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CNN LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE
Coalition Forces at Outskirts of Baghdad
Aired April 3, 2003 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: The war against Saddam Hussein, Baghdad under intensive bombard again tonight. We'll be, of course, monitoring the night skies of Baghdad and keeping you up to date on the bombard there as it appears to be another night of intense bombardment of the capital city.
Coalition forces have advanced to the outskirts of Baghdad. Troops from the 3rd Infantry Division have attacked that city's international airport, Saddam Hussein International Airport.
Marines tonight are closing in on Baghdad from the southeast. More than a dozen large explosions heard in central Baghdad tonight as well.
And the president said the vice is closing on Saddam Hussein today.
Coalition tanks destroyed dozens of Iraqi tanks and armored personnel carriers as they advance to Baghdad. Many Iraqi soldiers killed in the fighting, hundreds more taken prisoner. Walter Rodgers with the 7th Calvary and Martin Savidge with the Marines 1st Division will have the latest for us.
Special forces raided one of Saddam Hussein's palaces deep inside Iraqi territory today. Central command said the raid showed coalition forces can strike anywhere in Iraq.
Over the course of this next hour, we will assess the coalition strategy. We'll be joined by CNN military analyst, Major General George Harrison, and Former Defense Secretary William Cohen.
Also tonight, special forces troops and Kurdish militia men fight a fierce battle with Iraqi forces on the road to Mosul in northern Iraq.
Julian Manyon with the Kurdish forces will have the report.
And British armored forces move closer to the center of Basra today. Snipers picked off Iraqi artillery observers more than 700 yards away. Tim Ewart will have our report from Basra.
Now, the latest developments at this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We hear all Iraqis who yearn for liberty, and the people of Iraq have my pledge our fighting forces will press on until your entire country is free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOBBS: President Bush at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, today. The president told 12,000 Marines gathered at the base that a vice is closing around Saddam Hussein. President Bush promised to liberate the people of Iraq.
The president also praised the Marines who are risking their lives to ensure that promise is fulfilled. Eleven Marines from Camp Lejeune have been killed during the war.
Debate continues tonight in Congress on the president's $80 billion emergency spending package to cover the cost of war against Saddam Hussein. Lawmakers are expected to hand the President all the money that he has requested. Democrats in both houses want more money to be spent on homeland security.
Doctors in Germany say Army Private Jessica Lynch is hard as nails. Private Lynch underwent surgery today for a fractured disk. The 19-year-old Lynch was rescued in a dramatic commando raid on a hospital in Iraq. She had been held there after her unit was ambushed last week. Private Lynch did not go easily. She reportedly kept shooting at her captors until she ran out of ammunition.
The Pentagon is investigating two possible cases of friendly fire. A Navy F-18 Hornet may have been shot down by a Patriot missile. A search is under way for the pilot.
CENTCOM is also investigating an incident involving an Air Force F-15, which may have been fired on -- which may have fired on soldiers in Iraq, killing one of the U. S. soldiers and injuring several others.
We're looking at the night skies over Baghdad, as you can see. Power is out in Baghdad. Explosions have been rocking the capital for the better part of the last hour. It's now, as you see there, 3:00 just after 3:00 in the morning Baghdad time. Power is out. The CENTCOM says that no power supply facilities were targeted in the most recent round of bombings. However, they have not ruled out -- this is explosions seen just moments ago around Baghdad in the southern quarter of the capital city.
CENTCOM, as I was saying, says they did not target any power supply source of any kind but will not rule out the possibility that one was hit by accident or near -- or was near a target selected by CENTCOM for tonight's bombing of Baghdad.
Good evening. Tonight, coalition troops are on the outskirts of Baghdad. They are fighting Iraqi forces, defending that city's international airport. Some reports tonight say that airport has already fallen. However, the Pentagon says that that is yet to be confirmed.
The strategy is now to seize key objectives within Baghdad. Senior Pentagon Correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has the report. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The battle for Baghdad is being fought simultaneously on several fronts. Here, a U.S. special operations snatch team descends on the Tharthar (ph) Palace on the outskirts of the capital. It's one of Saddam Hussein's residences, but it's been abandoned.
At the Saddam International Airport, southwest of the city, barracks of the Special Republican Guard were taken out with smart bombs. Sources say the U.S. has left the runways untouched so it can use the airport as a base of operations.
As the U. S. seems to be rolling over ineffective Iraqi resistance, the Pentagon is brimming with confidence about the progress of U. S. troops.
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They've taken several outlying areas and are closer to the center of the Iraqi capital than many American commuters are from their downtown offices.
MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld says what's left of the six Republican Guard divisions that ring Baghdad are either retreating, going home, surrendering, or reinforcing.
Baghdad is now in the dark. The power either inadvertently knocked out by U. S. Bombs or turned off by the regime.
And events are moving so fast that the maps the Pentagon uses to show how close the U. S. Troops are to Baghdad are outdated before they are shown.
Apache tank-killing helicopters are devastating Republican Guard armor. And as the Iraqi forces move to reinforce, they become even easier targets. Sources say, as part of the Adnan (ph) division moves south from Tikrit, U. S. Air strikes took out an entire armored brigade, including dozens of tanks. The U. S. says its strategy is not to occupy the entire city of Baghdad, but to seize key objectives and render the regime irrelevant.
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: You're going to have Baghdad isolated, you're going to have half the population that probably wants nothing to do with the folks -- the present regime. And then you'll start working at it as you can. But one of the things you can do is be patient about that. So, this notion of a siege and so forth, I think, is not the right mental picture.
MCINTYRE (on camera): As of this hour, Lou, Pentagon officials are confirming that U. S. force are at the Saddam International Airport. They're stopping short of saying they're in full control of the airport, but it does appear they're on the tarmac and securing that key objective.
Also tonight, senior defense officials indicating that there there's a growing belief now that all of the Saddam Hussein videotapes that have been on Iraqi television since March 19th were recorded before March 19th, although there is, as often is the case with this, a dispute within the intelligence community about how solid that conclusion is. The CIA went so far tonight to say that they have reached no formal conclusion about the veracity of those tapes, although they conceded it was likely that none were recorded after March 19th, the night when U. S. Cruise missiles and bunker busting bombs were launched in an attempt to kill Saddam Hussein and his sons. Lou.
DOBBS: In terms of that intelligence report on whether or not those -- that tape was made before March 19th, in effect then, this is an intelligence assessment, it is not a clear and categorical determination by the CIA or the -- any of the other intelligence agencies?
MCINTYRE: Well, the CIA clearly is saying that they're stopping short of making any formal or categorical conclusion. The senior defense official I talked to said that, based on the analysis of these tapes, they're pretty convinced none of them were made after March 19th. In a way, it's almost another challenge to Saddam Hussein to prove that he's still alive. We've been hearing a lot of those in recent days from the Pentagon.
DOBBS: Well, with Baghdad now ringed by coalition forces, this question looks as though it will have an empirical answer in the days ahead of us.
Jamie, turning to one other issue, and that is, of course, the Saddam Hussein International Airport just outside the city of Baghdad. Is there any further information as to the forces that are arrayed there, coalition forces that are arrayed there, and what their objectives will be, if indeed it is the control of that airport?
MCINTYRE: Well, the control of the airport is a key -- always a key military objective. This is a large airport. If they're able to secure it, the runways were intentionally left unscarred so they could use them to bring additional forces in. That gives them a base of operations to launch more precise attacks against regime targets in the city.
Again, the strategy seems to be to take over key objectives, establish the fact that the regime is not in control, and then essentially declare that the United States controls Baghdad.
DOBBS: It appears that a determination as to whether or not Saddam Hussein International Airport is under the control of coalition forces may come shortly, and if so, Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent, will update us within seconds of that eventuality. Jamie, thank you very much.
As Jamie reported, coalition forces have launched a major assault on the airport, a heavy barrage of missiles raining down over the past hour. Bob Franken is at an air base near the Iraqi border with the latest on those air strikes - Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as we've known for the last several days, the air strikes have been in large part to support the ground operations particularly from this air base, where the emphasis on flights of the A-10s, the anti-tank, anti-ground force, very, very lethal planes.
And one of the signs of the efficiency of the operation is the amount of ordnance that the planes bring back. They're not bringing back much these days. Seventy percent of it -- a very proud crew chief told us that all of the rockets on his plane had been used, the rockets and the bombs.
And the main focus of the attacks right now. About 85 percent of the attacks are aimed at the Republican Guard units. Of course, that's become the focus on the ground. And not only now have they done severe damage to the Republican Guard units who they are taking the offense against, the coalition forces, but they're continuing to hammer at those same troops to make sure that there is no counterattack.
There's been the steady parade of planes taking off and landing here. The planes will go out, they'll do their runs, sometimes using forward air bases to refuel, then they'll come back, they'll do a quick turnaround, and go out again. The air war has gotten more ferocious, more intense, and very much more specific.
Now, the question is will the air base outside Iraq, excuse me, outside Baghdad, the one that is just in the process of being captured, will that turn into the most forward of air bases? Nobody says yet that a decision has been made, but many people say that it would be obvious, that it would be the ideal place to base a substantial part of the air force operation - Lou.
DOBBS: Bob, thank you very much. Bob Franken, reporting from an air base near the border.
We have just heard more explosions here, just in the -- and more occurring in these live pictures that you see now. We'll go full screen, if we may, to show you what is happening over the night skies of Baghdad.
These explosions, we are told now -- and have every reason to believe -- are occurring near the Baghdad airport. That airport is approximately just about 12 miles outside the center of Baghdad. It is, obviously, under heavy attack by U. S. and coalition forces tonight.
Our Nic Robertson tells us that Baghdad tonight, vehicles with loud speakers are going through those darkened city streets telling Iraqi civilians that they are not allowed to leave Baghdad, and they are encouraging people, civilians, to leave their homes and to walk towards the Saddam Hussein Airport. And our sources tell Nic Robertson that a number of people are complying with that order.
Now, obviously, it is unclear to us at this point as to the reason for that order. But civilians moving toward an area that is obviously under attack with combatants on both sides from the city of Baghdad, by the Iraqis, and from without by U. S. and coalition forces, would put those civilians in harm's way, and that apparently is the request of the officials in Baghdad, telling people to leave their homes and to walk toward the airport. Again, our sources telling us, as we look at these live images of the night sky over Baghdad, that they are complying.
We're going to go to Joe Collins -- excuse me. We're -- I'm sorry. Bill Cohen, who is with us in our studios in Washington D. C. Bill is obviously a former defense secretary and is a regular here on this broadcast.
Bill, good to have you here. We're watching very intensive bombardment tonight of Baghdad. We have just heard, as I'm sure you heard me report, the request by -- incredibly -- by the Iraqi officials that civilians march toward that airport, which is under heavy attack. Your thoughts?
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, certainly, Saddam has shown no hesitation to sacrifice his people in the past to achieve his own goals. In this particular case, he may be using them as "human shields." He also may be seeking to have them try to prevent the U. S. from fully occupying that airport and have those thousands of people, if there are that many out there, try to put a presence on the -- near the air field, at least, to prevent the United States from taking much more action. And then force the United States to possibly attack those civilians in an effort to stave them off.
There are nonlethal means the United States can use, and I'm sure will use, but as a last gasp type of tactic I think he's using now. And it's clear to the world just how ruthless and brutal he can be in using innocent civilians.
DOBBS: The stories that have come in over the course of two weeks of combat now in Iraq, the use of human shields, putting women and children in harm's way, the torture chambers that have been found, surrendering -- appearing to surrender under a white flag -- and then turning fire on U. S. and coalition troops. Just about everything that had been said about Saddam Hussein and his regime has been demonstrated over the past two weeks, has it not?
COHEN: It has been. In this particular case, it may be hard to determine whether these individuals are acting out of fear of being executed by Saddam's republican elite, Republican Guard, so-called, whether they are acting out of a sense of patriotism for their own country or nationalism, I should say, whether they're acting to prevent the United States from occupying their territory.
We don't know the rationale for it. We do know that Saddam and his people are encouraging them to do that. We'll have to figure out what their motivation is at a later time, but I hope that we will use extreme caution and nonlethal means to try to contain it as we systematically dismember the military component of Saddam's regime.
DOBBS: I think you would certainly agree that the U. S. and coalition forces have taken every step to avoid civilian casualties here to the point that something like 10,000 precision-guided weapons have already been fired. Just about 90 percent of all of the bombs dropped on Iraq, precision guided to do precisely what you're suggesting, and that is to take very good care to avoid civilian casualty casualties, wherever possible.
COHEN, Right, Lou, what I think is going on here is that we are targeting some of the facilities around the airport which may be bunkers, storage of ammunition, other types of material. And what Saddam may be doing is trying to put human shields so that that cannot be continued as we're doing now, and as you're seeing on the screen this evening.
So, again, it comes back to what he will do with his people in order to stay in power. And it's pretty clear -- it should be clear to the world just how ruthless he can be.
DOBBS: As you and I talk about Saddam Hussein as if he were in control, I think we should point out that Richard Myers, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, says there is no indication that he is alive. CENTCOM saying much the same thing, as has Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, again repeating the statement today that there is no evidence that Iraqi forces are now under the control of any one person even in Baghdad.
Bill Cohen, former defense secretary, and I will be talking later in the broadcast. Bill, we thank you for sticking around here.
And coming up next, we will continue to watch, obviously, the skies over Baghdad.
President Bush today promised 12,000 Marines that this coalition will not stop until Iraq is free. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, will have the report for us.
Coalition forces in Basra try to take control of the city while giving humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians. Tim Ewart of ITN is with the special operations forces there and will report for us.
Scientists are now in China. They're looking into the origin of SARS, that disease spreading around the world faster than anyone in the World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control have thought possible. Fear is spreading with that illness. We'll have the story and a great deal more still ahead here, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Bombardment of Baghdad continues tonight, and over the past 20 minutes, explosions rocking Baghdad, central Baghdad, southern Baghdad, the outskirts of Baghdad, and importantly, as the coalition forces, principally U. S. Army forces, move against Saddam Hussein International Airport, which is about 10 miles outside the center of Baghdad -- those explosions are intensifying.
And if we may again go to the wide screen of what appears to me to be Abu Dhabi television that is providing this picture, 3:20 a.m. in Baghdad, live pictures again. That it is very difficult to discern whether or not that is, in point of fact, the missiles that we have become accustomed to striking Baghdad and its environs, or whether it is the large 2,000 pound JDAM bombs that have been striking targets selected by the coalition in Baghdad, or whether these flashes now represent artillery barrages as fighting continues to take control of the -- to take control of Saddam International Airport.
Again, correspondents, our correspondents with the -- embedded with these forces, with them in the field, saying in some cases, they can see the lights of the skyline of Baghdad.
Over the course of the past two weeks, since this war began, something like 23,000 coalition sorties have been flown, and over the course of the past 24 hours, 1,900 sorties flown. And we are told that, of those, 850 were strike sorties, most of those directed against the Republican Guard.
As you know, the Republican Guard just outside Baghdad to defend the city and Saddam Hussein's regime in principal. Two of those divisions absolutely devastated, destroyed, The so-called Medina division, and the Baghdad division. The Baghdad division, of course, getting its name from the fact that it is the Republican Guard division designated to defend principally Baghdad.
Four other divisions we are told have also been hit very, very, very hard and are principally trying to reinforce units that have been also hit very hard. So, we are seeing a lot of what some of the military officials are calling an effort that does not seem to be directed by one person from the center of Baghdad.
And that raises questions, questions that have been in front of us since that first strike on March 19th against the location that the CIA military intelligence thought was a place where Saddam Hussein, perhaps his sons, were. That preemptive strike they put, I think somewhat elegantly, trying to strike at the head of the snake.
New explosions rocking parts of Baghdad tonight. We will continue to monitor that. We, of course, will bring the word to you just as soon as the Army and coalition forces do take control of Saddam Hussein International Airport just on the outskirts of Baghdad.
In southern Iraq today, British forces also moving closer to the center of the second largest city in Iraq, Basra. They captured an Iraqi base in an unused factory in the southern suburbs of that city. Tim Ewart of ITN reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIM EWART, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was more gun fire around Basra today as British troops moved inextricably toward the city center. Snipers claimed three kills, hitting Iraqi artillery controllers 700 meters away. And Royal engineers worked under fire to douse oil pipelines set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your country, and we don't want to take it. We want to give it back to you.
EWART: In nearby Aserbyah (ph), the commander of British forces was on a personal mission to win hearts and minds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reception we got here was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We can now come here on our feet. We talked to the people. The reception has been excellent everywhere I've been.
EWART: But at Aserbyah Hospital, the prevailing mood remains one of fear and uncertainty, a mood captured by the hospital's director. Saddam Hussein is my president, he told me. For how long do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
EWART (on camera): But until then, you will keep his photograph?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unless it is drawn by force.
EWART (voice-over): Whereupon a British officer promptly removed the presidential portrait that adorned the director's office.
(on camera): British troops control the streets of Aserbyah, but not yet the hearts and minds of the people. Iraqis are living with an invading army, but Saddam Hussein is still their president. For the moment, they don't know what the future will hold.
(voice-over): As Basra burned, these fighters opted for surrender. The fall of their city seems inevitable. The timing is in British hands. Tim Ewart, ITV News, southern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOBBS: President Bush today said the vice is closing on Saddam Hussein. The President told thousands of Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, today that nothing, nothing will divert him from that mission. Our Senior White House Correspondent, John King, has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twelve thousand Marines in a crowd of 20,000, the commander-in-chief confident victory will soon be at hand.
BUSH: Having traveled hundreds of miles, we will now go the last 200 yards. We're on the advance. Our destination is Baghdad, and we will accept nothing less than complete and final victory.
KING: The president is receiving constant updates on the push toward the Iraqi capital but, aides say, still leaving the key tactical decisions to the generals.
BUSH: A vice is closing, and the days of a brutal regime are coming to an end.
KING: More than 17,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune are deployed to Iraq, thousands more soon to follow. The price already paid here, a dozen Lejeune Marines killed in action and another handful missing, wait on both the president and his audience.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, we mourn for each other and we're there for each other, but as far as ups and downs, I think we're doing pretty good. KING: Mr. Bush spoke of good Marines lost in a high calling.
BUSH: No one who falls will be forgotten by this grateful nation. We honor their service to America. And we pray their families will receive God's comfort and God's grace.
KING: The president and first lady took time for lunch at the Marine mess and then the most difficult part, an emotional private meeting at a base chapel with about 20 family members of five Marines killed in combat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
He's in heaven, the president told one parent on hand for that meeting. Aides described the session as running about half an hour, quite teary eyed.
In addition to the parents, also on had one active duty Marine, whose brother was among those killed in combat. Several children in the room as well, including six-year -- six-week old twin girls who will now never know their father. Lou.
DOBBS: John, thank you very much. John King, senior White House correspondent.
Coming up next here, CNN military analyst, Retired Air Force General George Harrison joins us.
The global impact of the SARS virus. We'll separate the facts from the fears. All of that and a great deal more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Night skies over Baghdad, bombardment again intensive tonight. We're following that as there is a large battle for control of Saddam Hussein International Airport, just about 10 miles from the center of Baghdad. We're also told that, from the center of Baghdad, our sources telling Nic Robertson that the fighting is visible at the airport from the center of Baghdad.
U. S. special forces and Kurdish militia men today fought off more resistance in northern Iraq. They were under fire in a road leading to the key north city of Mosul.
Julian Manyon of ITN has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIAN MANYON, ITN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. jets are pounding Iraqi troops on the road to Mosul.
The Iraqis have been ordered to stand and fight after yesterday's retreat. But they are taking terrible punishment.
Earlier, we advanced on foot towards Mosul, which is part of Saddam's heartland. We followed a unit of Kurdish Peshmerga through miles of territory which the Iraqi Army has abandoned. With us, half a dozen U.S. special forces soldiers, who for a time were hopeful the enemy had pulled out altogether.
(on camera) What's your procedure when you get up to a place like this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, usually, we sneak up to it at dark, in the middle of the night, but seeing as how the Peshmerga pretty much secured the whole high ground here, we're just going to walk up here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's firing going on.
MANYON: We just heard a shot over there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We have contact in front.
MANYON: The Iraqis were a few hundred yards ahead of us, and they opened fire.
Soldiers and journalists dived for cover, and the Peshmerga rapidly began to fire back.
(on camera) A situation here on the road to Mosul. Up to just a few minutes ago, we were walking calmly down the road with a few members of the U.S. special forces. Then our position was fired upon.
Since then, both U.S. troops and Kurds have gone into action, as you can see before me, taking over former Iraqi Army positions and opening fire on what they believe are enemy positions further ahead.
(voice-over) Kurdish and American troops began to move forward towards the enemy. The Kurds fired rocket-propelled grenades towards their enemy. Iraqi troops fired back from behind a low hill, and their mortar rounds began to land nearby. We took cover.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger grid, 7-0.
MANYON: The Americans called in air strikes, and the jets screamed in. But tonight, the Iraqis are still holding out on the road to Mosul.
Julian Manyon, ITV News, on the northern front.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOBBS: These are the latest developments in the war on Iraq. The Pentagon tonight said coalition troops have reached Baghdad International Airport. Troops are involved in heavy fighting with Iraqi forces. The Pentagon says the strategy is to seize key objectives in and around Baghdad.
Reports suggesting airport buildings have been attacked, but runways remain operational.
Tonight, a series of large explosions rocking central Baghdad, as we've been reporting to you over the course of this hour. Coalition aircraft were heard flying overhead. It's not clear what the targets are. Certainly, some of them near and around Saddam Hussein International Airport, although there have been strikes in central Baghdad, as well in the course of the past hour.
The Army's 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division, leading the assault against Baghdad. The 3rd Infantry is approaching from the southwest, the 1st Marines from the southeast.
Armored forces destroyed dozens of Iraqi tanks and personnel carriers in their advance on Baghdad. Iraqi forces using Soviet-era tanks. They stand no chance against the M-1 Abrams tanks used by Army and Marines.
Coalition forces have carried out a raid on one of Saddam Hussein's palaces, deep inside Iraqi-controlled territory. That complex is 56 miles from Baghdad. Special forces landed by helicopter, searched the buildings, found no sign of Saddam Hussein or his family, but did gather important intelligence material.
Special forces are also helping Kurdish force in their advance into territory controlled by the Iraqis in northern -- the northern part of the country. A column of special forces troops, Kurdish soldiers, as we just reported, involved in a fierce fire fight.
The special forces called in air strikes to destroy the Iraqi positions. There is still a fire fight there.
Heavy fighting in the southern suburbs of Basra. British tanks and armored infantry took control of an unused factory that was an Iraqi strong hold. British snipers said they killed at least Iraqi artillery observers. Retreating Iraqi forces set fire to oil-filled trenches, sending huge plumes of smoke in the air.
Joining me now to assess the coalition's remarkable advance to Baghdad tonight is our CNN military analyst, retired Air Force General George Harrison.
Good to have you with us.
GEN. GEORGE HARRISON, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Good evening.
DOBBS: The Army advancing from the southwest, the Marines from the southeast. Give us your assessment of where we are tonight, General.
HARRISON: Well, it's pretty clear that we've all been surprised again by the rapid advance after the proper preparation was made. And there was a lot of criticism a few days ago about the slow advance and the slow progress, but clearly General Franks had a plan, and he's executing his plan.
As we'll see later on the map, the forces are ringing Baghdad. We have coalition forces just about surrounding the area. You can see there where the 3rd Infantry is located. You can see that the Marines are coming in, again, from the southeast. The 101st air assault, which is a very mobile force, is in position to rapidly move forward on the northern portion, in the northern portion of the country. We have the Peshmerga moving forward. We have U.S. forces staging out of the air field, which we occupied about five days ago.
So the vice is closing. And the president's right. The outcome is very clear. The timing is the only issue.
DOBBS: As you were suggesting, a number of people were criticizing, most of them not by name, but obviously some people who still work in the Pentagon, some who are retired generals, questioning this campaign against Baghdad. Over the last three days, we've heard absolutely no criticism of a plan that seems to be working very well, indeed.
HARRISON: Well, I think those of us who are not on the inside of this operation need to understand that we don't know the details, and we shouldn't know the details. And certainly we shouldn't be talking about the details of what's going on.
So we need to have a little patience. We need to have a little common sense. And put this thing in some kind of perspective. We're about 14 days deep into an operation to take a country the size of California. And I don't find it at all surprising that it takes a little staging, a little preparation, and a little bit of readjustment from time to time.
As General Franks keeps saying, the enemy has a vote in this, and he's clearly voting.
DOBBS: The vote, obviously, not going very well, however. What do you -- give us your expectations of the next 24 to 48 hours here.
HARRISON: Well, I don't have any clear expectation, but I think it's very possible that what we'll see is a consolidation phase around Baghdad. There will be some consideration of pinning the Republican Guards in place so that they don't have the opportunity to move back into the city.
If they move back into the city, of course, then we have this really tragic situation of armored fights inside an urban canyon, inside a populated area, with tremendous collateral damage, potential for collateral damage, and certainly potential for Iraqi casualties far beyond what's necessary under the circumstances.
DOBBS: And one of the great fears here, General, is the use of chemical weapons, biological weapons, by the forces of Saddam Hussein, whether it be the Fedayeen or the special Republican Guard, now that the capital city is under direct threat by coalition forces. Your assessment of that threat?
HARRISON: Well, I think it certainly is a threat. I have confidence that the troops on the ground that will be at risk, the coalition troops that are on the ground that will be at risk, can well protect themselves against this threat. They can deal with it reasonably well.
What I don't have confidence in is the ability of the Iraqi population to deal with any collateral damage from Iraqi chemical and biological weapons. As you know, the U.S. and the United Kingdom do not use those weapons. We don't have that capability. We don't go forward with them.
But this can cause, again, great damage, fallout damage to the civilian population.
DOBBS: And at least one unit, General, as you know, found Iraqis who were already using their gas masks, raising other questions, troubling questions, as you were pointing out. And let's hope that those weapons are never used.
General George Harrison, thank you very much.
HARRISON: Pleasure to be here.
DOBBS: Usually, political candidates wait until a war is ended before making comments about conflict or even breaking promises, but that is not the case with this war, and with Democratic presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry, who has already broken a campaign promise.
Two weeks ago he said, quote, "We need to come together as a country because of the war against Saddam Hussein."
But here is what he said yesterday. Quote, "This president failed. It was a failure of diplomacy. We need not only a regime change in Iraq, but also one in the United States," end quote.
There may be a very good political reason why Senator Kerry's feeling a little cranky, if that's the word. New figures show that rival Democratic candidate, Senator John Edwards, has pulled something of an upset, raising more money than Senator Kerry in the first quarter.
There was more criticism from a different quarter for the war in Iraq. French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin said a division by the United States to go to war was a mistake, morally, politically, and strategically.
And a recent poll by the French newspaper "Le Monde" said that 53 percent of the French are for a coalition victory, 33 percent hope the coalition would not win, 14 percent did not reply.
More than half the Russian people in a recent survey said they want Iraq to win the war against U.S.-led forces. That according to a poll by Russia's Public Opinion Foundation. Only 3 percent of those surveyed said they supported the idea of a coalition victory.
Turning to this country, the mystery illness SARS continues its rapid spread around the world. The World Health Organization reports more than 2,200 cases now in 16 countries, 79 deaths.
Because the disease hit hard, at an economic crossroads of the world, Hong Kong, economists are trying to gauge the broader impact.
Peter Viles has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): SARS pamphlets in Newark, New Jersey. Passengers wearing masks at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
Because SARS is mysterious, contagious, and in some cases fatal, fear is a big factor, and it is clearly spreading faster than the disease itself.
STEVE EAST, FRIEDMAN, BILLINGS RAMSEY: I think that the real economic impact, the real potential negative, if it happens -- I'm not predicting that it will -- but the potential is people are scared, and they do not go shopping. If that happens, it's hard for an economy to stay above water.
VILES: Right now, the fears in the United States focus on travel to affected areas: China, Southeast Asia, and Canada.
GORDON BETHUNE, CEO, CONTINENTAL AIRPLANES: We've already cut back our New York-Hong Kong service to four times a week. We're looking now, because there is a tremendous no-show factor. People are afraid to fly. And so, as high as 30 percent. So we may temporarily suspend service.
VILES: The fear factor is highest in economic fallout most likely in Hong Kong, where 17 people had died. Goldman Sachs dropped its yearly forecast for growth there from 3 percent to 1.7, forecasting the disease will hurt travel, tourism, trade, and to some extent consumer spending.
For some perspective, Hong Kong's is not a huge economy. At 180 Billion in GDP, it is roughly the size of the economy of Missouri.
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Quick update on this disease. Here in the United States, Lou, the CDC tracking this very closely. They tracked 100 cases here in the United States, 16 of those 100 cases here in the state of New York. But here is the most important figure to date. There have been no fatalities from this mystery illness in the United States -- Lou.
DOBBS: Thank you very much, Peter Viles.
Just ahead here, as the United States continues to batter the Republican Guard from the air and land, the United States is hoping to send a powerful message to surrounding countries like Syria, Libya, and Iran. We'll have a special report on a special message.
And while fighting for a key bridge in the north takes place, villagers are looting everything they can find, from abandoned Iraqi positions. Also tonight, remember those European countries that opposed the war? Well, now they want a piece of the action when it comes to rebuilding Iraq. Coalition leaders, it turns out, are not in the mood to play fool.
Stay with us.
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DOBBS: The U.S. government is paying close attention to the actions and rhetoric of Iraq's neighboring states. The hope is that the action in Iraq will serve as a warning for other states in that region.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as the war rages, Bush administration officials are saying to Iran, Syria, Libya that there is a message for them in what U.S. forces are doing in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The outcome in Iraq, we hope will cause other states in the region -- and indeed around the world -- to look at the consequences of pursuing weapons of mass destruction. And draw the appropriate lesson that such pursuit is not in the long term in their national interest.
ENSOR: Syria's Bashar Assad and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi may heed that warning against building chemical or biological weapons, analysts say, but even some conservatives say Iran, far from reconsidering its apparent rush towards a nuclear program, is likely to draw the opposite conclusion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suspect they will look at the war and say we must, in fact, move forward and develop nuclear weaponry as quickly as possible.
ENSOR: Every few months, a plane from Iran lands at Damascus Airport, U.S. intelligence officials say, with weapons for Hezbollah and Hamas, many for use against Israel.
One look at a map suggests those flights may soon be difficult to make over U.S.-held Iraq, and the Bush administration is pressing Syria hard on the support for terrorism.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Syria also now faces a critical choice. Syria can continue direct support for terrorist groups in the dying regime of Saddam Hussein, or it can embark on a different and more hopeful course.
ENSOR: the massive U.S. military presence may impress the neighbors, say critics, but the Bush administration has failed to tell Syria and the others what they would get, what is in it for them, to cease building weapons and cease helping terrorist groups. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is what alienates so many around the world against the United States because this is an administration that tends to be all stick and no carrot, when in many cases you want to be both.
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ENSOR: Administration officials stress they will use diplomacy, not force, to try to convince Syria and Iran to change their ways. Officials are hoping what the U.S. is doing now in Iraq will create some leverage that speaks for itself to both countries and possibly to North Korea, as well -- Lou.
DOBBS: David, it is to this point a very large and, one would think, impressive message. Has there been any indication, with the intelligence sources that you talk with almost daily, that the message is getting through?
ENSOR: They're obviously hearing the message, but there's no change that anyone's told me about to date in behavior on the part of Syria or Iran, and there's no sign that, for example, Iran is in any way considering stopping its very large scale nuclear program. Which, of course, it insists is for peaceful means, but the U.S. suspects may lead to nuclear weapons -- Lou.
DOBBS: David, thank you very much. David Ensor, our national security correspondent.
Secretary of State Colin Powell issued a stern warning to some European governments today that the United States, not the United Nations, will take the lead in a post-war Iraq.
Former secretary of defense, MONEYLINE regular contributor, William Cohen, joins us now.
Bill, were you surprised, first of all, there would be the effrontery on the part of some European nations to suggest that the United States, Britain, and the coalition not take the lead in the immediate stage after the war against Saddam Hussein?
COHEN: Well, I've lived long enough not to be surprised by such a statement coming out of our friends in Europe.
But, frankly, they send conflicting messages. You may recall just a week or two ago we had our French friends who indicated that we could not go to the U.N. for support following the military action, because that would seem to endorse, by the United Nations, the action taken by the United States and our British and allied friends. It's an inconsistent message, to say the least.
But I think it's clear. The conflict is going to come, in my judgment, Lou, between how this is organized by the United States. I think that the State Department would like to see elements of the U.N. involved in some phases of the humanitarian structure, but the Defense Department's going to, I think, insist that it be principally operated by the military initially in the first phases.
So we're bound to see some disagreement, even within our own internal ranks on that.
DOBBS: A disagreement and perhaps an understandable one. But yet today Secretary of State Powell was pretty clear, saying that the United States and Britain and the coalition would take the lead.
Do you see any way in the world which this could be -- have any other outcome with Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, following this war against Saddam Hussein?
COHEN: I don't see any other outcome on those two extremes. Don't forget, Tony Blair, the British prime minister, also has made it very clear publicly, he would like to get the U.N. involved as quickly as he can.
And what we have to keep in mind is we do not want to appear to be an occupying power, but a liberating one. And that will send a powerful message to the rest of the world.
Do that, get the Middle East process back on track, and start dealing with the Korean situation. Those two things will help, I think, solve a lot of problems in the world.
DOBBS: Why is it there a temptation, Bill, in your view, to forget the greatest nation building successes were Japan and Germany, those led by the United States and the allies, without any comfort or guidance from an institution called the United Nations?
And most of the difficult chores have come as a result of following the United Nations.
COHEN: Well, I still believe that the U.N. has a valuable role to play.
It's better to have countries who have an opportunity to voice their discontents and their viewpoints from the United Nations, rather than having to go underground and be one of aligning themselves against the United States and our British friends and allies.
So I think they have -- it's a valuable role, Lou.
DOBBS: But don't you think it's really important -- because we keep hearing about how the Arab street is upset about the United States. It turns out now some of the experts are saying maybe they're not that upset, maybe there actually is, in their secret hearts, some -- some delight in what the United States and Britain and the coalition are doing.
But don't you think it's absurd that the United States, running its flag as a battle standard through Iraq, not to also take the opportunity to say to the people of the Middle East this is also our flag? And put that flag on humanitarian aid and the assistance and economic development that will follow.
Why put up the U.N. flag, which was an obstruction to every value and objective of this government? COHEN: Well, I don't think there's any intent to put up the U.N. flag in the immediate aftermath of this. I think what will happen is the United States will take the lead with our British friends, our Australian friends, that coalition of the willing that is currently participating in it.
And I think they'll do that in the initial phases. But ultimately...
DOBBS: I have to interrupt you. We're watching some very significant flashes in the night sky over Baghdad. Again, these cameras pointed toward the southern part of Baghdad. These explosions look to be in the same vicinity as others earlier described as near Saddam Hussein International Airport.
And what we are watching is, obviously, very heavy bombardment.
Well, it is very difficult to discern what is a strike by a Tomahawk missile or a 2,000-pound bomb, but we can say with absolute certainty the flash that we just saw was certainly not artillery.
I'm sorry, Bill. Let me wrap up here. You get the last word.
COHEN: I thought I was giving a few flashes of illumination, Lou, in terms of the little exchange that we've had.
Basically, the United States will take the lead with our allied friends in reconstructing Iraq. But we have to be careful and take care that we not simply be seen as exercising military force.
What you just mentioned, having the reconstruction effort, humanitarian assistance, rebuilding that country, that will send a powerful message, a much more positive one than we simply that we're going threaten other countries. We say this is a force for freedom, not one of oppression. Send that signal, and I think we'll be much better off in the world.
DOBBS: An American signal and not a U.N. signal. Is that right, Bill?
COHEN: That's true. I agree.
DOBBS: Bill, illuminating for you, illuminating for me. Always enlightening when you share your views. Thank you very much for doing so tonight, as always.
COHEN: Thank you.
DOBBS: Bill Cohen.
Coming up next, France's criticism of the war may cost it a role in rebuilding Iraq. That story is next.
A great deal more still ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) DOBBS: Turning now to the issue of who opposed the war in Iraq and who did not. Some of the very same countries that did oppose the war are lining up for a portion of the commercial contracts to reconstruct Iraq.
But the United States and its coalition partners are in no hurry to extend those contracts to countries outside the coalition.
Kitty Pilgrim reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now it seems everyone wants a piece of the action. Not in liberating Iraq, but in rebuilding it.
France's foreign minister, strongly opposed to the war, now suddenly calls for a pragmatic approach to rebuilding, arguing for the U.N. to take charge.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said today the American-led coalition should take the lead in post-war Iraq, but then he diplomatically left the rest vague.
POWELL: We are still examining the proper role for the United Nations.
PILGRIM: Some in Congress say it is payback time. The U.S. should get the business. And countries that have opposed the liberation of Iraq should not.
ERIC SCHWARTZ, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: The United States gives and gives and gives, and it's time for the United States to hold countries accountable that come against us.
PILGRIM: USAID, the agency allocating more than $1.5 billion in contracts, only awarded contracts to two U.S. companies to do the initial work, citing the need for speed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to demonstrate to Iraqis that there is a discernible difference in the post-war period in their lives, and so these big construction contracts designed to improve bridges, fix roads, schools, health systems, is important to move very quickly. That was understandable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: It's going to be a lot of money. $1.5 billion, the initial estimate. And longer term, 60 to $100 billion. That depends on the duration of the war and the damage to the infrastructure in Iraq -- Lou.
DOBBS: Kitty, thank you very much. Kitty Pilgrim.
When we come back, we'll take a look at your thoughts about our coverage of this war, and we will update you on the heavy bombardment tonight of Baghdad. Stay with us.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Took a deep breath, adrenaline kicked in, and said that, you know, got to go! Got up on my feet and started running, probably got about 25, 35 feet and just heard a loud explosion.
Next thing you know, I was airborne, I was playing Superman for about 15, 20 seconds. Landed flat on my back, got up, tried to stand up, fell back down, though my leg was broke. Next thing you know, I had a couple of my fellow Marines pull me out. At that point, I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
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DOBBS: Tonight the night sky over Baghdad being lit up by heavy bombardment. This bombardment is going on for just about the better part of two hours, if we can take a look at those pictures over Baghdad tonight. This picture coming to us from Abu Dhabi.
Again, the power to the city has been cut off. The CENTCOM says it was not a result of their targeting, although they do not reject the idea that perhaps a wayward piece of ordnance did knock out a utility facility or a power plant.
That bombardment, two hours, an intense battle is underway for control of Saddam Hussein International just outside of Baghdad, about ten miles. And we are told by our sources within Baghdad that you can see the explosions from the artillery barrage and fire fights around the airport from the center of Baghdad.
Let's take a look at your words now.
Robert Gaynor of Washington writing in to say, "I'm surprised to see how hawkish and far to the right you are. I can tell you one thing -- I won't be watching you again."
Henry Lowe of Michigan wrote in to say, "You right wing conservatives are the exact reason terrorists, and now our allies like the French and Germans, hate this country. Do us all a favor and crawl under a rock. Take Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. with you."
I am a more sensitive fellow than all of that, Mr. Lowe. But as you wish.
Herbert Phelps of Mississippi disagrees. He said, "Lou, you are doing great. It is so refreshing to have someone point out that criticizing the war plan so early is out of place."
And Zane Travis of Texas said, "Lou, your comments on the war have been even-handed and insightful. The bar for TV news reporting is being raised." F. McFreies of New York, however, disagreed, saying, "Lately some of your comments and chosen grimaces on camera during your show are irresponsible. I'm appalled at the obvious bias that you promote."
And those are some of your thoughts. We appreciate you sharing them with us. Thank you. E-mail us any time, MONEYLINE@CNN.com. Please include your name and address.
I am Lou Dobbs in New York City and we thank you for being with us. Paula Zahn, Wolf Blitzer will be coming up here next, followed by Larry King.
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