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CNN Live Today
Talk with Alex Perry
Aired March 28, 2003 - 11:48 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.
HEMMER: Back here live in Kuwait City. Alex Perry is now checking in by way of telephone. He's a writer for "TIME" magazine embedded with the 3rd ID, 3rd Infantry Division near the town of Najaf, I believe, Alex. You're on the phone right now. What do you have for us? Good evening.
ALEX PERRY, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good evening. Yes, I'm -- well, I'm about 60, 70 miles south of Najaf. My guys really are, I guess, in the middle of the lull we've been hearing so much about. I mean, these are combat troops that at the moment are being deployed to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) convoy security along the route. It's a slightly frustrating experience for them. As I say, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) expected to be outside Baghdad by now. But we are hearing that imminently, probably in the next 24 hours, we're going to be moving up to join up with the full division to start the encirclement of Baghdad.
HEMMER: Yes. How was the attitude, Alex?
PERRY: It is -- as I say, these are men who are trained for combat. And at the moment, they're finding themselves really little more than police. They're blocking roads and detaining or questioning civilians who try to pass, trying to establish anybody who might be Iraqi army or irregular paramilitary, and so on. There is a fair amount of frustration for the -- because, really, they have orders not to engage (UNINTELLIGIBLE) engage -- not to engage unless absolutely necessary. And there's a huge amount of outrage and anger, as well, over this maintenance crew that was captured and the way they were treated. So really, here there is -- people are gearing up for a fight.
HEMMER: Ready for a fight. It was told earlier that you were saying that the gloves are coming off. Does that pretty much state it?
PERRY: That's right. Yes. One commander addressing his men yesterday said -- because -- because so many of the Iraqi forces are now dressed in civilian clothes and the resistance is proving so much more (UNINTELLIGIBLE) than perhaps people had predicted. His instructions to his men were, If you see an Iraqi civilian coming towards you, even if he's just waving a stick (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HEMMER: Be safe out there. Alex Perry, "TIME" magazine, embedded with the 3rd ID, again, south of Najaf, a pretty good way, south central 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 28, 2003 - 11:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEMMER: Back here live in Kuwait City. Alex Perry is now checking in by way of telephone. He's a writer for "TIME" magazine embedded with the 3rd ID, 3rd Infantry Division near the town of Najaf, I believe, Alex. You're on the phone right now. What do you have for us? Good evening.
ALEX PERRY, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good evening. Yes, I'm -- well, I'm about 60, 70 miles south of Najaf. My guys really are, I guess, in the middle of the lull we've been hearing so much about. I mean, these are combat troops that at the moment are being deployed to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) convoy security along the route. It's a slightly frustrating experience for them. As I say, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) expected to be outside Baghdad by now. But we are hearing that imminently, probably in the next 24 hours, we're going to be moving up to join up with the full division to start the encirclement of Baghdad.
HEMMER: Yes. How was the attitude, Alex?
PERRY: It is -- as I say, these are men who are trained for combat. And at the moment, they're finding themselves really little more than police. They're blocking roads and detaining or questioning civilians who try to pass, trying to establish anybody who might be Iraqi army or irregular paramilitary, and so on. There is a fair amount of frustration for the -- because, really, they have orders not to engage (UNINTELLIGIBLE) engage -- not to engage unless absolutely necessary. And there's a huge amount of outrage and anger, as well, over this maintenance crew that was captured and the way they were treated. So really, here there is -- people are gearing up for a fight.
HEMMER: Ready for a fight. It was told earlier that you were saying that the gloves are coming off. Does that pretty much state it?
PERRY: That's right. Yes. One commander addressing his men yesterday said -- because -- because so many of the Iraqi forces are now dressed in civilian clothes and the resistance is proving so much more (UNINTELLIGIBLE) than perhaps people had predicted. His instructions to his men were, If you see an Iraqi civilian coming towards you, even if he's just waving a stick (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HEMMER: Be safe out there. Alex Perry, "TIME" magazine, embedded with the 3rd ID, again, south of Najaf, a pretty good way, south central 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
