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American Morning

U.S. Military Officials Don't Believe Marketplace Story

Aired March 27, 2003 - 9:02   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: Good morning. Welcome. Glad to have you with us on this Thursday morning. I'm Paula Zahn in New York City this morning.
Before we go to Iraq for more on the situation there, we're going to take a quick look at a developing story right here in New York, not too many blocks away from our studios. Hundreds of anti-war demonstrators lying down in the street in Midtown Manhattan. They are calling this a die-in.

Police have been arresting some of the demonstrators who are blocking traffic in the middle of the city. You know the morning commute is usually tough at this hour. And at one point this morning there was no traffic moving through this two-block area.

We will keep an eye on this and let you know when these protesters are on the move. This civil disobedience is expected to last most of the day. Our Maria Hinojosa is on the ground. She'll be moving right along with it and bringing us up to date on their actions.

We're also watching what's happening in Baghdad, where a series of explosions heard there this morning. And then news cameras picked up a large plume of smoke on the horizon. We haven't heard an explanation yet, but we will be keeping a close eye on this.

And then in northern Iraq, the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade has now entered the war. Look at this amazing video. About 1,000 troops parachuted from cargo planes and took up positions at an airfield in territory held by the Kurds. They were jumping on a moonless night. Central Command won't say whether they'll order the opening of a battle line in the north or whether these troops will ever advance on Baghdad.

Time now to bring in my colleague, Bill Hemmer, who is standing by in Kuwait. Bill, you probably saw the shots of those protesters out there. It looks like a pretty familiar commute, doesn't it? Though we are told it's really slowing things down out there.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I can imagine. Midtown Manhattan, about 8:30, 9:00 in the morning, Paula. You are exactly right, it's going to slow down that rush hour.

Here in with you Kuwait City, a couple of things I want to tell you about. Earlier today, we're out at this location, really in the central part of the country. We were talking with the Kuwaiti crew that helps essentially man one of these Patriot missile batteries. Really interesting the strategy they have at this point.

They launched two Patriot missiles for every Iraqi missile that comes into Kuwaiti airspace. And they say that has helped enable them to be quite successful to this point in the conflict. They had one Iraqi missile about five-and-a-half hours ago intercepted, yet again. Again, no casualties no, injuries reported. But, again, they say the Patriots are much more successful this time around than they were 12 years ago.

A bit later in the morning, if we get a chance and we get some time, we'll show you part of our interview with one of the commanders, a colonel of the Patriot Battalion on the Kuwaiti side. Really fascinating stuff based on the technology and how the Kuwaitis believe right now they are helping to defend their own people here.

Meanwhile, north in Iraq, Walt Rodgers with the 3-7th Cav, says that unit went through about 72 hours of virtually nonstop combat. The Cavalry took on a bridgehead about 60 miles from Baghdad. That unit now being reinforced by the 3rd Infantry Division with a lot of hardware, too.

British troops taking up positions around the southern city Basra. They report facing stiff resistance from regular and also irregular Iraqi troops there. In one skirmish about 20 miles outside the town, we're told the Brits knocked out about 14 different Iraqi tanks and four companies of entrenched infantry.

Some are saying that number is too high right now. Perhaps the fog of war. We'll clear up on that issue a bit later.

Also, the British commander in the Gulf says 600 oil wells in southern Iraq have been secured. That certainly is good news for the coalition, but he says it also may take about three months and possibly $1 billion worth of repairs to get oil pumping yet again. They say so many wells were booby trapped by Iraqi forces, it's going to take some time and some effort to get those taken care of -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.

Straight to the Pentagon now with Barbara Starr, who has the very latest from there. Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Well, now over 75,000 troops inside Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces. More troops will be on the way. The 4th Infantry Division will now be headed to Iraq, but as a follow-on force.

Officials here saying don't think of that deployment as some reinforcement, that the campaign is not in trouble. They are on track, they are on schedule, even as they continue to move 200 miles or so into Iraq and continue to confront these guerrilla fighters, these Fedayeen.

But earlier today at the U.S. Central Command, the general briefing the news media, gave his indication of just how much the Central Command believes they have degraded the Iraqi fighting capability. Here's what is he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cumulative effect we're seeing is degraded control. We're seeing locally controlled military and paramilitary actions, frequent survival moves by regime leaders and uncontrolled firing of air defense missiles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, U.S. military officials still looking at the aftermath of that Baghdad marketplace attack, now say they just don't think it was a U.S. weapon. They believe, but they are not positive, they believe it is possible it was some sort of Iraqi weapon fired into the air that then came back down and hit this area. Here is why they believe that at this time.

They have conducted some analysis of the marketplace pictures, and they say the types of weapons that the U.S. was using to target another area were 2,000-pound bombs. And if those bombs had gone astray and hit this marketplace, they believe nothing would have been left standing. They do acknowledge that they were targeting another residential area.

They were targeting, however, military targets in that area. Some missiles and launchers that they say the Iraqi had placed within 300 feet of some homes. They say they had to take those targets out. As U.S. forces approach Baghdad, they have to take these targets out, that they present a danger.

They also now acknowledge by using 2,000-pound bombs so close to -- against targets that are so close to residential areas, they do know they can cause collateral damage, but they say they have to take them out. But the bottom line is they also say they will still look into this Baghdad marketplace attack and they will try and determine what exactly did happen -- Paula.

ZAHN: Barbara, I know at the briefing today, we are told what you said at the top of your report that the plan is on track, that it is on schedule. And yet how is the Pentagon reacting to stories like this one in "The Washington Post" today, where you have unnamed military officials being quoted as saying they are convinced this war is likely to last months and that they believe that considerable more air power will be required to finish the job?

STARR: Well, publicly there is no strain from the Bush administration view that they are on the right track. Their strategy, as they explain it, is to press on to Baghdad, and that the best way to accomplish regime change, which is their goal, is move to Baghdad and try and get the regime out power. They believe if they can do that, then the rest the country, the people of Iraq, will not be so afraid, they will come out and endorse this liberation as defined by the Pentagon.

They think that the people are just too terrorized now by the regime and the Fedayeen and the Baath Party irregulars and all of this pressure that they believe the people of Iraq are feeling. They think if they can get the regime out of power, then the people will feel liberated and they will begin to support some sort of change in Iraq.

So they think the best way to proceed is to keep moving on to Baghdad and attack the regime, let everything else fall into place. Privately, it's hard to know. There certainly are people who are skeptics, but it's hard to know how it will sort out in the days ahead.

ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you in a little bit. Let's go back to Bill, who is standing by in Kuwait City -- hello again, Bill.

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 - 9:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome. Glad to have you with us on this Thursday morning. I'm Paula Zahn in New York City this morning.
Before we go to Iraq for more on the situation there, we're going to take a quick look at a developing story right here in New York, not too many blocks away from our studios. Hundreds of anti-war demonstrators lying down in the street in Midtown Manhattan. They are calling this a die-in.

Police have been arresting some of the demonstrators who are blocking traffic in the middle of the city. You know the morning commute is usually tough at this hour. And at one point this morning there was no traffic moving through this two-block area.

We will keep an eye on this and let you know when these protesters are on the move. This civil disobedience is expected to last most of the day. Our Maria Hinojosa is on the ground. She'll be moving right along with it and bringing us up to date on their actions.

We're also watching what's happening in Baghdad, where a series of explosions heard there this morning. And then news cameras picked up a large plume of smoke on the horizon. We haven't heard an explanation yet, but we will be keeping a close eye on this.

And then in northern Iraq, the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade has now entered the war. Look at this amazing video. About 1,000 troops parachuted from cargo planes and took up positions at an airfield in territory held by the Kurds. They were jumping on a moonless night. Central Command won't say whether they'll order the opening of a battle line in the north or whether these troops will ever advance on Baghdad.

Time now to bring in my colleague, Bill Hemmer, who is standing by in Kuwait. Bill, you probably saw the shots of those protesters out there. It looks like a pretty familiar commute, doesn't it? Though we are told it's really slowing things down out there.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I can imagine. Midtown Manhattan, about 8:30, 9:00 in the morning, Paula. You are exactly right, it's going to slow down that rush hour.

Here in with you Kuwait City, a couple of things I want to tell you about. Earlier today, we're out at this location, really in the central part of the country. We were talking with the Kuwaiti crew that helps essentially man one of these Patriot missile batteries. Really interesting the strategy they have at this point.

They launched two Patriot missiles for every Iraqi missile that comes into Kuwaiti airspace. And they say that has helped enable them to be quite successful to this point in the conflict. They had one Iraqi missile about five-and-a-half hours ago intercepted, yet again. Again, no casualties no, injuries reported. But, again, they say the Patriots are much more successful this time around than they were 12 years ago.

A bit later in the morning, if we get a chance and we get some time, we'll show you part of our interview with one of the commanders, a colonel of the Patriot Battalion on the Kuwaiti side. Really fascinating stuff based on the technology and how the Kuwaitis believe right now they are helping to defend their own people here.

Meanwhile, north in Iraq, Walt Rodgers with the 3-7th Cav, says that unit went through about 72 hours of virtually nonstop combat. The Cavalry took on a bridgehead about 60 miles from Baghdad. That unit now being reinforced by the 3rd Infantry Division with a lot of hardware, too.

British troops taking up positions around the southern city Basra. They report facing stiff resistance from regular and also irregular Iraqi troops there. In one skirmish about 20 miles outside the town, we're told the Brits knocked out about 14 different Iraqi tanks and four companies of entrenched infantry.

Some are saying that number is too high right now. Perhaps the fog of war. We'll clear up on that issue a bit later.

Also, the British commander in the Gulf says 600 oil wells in southern Iraq have been secured. That certainly is good news for the coalition, but he says it also may take about three months and possibly $1 billion worth of repairs to get oil pumping yet again. They say so many wells were booby trapped by Iraqi forces, it's going to take some time and some effort to get those taken care of -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.

Straight to the Pentagon now with Barbara Starr, who has the very latest from there. Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Well, now over 75,000 troops inside Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces. More troops will be on the way. The 4th Infantry Division will now be headed to Iraq, but as a follow-on force.

Officials here saying don't think of that deployment as some reinforcement, that the campaign is not in trouble. They are on track, they are on schedule, even as they continue to move 200 miles or so into Iraq and continue to confront these guerrilla fighters, these Fedayeen.

But earlier today at the U.S. Central Command, the general briefing the news media, gave his indication of just how much the Central Command believes they have degraded the Iraqi fighting capability. Here's what is he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cumulative effect we're seeing is degraded control. We're seeing locally controlled military and paramilitary actions, frequent survival moves by regime leaders and uncontrolled firing of air defense missiles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, U.S. military officials still looking at the aftermath of that Baghdad marketplace attack, now say they just don't think it was a U.S. weapon. They believe, but they are not positive, they believe it is possible it was some sort of Iraqi weapon fired into the air that then came back down and hit this area. Here is why they believe that at this time.

They have conducted some analysis of the marketplace pictures, and they say the types of weapons that the U.S. was using to target another area were 2,000-pound bombs. And if those bombs had gone astray and hit this marketplace, they believe nothing would have been left standing. They do acknowledge that they were targeting another residential area.

They were targeting, however, military targets in that area. Some missiles and launchers that they say the Iraqi had placed within 300 feet of some homes. They say they had to take those targets out. As U.S. forces approach Baghdad, they have to take these targets out, that they present a danger.

They also now acknowledge by using 2,000-pound bombs so close to -- against targets that are so close to residential areas, they do know they can cause collateral damage, but they say they have to take them out. But the bottom line is they also say they will still look into this Baghdad marketplace attack and they will try and determine what exactly did happen -- Paula.

ZAHN: Barbara, I know at the briefing today, we are told what you said at the top of your report that the plan is on track, that it is on schedule. And yet how is the Pentagon reacting to stories like this one in "The Washington Post" today, where you have unnamed military officials being quoted as saying they are convinced this war is likely to last months and that they believe that considerable more air power will be required to finish the job?

STARR: Well, publicly there is no strain from the Bush administration view that they are on the right track. Their strategy, as they explain it, is to press on to Baghdad, and that the best way to accomplish regime change, which is their goal, is move to Baghdad and try and get the regime out power. They believe if they can do that, then the rest the country, the people of Iraq, will not be so afraid, they will come out and endorse this liberation as defined by the Pentagon.

They think that the people are just too terrorized now by the regime and the Fedayeen and the Baath Party irregulars and all of this pressure that they believe the people of Iraq are feeling. They think if they can get the regime out of power, then the people will feel liberated and they will begin to support some sort of change in Iraq.

So they think the best way to proceed is to keep moving on to Baghdad and attack the regime, let everything else fall into place. Privately, it's hard to know. There certainly are people who are skeptics, but it's hard to know how it will sort out in the days ahead.

ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you in a little bit. Let's go back to Bill, who is standing by in Kuwait City -- hello again, Bill.

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