tactical ballistic missiles across the border into Kuwait at the American forces here and toward Kuwait City. They have put steel into the spine of the American soldiers you see assembled in this desert with the U.S. Army 7th Calvary.
At first when the alarm was spread that the Iraqis were firing missiles at the U.S. troops, some of the soldiers confessed to being fearful. All of them were told to put on their chemical weapons suit. That is full gas masks, full parka, gloves, boots, full trousers, full protective covering. We could hear the explosions several miles in the distance as Patriot missiles were trying to take out the tactical ballistic missiles that the Iraqis fired.
When things settled down, after an all-clear was signaled, these American soldiers with the 7th Cavalry got angry, you could see them just rise to the occasion. Whenever President Bush gives the order for the 7th cavalry to move across the border, it is going to be a charge, and these soldiers are more than a little furious, because the Iraqis, according the Army, fired six tactical ballistic missiles in their direction and in the direction of Kuwait -- Leon.
HARRIS: Walt, I am wondering after hearing that and hearing how their resolve has actually stiffened by hearing or seeing these missiles, how soon -- I don't if you can tell us that or not, I should caveat first -- do you know how soon those men there at your location found out about the impacts or the misses of those missiles back in Kuwait before the word got back to them? Do you know how long it took for that word to travel?
RODGERS: It was a very short time. I was just walking a few meeters from here, I heard explosions in the distance, three, four, perhaps five. I was -- my initial thought was that I was listening to incoming artillery.
But again, we're a good distance away. It sounded like artillery, but then all of a sudden, the captain of our Apache troop, Captain Clay Lyle (ph), ran out and said, everyone, get in your hard- skinned vehicles. He thought he would be taking incoming artillery. Moments after that, every soldier here started yelling MOP 4, MOP 4! That is the chemical warfare condition by which you are instructed to put on your boots, your trousers, your parka, your gas masks and your gloves. We were fully covered sitting in our vehicles, probably 20, 30 minutes until we goat got an all-clear. It was pretty warm in there. For me, it was just a relief to get out of that the chemical weapons suit in the desert, but for these soldiers, as I say, it put more steel in their spine -- Leon.
HARRIS: That may be exactly what Saddam Hussein does not want to hear this morning.
Thanks, Walt. You be careful out there. We'll get back to you later on. Walt Rodgers out there traveling with the Seventh Calvary.
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 20, 2003 - 10:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go now to our Walt Rodgers, who's imbedded with the 7th cavalry unit out there in the desert there, somewhere between Kuwait and Iraq over there by the border. We don't exactly where they're at, but let's check in right now and see how things look right now, at least from Walt's perspective.
Walt, what can you tell us?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
It would appear the Iraqis badly miscalculated today, when they fired six tactical ballistic missiles across the border into Kuwait at the American forces here and toward Kuwait City. They have put steel into the spine of the American soldiers you see assembled in this desert with the U.S. Army 7th Calvary.
At first when the alarm was spread that the Iraqis were firing missiles at the U.S. troops, some of the soldiers confessed to being fearful. All of them were told to put on their chemical weapons suit. That is full gas masks, full parka, gloves, boots, full trousers, full protective covering. We could hear the explosions several miles in the distance as Patriot missiles were trying to take out the tactical ballistic missiles that the Iraqis fired.
When things settled down, after an all-clear was signaled, these American soldiers with the 7th Cavalry got angry, you could see them just rise to the occasion. Whenever President Bush gives the order for the 7th cavalry to move across the border, it is going to be a charge, and these soldiers are more than a little furious, because the Iraqis, according the Army, fired six tactical ballistic missiles in their direction and in the direction of Kuwait -- Leon.
HARRIS: Walt, I am wondering after hearing that and hearing how their resolve has actually stiffened by hearing or seeing these missiles, how soon -- I don't if you can tell us that or not, I should caveat first -- do you know how soon those men there at your location found out about the impacts or the misses of those missiles back in Kuwait before the word got back to them? Do you know how long it took for that word to travel?
RODGERS: It was a very short time. I was just walking a few meeters from here, I heard explosions in the distance, three, four, perhaps five. I was -- my initial thought was that I was listening to incoming artillery.
But again, we're a good distance away. It sounded like artillery, but then all of a sudden, the captain of our Apache troop, Captain Clay Lyle (ph), ran out and said, everyone, get in your hard- skinned vehicles. He thought he would be taking incoming artillery. Moments after that, every soldier here started yelling MOP 4, MOP 4! That is the chemical warfare condition by which you are instructed to put on your boots, your trousers, your parka, your gas masks and your gloves. We were fully covered sitting in our vehicles, probably 20, 30 minutes until we goat got an all-clear. It was pretty warm in there. For me, it was just a relief to get out of that the chemical weapons suit in the desert, but for these soldiers, as I say, it put more steel in their spine -- Leon.
HARRIS: That may be exactly what Saddam Hussein does not want to hear this morning.
Thanks, Walt. You be careful out there. We'll get back to you later on. Walt Rodgers out there traveling with the Seventh Calvary.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
