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CNN Live Today

Many Explosions Heard Over Baghdad

Aired March 20, 2003 - 13:01   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We leave Ari Fleischer's White House briefing now to check in with Nic Robertson the heels of a report just about 15 minutes ago that the air raid sirens started sounding again.
Nic, what do you see? What do you hear?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard about 10, 12 minutes ago, the air raid sirens going off. It had been about 10 hours since the all clear was given. That was the air raid siren.

And just about one minute ago, to detect what sounded like a large detonation coming from the south of the city, but no antiaircraft gunfire, the city still very still. Surprisingly, the lights of the city on at this time, dogs barking, but no other indication that there may be an attack imminent or an attack underway, just that one detonation off toward the south side of the city.

ZAHN: Nic, when you hear the siren, are you able to tell us what you're supposed to do?

ROBERTSON: That's a very good question. We're -- we make sure that we're safe, and we do our best to continue to report what we can see and hear from our vantage point here in the center of the city, and that's what we're doing at the moment, and we hope here to continue to do that. If the situation for us becomes unsafe, then maybe we will have to leave the telephone line. But at the moment, the situation at the moment is quiet.

We'll continue to keep you informed.

ZAHN: Once again, though, describe what you saw. You saw something that appeared to be what?

ROBERTSON: A detonation, sort of a deep thump coming from the southern end of the city. Now, this was the area earlier today where the cruise missiles had impacted sort of a distance, dull thump.

The antiaircraft gunfire when it's closer has a sort of a sharper crack to it, but this more of a dull thump. Now night has fallen, and even though lights are on all over the city, the road lights, the building light, the lights in many of the government buildings there, still on, but not possible to say exactly where that detonation was. But it did sound as it came from the south of the city, the area where those cruise missiles were impacting earlier in the day.

ZAHN: Let's contrast this with what you witnessed last night when there was rapid antiaircraft fire. There is a concern at the Pentagon that perhaps the Iraqis knew the U.S. was coming. It is possible the Iraqis simply fired at the sky with the expectation that something was coming. The larger concern is that Iraq has some sort of advanced technology that some U.S. officials hadn't realized. Once again, you have not seen any signs of antiaircraft fire, right?

ROBERTSON: No, no anti-aircraft fire at this stage. Watching what happened this morning was interesting. The antiaircraft fire appeared to erupt from the periphery of the city, towards the south and towards the west of the city, from our vantage point, and then it died down, and then it came -- and then the anti-aircraft gunfire erupted again this time. This time it erupted in the center of the city. And after about three or four minutes of the intense fire from the center of the city, then the antiaircraft gunfire diminished there. Then a little later, another round of antiaircraft gunfire started, again, from the periphery of the city.

It seems to indicate only certain areas are firing at certain times. And I think One of the military analysts earlier said this was an indication of good command and control, that the Iraqi forces were able to determine which antiaircraft batteries should start firing, and then at what point they should cease their firing.

ZAHN: You told us about some of the precautions you take as you're on duty there, one of the few remaining reporters in Baghdad. When Iraqi citizens hear these sirens go off, what is your understanding of what they are supposed to do?

ROBERTSON: We do know that some Iraqi citizens have been trying to take shelter in shelters. Two citizens in hospitals today said they were injured when they were running trying to get to a shelter earlier today. Many people -- now hear anti-aircraft gunfire erupting over the city, I see the bright lights and antiaircraft gun position lighting up. Perhaps you can hear the anti-aircraft gunfire now.

ZAHN: We can see it and we can hear it, Nic.

ROBERTSON: Beginning to illuminate the sky, tracer fire. I can see it, the fire coming from northern aspects of the city. I can see it coming from eastern, western aspects of the city, two or three kilometers away. I see it to the southwest of the city, antiaircraft fire, one, two, three, four, five, six seven, eight -- at least coming -- at least eight from locations, heavy antiaircraft gunfire. At this time, not witnessing any detonations in the city, as far as we can see at this time, but that heavy antiaircraft gunfire, as we witnessed this morning, beginning to pick up at this time.

ZAHN: You said you haven't witnessed any detonations, but one of the first things you described hearing was sort of this low, dull thump, which could have been what?

ROBERTSON: That's correct. After the air raid siren, about 10 or 15 minutes after the air raid siren, there seemed to be a detonation coming from the southern part of the city. We didn't see a flash or plume of smoke erupting. The antiaircraft gunfire now, though, coming from many points around the city. I can see antiaircraft tracer rounds illuminating the sky, some flying horizontally, some flying to a trajectory, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, paths the antiaircraft traces crisscrossing in the sky, orange flashes, red tracer rounds, flying through the air, maybe 50, 100 feet apart multiple flashes.

I hear heavier guns picking up in the city. But still, at this time, no -- we're not witnessing -- we're not able to see from our position here any detonations. Tracer rounds erupting from the periphery of the city as well.

ZAHN: That of course, with the exception of the first -- it would appear to be the sound of a detonation happening.

Nic, I'm just going to describe again what Pentagon officials think might have happened last night. There is a concern that the Iraqis had actually set off some antiaircraft fire, even before those U.S. F-117 Nighthawk stealth planes arrived to drop bunker busters.

Once again, we're with the picture. Tell us what you're hearing what you're seeing right now.

ROBERTSON: Well, the majority of the antiaircraft gunfire, and I think I can see it coming up, from one two, three, four, maybe, locations to the west of the city. But at this time, it's -- they -- the anti-aircraft gunfire and tracer rounds, more off in the distance, not hearing or seeing any of the antiaircraft gun positions in the center of the city picking up.

I do see, now, some more tracer rounds going up across towards the west of -- towards the north of the city. But at the moment, the tracer fire, the antiaircraft gunfire, the traces we see in the air, coming up from positions towards the periphery of the city. Some of these tracer rounds light up the sky. It's just bright, amber, yellow and white flashes, some of them seem to last longer. They're red tracer rounds that seem to hang in the air. Some of the tracer rounds seem to be crossing the city, almost going horizontally to the ground, whereas others are flying up. But there are no -- above me now, partial cloud cover. It is of course nighttime here now, not able to see any aircraft, not able to hear any aircraft, just the rumble of the distant antiaircraft gun positions at this time.

ZAHN: And once again, you've described the different patterns of this antiaircraft fire and the tracers, as well. Your understanding -- you were thinking that there could be potentially four antiaircraft batteries we're talking about here?

ROBERTSON: ... more than four, trying to give an analysis of how many are operational at any given point, and what area they're in to give us an idea, a sense of proportion, with which the tracer rounds are being fired. The sound of the gun, perhaps a little stronger now picking up closer into the city are very definitely the tracer rounds picking up closer into the city. Now the anti-aircraft guns -- oh, huge, huge flash, huge explosion.

Get away from the window! Get away from the window! OK, no need to panic, but a huge detonation there, right in the center of the city. OK, no need for panic, but a huge detonation there, right in there center of the city. There are huge plumes of smoke coming up. You may be able to see that on your screen. That appears to be coming from a government building. That government building -- secondary explosion (UNINTELLIGIBLE) explosion.

Wolf, Wolf, OK.

ZAHN: Wolf, please, please join us here.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Nic, let me set the scene for our viewers who may just be tuning in. We're looking at these live pictures of the skies of Baghdad now. You're seeing Iraqi antiaircraft fire going up in the skies.

But we also heard as Nic Robertson, our man on the scene in Baghdad just reported, a huge explosion on the ground that looked like -- and we don't know for sure, but that looked like a bomb. That was dropped. There it is. Another one, right there. These live pictures coming in. It looks like a bomb, but obviously we're going to have to get confirmation.

Iraqi anti-aircraft fire preceding what looked like a huge explosion down in the center part of Baghdad.

Nic, I want to bring you back, assuming you're still connected with us. Tell us what you're seeing and hearing now.

ROBERTSON: Wolf, several explosion, large detonations in the center of the city, one from what appears to be a government building. There appear to be secondary explosions -- excuse me, I'm a little out of breath. There does appear to be secondary explosions coming from that location. There are large plumes of smoke rise from that location now.

About 20 or 30 seconds after that location was hit, and there appears to be a building that I believe is associated with the ministry of planning, possibly a building also associated with the Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. Another location in an area of Baghdad known to the residents here to be an area -- a presidential area. Smoke rising from that, smoke also rising from a secondary location adjacent to one of the main roads out of the city, perhaps about -- there's another explosion going off there (UNINTELLIGIBLE), seeing fire erupting and the black smoke coming up from an earlier detonation. Not clear if that's a secondary explosion or if what we're witnessing is another detonation at that site.

What I can hear at the moment are three distinct locations in the center of Baghdad, where there's now heavy, dense, black smoke rising. The smoke is rising from locations that we saw impact from what appeared to be bombs. One building, I believe to be associated with the ministry of planning, possibly associated with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz's offices, two other buildings, which appear to be in a presidential compound here in Baghdad -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, I want you to catch your breath for a second. 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 - 13:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We leave Ari Fleischer's White House briefing now to check in with Nic Robertson the heels of a report just about 15 minutes ago that the air raid sirens started sounding again.
Nic, what do you see? What do you hear?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard about 10, 12 minutes ago, the air raid sirens going off. It had been about 10 hours since the all clear was given. That was the air raid siren.

And just about one minute ago, to detect what sounded like a large detonation coming from the south of the city, but no antiaircraft gunfire, the city still very still. Surprisingly, the lights of the city on at this time, dogs barking, but no other indication that there may be an attack imminent or an attack underway, just that one detonation off toward the south side of the city.

ZAHN: Nic, when you hear the siren, are you able to tell us what you're supposed to do?

ROBERTSON: That's a very good question. We're -- we make sure that we're safe, and we do our best to continue to report what we can see and hear from our vantage point here in the center of the city, and that's what we're doing at the moment, and we hope here to continue to do that. If the situation for us becomes unsafe, then maybe we will have to leave the telephone line. But at the moment, the situation at the moment is quiet.

We'll continue to keep you informed.

ZAHN: Once again, though, describe what you saw. You saw something that appeared to be what?

ROBERTSON: A detonation, sort of a deep thump coming from the southern end of the city. Now, this was the area earlier today where the cruise missiles had impacted sort of a distance, dull thump.

The antiaircraft gunfire when it's closer has a sort of a sharper crack to it, but this more of a dull thump. Now night has fallen, and even though lights are on all over the city, the road lights, the building light, the lights in many of the government buildings there, still on, but not possible to say exactly where that detonation was. But it did sound as it came from the south of the city, the area where those cruise missiles were impacting earlier in the day.

ZAHN: Let's contrast this with what you witnessed last night when there was rapid antiaircraft fire. There is a concern at the Pentagon that perhaps the Iraqis knew the U.S. was coming. It is possible the Iraqis simply fired at the sky with the expectation that something was coming. The larger concern is that Iraq has some sort of advanced technology that some U.S. officials hadn't realized. Once again, you have not seen any signs of antiaircraft fire, right?

ROBERTSON: No, no anti-aircraft fire at this stage. Watching what happened this morning was interesting. The antiaircraft fire appeared to erupt from the periphery of the city, towards the south and towards the west of the city, from our vantage point, and then it died down, and then it came -- and then the anti-aircraft gunfire erupted again this time. This time it erupted in the center of the city. And after about three or four minutes of the intense fire from the center of the city, then the antiaircraft gunfire diminished there. Then a little later, another round of antiaircraft gunfire started, again, from the periphery of the city.

It seems to indicate only certain areas are firing at certain times. And I think One of the military analysts earlier said this was an indication of good command and control, that the Iraqi forces were able to determine which antiaircraft batteries should start firing, and then at what point they should cease their firing.

ZAHN: You told us about some of the precautions you take as you're on duty there, one of the few remaining reporters in Baghdad. When Iraqi citizens hear these sirens go off, what is your understanding of what they are supposed to do?

ROBERTSON: We do know that some Iraqi citizens have been trying to take shelter in shelters. Two citizens in hospitals today said they were injured when they were running trying to get to a shelter earlier today. Many people -- now hear anti-aircraft gunfire erupting over the city, I see the bright lights and antiaircraft gun position lighting up. Perhaps you can hear the anti-aircraft gunfire now.

ZAHN: We can see it and we can hear it, Nic.

ROBERTSON: Beginning to illuminate the sky, tracer fire. I can see it, the fire coming from northern aspects of the city. I can see it coming from eastern, western aspects of the city, two or three kilometers away. I see it to the southwest of the city, antiaircraft fire, one, two, three, four, five, six seven, eight -- at least coming -- at least eight from locations, heavy antiaircraft gunfire. At this time, not witnessing any detonations in the city, as far as we can see at this time, but that heavy antiaircraft gunfire, as we witnessed this morning, beginning to pick up at this time.

ZAHN: You said you haven't witnessed any detonations, but one of the first things you described hearing was sort of this low, dull thump, which could have been what?

ROBERTSON: That's correct. After the air raid siren, about 10 or 15 minutes after the air raid siren, there seemed to be a detonation coming from the southern part of the city. We didn't see a flash or plume of smoke erupting. The antiaircraft gunfire now, though, coming from many points around the city. I can see antiaircraft tracer rounds illuminating the sky, some flying horizontally, some flying to a trajectory, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, paths the antiaircraft traces crisscrossing in the sky, orange flashes, red tracer rounds, flying through the air, maybe 50, 100 feet apart multiple flashes.

I hear heavier guns picking up in the city. But still, at this time, no -- we're not witnessing -- we're not able to see from our position here any detonations. Tracer rounds erupting from the periphery of the city as well.

ZAHN: That of course, with the exception of the first -- it would appear to be the sound of a detonation happening.

Nic, I'm just going to describe again what Pentagon officials think might have happened last night. There is a concern that the Iraqis had actually set off some antiaircraft fire, even before those U.S. F-117 Nighthawk stealth planes arrived to drop bunker busters.

Once again, we're with the picture. Tell us what you're hearing what you're seeing right now.

ROBERTSON: Well, the majority of the antiaircraft gunfire, and I think I can see it coming up, from one two, three, four, maybe, locations to the west of the city. But at this time, it's -- they -- the anti-aircraft gunfire and tracer rounds, more off in the distance, not hearing or seeing any of the antiaircraft gun positions in the center of the city picking up.

I do see, now, some more tracer rounds going up across towards the west of -- towards the north of the city. But at the moment, the tracer fire, the antiaircraft gunfire, the traces we see in the air, coming up from positions towards the periphery of the city. Some of these tracer rounds light up the sky. It's just bright, amber, yellow and white flashes, some of them seem to last longer. They're red tracer rounds that seem to hang in the air. Some of the tracer rounds seem to be crossing the city, almost going horizontally to the ground, whereas others are flying up. But there are no -- above me now, partial cloud cover. It is of course nighttime here now, not able to see any aircraft, not able to hear any aircraft, just the rumble of the distant antiaircraft gun positions at this time.

ZAHN: And once again, you've described the different patterns of this antiaircraft fire and the tracers, as well. Your understanding -- you were thinking that there could be potentially four antiaircraft batteries we're talking about here?

ROBERTSON: ... more than four, trying to give an analysis of how many are operational at any given point, and what area they're in to give us an idea, a sense of proportion, with which the tracer rounds are being fired. The sound of the gun, perhaps a little stronger now picking up closer into the city are very definitely the tracer rounds picking up closer into the city. Now the anti-aircraft guns -- oh, huge, huge flash, huge explosion.

Get away from the window! Get away from the window! OK, no need to panic, but a huge detonation there, right in the center of the city. OK, no need for panic, but a huge detonation there, right in there center of the city. There are huge plumes of smoke coming up. You may be able to see that on your screen. That appears to be coming from a government building. That government building -- secondary explosion (UNINTELLIGIBLE) explosion.

Wolf, Wolf, OK.

ZAHN: Wolf, please, please join us here.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Nic, let me set the scene for our viewers who may just be tuning in. We're looking at these live pictures of the skies of Baghdad now. You're seeing Iraqi antiaircraft fire going up in the skies.

But we also heard as Nic Robertson, our man on the scene in Baghdad just reported, a huge explosion on the ground that looked like -- and we don't know for sure, but that looked like a bomb. That was dropped. There it is. Another one, right there. These live pictures coming in. It looks like a bomb, but obviously we're going to have to get confirmation.

Iraqi anti-aircraft fire preceding what looked like a huge explosion down in the center part of Baghdad.

Nic, I want to bring you back, assuming you're still connected with us. Tell us what you're seeing and hearing now.

ROBERTSON: Wolf, several explosion, large detonations in the center of the city, one from what appears to be a government building. There appear to be secondary explosions -- excuse me, I'm a little out of breath. There does appear to be secondary explosions coming from that location. There are large plumes of smoke rise from that location now.

About 20 or 30 seconds after that location was hit, and there appears to be a building that I believe is associated with the ministry of planning, possibly a building also associated with the Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. Another location in an area of Baghdad known to the residents here to be an area -- a presidential area. Smoke rising from that, smoke also rising from a secondary location adjacent to one of the main roads out of the city, perhaps about -- there's another explosion going off there (UNINTELLIGIBLE), seeing fire erupting and the black smoke coming up from an earlier detonation. Not clear if that's a secondary explosion or if what we're witnessing is another detonation at that site.

What I can hear at the moment are three distinct locations in the center of Baghdad, where there's now heavy, dense, black smoke rising. The smoke is rising from locations that we saw impact from what appeared to be bombs. One building, I believe to be associated with the ministry of planning, possibly associated with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz's offices, two other buildings, which appear to be in a presidential compound here in Baghdad -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, I want you to catch your breath for a second. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com