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American Morning

Sandstorms Have Hampered Air Operations

Aired March 25, 2003 - 08:10   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: Speculation about the status of Saddam Hussein today. "USA TODAY" saying that CIA operatives and arm commandos hunting for him believe that the Iraqi leader could be in a bunker in Baghdad receiving medical attention from military doctors.
Our own, David Ensor, reporting yesterday that some intelligence suggested that, in fact, he had been injured the night of the first decapitation attack. And that some of the contacts, local contacts, who have been in contact with the CIA have indicated they saw him being carried out on a stretcher. We're going to continue to try to make sense of that this morning.

In the meantime, let's go back to Bill.

, out of curiosity, I'm trying to see the skyline behind you. Are you get some of that sand there, too?

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are not. It does not appear to be as nasty here in Kuwait City as it appears with Walt Rodgers by way of video phone, Paula. It's been raining off and on. Sometimes the skies have gotten darkened and lighten up later. We have had some winds come through. But, again, hit does not appear the storm we've heard about for days is as intense here as it might be up north.

Chad Myers, has been checking all of that by way of radar at the CNN center.

CHAD MYERS, METEOROLOGIST: Bill, you're not seeing as much because you're farther away from the center of the storm. But, you will see south winds picking up. I know you've been there now, three, four times we're not talking about sand like in a sand box. We're actually talking more about dust. And a lot of folks relating it to coffee creamer so when it blows, it actually lifts into the air and stays in the air. And it's not really when the wind stops, it's actually when the sand settles. It goes and goes and goes, and it stays lofted in the air for quite sometime.

What's happened here, we have had two storms come together. We talk about this in the U.S. many times when we have the energy from a northern storm and the moisture from a southern storm come together in the jet stream. And that's what happened over the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday. Storm has turned over into of Egypt, northern Saudi Arabia and the winds are coming up from the south. The reason why Kuwait City is not seeing much dust, is because the winds are actually off the Persian Gulf. There is dust there is no dust it's water. But the dust is coming right up through the desert and into Baghdad. Now that's right now. By tomorrow, into this afternoon and tomorrow, the cold front runs through with a very gusty front through here. The winds change direction and the dust storm not over by tomorrow afternoon by any means. and in fact, it may get worse as the winds pick up this evening and into tomorrow.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Chad, thank you.

Gary Striker reporting on board USS Theodore Roosevelt that a number of the air missions have been grounded due to this weather right now. On board USS Lincoln is CNN's Kyra Phillips by way of video phone.

She can update on what is happening on board Lincoln.

Kyra Hello.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill. I can definitely tell you flight operations have not been grounded. Yes, weather is a major issue right now. And by the way, before I continue my report I want to let you know a number of aircraft are coming in for recoveries right now. So if it gets loud, just hold with me, just pause for a couple of seconds. It gets loud as it comes and lands here on the carrier. And I'll wait a couple of seconds and continue my reports.

I'm sort of keeping an eye out as aircraft are coming back in from Iraq. So, I'll tell you about the two main things that strike fighters are dealing with right now. First of all, that is the constant missions going on through the day and through the night. The most important -- one of the most important missions, I should say, that is taking place right now are the CAS mission, the close air support missions. The other factor coming in with that though is indeed the weather. Very unique weather going on right now. You've seen the weather on the ground, sand storms take place.

Where we are now, the USS Abraham Lincoln it's raining and there's lightning. You don't see that very often while you're out here. We enduring a storm which makes flying more difficult. Now back to the CAS operations, the close air support, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) taking place on a regular basis in an effort to protect troops on the ground. Pilots here -- hold on one moment. Radar jammer Prowler coming in making a...

HEMMER: Ok, I think we lost you, Kyra. Kyra Phillips by the way of videophone on board USS Lincoln. I don't know -- did we get her back or no?

OK, we're going to move on. Sorry about that, Kyra. Kyra's on board Lincoln. Well, obviously, not only is it cloudy but we talked about the sandstorm as well. Barbara Starr pinpointed it well about the difficulties that are brought on by bad weather that we see over the desert. But, listening to Chad, this is a system that's not going away for about 36 hours. How much more intense it gets, we'll just wait and see. More in a moment. Back to you, now, in New York.

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 25, 2003 - 08:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Speculation about the status of Saddam Hussein today. "USA TODAY" saying that CIA operatives and arm commandos hunting for him believe that the Iraqi leader could be in a bunker in Baghdad receiving medical attention from military doctors.
Our own, David Ensor, reporting yesterday that some intelligence suggested that, in fact, he had been injured the night of the first decapitation attack. And that some of the contacts, local contacts, who have been in contact with the CIA have indicated they saw him being carried out on a stretcher. We're going to continue to try to make sense of that this morning.

In the meantime, let's go back to Bill.

, out of curiosity, I'm trying to see the skyline behind you. Are you get some of that sand there, too?

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are not. It does not appear to be as nasty here in Kuwait City as it appears with Walt Rodgers by way of video phone, Paula. It's been raining off and on. Sometimes the skies have gotten darkened and lighten up later. We have had some winds come through. But, again, hit does not appear the storm we've heard about for days is as intense here as it might be up north.

Chad Myers, has been checking all of that by way of radar at the CNN center.

CHAD MYERS, METEOROLOGIST: Bill, you're not seeing as much because you're farther away from the center of the storm. But, you will see south winds picking up. I know you've been there now, three, four times we're not talking about sand like in a sand box. We're actually talking more about dust. And a lot of folks relating it to coffee creamer so when it blows, it actually lifts into the air and stays in the air. And it's not really when the wind stops, it's actually when the sand settles. It goes and goes and goes, and it stays lofted in the air for quite sometime.

What's happened here, we have had two storms come together. We talk about this in the U.S. many times when we have the energy from a northern storm and the moisture from a southern storm come together in the jet stream. And that's what happened over the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday. Storm has turned over into of Egypt, northern Saudi Arabia and the winds are coming up from the south. The reason why Kuwait City is not seeing much dust, is because the winds are actually off the Persian Gulf. There is dust there is no dust it's water. But the dust is coming right up through the desert and into Baghdad. Now that's right now. By tomorrow, into this afternoon and tomorrow, the cold front runs through with a very gusty front through here. The winds change direction and the dust storm not over by tomorrow afternoon by any means. and in fact, it may get worse as the winds pick up this evening and into tomorrow.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Chad, thank you.

Gary Striker reporting on board USS Theodore Roosevelt that a number of the air missions have been grounded due to this weather right now. On board USS Lincoln is CNN's Kyra Phillips by way of video phone.

She can update on what is happening on board Lincoln.

Kyra Hello.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill. I can definitely tell you flight operations have not been grounded. Yes, weather is a major issue right now. And by the way, before I continue my report I want to let you know a number of aircraft are coming in for recoveries right now. So if it gets loud, just hold with me, just pause for a couple of seconds. It gets loud as it comes and lands here on the carrier. And I'll wait a couple of seconds and continue my reports.

I'm sort of keeping an eye out as aircraft are coming back in from Iraq. So, I'll tell you about the two main things that strike fighters are dealing with right now. First of all, that is the constant missions going on through the day and through the night. The most important -- one of the most important missions, I should say, that is taking place right now are the CAS mission, the close air support missions. The other factor coming in with that though is indeed the weather. Very unique weather going on right now. You've seen the weather on the ground, sand storms take place.

Where we are now, the USS Abraham Lincoln it's raining and there's lightning. You don't see that very often while you're out here. We enduring a storm which makes flying more difficult. Now back to the CAS operations, the close air support, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) taking place on a regular basis in an effort to protect troops on the ground. Pilots here -- hold on one moment. Radar jammer Prowler coming in making a...

HEMMER: Ok, I think we lost you, Kyra. Kyra Phillips by the way of videophone on board USS Lincoln. I don't know -- did we get her back or no?

OK, we're going to move on. Sorry about that, Kyra. Kyra's on board Lincoln. Well, obviously, not only is it cloudy but we talked about the sandstorm as well. Barbara Starr pinpointed it well about the difficulties that are brought on by bad weather that we see over the desert. But, listening to Chad, this is a system that's not going away for about 36 hours. How much more intense it gets, we'll just wait and see. More in a moment. Back to you, now, in New York.

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