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CNN Live Today
Discussion with Michael Wilson of "The New York Times"
Aired March 27, 2003 - 10:37 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: Michael Wilson, a writer for "The New York Times" he's in Nasiriyah, I understand, as they say, in the thick right now. He is in the thick.
Michael, what do you have for us?
MICHAEL WILSON, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, it was about this time last night that suddenly we goat got intelligence from infantry right in the city, just south of the city, that something close to 1,000 Iraqi troops were suddenly assembling at a railroad depot, that we had not apparently been paying attention to. We had all the roads blocked, but the railroad was not functional, and suddenly, there were 1,000 guys running around, and a big firefight broke out that lasted well past midnight into this morning. We shot a lot of artillery, and we're doing it again now.
There's been a lot of speculation today that this kind of fighting was going to continue. But it really sort of took everyone by surprise, and also how far south these Iraqi fighters got.
I'm with the artillery unit, the Marines, working around Nasiriyah ever since Sunday morning when the sort of battle began, and there were shots going over our heads way back here at artillery headquarters, which is a couple of miles from the city. So, these Iraqi fighters were moving pretty quickly south. Some time in the night, they all took off, and that was the end of it. But there is some fear it will start again this evening.
HEMMER: Michael, if that's the case, while we got you, you say they ran off? All 1, 000? Or what's come of them?
WILSON: That's the thing. It's so dark last night, there is no moon any more, and plus last night was particularly cloudy. It was pitch black. You couldn't see anything. And it was a very confusing battle. There were two infantry battalions engaging this group of Iraqis, and by the end it, they had the Iraqi between them and people running around everywhere, estimates they were down to 100, maybe not all 1,000 fought just a big group to begin with, and 100 broke off and fought. It was all very confusing. We're not really sure exactly who they're fighting, much less how many there are. It's kind of been the nature of things here since early morning.
HEMMER: Michael, listen, don't mean to cut you off, but you said earlier you were surprised that they were that far south. Why the surprise on behalf of the Marines?
WILSON: Well, they hadn't up to now the fighting has been nearer to the city than we are. The artillery battalions generally don't take direct fire, small arms fire. They are generally not stormed by soldiers, and this was happening to a small extent, but nonetheless last night. The guys working Howitzer guns seeing green tracers coming at them and returning fire from the their own rifles. This is new. This hasn't happened. It's been infantry fighting thus far in the city, so sort of spreading south.
HEMMER: Well, it might be new, but I certainly hope you stay safe there. Michael Wilson, a writer with "The New York Times." Michael is indicating possibly it could happen again tonight with nightfall. Certainly that is on the list of possibilities.
Michael, thank you for checking in with us here at CNN. Becky Diamond is imbedded. I believe she is with the Australian navy outside the port city of Umm Qasr. Becky joins us live.
Becky, what do you have?
BECKY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have -- Bill, this is Becky Diamond. I am on the HMAS Nimway (ph). I apologize for lack of light. My camera light has gone out. But let me tell you what the ship is doing. It's a little bit different on the Navy frontlines as it is on the Army for Walt Rodgers and the 7th Cavalry.
Here, the threats are not as overtly; they are lurking beneath the waters. Just this morning, coalition forces discovered several mine-like objects in the waterways leading to around Umm Qasr. Now these objects caused officials to delay the travel of the Sir Galahad. That's the British coalition ship that was scheduled to bring humanitarian aid up to the port of Umm Qasr.
Now the ship was supposed to travel through just hours before it was due to come here travel up the KAA. Mine sweepers detected these mine-like objects. They blew them up, but there's concern here that there could be more threats lurking, and raising anxiety level for sailors here on this ship -- Bill.
HEMMER: Becky, hang with us here. I know you are in the dark , but I think our viewers will cut you some slack on this one. It was said that the U.S. Navy brought in at least two dolphins to help clear out those mines. Do you know anything about this? And that is still continuing?
DIAMOND: Well, what I've been told on the Kanimbla (ph) is that they brought dolphins here. They are in the Umm Qasr area, but it's not clear to me they are actually mine hunting. And there is some sensitivity with that, so I'm sure I'm in the know or not on this. Of course, we have ground rules and we're not always told everything, and due to operational security, I can't always report what was told. So I don't know how to answer that. I don't have the answer.
HEMMER: OK, try and answer this one then if you could -- it's been said for days now that humanitarian aid was going to come to that port, that military aid was going to come to the port as well. And it seems like every day, they keep on pushing it back, sometimes 24 hours, sometimes 48. Do you have an understanding as to why it's so difficult to find and locate these mines?
DIAMOND: Yes, the channel of the KAA waterways. That's the waterway from the Persian gulf up to the port of Umm Qasr. It's quite a large waterway, and the ship I'm on right now is tasked with clearing this waterway of mines.
But this takes a long time. It's quite an intense process. And so what they're doing is clearing a small channel, a small pathway that ships can navigate in order to get to Umm Qasr.
Now with heavy winds, there have been horrible, horrible sandstorms and winds, and that might be blowing debris or possibly, possibly mines that are in the water or ordnance in the water, dropped possibly from planes a long time ago, and so that is creating some havoc in the navigational system, and Sir Galahad was actually yesterday to travel up to Umm Qasr, and then I'm told today, and now I'm being told tomorrow. So we'll see -- Bill.
HEMMER: I guess we will. Becky, thanks. Becky Diamond, embedded off the coast of Umm Qasr, and we'll see you again, as she points out whether or not they can get that strip cleared out on that waterway in order to bring the Sir Galahad and others in to the southeast port city there in Iraq.
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 27, 2003 - 10:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Wilson, a writer for "The New York Times" he's in Nasiriyah, I understand, as they say, in the thick right now. He is in the thick.
Michael, what do you have for us?
MICHAEL WILSON, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, it was about this time last night that suddenly we goat got intelligence from infantry right in the city, just south of the city, that something close to 1,000 Iraqi troops were suddenly assembling at a railroad depot, that we had not apparently been paying attention to. We had all the roads blocked, but the railroad was not functional, and suddenly, there were 1,000 guys running around, and a big firefight broke out that lasted well past midnight into this morning. We shot a lot of artillery, and we're doing it again now.
There's been a lot of speculation today that this kind of fighting was going to continue. But it really sort of took everyone by surprise, and also how far south these Iraqi fighters got.
I'm with the artillery unit, the Marines, working around Nasiriyah ever since Sunday morning when the sort of battle began, and there were shots going over our heads way back here at artillery headquarters, which is a couple of miles from the city. So, these Iraqi fighters were moving pretty quickly south. Some time in the night, they all took off, and that was the end of it. But there is some fear it will start again this evening.
HEMMER: Michael, if that's the case, while we got you, you say they ran off? All 1, 000? Or what's come of them?
WILSON: That's the thing. It's so dark last night, there is no moon any more, and plus last night was particularly cloudy. It was pitch black. You couldn't see anything. And it was a very confusing battle. There were two infantry battalions engaging this group of Iraqis, and by the end it, they had the Iraqi between them and people running around everywhere, estimates they were down to 100, maybe not all 1,000 fought just a big group to begin with, and 100 broke off and fought. It was all very confusing. We're not really sure exactly who they're fighting, much less how many there are. It's kind of been the nature of things here since early morning.
HEMMER: Michael, listen, don't mean to cut you off, but you said earlier you were surprised that they were that far south. Why the surprise on behalf of the Marines?
WILSON: Well, they hadn't up to now the fighting has been nearer to the city than we are. The artillery battalions generally don't take direct fire, small arms fire. They are generally not stormed by soldiers, and this was happening to a small extent, but nonetheless last night. The guys working Howitzer guns seeing green tracers coming at them and returning fire from the their own rifles. This is new. This hasn't happened. It's been infantry fighting thus far in the city, so sort of spreading south.
HEMMER: Well, it might be new, but I certainly hope you stay safe there. Michael Wilson, a writer with "The New York Times." Michael is indicating possibly it could happen again tonight with nightfall. Certainly that is on the list of possibilities.
Michael, thank you for checking in with us here at CNN. Becky Diamond is imbedded. I believe she is with the Australian navy outside the port city of Umm Qasr. Becky joins us live.
Becky, what do you have?
BECKY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have -- Bill, this is Becky Diamond. I am on the HMAS Nimway (ph). I apologize for lack of light. My camera light has gone out. But let me tell you what the ship is doing. It's a little bit different on the Navy frontlines as it is on the Army for Walt Rodgers and the 7th Cavalry.
Here, the threats are not as overtly; they are lurking beneath the waters. Just this morning, coalition forces discovered several mine-like objects in the waterways leading to around Umm Qasr. Now these objects caused officials to delay the travel of the Sir Galahad. That's the British coalition ship that was scheduled to bring humanitarian aid up to the port of Umm Qasr.
Now the ship was supposed to travel through just hours before it was due to come here travel up the KAA. Mine sweepers detected these mine-like objects. They blew them up, but there's concern here that there could be more threats lurking, and raising anxiety level for sailors here on this ship -- Bill.
HEMMER: Becky, hang with us here. I know you are in the dark , but I think our viewers will cut you some slack on this one. It was said that the U.S. Navy brought in at least two dolphins to help clear out those mines. Do you know anything about this? And that is still continuing?
DIAMOND: Well, what I've been told on the Kanimbla (ph) is that they brought dolphins here. They are in the Umm Qasr area, but it's not clear to me they are actually mine hunting. And there is some sensitivity with that, so I'm sure I'm in the know or not on this. Of course, we have ground rules and we're not always told everything, and due to operational security, I can't always report what was told. So I don't know how to answer that. I don't have the answer.
HEMMER: OK, try and answer this one then if you could -- it's been said for days now that humanitarian aid was going to come to that port, that military aid was going to come to the port as well. And it seems like every day, they keep on pushing it back, sometimes 24 hours, sometimes 48. Do you have an understanding as to why it's so difficult to find and locate these mines?
DIAMOND: Yes, the channel of the KAA waterways. That's the waterway from the Persian gulf up to the port of Umm Qasr. It's quite a large waterway, and the ship I'm on right now is tasked with clearing this waterway of mines.
But this takes a long time. It's quite an intense process. And so what they're doing is clearing a small channel, a small pathway that ships can navigate in order to get to Umm Qasr.
Now with heavy winds, there have been horrible, horrible sandstorms and winds, and that might be blowing debris or possibly, possibly mines that are in the water or ordnance in the water, dropped possibly from planes a long time ago, and so that is creating some havoc in the navigational system, and Sir Galahad was actually yesterday to travel up to Umm Qasr, and then I'm told today, and now I'm being told tomorrow. So we'll see -- Bill.
HEMMER: I guess we will. Becky, thanks. Becky Diamond, embedded off the coast of Umm Qasr, and we'll see you again, as she points out whether or not they can get that strip cleared out on that waterway in order to bring the Sir Galahad and others in to the southeast port city there in Iraq.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
