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CNN Live Today
Showdown With Iraq: Allied Forces Attack Northern Front
Aired March 26, 2003 - 10:34 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are awaiting the president in Tampa at CENTCOM. We're also waiting to talk about the humanitarian crisis which may be anticipated we're hearing possibly in a month from now. We'll talk about that in a moment with a spokesperson from the World Food Program.
First though, northern Iraq and CNN's Brent Sadler with what he is hearing right now, now that it is nightfall, evening there yet again.
Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Yes, at the end of a day here, where we're seeing a significant change in military activity along the northern front. Let's turn back the clock a few hours and look at what was happening at Chamchamal earlier today. Kevin Sites, CNN there, was monitoring six consecutive air strikes over several hours on a couple of command bunkers sitting atop a road leading to Kirkuk, which is that very important city which sits atop Iraq's oil reserves in that area.
And then, just a couple of hours before nightfall, at my location Allied coalition warplanes again attacked the northern front. I saw three very large plumes of smoke rise on the ridge line. You can't see it now behind me because of all of the rain and drizzle, but certainly three very powerful explosions rocked this area.
Now this really is a development in this area and coincides with Iraqi opposition groups and Kurdish special forces, particularly Kurdish special forces working with U.S. special forces to try and identify targets in those very heavily defended northern frontline areas. Behind the ridges, according to Kurdish intelligence, is artillery, tanks, rocket launchers and I think we're seeing a softening of those targets, Bill.
Now, another important piece of news earlier today -- the Kurdistan Democratic Party, one of the two main political components in this territory, came out of a briefing with the U.S. Marine Corps general in charge of coordination and liaison with the Kurds. The Kurds now saying that the Turkish army will not -- repeat -- will not be deploying in northern Iraq at this time.
And that comment from the Kurds seems to fit in with what the chief of staff of the Turkish military was saying earlier today, that unless the war is a crisis, for that reason an exodus of refugees headed toward the Turkish border or perhaps other destabilization in this area, then Turkey for now will stay out of it, which as far as the Kurds are concerned is very good news -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thanks, in northern Iraq.
And before we get to the president, as we await that in Tampa, let's bring in Antonia Paradela of the World Food Program to talk about what is anticipated to be a humanitarian situation that is not yet a crisis, we want to warn you, but nonetheless a lot of concern.
And we say good evening to you here in Kuwait City. Your concerns in Iraq are what right now?
ANTONIA PARADELA, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: Right now, water is a very pressing issue. People can live longer without food, not without water. But food will eventually become a big source of concern. Basically, we know that Iraqi families should have food to last them until the end of April. The worry is that if they don't get food by this time, the country will be having -- facing serious difficulties.
BILL HEMMER: What is the logistical problem right now getting into Iraq?
PARADELA: It is far too dangerous to get into Iraq right now. There is fighting going on almost everywhere in the southeast area, which is the area we can reach from Kuwait. And right now, we're just sitting and waiting. We are desperate to get in to see how the situation is seen there. What we really want is to be able to work in a safe environment. We need to be there for a long time. We cannot put the lives of relief workers and other staff at risk.
BILL HEMMER: The situation in Basra continues to get a lot of attention. And we are told that Umm Qasr is okay to go in now. Why not go ahead and go into that town -- I'm sorry, I'm going to have to break it off right now. President Bush is in Tampa getting ready to speak down there at Central Command. We'll take the president right now live in Florida.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
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 - 10:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are awaiting the president in Tampa at CENTCOM. We're also waiting to talk about the humanitarian crisis which may be anticipated we're hearing possibly in a month from now. We'll talk about that in a moment with a spokesperson from the World Food Program.
First though, northern Iraq and CNN's Brent Sadler with what he is hearing right now, now that it is nightfall, evening there yet again.
Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Yes, at the end of a day here, where we're seeing a significant change in military activity along the northern front. Let's turn back the clock a few hours and look at what was happening at Chamchamal earlier today. Kevin Sites, CNN there, was monitoring six consecutive air strikes over several hours on a couple of command bunkers sitting atop a road leading to Kirkuk, which is that very important city which sits atop Iraq's oil reserves in that area.
And then, just a couple of hours before nightfall, at my location Allied coalition warplanes again attacked the northern front. I saw three very large plumes of smoke rise on the ridge line. You can't see it now behind me because of all of the rain and drizzle, but certainly three very powerful explosions rocked this area.
Now this really is a development in this area and coincides with Iraqi opposition groups and Kurdish special forces, particularly Kurdish special forces working with U.S. special forces to try and identify targets in those very heavily defended northern frontline areas. Behind the ridges, according to Kurdish intelligence, is artillery, tanks, rocket launchers and I think we're seeing a softening of those targets, Bill.
Now, another important piece of news earlier today -- the Kurdistan Democratic Party, one of the two main political components in this territory, came out of a briefing with the U.S. Marine Corps general in charge of coordination and liaison with the Kurds. The Kurds now saying that the Turkish army will not -- repeat -- will not be deploying in northern Iraq at this time.
And that comment from the Kurds seems to fit in with what the chief of staff of the Turkish military was saying earlier today, that unless the war is a crisis, for that reason an exodus of refugees headed toward the Turkish border or perhaps other destabilization in this area, then Turkey for now will stay out of it, which as far as the Kurds are concerned is very good news -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thanks, in northern Iraq.
And before we get to the president, as we await that in Tampa, let's bring in Antonia Paradela of the World Food Program to talk about what is anticipated to be a humanitarian situation that is not yet a crisis, we want to warn you, but nonetheless a lot of concern.
And we say good evening to you here in Kuwait City. Your concerns in Iraq are what right now?
ANTONIA PARADELA, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: Right now, water is a very pressing issue. People can live longer without food, not without water. But food will eventually become a big source of concern. Basically, we know that Iraqi families should have food to last them until the end of April. The worry is that if they don't get food by this time, the country will be having -- facing serious difficulties.
BILL HEMMER: What is the logistical problem right now getting into Iraq?
PARADELA: It is far too dangerous to get into Iraq right now. There is fighting going on almost everywhere in the southeast area, which is the area we can reach from Kuwait. And right now, we're just sitting and waiting. We are desperate to get in to see how the situation is seen there. What we really want is to be able to work in a safe environment. We need to be there for a long time. We cannot put the lives of relief workers and other staff at risk.
BILL HEMMER: The situation in Basra continues to get a lot of attention. And we are told that Umm Qasr is okay to go in now. Why not go ahead and go into that town -- I'm sorry, I'm going to have to break it off right now. President Bush is in Tampa getting ready to speak down there at Central Command. We'll take the president right now live in Florida.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
