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CNN Live At Daybreak

Marines Find Evidence Iraqi Forces Abandoned Posts Near Baghdad

Aired April 05, 2003 - 05:11   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's move, then, back toward Baghdad. Our Marty Savidge is in an area that he's moving up toward the southern suburbs of Baghdad and brings us the latest from there. Marty, go ahead.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

We're with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. We're moving in a convoy that now has paused for the moment but slowly making our way towards the extreme southeast suburbs of Baghdad.

Because the convoy has now got into sort of a pause, we can have the Marines that are out here in a security perimeter (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of a quick defense while the convoy is stationary and then of course everybody piles back into the vehicles once the convoy continues to move. You can see just because we're stopped doesn't mean that everybody else has stopped. There are other units that continue to drive ahead.

It is interesting, while I was listening to that news conference coming from the Iraqi minister of information talking about the successes the Iraqis have had, we were passing by a installation of what appeared to have been in the past Iraqi artillery and there were three large artillery pieces in a row and they were all blown to pieces and also at a weird angles and clearly they had been aimed on the highway at one time that we're traveling. They aren't aiming at anything right now. They are simply, well in pieces on the ground right now.

So it would appear that there had been some fighting in this areas and in fact the 5th Marines have passed through here already -- excuse me - and last night there were reports of they did take fire and did have some casualties which is one of the reasons why we're following up. Whenever there is a Marine advance, they continue to drive forward. The lead element doesn't necessarily stop and engage the opposition forces if they hit. What will happen is that they punch through and the follow on units take on whatever opposition there may be. That may be our role today, trying to cool things down and contain any problems if they exist. So far we haven't seen much of anything, Daryn.

KAGAN: So Marty, as I understand it, as you move forward with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines, let alone facing the resistance, you're actually being -- finding some warm welcomes along the way. SAVIDGE: Well, you do. I mean, you can see obviously there are people who continue to go about their lives here. You see a lot of Iraqi civilians that are walking down the street. You usually get a friendly wave. Every now and then someone offers up a bit of English, such as good, good or thumbs up or they are waving or holding white flags so they aren't misconstrued as the combatant in any way, shape or form.

Despite what may appear on the surface to be a welcome, the Marines are obviously very cautious about it. They try to keep civilians away from the column, for the very reason that we already know the tactics of the Iraqi military has been to shed themselves of their uniforms and to blend in with the civilian population and some of the paramilitary units have actually used that population as a hiding point. So because people are friendly not necessarily mean the Marines welcome them with open arms. They look at them with respect. They treat them with a certain amount of regard. They'll wave back, but they are never too easy when it comes to watching them go by. They always keep a careful eye on them, Daryn.

KAGAN: It is way too early to let your guard down. Martin Savidge, thank you so much, reporting from the suburbs south of Baghdad.

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




Baghdad>


Aired April 5, 2003 - 05:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's move, then, back toward Baghdad. Our Marty Savidge is in an area that he's moving up toward the southern suburbs of Baghdad and brings us the latest from there. Marty, go ahead.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

We're with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. We're moving in a convoy that now has paused for the moment but slowly making our way towards the extreme southeast suburbs of Baghdad.

Because the convoy has now got into sort of a pause, we can have the Marines that are out here in a security perimeter (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of a quick defense while the convoy is stationary and then of course everybody piles back into the vehicles once the convoy continues to move. You can see just because we're stopped doesn't mean that everybody else has stopped. There are other units that continue to drive ahead.

It is interesting, while I was listening to that news conference coming from the Iraqi minister of information talking about the successes the Iraqis have had, we were passing by a installation of what appeared to have been in the past Iraqi artillery and there were three large artillery pieces in a row and they were all blown to pieces and also at a weird angles and clearly they had been aimed on the highway at one time that we're traveling. They aren't aiming at anything right now. They are simply, well in pieces on the ground right now.

So it would appear that there had been some fighting in this areas and in fact the 5th Marines have passed through here already -- excuse me - and last night there were reports of they did take fire and did have some casualties which is one of the reasons why we're following up. Whenever there is a Marine advance, they continue to drive forward. The lead element doesn't necessarily stop and engage the opposition forces if they hit. What will happen is that they punch through and the follow on units take on whatever opposition there may be. That may be our role today, trying to cool things down and contain any problems if they exist. So far we haven't seen much of anything, Daryn.

KAGAN: So Marty, as I understand it, as you move forward with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines, let alone facing the resistance, you're actually being -- finding some warm welcomes along the way. SAVIDGE: Well, you do. I mean, you can see obviously there are people who continue to go about their lives here. You see a lot of Iraqi civilians that are walking down the street. You usually get a friendly wave. Every now and then someone offers up a bit of English, such as good, good or thumbs up or they are waving or holding white flags so they aren't misconstrued as the combatant in any way, shape or form.

Despite what may appear on the surface to be a welcome, the Marines are obviously very cautious about it. They try to keep civilians away from the column, for the very reason that we already know the tactics of the Iraqi military has been to shed themselves of their uniforms and to blend in with the civilian population and some of the paramilitary units have actually used that population as a hiding point. So because people are friendly not necessarily mean the Marines welcome them with open arms. They look at them with respect. They treat them with a certain amount of regard. They'll wave back, but they are never too easy when it comes to watching them go by. They always keep a careful eye on them, Daryn.

KAGAN: It is way too early to let your guard down. Martin Savidge, thank you so much, reporting from the suburbs south of Baghdad.

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




Baghdad>