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American Morning
7th Cav Meets Light Resistance
Aired April 02, 2003 - 09:17 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, ANCHOR: Back to the front right now, an increasing front that continues to push north. Walt Rodgers by way of satellite.
Walt, good afternoon. What's happening now?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. All day we've seen the 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army, as well as the 7th Cavalry, with whom we're traveling, thrusting continuously northward. There's a consolidation of efforts and all the convoys we're seeing are moving in the general direction of Baghdad.
Yesterday these units were perhaps 50 miles south of Baghdad. Today some of these units are perhaps half that distance.
At one point over the horizon, in the middle of a desert, we could see, stretching as far as you could see, perhaps ten miles in either direction, a huge convoy of supply trucks and tanks and vehicles of all sizes, shapes and descriptions, moving north towards Baghdad. Again, they were getting very close to the end game in all of this.
Earlier in the day, the 1st Brigade of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division smashed into the Iraqi town of Karbala. That's about 50 miles south of Baghdad. They went in expecting stiff resistance from the Republican Guard units of the Iraqi army. In fact, they met minimal resistance. They blew a few tanks away and kept on rolling. Then the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division rolled into town and secured it.
If there is resistance, it is not anything that the Army is facing at this point. We've seen the Army as we rolled northward today taking prisoners of war. We saw two groups, probably a total of 100 prisoners of war. They appeared very grateful that for them the war is over.
Additionally, we have seen some dead Iraqis. But mostly what we have seen is huge convoys moving northward. The United States Army's 3rd Infantry Division and as well as the 7th Cavalry, again, moving in the direction of Baghdad, closing in, consolidating gains of the past couple of days.
We were involved in a firefight probably about an hour ago now. The 7th Cavalry was rolling across the countryside when the Kalawa (ph) helicopters, which were scouting for it, noticed ahead that there were three anti-aircraft batteries. These are Soviet vintage 20 millimeter ack-ack (ph) guns.
Again, they started firing, the Iraqis started firing on the 7th Cavalry. One shell perhaps fell within 400 meters of where we were.
Automatically the 7th Cavalry opened up with three 120 millimeter mortars, blasted the Iraqis, put the anti-aircraft guns out of existence, put the Iraqi mortars out of existence and according to one officer, killed about 20 Iraqis.
When we last left that unit we could see these were old Soviet vintage anti-aircraft guns. The Army engineers were putting C-4 plastic explosives around the barrel, wiring them and blowing a cache of ammunition, this as the Army continues, as I say, to negotiate its way close to Baghdad -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow. Amazing stuff, Walt. Thanks. Walt Rodgers, 7th Cavalry, southwest of Baghdad or about that location, anyway. The U.S. military at times do allow us to give certain locaters. And Walt reported earlier today about 25 miles on the outskirts of town.
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 April 2, 2003 - 09:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, ANCHOR: Back to the front right now, an increasing front that continues to push north. Walt Rodgers by way of satellite.
Walt, good afternoon. What's happening now?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. All day we've seen the 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army, as well as the 7th Cavalry, with whom we're traveling, thrusting continuously northward. There's a consolidation of efforts and all the convoys we're seeing are moving in the general direction of Baghdad.
Yesterday these units were perhaps 50 miles south of Baghdad. Today some of these units are perhaps half that distance.
At one point over the horizon, in the middle of a desert, we could see, stretching as far as you could see, perhaps ten miles in either direction, a huge convoy of supply trucks and tanks and vehicles of all sizes, shapes and descriptions, moving north towards Baghdad. Again, they were getting very close to the end game in all of this.
Earlier in the day, the 1st Brigade of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division smashed into the Iraqi town of Karbala. That's about 50 miles south of Baghdad. They went in expecting stiff resistance from the Republican Guard units of the Iraqi army. In fact, they met minimal resistance. They blew a few tanks away and kept on rolling. Then the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division rolled into town and secured it.
If there is resistance, it is not anything that the Army is facing at this point. We've seen the Army as we rolled northward today taking prisoners of war. We saw two groups, probably a total of 100 prisoners of war. They appeared very grateful that for them the war is over.
Additionally, we have seen some dead Iraqis. But mostly what we have seen is huge convoys moving northward. The United States Army's 3rd Infantry Division and as well as the 7th Cavalry, again, moving in the direction of Baghdad, closing in, consolidating gains of the past couple of days.
We were involved in a firefight probably about an hour ago now. The 7th Cavalry was rolling across the countryside when the Kalawa (ph) helicopters, which were scouting for it, noticed ahead that there were three anti-aircraft batteries. These are Soviet vintage 20 millimeter ack-ack (ph) guns.
Again, they started firing, the Iraqis started firing on the 7th Cavalry. One shell perhaps fell within 400 meters of where we were.
Automatically the 7th Cavalry opened up with three 120 millimeter mortars, blasted the Iraqis, put the anti-aircraft guns out of existence, put the Iraqi mortars out of existence and according to one officer, killed about 20 Iraqis.
When we last left that unit we could see these were old Soviet vintage anti-aircraft guns. The Army engineers were putting C-4 plastic explosives around the barrel, wiring them and blowing a cache of ammunition, this as the Army continues, as I say, to negotiate its way close to Baghdad -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow. Amazing stuff, Walt. Thanks. Walt Rodgers, 7th Cavalry, southwest of Baghdad or about that location, anyway. The U.S. military at times do allow us to give certain locaters. And Walt reported earlier today about 25 miles on the outskirts of town.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
