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British Forces Fighting on Fringes of Basra

Aired March 26, 2003 - 10:02   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: In southern Iraq, British forces are fighting on the fringes of Basra, but they say important developments are unfolding in street fighting within the city. British forces say there appears to be a civilian uprising, a limited one at that, against Saddam Hussein's regime, and some of his most fiercely loyal warriors.
Let's check in with Christiane Amanpour, who joins us not far from Basra.

Hello, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, we're now in southern Iraq on the road to Basra, again with the British division here. And what we are being told by the British, especially those further forward, the 7th armored brigade and the Scotts Bagoon (ph) Guard, is that there are continuing battles around the outskirts of Basra, as well as around the outskirts of a town slightly south of Basra called Al-Zubayah (ph). What's happening is that the British are still trying to wipe out pockets of Iraqi military resistance in the cities, and they're also trying to wipe out Baath Party headquarters. We're told that they've destroyed the Baath Party headquarters, that is, the ruling party headquarters, in Basra, and also today, they dropped nine bombs from the air on the headquarters in the Al Zubayah (ph).

So that is aimed at trying to decapitate, kill off the ruling political leadership there, and to try to give the people there confidence to have an uprising. There are no more reports of uprisings since last night. This, we understand, was a limited one, or at least that's the sketchy information that's come out of Basra. We also know that the Iraqis, we're told by the British, fired their guns onto the civilians there, and the British are trying to do their best to take out, we're told, Iraqi artillery and mortar positions in Basra.

We are also told the British are trying to seize any opportunity they can to move in when they see concentrations of troop, or indeed military artillery positions to move in with their tanks and armored vehicles and use that as protection to take out those Iraqi positions.

In terms of humanitarian aid, this is becoming a significant crisis as far, as we can tell from individual reports. We've had fellow reporters who have told us, and we've seen ourselves now on the way into the southern Iraq that people are saying they're hungry and especially they're thirsty. There is a problem with water, because the electricity has been cut. We don't know whether that's because of allied bombing operations at the beginning or why. But there's very little water being pumped and very little water being purified.

In Umm Qasr, which the British now say they have under control, limited humanitarian supplies are being delivered. They have come by road from Kuwait, and they include water and packets of food. And we know that people are rushing for them as soon as they were available.

And again, we talked to some Reuters correspondents who had come back from the Al Zubayah (ph) area. They told us that the children are there, and the people were basically scrabbling in the rain puddles for water, and at one point, they had hacked through a water pipe to try to get water from the gushing streams that was let up into the air. So that is the focus of attention right now, both the humanitarian situation, and especially for the British, in this region, trying to neutralize the resistance inside Basra.

We also have a report that Iraqi soldiers have come out of Basra, some of them. Some were engaged by the British. There were battles. Others apparently surrendered. Those are still sketchy reports, and we're following those -- Paula.

ZAHN: I guess, Christiane, we all pretty much understand that trying to neutralize that resistances is a risky business and an unpredictable business. What is the expectation there, the military leaders you've spoken about, how they really think this will play out in the days to come?

AMANPOUR: Well, they're giving us an increasingly gloomy picture of it, because we're being told it's now entered a -- quote -- classic counterinsurgency mode. That means trying to fight with heavy armor, trying to fight pockets of insurgence inside the town. That is difficult. That is street fighting. That is house to house, and that is very, very difficult. And potentially, unless there's some reason for a mass surrender, potentially, they're telling us, it could take much, much longer than expected.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much for the update.

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 26, 2003 - 10:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In southern Iraq, British forces are fighting on the fringes of Basra, but they say important developments are unfolding in street fighting within the city. British forces say there appears to be a civilian uprising, a limited one at that, against Saddam Hussein's regime, and some of his most fiercely loyal warriors.
Let's check in with Christiane Amanpour, who joins us not far from Basra.

Hello, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, we're now in southern Iraq on the road to Basra, again with the British division here. And what we are being told by the British, especially those further forward, the 7th armored brigade and the Scotts Bagoon (ph) Guard, is that there are continuing battles around the outskirts of Basra, as well as around the outskirts of a town slightly south of Basra called Al-Zubayah (ph). What's happening is that the British are still trying to wipe out pockets of Iraqi military resistance in the cities, and they're also trying to wipe out Baath Party headquarters. We're told that they've destroyed the Baath Party headquarters, that is, the ruling party headquarters, in Basra, and also today, they dropped nine bombs from the air on the headquarters in the Al Zubayah (ph).

So that is aimed at trying to decapitate, kill off the ruling political leadership there, and to try to give the people there confidence to have an uprising. There are no more reports of uprisings since last night. This, we understand, was a limited one, or at least that's the sketchy information that's come out of Basra. We also know that the Iraqis, we're told by the British, fired their guns onto the civilians there, and the British are trying to do their best to take out, we're told, Iraqi artillery and mortar positions in Basra.

We are also told the British are trying to seize any opportunity they can to move in when they see concentrations of troop, or indeed military artillery positions to move in with their tanks and armored vehicles and use that as protection to take out those Iraqi positions.

In terms of humanitarian aid, this is becoming a significant crisis as far, as we can tell from individual reports. We've had fellow reporters who have told us, and we've seen ourselves now on the way into the southern Iraq that people are saying they're hungry and especially they're thirsty. There is a problem with water, because the electricity has been cut. We don't know whether that's because of allied bombing operations at the beginning or why. But there's very little water being pumped and very little water being purified.

In Umm Qasr, which the British now say they have under control, limited humanitarian supplies are being delivered. They have come by road from Kuwait, and they include water and packets of food. And we know that people are rushing for them as soon as they were available.

And again, we talked to some Reuters correspondents who had come back from the Al Zubayah (ph) area. They told us that the children are there, and the people were basically scrabbling in the rain puddles for water, and at one point, they had hacked through a water pipe to try to get water from the gushing streams that was let up into the air. So that is the focus of attention right now, both the humanitarian situation, and especially for the British, in this region, trying to neutralize the resistance inside Basra.

We also have a report that Iraqi soldiers have come out of Basra, some of them. Some were engaged by the British. There were battles. Others apparently surrendered. Those are still sketchy reports, and we're following those -- Paula.

ZAHN: I guess, Christiane, we all pretty much understand that trying to neutralize that resistances is a risky business and an unpredictable business. What is the expectation there, the military leaders you've spoken about, how they really think this will play out in the days to come?

AMANPOUR: Well, they're giving us an increasingly gloomy picture of it, because we're being told it's now entered a -- quote -- classic counterinsurgency mode. That means trying to fight with heavy armor, trying to fight pockets of insurgence inside the town. That is difficult. That is street fighting. That is house to house, and that is very, very difficult. And potentially, unless there's some reason for a mass surrender, potentially, they're telling us, it could take much, much longer than expected.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much for the update.

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