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CNN Live Event/Special

Asymmetrical Battles Continue

Aired March 27, 2003 - 02:19   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.


AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And we focused a lot on these -- General, on these small -- the Fedayeen group, the insurrection and the asymmetrical nature of this, but it -- I guess that now that the weather's cleared, there is a more conventional battle taking place, or battles taking place, out there, as well.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, we certainly want to extend the range of the engagements. We want to -- it's in our advantage to make it as...

BROWN: Stretch it out?

CLARK: ... conventional -- absolutely, because our weapons shoot longer, our acquisition's better. We can bring air and attack helicopters in in good weather conditions. So you would expect that the battle would appear to be more conventional where you're outside of a built-up area and where you have an identifiable enemy vehicle. And if they're driving around in pick-ups and buses and things like that, that's -- you have to really think about it before you engage something like that at 3,000 meters.

BROWN: No, but that's what they are doing.

CLARK: That is the problem.

BROWN: I mean -- right. They are doing that. That's exactly what they're doing, is -- we've seen pictures. I remember two or three nights ago, there was this pink truck with a gun on it.

CLARK: Right.

BROWN: And it's a little tough for a pilot, I guess, a jet pilot, to pick that out as a military vehicle. And you put a helicopter down there, you run some risk, right?

CLARK: That's right. And if it doesn't have a gun visible...

BROWN: Right.

CLARK: You know, you have to go back to your rules of engagement and some commander has to say, Well, there's no visible weapons. I mean, don't shoot it. When it comes right to you, you have to stop it. If it looks like it's, you know, obeying the normal rules, not speeding, not going past you, there's nothing -- you can stop, you can interrogate them, you can search them, but you can't shoot them.

BROWN: It's a complicated place out there right now. We'll take a break. Our coverage continues in a moment.

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 - 02:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And we focused a lot on these -- General, on these small -- the Fedayeen group, the insurrection and the asymmetrical nature of this, but it -- I guess that now that the weather's cleared, there is a more conventional battle taking place, or battles taking place, out there, as well.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, we certainly want to extend the range of the engagements. We want to -- it's in our advantage to make it as...

BROWN: Stretch it out?

CLARK: ... conventional -- absolutely, because our weapons shoot longer, our acquisition's better. We can bring air and attack helicopters in in good weather conditions. So you would expect that the battle would appear to be more conventional where you're outside of a built-up area and where you have an identifiable enemy vehicle. And if they're driving around in pick-ups and buses and things like that, that's -- you have to really think about it before you engage something like that at 3,000 meters.

BROWN: No, but that's what they are doing.

CLARK: That is the problem.

BROWN: I mean -- right. They are doing that. That's exactly what they're doing, is -- we've seen pictures. I remember two or three nights ago, there was this pink truck with a gun on it.

CLARK: Right.

BROWN: And it's a little tough for a pilot, I guess, a jet pilot, to pick that out as a military vehicle. And you put a helicopter down there, you run some risk, right?

CLARK: That's right. And if it doesn't have a gun visible...

BROWN: Right.

CLARK: You know, you have to go back to your rules of engagement and some commander has to say, Well, there's no visible weapons. I mean, don't shoot it. When it comes right to you, you have to stop it. If it looks like it's, you know, obeying the normal rules, not speeding, not going past you, there's nothing -- you can stop, you can interrogate them, you can search them, but you can't shoot them.

BROWN: It's a complicated place out there right now. We'll take a break. Our coverage continues in a moment.

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