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American Morning

First Official Iraqi Confirmation of Targets

Aired March 20, 2003 - 09:02   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: Let's check back in with Nic Robertson, who is standing by in Baghdad. Nic, this is the first official confirmation we have gotten from anybody about what was struck. Mohammed Aldouri saying parts of Baghdad, in addition to Western parts of the country. You can add anything to that this morning?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand from Iraqi officials here that in the west of the country, it was the Anbar (ph) province. Now, over the last few weeks, there have been a number of strikes in Anbar (ph) province by coalition forces patrolling the southern no-fly zone. Those have been taking out missile sites that have been, in the past, we are told, about 250 miles west of Baghdad towards the Jordanian border. We don't have further clarification on that.

What we do know from the information minister this morning, Mohamed al-Sahhaf, he said that a television and radio station had been hit, that a customs building had been hit, and also a residential neighborhood on the southern side of Baghdad and certainly, looking at some of the pictures cameramen have taken today in Baghdad, looking at the locations of the impacts, difficult to see precisely what they were hitting, but certainly falling well within the bounds of the city, well within the built up areas of the city, some quite large explosions going off on a couple of occasions, a lot of smoke coming up from those. But as far -- from what we have -- from what journalists have been shown today in the city, no journalists, to our knowledge so far, have been taken to see sites that have actually been hit.

However, journalists have been taken to hospitals here in Iraq. We are told by hospital sources here that there were 14 people injured, one person dead. That didn't quite tally with the figures Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Mohammed Aldouri mentioned, but that's what we're hearing from hospital sources here, and certainly, the pictures coming -- that journalists have been able to take of injured people in the hospital indicate at least one child injured and two women, one with abdominal injuries, another with leg injuries. Those people being treated in hospital here in Baghdad -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic, the other thing that Barbara Starr has just confirmed from the Pentagon, is that it indeed was a complex of small buildings that were hit in Baghdad, first by JDAMS, and then a so-called clean- up operation by Tomahawk cruise missiles. Can you give us any idea of what normally happened in that complex buildings that seem to have been hit?

ROBERTSON: At this time, Paula, until we are able to go to that building and know its precise location, it would be difficult for us to assess. On the southern side of the city there, the Aldoura (ph) area, an area that Iraqi officials say was hit, there is a large oil refinery. It is an area where the road -- the main road to the south of Iraq crosses over the Tigris River. It is a huge new bridge. As you go over that bridge, you can see, on both sides of the river, some very affluent residential areas, some buildings in that area that are very -- that are very large, much larger than average. Impossible to say who would live there, but without going to the area, without being shown exactly what was targeted, it would be very difficult for us to assess at this time, Paula, exactly what might have been hit, and exactly the damage that happened that -- that happened there.

ZAHN: I guess we are going to get our first official confirmation from U.S. officials around 11:00 this morning when the Pentagon briefing gets underway. Nic Robertson, thanks so much for that live report from Baghdad.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes -- hey, Paula, getting a couple things right now just so our viewers know, we are about two hours away right now from the first Pentagon briefing since these hostilities began.

Not sure who is going to do the briefing, maybe General Richard Myers, maybe the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. Nonetheless, we'll have it live for you, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, a little less than two hours from now.

Also, Kofi Annan at the United Nations apparently has made a statement about the situation here in the Persian Gulf, and as soon as we get that tape, videotape from the U.N., you'll hear it here on CNN.

Apparently, Kofi Annan, who has voiced his disagreement with any sort of military action right now talking today about offering whatever assistance he can going forward with this conflict with Iraq.

Meanwhile, there were sharp words of criticism earlier today from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin saying the hostilities should end immediately. Saying as a political decision, this could do some far-reaching damage between the Russian, British, and U.S. relations. That word from Moscow earlier today.

Let's get more now, the view from the White House and CNN's John King, who is back with us on the front line -- John, I'm certain the White House has heard these comments. Their reaction at this point is what to the Russian president?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That they respect what President Putin has to say, but President Bush profoundly disagrees and he will be -- quote -- "undeterred" by the criticism he is hearing from Moscow, Paris, at the United Nations, and other key capitals around the world.

The question here this morning, Bill, on an urgent morning at the White House, is when will the big wave come? Mr. Bush made clear in his remarks last night that this first strike was a selected strike against what the Pentagon calls a target of opportunity, the Iraqi leadership. This morning, Mr. Bush already meeting with his key military planners and intelligence officials, the CIA director, George Tenet, a quick shot of him here going in under the umbrella to the White House.

Among those on hand at the White House, Mr. Tenet has a particularly difficult job at the moment. He is updating the president not only about what they know on the situation inside Iraq, the whereabouts of key officials, but also on the threat of terrorist attacks here at home as all this plays out.

Again, last night's attack dramatically scheduled by the president up to two days in advance of when, we are told, the major strikes were scheduled to begin because they thought they had a lock on the location of Saddam Hussein and other key leaders. Mr. Bush making clear in his remarks to the American people last night that when the major wave of the assault begins, there could be risks for those American troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want Americans and all of the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm. A campaign on the harsh terrain of a nation as large as California could be longer and more difficult than some predict, and helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable, and free country will require our sustained commitment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, we are not scheduled to hear from President Bush today. Officials say that is the current plan. Some urgent meetings again with his military team and his national security team here at the White House. Some urgent telephone diplomacy as well. A sense of great urgency here this morning, Bill. I can tell you, very reminiscent of the morning after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Aides have an extra clip in their step, they are very serious this morning. Not a lot of small talk going on in the halls of the West Wing. Matter of business here, everyone involved in these serious consultations as to when the big wave comes -- Bill.

HEMMER: And John quickly here, getting word out of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein perhaps survived this initial attack, none of this is absolutely 100 percent confirmed. We do believe that address was on videotape, possibly taken earlier today, but if, indeed, he's still alive at this point, has the White House reacted to that? Any sense of disappointment, or what has been the reaction?

KING: The reaction has been that the CIA and others are analyzing that tape, whether it was live or videotape. They assume as well that it was videotape. They won't even say here at the White House that they are sure it was Saddam Hussein. They say they want to have intelligence sources look at that tape to see whether it was live, whether it was live, whether it was videotape, whether it could have been made several days in advance, and the Iraqi leader simply mentioning the date, so that it would seem that it was after the attacks. Some sources saying they assume the Iraqi leader escaped this attack, but they say they are not sure yet. As one official put it, in the hours after that first strike, we are going look, listen, and watch what happens inside Iraq.

HEMMER: John King, front lawn of the White House. John, thanks. Now back to Paula yet again here in New York -- Paula.

ZAHN: Bill, one of the things we haven't had a chance to talk about much this morning is the status of refugees, and the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, Ruud Lubbers, made an urgent appeal to the Iraqis to leave their borders open to allow people trying to head to other countries to leave Iraq. Despite that, the Jordan Red Cross is now reporting that a number of people are trying to cross the border. I guess they have space for some 5,000 people trying to leave Iraq, going into Jordan.

For a much better perspective on all this, let's turn to Matthew Chance who is standing by along the Jordanian/Iraqi border. Good morning, Matthew, what are you seeing there this morning?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Paula. At the moment, it is very quiet, but as that conflict unfolds in Iraq, here in neighboring Jordan, the authorities and the aid agencies are very much preparing for the possibility of a humanitarian crisis that threatens to follow.

Already, throughout the course of the day, we have a number of buses pass through this check point here, this the Iraqi border -- Jordanian border, rather with Iraq -- pass through here, and to be moved into camps carrying people who have come from the Iraqi capital. These people, though, that we saw were nationals of Sudan. They weren't Iraqis. They were Sudanese students and workers who simply thought that they had been caught up in this conflict, and it was too dangerous for them to stay here at this time.

As we speak, though, the authorities, in conjunction with the various international aid agencies -- the UNHCR, the Red Crescent, the International Committee of the Red Cross -- are making their plans and putting their plans together on the ground to cater for the possibility of tens of thousands of people coming over here for this possible crisis. That crisis, though, has not materialized yet -- Paula.

ZAHN: Matthew Chance, thanks so much. We'll be coming back to you in the hours to come.

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 - 09:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check back in with Nic Robertson, who is standing by in Baghdad. Nic, this is the first official confirmation we have gotten from anybody about what was struck. Mohammed Aldouri saying parts of Baghdad, in addition to Western parts of the country. You can add anything to that this morning?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand from Iraqi officials here that in the west of the country, it was the Anbar (ph) province. Now, over the last few weeks, there have been a number of strikes in Anbar (ph) province by coalition forces patrolling the southern no-fly zone. Those have been taking out missile sites that have been, in the past, we are told, about 250 miles west of Baghdad towards the Jordanian border. We don't have further clarification on that.

What we do know from the information minister this morning, Mohamed al-Sahhaf, he said that a television and radio station had been hit, that a customs building had been hit, and also a residential neighborhood on the southern side of Baghdad and certainly, looking at some of the pictures cameramen have taken today in Baghdad, looking at the locations of the impacts, difficult to see precisely what they were hitting, but certainly falling well within the bounds of the city, well within the built up areas of the city, some quite large explosions going off on a couple of occasions, a lot of smoke coming up from those. But as far -- from what we have -- from what journalists have been shown today in the city, no journalists, to our knowledge so far, have been taken to see sites that have actually been hit.

However, journalists have been taken to hospitals here in Iraq. We are told by hospital sources here that there were 14 people injured, one person dead. That didn't quite tally with the figures Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Mohammed Aldouri mentioned, but that's what we're hearing from hospital sources here, and certainly, the pictures coming -- that journalists have been able to take of injured people in the hospital indicate at least one child injured and two women, one with abdominal injuries, another with leg injuries. Those people being treated in hospital here in Baghdad -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic, the other thing that Barbara Starr has just confirmed from the Pentagon, is that it indeed was a complex of small buildings that were hit in Baghdad, first by JDAMS, and then a so-called clean- up operation by Tomahawk cruise missiles. Can you give us any idea of what normally happened in that complex buildings that seem to have been hit?

ROBERTSON: At this time, Paula, until we are able to go to that building and know its precise location, it would be difficult for us to assess. On the southern side of the city there, the Aldoura (ph) area, an area that Iraqi officials say was hit, there is a large oil refinery. It is an area where the road -- the main road to the south of Iraq crosses over the Tigris River. It is a huge new bridge. As you go over that bridge, you can see, on both sides of the river, some very affluent residential areas, some buildings in that area that are very -- that are very large, much larger than average. Impossible to say who would live there, but without going to the area, without being shown exactly what was targeted, it would be very difficult for us to assess at this time, Paula, exactly what might have been hit, and exactly the damage that happened that -- that happened there.

ZAHN: I guess we are going to get our first official confirmation from U.S. officials around 11:00 this morning when the Pentagon briefing gets underway. Nic Robertson, thanks so much for that live report from Baghdad.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes -- hey, Paula, getting a couple things right now just so our viewers know, we are about two hours away right now from the first Pentagon briefing since these hostilities began.

Not sure who is going to do the briefing, maybe General Richard Myers, maybe the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. Nonetheless, we'll have it live for you, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, a little less than two hours from now.

Also, Kofi Annan at the United Nations apparently has made a statement about the situation here in the Persian Gulf, and as soon as we get that tape, videotape from the U.N., you'll hear it here on CNN.

Apparently, Kofi Annan, who has voiced his disagreement with any sort of military action right now talking today about offering whatever assistance he can going forward with this conflict with Iraq.

Meanwhile, there were sharp words of criticism earlier today from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin saying the hostilities should end immediately. Saying as a political decision, this could do some far-reaching damage between the Russian, British, and U.S. relations. That word from Moscow earlier today.

Let's get more now, the view from the White House and CNN's John King, who is back with us on the front line -- John, I'm certain the White House has heard these comments. Their reaction at this point is what to the Russian president?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That they respect what President Putin has to say, but President Bush profoundly disagrees and he will be -- quote -- "undeterred" by the criticism he is hearing from Moscow, Paris, at the United Nations, and other key capitals around the world.

The question here this morning, Bill, on an urgent morning at the White House, is when will the big wave come? Mr. Bush made clear in his remarks last night that this first strike was a selected strike against what the Pentagon calls a target of opportunity, the Iraqi leadership. This morning, Mr. Bush already meeting with his key military planners and intelligence officials, the CIA director, George Tenet, a quick shot of him here going in under the umbrella to the White House.

Among those on hand at the White House, Mr. Tenet has a particularly difficult job at the moment. He is updating the president not only about what they know on the situation inside Iraq, the whereabouts of key officials, but also on the threat of terrorist attacks here at home as all this plays out.

Again, last night's attack dramatically scheduled by the president up to two days in advance of when, we are told, the major strikes were scheduled to begin because they thought they had a lock on the location of Saddam Hussein and other key leaders. Mr. Bush making clear in his remarks to the American people last night that when the major wave of the assault begins, there could be risks for those American troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want Americans and all of the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm. A campaign on the harsh terrain of a nation as large as California could be longer and more difficult than some predict, and helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable, and free country will require our sustained commitment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, we are not scheduled to hear from President Bush today. Officials say that is the current plan. Some urgent meetings again with his military team and his national security team here at the White House. Some urgent telephone diplomacy as well. A sense of great urgency here this morning, Bill. I can tell you, very reminiscent of the morning after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Aides have an extra clip in their step, they are very serious this morning. Not a lot of small talk going on in the halls of the West Wing. Matter of business here, everyone involved in these serious consultations as to when the big wave comes -- Bill.

HEMMER: And John quickly here, getting word out of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein perhaps survived this initial attack, none of this is absolutely 100 percent confirmed. We do believe that address was on videotape, possibly taken earlier today, but if, indeed, he's still alive at this point, has the White House reacted to that? Any sense of disappointment, or what has been the reaction?

KING: The reaction has been that the CIA and others are analyzing that tape, whether it was live or videotape. They assume as well that it was videotape. They won't even say here at the White House that they are sure it was Saddam Hussein. They say they want to have intelligence sources look at that tape to see whether it was live, whether it was live, whether it was videotape, whether it could have been made several days in advance, and the Iraqi leader simply mentioning the date, so that it would seem that it was after the attacks. Some sources saying they assume the Iraqi leader escaped this attack, but they say they are not sure yet. As one official put it, in the hours after that first strike, we are going look, listen, and watch what happens inside Iraq.

HEMMER: John King, front lawn of the White House. John, thanks. Now back to Paula yet again here in New York -- Paula.

ZAHN: Bill, one of the things we haven't had a chance to talk about much this morning is the status of refugees, and the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, Ruud Lubbers, made an urgent appeal to the Iraqis to leave their borders open to allow people trying to head to other countries to leave Iraq. Despite that, the Jordan Red Cross is now reporting that a number of people are trying to cross the border. I guess they have space for some 5,000 people trying to leave Iraq, going into Jordan.

For a much better perspective on all this, let's turn to Matthew Chance who is standing by along the Jordanian/Iraqi border. Good morning, Matthew, what are you seeing there this morning?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Paula. At the moment, it is very quiet, but as that conflict unfolds in Iraq, here in neighboring Jordan, the authorities and the aid agencies are very much preparing for the possibility of a humanitarian crisis that threatens to follow.

Already, throughout the course of the day, we have a number of buses pass through this check point here, this the Iraqi border -- Jordanian border, rather with Iraq -- pass through here, and to be moved into camps carrying people who have come from the Iraqi capital. These people, though, that we saw were nationals of Sudan. They weren't Iraqis. They were Sudanese students and workers who simply thought that they had been caught up in this conflict, and it was too dangerous for them to stay here at this time.

As we speak, though, the authorities, in conjunction with the various international aid agencies -- the UNHCR, the Red Crescent, the International Committee of the Red Cross -- are making their plans and putting their plans together on the ground to cater for the possibility of tens of thousands of people coming over here for this possible crisis. That crisis, though, has not materialized yet -- Paula.

ZAHN: Matthew Chance, thanks so much. We'll be coming back to you in the hours to come.

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