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American Morning
War in Iraq
Aired April 05, 2003 - 08:30 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, folks.
Leon Harris here in the CNN newsroom with more on our coverage of the war in Iraq, with a look at what's happening at this hour.
Under the cover of darkness now, U.S. forces move into the heart of Baghdad. The Army's 3rd Infantry Division led the way. The troops are said to be taking some sporadic by fierce gunfire. Central Command warns the fight is far from finished. Much more on this coming up in just a moment, so stay with us.
Now, U.S. soldiers have reportedly taken the headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division in Suwahara (ph). That's about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad. The Associated Press says that American forces there were unopposed.
A suicide bomber reportedly has attacked American soldiers at Baghdad International Airport. A U.S. Marine gunnery sergeant told Reuters News Service that the attack took place there. There was no immediate word on any casualties, however. A spokesman for Central Command says that he is unaware of any such attack at all.
As you just saw in that report there by Ryan Chilcote, the courtyard of an Iraqi school is reportedly being checked now as a suspected chemical weapons site. According to Reuters, a man who claimed to be a former member of the Iraqi special forces tipped off the Marines about the site. That area is now being dug up.
Well, the Pentagon confirms that eight bodies found during the rescue of Army PFC Jessica Lynch are those of American soldiers. The soldiers, seven men, one woman, were with a convoy that was ambushed on March 23rd near al-Nasiriya. Five captured soldiers who were shown on Iraqi television were not among the dead there.
Coming up on the network here, the war enters a decisive stage. We'll talk some strategy with one of our military analysts just ahead. And Saddam Hussein's fate. Some U.S. officials believe that recent appearances on Iraqi television may have been taped before the war.
Plus, the latest from the battlefield. We'll get live updates from our embedded reporters fanned out across Iraq and Kuwait.
So stay with us. All that and much more ahead as our coverage of the war in Iraq continues right now.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again. Good afternoon, good morning from Kuwait City.
I'm Bill Hemmer.
Central Command now saying that coalition forces can move into parts of downtown Baghdad at times of their choosing, including daytime. We are told the calm in downtown Baghdad has been disturbed today not by bombs, but by bullets. Sources in the capital telling CNN that coalition troops have been spotted at several locations in the city, though so far they have not been picked up by any of the news cameras in that city.
CENTCOM says the raid was conducted by members of the 3rd Infantry through what is being called the heart of Baghdad. A bit hard to pinpoint what CENTCOM means by that or how many troops might be involved.
The Iraqi information minister flatly denying that any of it has happened at all and Reuters reporters say they have yet to see any U.S. troops on the streets there in Baghdad.
Another story we're watching today to see what comes, if anything, of this, U.S. Marines may have a key find in a schoolyard southeast of Baghdad. Reuters is reporting that U.S. troops are digging through heavy concrete trying to get to a suspected chemical weapons stash. And, again, if anything comes of it, we'll keep a close track on that.
Leon's at the CNN Center. So, too, is Heidi Collins again on this Saturday -- Heidi, hello again.
Good morning there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you, Bill.
Thanks so much.
Let's get ahead and get a check now of some of the other war developments this morning. A headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division has been captured, the Associated Press is reporting. U.S. Army troops said there was no opposition as they took over the base in the town of Suwahara. That's about 35 miles from Baghdad.
U.S. CENTCOM says Baghdad's international airport is securely in coalition hands and will now provide (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They say at least one runway will soon be operational.
And the Pentagon confirms that the eight bodies found during the raid to rescue American POW Jessica Lynch were those of U.S. soldiers. Seven of the eight belong to her Army unit.
So, Bill, we'll send it back over to you.
HEMMER: Yes, Heidi, we continue to learn a whole lot more about what happened late on Tuesday night, the 1st of April, and how that daring raid went into that hospital in Nasiriya. Now we know through Central Command that once the special forces reached Jessica Lynch she said, "I'm an American soldier, too." And with that she was whisked out of that hospital to safety.
But not without very, very special care.
Tom Mintier is tracking that story live in Qatar at Central Command, where, again, a few moments ago we heard more, again, about this story -- Tom, good afternoon there.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
We did, indeed, hear more about PFC Jessica Lynch's departure from Iraqi territory. A special forces operation brought in to pick her up rapidly and take her out. Also, a local physician apparently cooperated, providing first intelligence and then guidance and direction once the special operations people were on the ground. They landed a helicopter right in front of the hospital and then went inside.
They couldn't find her at first because she was apparently fearful of what was all going on. They did take some fire as they were coming down, so she was in this hospital bed with a sheet pulled up around her neck. And one of the special forces officers who went in on the rescue called out her name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. VICTOR RENUART, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: As the team entered the hospital room, they found Private Lynch in a hospital bed. The first man approached the door and came in and called her name. She had been scared, had the sheet up over her head because she didn't know what was happening. She lowered the sheet from her head. She didn't really respond yet, because I think she was probably pretty scared. The soldier again said, "Jessica Lynch, we're the United States soldiers here and we're here to protect you and take you home."
She seemed to understand that. And she, as he walked over, took his helmet off, she looked up to him and said, "I'm an American soldier, too."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MINTIER: Jessica Lynch is currently undergoing medical treatment in Germany. According to the briefing here today, in a fair amount of pain when she was picked up and put on a stretcher and put aboard the U.S. helicopter with leg, back and head injuries. Asked, the briefer today, whether, indeed, these injuries were caused when she was captured or by her, people who held her, whether they caused those injuries, so far they say they can't answer that question, but that she was in a fair amount of pain with both leg, back and head injuries while she was in this Iraqi hospital.
We did hear in a background briefing in the last 24 hours from a senior CENTCOM military official that this hospital, as they call it, would not be a place where one would consider treatment to be offered. Now, they also say inside that hospital, in the basement, they found weapons. They found explosives. They found what they called a terrain map that had positions of U.S. troops and Iraqi forces basically arrayed out like in a sandbox.
So it was a very, very interesting find for the intelligence in addition to returning Jessica Lynch from custody -- back to you, Bill.
HEMMER: Tom, thanks.
Tom Mintier down in Qatar and the U.S. Marines giving a lot of credit to an Iraqi physician who helped lead the special forces, the Air Force and the Marines to that hospital in Nasiriya.
Let's get west to the Baghdad Airport right now, now known as Baghdad International.
And CNN's Walt Rodgers, who's popping up live right now -- Walt, you've had yet another fascinating day.
Good evening there.
And what's happened thus far today?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Bill.
Another interesting nugget from Army intelligence. The officers with whom we're traveling are telling us that their airplanes and their sightings are telling them that Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves. What they're doing, according to the Army, is insinuating their Army trucks in between civilian convoys and then fleeing Baghdad.
It is assumed these are Baathist Party officials, officials of Saddam Hussein's regime, and that these same officials are also perhaps some middle level Republican Guard Army officers.
Yesterday, we reported more Iraqi officials fleeing, some of them with suitcases full of money. What's new today is that they are fleeing in these civilian convoys and, of course, air strikes can't hit a civilian convoy. And the direction of their exodus from Baghdad tends to be a west-northwesterly direction. The assumption is they are going to try to seek sanctuary in Syria. That seems the most likely place that they could find some sort of refuge.
The area around Baghdad, despite the fact that U.S. forces entered the city a number of hours ago, the area around Baghdad remains hostile. 7th Cavalry went out with its tanks this morning on a reconnaissance mission. It went back to see if Iraqi units had re- infiltrated into a battlefield area yesterday where there was a force on force battle, Republican Guard against 7th Cavalry. The 7th Cavalry knocked out over 20 Iraqi tanks and other armored vehicles.
Indeed, the Iraqis did filter back in overnight and as the 7th Cavalry was rolling up the road, there was a surprise ahead of it. To the right side, there were three new Iraqi t72 tanks. The left side, two more tanks and another armored vehicle. The U.S. Army tanks opened up very quickly, perhaps surprised the Iraqis, whatever happened, the Iraqi tanks went up in flames, billowing smoke. They burned for hours and hours and there were secondary explosions from the ammunition on board, from the machine guns and very large balls of flame exploding periodically. As I say, for a number of hours the 120 millimeter shells inside those tanks burning themselves out.
Perhaps we can add a little more information to the U.S. forces who punched into southern Baghdad in the early hours of the morning Baghdad time. That was the 2nd Brigade of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. It had a clear motive for moving into the city. This was not just psychological warfare, nor was it just muscle flexing. The U.S. Army generals were moving their troops around and they wanted to relocate the 2nd Division at another position in the Baghdad area. So what they did was rammed first a reconnaissance unit up through the city then they followed through with replacements and now the 2nd Brigade is going to replace the 3rd Brigade. That being the case, again, the generals are moving around their soldiers through Baghdad. They say they can now move their soldiers with will.
That seems pretty much the case, although there is still hostile area in and around the city of Baghdad. Still, the U.S. Army is really flexing its muscles, moving its troops about at will -- Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, Walt, I don't have much time on this, but I'm curious to know, did any of those soldiers tell you about the reception they did or did not receive from the citizens of Baghdad earlier today?
RODGERS: Well, I've been listening to the Army radio and it was a hostile reception from at least some Iraqi irregular units inside the city. What the Iraqis would do would be fire at the advancing 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry columns. They would be moving into the city. And that was not a pleasant reception. Many of those soldiers, this was their first baptism under fire and I was told that when you have 20 millimeter anti-aircraft guns shooting straight down the street in your face, shrapnel exploding everywhere, not to mention RPGs, rocket propelled grenades, the reception they got, at least from those who decided to put up some resistance, was singularly unpleasant and some of those soldiers, I'm told, were more than a little shaken to see such close in city fighting and have guns going off in their faces -- Bill.
HEMMER: Walt, thanks.
Walt Rodgers west of the airport there in Baghdad.
CENTCOM said the fight is far from over. Perhaps what Walt's talking about gives us evidence right now that the situation in Baghdad far from secure with this fighting that is still ongoing.
Heidi again now at the CNN Center.
COLLINS: All right, Bill.
Thank you.
Let's go ahead and go now to the Pentagon. And Barbara Starr is standing by for the very latest from there -- good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, a little more clarity from here about this press, this move into Baghdad by a U.S. armed combat formation of tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. By all accounts, they did encounter fierce fighting as they moved along. There are initial reports of fatalities and casualties, certainly on both sides, Central Command hoping to have more information about that in the hours ahead.
But let's look at exactly the route they took. Look at the map here. They came up from the south. They did not cross the river. And then they turned west to the airport. So while Central Command says perhaps they were in the heart of Baghdad, perhaps they weren't quite in the heart of Baghdad. In fact, what they were really attempting to do is make this movement of forces through the area and demonstrate to the Iraqi regime, send a very clear message from the battlefield that U.S. forces can move through Baghdad at a time and place of their choosing.
Now, at Central Command, they made it clear there will be more of these missions and the airport will be a key jumping off point for the U.S. military.
Here's what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENUART: The airport gives us a fairly substantial area to operate from and I believe we will continue to operate from that field. Whether we make it a main base of operation or not, time will tell.
With respect to security on the air field, the 3rd I.D. folks, elements of the 101st have, I think, secured the air field to a fairly good degree. That does not mean that there's not a threat from artillery, from enemy forces who have continued to attack throughout the course of today to varying degrees and in varying sizes, but with no success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: And, Heidi, what's really happening today on the battlefield is consolidation of existing positions. South of Baghdad, north and northwest, as Walt Rodgers referred to, U.S. forces are consolidating security checkpoints on the highways and roads, trying to make sure that Iraqi leadership does not flee, but also trying to ensure that civilians are protected, humanitarian assistance can get into the key regions -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks for that update.
And, Bill, now back to you in Kuwait. HEMMER: Heidi, we want to get back to the battlefield right now.
Marty Savidge with the U.S. Marines right now moving through the suburbs of southeastern Baghdad, 1st Battalion 7th Marines -- Marty, good afternoon.
What's happening there, by way of video phone?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Bill.
It's been the role of the Marines to push up into Baghdad from the southeast. They now are in the extreme outer suburbs of this city. And there has been fighting that's been reported in the area. The 5th Marines rolled through that area last night and they did report getting fire from rocket propelled grenades, that a number of their tanks were hit and that they did suffer casualties.
Then comes along the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. They're following along. They're given the task, go into this same area and try and clear it out, which is what they've been working on. We're in the back part of the convoy due to technical difficulties. But the forward element of the 1st Battalion 7th Marines has pushed into this troubled area and they have reported what they call sporadic fighting that has been taking place up there.
We also note that by the fact that there's been a lot of support, artillery fire coming from behind us. U.S. Marines have their own artillery units and they have been lending support, firing into the area where this battle or the fighting has been taking place.
One of the reasons we haven't moved down there is now we're told there is some obstruction in the road, said to be an Iraqi piece of hardware that is no longer functional. There's also another piece of Iraqi hardware, artillery piece back there that is no longer in service. You see lots of that on the road entering into the southeast portion of Baghdad.
Again, not heavy fighting. It's described as sporadic fighting and the situation is said to be well under control -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Marty, thanks.
Martin Savidge again, the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad.
We will check in throughout the day there with you, Marty, and with our other embedded reporters, as well.
Also, in a moment here, what can U.S. forces in Baghdad expect should they come in the event face to face with Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, the special Republican Guard?
Where are they? What's happened of them? Military analysis ahead her in a moment, when we come back.
COMMERCIAL HEMMER: There is a multitude of questions right now on the table as to what happens in Baghdad right now as these tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles moving into the city center, the heart of Baghdad, earlier today. And ultimately what has become not only the Republican Guard divisions, all six of them, but the special Republican Guard specifically assigned right now to protect, in charge of the interior of Baghdad.
Colonel Mike Turner, retired from the U.S. Air Force, is our guest today, our military analyst back with us live in Denver.
Good to have you, Colonel, back along with us here.
What are you to make of the Republican Guard as to where they went, what they're doing right now? Or is this essentially a cut and run move on their part?
COL. MIKE TURNER, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Bill, it's anybody's guess, but at some point in this operation, you know, when it looks, sounds and quacks like a duck, you sort of have to acknowledge that it's probably a duck. We've seen no cohesion at all among the Republican Guard forces. They've been defeated essentially in place. We can now see that Central Command forces are operating with just about impunity anywhere in the city, at least they demonstrated this morning that that's certainly around the corner, if not the case right now.
Sure, there's a possibility that we have a cohesive, special Republican Guard force hidden somewhere in the city. But thus far all the circumstantial evidence suggests that the regime is in the process of collapsing, if not collapsed already. The forces are in disarray. It doesn't mean there can't be some very, very intense and serious fighting and dangerous fighting ahead. But it doesn't appear to be coordinated and we may have seen the point of -- crossed over the hump, as it were, in this operation today, because all of the body language from Central Command this morning is that we have things well, well in control.
HEMMER: Colonel, what accounts for that, if there is sporadic firefighting, if there are some intense gun battles from this point Saturday into Sunday, possibly into the next week? Who's coordinating that? On which side of the Iraqis right now is that coming from? Is that Republican Guard or who is it?
TURNER: Well, actually, the nature of the fighting that you have wide disparity between the reception that the forces are receiving, the coalition forces are receiving actually suggests that there's a profound lack of communication with a lot of these units so that they're simply not in communication with their leadership and therefore the individual commanders have to make a guess as to whether or not, you know, the time is up to surrender or to continue to fight because they still fear Saddam.
Remember, we had to convince the civilian population that Saddam was no longer in power to be, for them to feel truly liberated. Well, you can imagine that that threshold is substantially higher for the Republican Guard and then for the special Republican Guard forces. They're going to need to know absolutely without question that they no longer have superiors. And so if they're isolated in a blackout, a communications blackout, they're going to have to make decisions on their own in the field, and it appears that a lot of that is going on.
So these are local commanders that are just assuming that the war is still going on and they're going to have to continue to fight back.
HEMMER: General, put yourself in the shoes of an Iraqi general right now. You've got an M1A1 tank, 70 tons, rolling through the heart of Baghdad. Day 17 of this war. You, then, are thinking what?
TURNER: Well, again, it comes back to who's in my back and who's in my front? If I'm looking down the barrel of an M1 tank, that's a pretty serious threat. If I've got a gun to my head behind me, that's also a serious threat. So they're having to make -- I would have to guess -- almost hourly decisions right now regarding who is the greater threat, Saddam Hussein, perhaps rogue elements within Hussein's regime -- and I'm fairly certain we're pretty close to saying former regime -- or the coalition forces that are coming in.
They need to face an absolutely incontrovertible threat in their face before they are going to perceive that the threat from coalition forces is real and imminent, as opposed to the force from inside their own regime.
HEMMER: Thanks, Colonel.
We'll talk next hour.
TURNER: You bet.
HEMMER: Colonel Mike Turner.
TURNER: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: Retired from the U.S. Air Force, live in Denver.
Earlier today, CENTCOM said they were, essentially quoting now, heading for the hills and surrendering with reports of large piles of army uniforms on the sides of major highways just outside of Baghdad.
Here's Heidi again at the CNN Center.
COLLINS: Thank you, Bill.
We want to take a moment to do something special here. We want to put some faces behind the numbers. Seventy-five Americans have given their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Here now are some of those killed in action. And we will be showing you more of these throughout the morning.
COMMERCIAL
COLLINS: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with a medic unit known as the Devil Docs. They are south of Baghdad right now and he joins us from there this morning -- good morning, Dr. Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Good morning, Heidi.
I'll tell you, it's just been really busy here. We're with the Bravo surgical unit. This is the surgical unit that is the most far forward surgical unit responsible for taking care of a lot of the casualties that you and I have been hearing and everyone's been hearing about from the front lines.
Just over the last two days, not even two days, about 44 hours now, they've taken care of close to 100 patients, everything ranging from heat stroke to bullet wounds to the head. We've seen a lot of that.
Just behind me now, Heidi, is a 6-year-old child, and this is one of these horror stories of war, one of the things that these doctors cannot avert their eyes from. They're responsible for taking care of children like this. He had a piece of shrapnel that actually went right across his face and did just unbelievable damage to his face. Luckily the doctors have been able to secure an airway, which is one of the most important things. The kid is now breathing well on his own.
Just shortly from now, a helicopter will land and take this child to a more definitive care facility.
Now, he came in by medivac helicopter, was brought in along with another relative. Quickly, as you can see from some of the video there, the doctors literally pounced on him, got his straightened out, brought him into this triage area and secured this airway.
Heidi, difficult images, really, for all of us to look at, but, again, these are some of the pictures of war and these are some of the doctors who repair the wounds of war. That's what you're seeing -- Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: Yes, incredibly difficult, Sanjay.
And I know one of the challenges for the Devil Docs has been that they don't have a neurosurgeon on staff. Obviously that is what you are in your practice and I know you were called to the table, so to speak, again today.
Tell us a little bit about that.
GUPTA: Yes, Heidi, you know, certainly as journalists we came here to cover the story and not to be the story. But as you mentioned, they don't have a neurosurgeon here, a surgeon who does primarily head and brain work. And twice now there have been patients that have come in with significant head injuries from bullet wounds.
Today, again, a gentleman came in, probably in his mid-'40s, with a significant bullet wound to the right side of his head. He had a lot of damage with bleeding around the brain. They came to me, asked me if I would be willing to take a look at the patient and to actually operate on the patient. Medically and morally, I thought that that was absolutely the right thing to do. Happy to report that that patient did very well after that operation, has actually already been medivaced from here to another location for more definitive care, but certainly his life was saved. And, you know, these are some of the success stories. I play a small part.
These doctors over here play a very large part. Lots of success stories. And they're reveling in that. But they're just also very busy waiting for whatever else might come -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That is excellent news, Sanjay.
I also want to ask you what are the biggest challenges that you face? Obviously these are nowhere near normal operating procedures or actually conditions that you work in that you are used to back in the United States. And we have heard about the sandstorms and the sterile conditions. What is the biggest challenge?
GUPTA: Yes, Heidi, you know, that's a good question, and this is a very austere environment out here. It is hot, first of all, up to 110 degrees here today. You're operating in non-air conditioned operating rooms, sometimes in full garb, in additional to surgical gown. It can become very, very warm.
There's also lots of dirt and sand.
But in addition to that, Heidi, the operating rooms are well equipped, but, for example, today when we were doing this procedure for the gunshot wound to the head, we had to make due with the instruments that we had so it really, I was basically looking around the room saying OK, let's try these instruments over here, let's try this particular material to try and create a closure over here.
It's really trying to make the best of what you can with scarce resources and that is what these doctors are doing all the time.
Having said that, I will say that it is truly remarkable, in a way, what they do have. This is a totally mobile operating room. These operating rooms move. They're designed to be mobile. Why? So that they can move with the troops and they can support the troops as soon as they come off the front line.
So it's a little bit of both. But, you know, just every day, Heidi, you look around and you remember that you're in the desert. It's hot. There's lots of dirt. There are sandstorms. There are helicopters throwing up dirt, coming in and out of here all the time. And if you think about that, it is really remarkable what they're able to accomplish despite all of that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the Devil Docs.
Thanks so much.
We are going to take a quick break for now.
When we come back, we will have the very latest news at the top of the hour.
We'll be back with more of CNN's coverage of the war in Iraq.
COMMERCIAL
HARRIS: Good morning.
Leon Harris here in the CNN newsroom.
And our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in just a moment.
But first, here's what's happening at this hour.
U.S. forces are taking sporadic but fierce gunfire as they push into the heard of Baghdad. Tanks and troops rolled into the city overnight. There are some initial reports of casualties on both sides. More on this coming up in just a moment so stay with us.
U.S. troops reportedly took over what had been a headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division after the Iraqis fled. The Associated Press says that U.S. troops were unopposed when they took the headquarters about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad. That was in the town of Suwahara.
Iraq, though, is reporting a very different story. The country's information minister denies that U.S. forces are even in Baghdad. He says the Republican Guard is in control of the Baghdad airport after "butchering" U.S. forces there.
Well, there are reports of a suicide bombing at Baghdad International Airport.
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Aired April 5, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, folks.
Leon Harris here in the CNN newsroom with more on our coverage of the war in Iraq, with a look at what's happening at this hour.
Under the cover of darkness now, U.S. forces move into the heart of Baghdad. The Army's 3rd Infantry Division led the way. The troops are said to be taking some sporadic by fierce gunfire. Central Command warns the fight is far from finished. Much more on this coming up in just a moment, so stay with us.
Now, U.S. soldiers have reportedly taken the headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division in Suwahara (ph). That's about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad. The Associated Press says that American forces there were unopposed.
A suicide bomber reportedly has attacked American soldiers at Baghdad International Airport. A U.S. Marine gunnery sergeant told Reuters News Service that the attack took place there. There was no immediate word on any casualties, however. A spokesman for Central Command says that he is unaware of any such attack at all.
As you just saw in that report there by Ryan Chilcote, the courtyard of an Iraqi school is reportedly being checked now as a suspected chemical weapons site. According to Reuters, a man who claimed to be a former member of the Iraqi special forces tipped off the Marines about the site. That area is now being dug up.
Well, the Pentagon confirms that eight bodies found during the rescue of Army PFC Jessica Lynch are those of American soldiers. The soldiers, seven men, one woman, were with a convoy that was ambushed on March 23rd near al-Nasiriya. Five captured soldiers who were shown on Iraqi television were not among the dead there.
Coming up on the network here, the war enters a decisive stage. We'll talk some strategy with one of our military analysts just ahead. And Saddam Hussein's fate. Some U.S. officials believe that recent appearances on Iraqi television may have been taped before the war.
Plus, the latest from the battlefield. We'll get live updates from our embedded reporters fanned out across Iraq and Kuwait.
So stay with us. All that and much more ahead as our coverage of the war in Iraq continues right now.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again. Good afternoon, good morning from Kuwait City.
I'm Bill Hemmer.
Central Command now saying that coalition forces can move into parts of downtown Baghdad at times of their choosing, including daytime. We are told the calm in downtown Baghdad has been disturbed today not by bombs, but by bullets. Sources in the capital telling CNN that coalition troops have been spotted at several locations in the city, though so far they have not been picked up by any of the news cameras in that city.
CENTCOM says the raid was conducted by members of the 3rd Infantry through what is being called the heart of Baghdad. A bit hard to pinpoint what CENTCOM means by that or how many troops might be involved.
The Iraqi information minister flatly denying that any of it has happened at all and Reuters reporters say they have yet to see any U.S. troops on the streets there in Baghdad.
Another story we're watching today to see what comes, if anything, of this, U.S. Marines may have a key find in a schoolyard southeast of Baghdad. Reuters is reporting that U.S. troops are digging through heavy concrete trying to get to a suspected chemical weapons stash. And, again, if anything comes of it, we'll keep a close track on that.
Leon's at the CNN Center. So, too, is Heidi Collins again on this Saturday -- Heidi, hello again.
Good morning there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you, Bill.
Thanks so much.
Let's get ahead and get a check now of some of the other war developments this morning. A headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division has been captured, the Associated Press is reporting. U.S. Army troops said there was no opposition as they took over the base in the town of Suwahara. That's about 35 miles from Baghdad.
U.S. CENTCOM says Baghdad's international airport is securely in coalition hands and will now provide (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They say at least one runway will soon be operational.
And the Pentagon confirms that the eight bodies found during the raid to rescue American POW Jessica Lynch were those of U.S. soldiers. Seven of the eight belong to her Army unit.
So, Bill, we'll send it back over to you.
HEMMER: Yes, Heidi, we continue to learn a whole lot more about what happened late on Tuesday night, the 1st of April, and how that daring raid went into that hospital in Nasiriya. Now we know through Central Command that once the special forces reached Jessica Lynch she said, "I'm an American soldier, too." And with that she was whisked out of that hospital to safety.
But not without very, very special care.
Tom Mintier is tracking that story live in Qatar at Central Command, where, again, a few moments ago we heard more, again, about this story -- Tom, good afternoon there.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
We did, indeed, hear more about PFC Jessica Lynch's departure from Iraqi territory. A special forces operation brought in to pick her up rapidly and take her out. Also, a local physician apparently cooperated, providing first intelligence and then guidance and direction once the special operations people were on the ground. They landed a helicopter right in front of the hospital and then went inside.
They couldn't find her at first because she was apparently fearful of what was all going on. They did take some fire as they were coming down, so she was in this hospital bed with a sheet pulled up around her neck. And one of the special forces officers who went in on the rescue called out her name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. VICTOR RENUART, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: As the team entered the hospital room, they found Private Lynch in a hospital bed. The first man approached the door and came in and called her name. She had been scared, had the sheet up over her head because she didn't know what was happening. She lowered the sheet from her head. She didn't really respond yet, because I think she was probably pretty scared. The soldier again said, "Jessica Lynch, we're the United States soldiers here and we're here to protect you and take you home."
She seemed to understand that. And she, as he walked over, took his helmet off, she looked up to him and said, "I'm an American soldier, too."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MINTIER: Jessica Lynch is currently undergoing medical treatment in Germany. According to the briefing here today, in a fair amount of pain when she was picked up and put on a stretcher and put aboard the U.S. helicopter with leg, back and head injuries. Asked, the briefer today, whether, indeed, these injuries were caused when she was captured or by her, people who held her, whether they caused those injuries, so far they say they can't answer that question, but that she was in a fair amount of pain with both leg, back and head injuries while she was in this Iraqi hospital.
We did hear in a background briefing in the last 24 hours from a senior CENTCOM military official that this hospital, as they call it, would not be a place where one would consider treatment to be offered. Now, they also say inside that hospital, in the basement, they found weapons. They found explosives. They found what they called a terrain map that had positions of U.S. troops and Iraqi forces basically arrayed out like in a sandbox.
So it was a very, very interesting find for the intelligence in addition to returning Jessica Lynch from custody -- back to you, Bill.
HEMMER: Tom, thanks.
Tom Mintier down in Qatar and the U.S. Marines giving a lot of credit to an Iraqi physician who helped lead the special forces, the Air Force and the Marines to that hospital in Nasiriya.
Let's get west to the Baghdad Airport right now, now known as Baghdad International.
And CNN's Walt Rodgers, who's popping up live right now -- Walt, you've had yet another fascinating day.
Good evening there.
And what's happened thus far today?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Bill.
Another interesting nugget from Army intelligence. The officers with whom we're traveling are telling us that their airplanes and their sightings are telling them that Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves. What they're doing, according to the Army, is insinuating their Army trucks in between civilian convoys and then fleeing Baghdad.
It is assumed these are Baathist Party officials, officials of Saddam Hussein's regime, and that these same officials are also perhaps some middle level Republican Guard Army officers.
Yesterday, we reported more Iraqi officials fleeing, some of them with suitcases full of money. What's new today is that they are fleeing in these civilian convoys and, of course, air strikes can't hit a civilian convoy. And the direction of their exodus from Baghdad tends to be a west-northwesterly direction. The assumption is they are going to try to seek sanctuary in Syria. That seems the most likely place that they could find some sort of refuge.
The area around Baghdad, despite the fact that U.S. forces entered the city a number of hours ago, the area around Baghdad remains hostile. 7th Cavalry went out with its tanks this morning on a reconnaissance mission. It went back to see if Iraqi units had re- infiltrated into a battlefield area yesterday where there was a force on force battle, Republican Guard against 7th Cavalry. The 7th Cavalry knocked out over 20 Iraqi tanks and other armored vehicles.
Indeed, the Iraqis did filter back in overnight and as the 7th Cavalry was rolling up the road, there was a surprise ahead of it. To the right side, there were three new Iraqi t72 tanks. The left side, two more tanks and another armored vehicle. The U.S. Army tanks opened up very quickly, perhaps surprised the Iraqis, whatever happened, the Iraqi tanks went up in flames, billowing smoke. They burned for hours and hours and there were secondary explosions from the ammunition on board, from the machine guns and very large balls of flame exploding periodically. As I say, for a number of hours the 120 millimeter shells inside those tanks burning themselves out.
Perhaps we can add a little more information to the U.S. forces who punched into southern Baghdad in the early hours of the morning Baghdad time. That was the 2nd Brigade of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. It had a clear motive for moving into the city. This was not just psychological warfare, nor was it just muscle flexing. The U.S. Army generals were moving their troops around and they wanted to relocate the 2nd Division at another position in the Baghdad area. So what they did was rammed first a reconnaissance unit up through the city then they followed through with replacements and now the 2nd Brigade is going to replace the 3rd Brigade. That being the case, again, the generals are moving around their soldiers through Baghdad. They say they can now move their soldiers with will.
That seems pretty much the case, although there is still hostile area in and around the city of Baghdad. Still, the U.S. Army is really flexing its muscles, moving its troops about at will -- Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, Walt, I don't have much time on this, but I'm curious to know, did any of those soldiers tell you about the reception they did or did not receive from the citizens of Baghdad earlier today?
RODGERS: Well, I've been listening to the Army radio and it was a hostile reception from at least some Iraqi irregular units inside the city. What the Iraqis would do would be fire at the advancing 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry columns. They would be moving into the city. And that was not a pleasant reception. Many of those soldiers, this was their first baptism under fire and I was told that when you have 20 millimeter anti-aircraft guns shooting straight down the street in your face, shrapnel exploding everywhere, not to mention RPGs, rocket propelled grenades, the reception they got, at least from those who decided to put up some resistance, was singularly unpleasant and some of those soldiers, I'm told, were more than a little shaken to see such close in city fighting and have guns going off in their faces -- Bill.
HEMMER: Walt, thanks.
Walt Rodgers west of the airport there in Baghdad.
CENTCOM said the fight is far from over. Perhaps what Walt's talking about gives us evidence right now that the situation in Baghdad far from secure with this fighting that is still ongoing.
Heidi again now at the CNN Center.
COLLINS: All right, Bill.
Thank you.
Let's go ahead and go now to the Pentagon. And Barbara Starr is standing by for the very latest from there -- good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, a little more clarity from here about this press, this move into Baghdad by a U.S. armed combat formation of tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. By all accounts, they did encounter fierce fighting as they moved along. There are initial reports of fatalities and casualties, certainly on both sides, Central Command hoping to have more information about that in the hours ahead.
But let's look at exactly the route they took. Look at the map here. They came up from the south. They did not cross the river. And then they turned west to the airport. So while Central Command says perhaps they were in the heart of Baghdad, perhaps they weren't quite in the heart of Baghdad. In fact, what they were really attempting to do is make this movement of forces through the area and demonstrate to the Iraqi regime, send a very clear message from the battlefield that U.S. forces can move through Baghdad at a time and place of their choosing.
Now, at Central Command, they made it clear there will be more of these missions and the airport will be a key jumping off point for the U.S. military.
Here's what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENUART: The airport gives us a fairly substantial area to operate from and I believe we will continue to operate from that field. Whether we make it a main base of operation or not, time will tell.
With respect to security on the air field, the 3rd I.D. folks, elements of the 101st have, I think, secured the air field to a fairly good degree. That does not mean that there's not a threat from artillery, from enemy forces who have continued to attack throughout the course of today to varying degrees and in varying sizes, but with no success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: And, Heidi, what's really happening today on the battlefield is consolidation of existing positions. South of Baghdad, north and northwest, as Walt Rodgers referred to, U.S. forces are consolidating security checkpoints on the highways and roads, trying to make sure that Iraqi leadership does not flee, but also trying to ensure that civilians are protected, humanitarian assistance can get into the key regions -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks for that update.
And, Bill, now back to you in Kuwait. HEMMER: Heidi, we want to get back to the battlefield right now.
Marty Savidge with the U.S. Marines right now moving through the suburbs of southeastern Baghdad, 1st Battalion 7th Marines -- Marty, good afternoon.
What's happening there, by way of video phone?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Bill.
It's been the role of the Marines to push up into Baghdad from the southeast. They now are in the extreme outer suburbs of this city. And there has been fighting that's been reported in the area. The 5th Marines rolled through that area last night and they did report getting fire from rocket propelled grenades, that a number of their tanks were hit and that they did suffer casualties.
Then comes along the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. They're following along. They're given the task, go into this same area and try and clear it out, which is what they've been working on. We're in the back part of the convoy due to technical difficulties. But the forward element of the 1st Battalion 7th Marines has pushed into this troubled area and they have reported what they call sporadic fighting that has been taking place up there.
We also note that by the fact that there's been a lot of support, artillery fire coming from behind us. U.S. Marines have their own artillery units and they have been lending support, firing into the area where this battle or the fighting has been taking place.
One of the reasons we haven't moved down there is now we're told there is some obstruction in the road, said to be an Iraqi piece of hardware that is no longer functional. There's also another piece of Iraqi hardware, artillery piece back there that is no longer in service. You see lots of that on the road entering into the southeast portion of Baghdad.
Again, not heavy fighting. It's described as sporadic fighting and the situation is said to be well under control -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Marty, thanks.
Martin Savidge again, the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad.
We will check in throughout the day there with you, Marty, and with our other embedded reporters, as well.
Also, in a moment here, what can U.S. forces in Baghdad expect should they come in the event face to face with Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, the special Republican Guard?
Where are they? What's happened of them? Military analysis ahead her in a moment, when we come back.
COMMERCIAL HEMMER: There is a multitude of questions right now on the table as to what happens in Baghdad right now as these tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles moving into the city center, the heart of Baghdad, earlier today. And ultimately what has become not only the Republican Guard divisions, all six of them, but the special Republican Guard specifically assigned right now to protect, in charge of the interior of Baghdad.
Colonel Mike Turner, retired from the U.S. Air Force, is our guest today, our military analyst back with us live in Denver.
Good to have you, Colonel, back along with us here.
What are you to make of the Republican Guard as to where they went, what they're doing right now? Or is this essentially a cut and run move on their part?
COL. MIKE TURNER, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Bill, it's anybody's guess, but at some point in this operation, you know, when it looks, sounds and quacks like a duck, you sort of have to acknowledge that it's probably a duck. We've seen no cohesion at all among the Republican Guard forces. They've been defeated essentially in place. We can now see that Central Command forces are operating with just about impunity anywhere in the city, at least they demonstrated this morning that that's certainly around the corner, if not the case right now.
Sure, there's a possibility that we have a cohesive, special Republican Guard force hidden somewhere in the city. But thus far all the circumstantial evidence suggests that the regime is in the process of collapsing, if not collapsed already. The forces are in disarray. It doesn't mean there can't be some very, very intense and serious fighting and dangerous fighting ahead. But it doesn't appear to be coordinated and we may have seen the point of -- crossed over the hump, as it were, in this operation today, because all of the body language from Central Command this morning is that we have things well, well in control.
HEMMER: Colonel, what accounts for that, if there is sporadic firefighting, if there are some intense gun battles from this point Saturday into Sunday, possibly into the next week? Who's coordinating that? On which side of the Iraqis right now is that coming from? Is that Republican Guard or who is it?
TURNER: Well, actually, the nature of the fighting that you have wide disparity between the reception that the forces are receiving, the coalition forces are receiving actually suggests that there's a profound lack of communication with a lot of these units so that they're simply not in communication with their leadership and therefore the individual commanders have to make a guess as to whether or not, you know, the time is up to surrender or to continue to fight because they still fear Saddam.
Remember, we had to convince the civilian population that Saddam was no longer in power to be, for them to feel truly liberated. Well, you can imagine that that threshold is substantially higher for the Republican Guard and then for the special Republican Guard forces. They're going to need to know absolutely without question that they no longer have superiors. And so if they're isolated in a blackout, a communications blackout, they're going to have to make decisions on their own in the field, and it appears that a lot of that is going on.
So these are local commanders that are just assuming that the war is still going on and they're going to have to continue to fight back.
HEMMER: General, put yourself in the shoes of an Iraqi general right now. You've got an M1A1 tank, 70 tons, rolling through the heart of Baghdad. Day 17 of this war. You, then, are thinking what?
TURNER: Well, again, it comes back to who's in my back and who's in my front? If I'm looking down the barrel of an M1 tank, that's a pretty serious threat. If I've got a gun to my head behind me, that's also a serious threat. So they're having to make -- I would have to guess -- almost hourly decisions right now regarding who is the greater threat, Saddam Hussein, perhaps rogue elements within Hussein's regime -- and I'm fairly certain we're pretty close to saying former regime -- or the coalition forces that are coming in.
They need to face an absolutely incontrovertible threat in their face before they are going to perceive that the threat from coalition forces is real and imminent, as opposed to the force from inside their own regime.
HEMMER: Thanks, Colonel.
We'll talk next hour.
TURNER: You bet.
HEMMER: Colonel Mike Turner.
TURNER: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: Retired from the U.S. Air Force, live in Denver.
Earlier today, CENTCOM said they were, essentially quoting now, heading for the hills and surrendering with reports of large piles of army uniforms on the sides of major highways just outside of Baghdad.
Here's Heidi again at the CNN Center.
COLLINS: Thank you, Bill.
We want to take a moment to do something special here. We want to put some faces behind the numbers. Seventy-five Americans have given their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Here now are some of those killed in action. And we will be showing you more of these throughout the morning.
COMMERCIAL
COLLINS: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with a medic unit known as the Devil Docs. They are south of Baghdad right now and he joins us from there this morning -- good morning, Dr. Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Good morning, Heidi.
I'll tell you, it's just been really busy here. We're with the Bravo surgical unit. This is the surgical unit that is the most far forward surgical unit responsible for taking care of a lot of the casualties that you and I have been hearing and everyone's been hearing about from the front lines.
Just over the last two days, not even two days, about 44 hours now, they've taken care of close to 100 patients, everything ranging from heat stroke to bullet wounds to the head. We've seen a lot of that.
Just behind me now, Heidi, is a 6-year-old child, and this is one of these horror stories of war, one of the things that these doctors cannot avert their eyes from. They're responsible for taking care of children like this. He had a piece of shrapnel that actually went right across his face and did just unbelievable damage to his face. Luckily the doctors have been able to secure an airway, which is one of the most important things. The kid is now breathing well on his own.
Just shortly from now, a helicopter will land and take this child to a more definitive care facility.
Now, he came in by medivac helicopter, was brought in along with another relative. Quickly, as you can see from some of the video there, the doctors literally pounced on him, got his straightened out, brought him into this triage area and secured this airway.
Heidi, difficult images, really, for all of us to look at, but, again, these are some of the pictures of war and these are some of the doctors who repair the wounds of war. That's what you're seeing -- Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: Yes, incredibly difficult, Sanjay.
And I know one of the challenges for the Devil Docs has been that they don't have a neurosurgeon on staff. Obviously that is what you are in your practice and I know you were called to the table, so to speak, again today.
Tell us a little bit about that.
GUPTA: Yes, Heidi, you know, certainly as journalists we came here to cover the story and not to be the story. But as you mentioned, they don't have a neurosurgeon here, a surgeon who does primarily head and brain work. And twice now there have been patients that have come in with significant head injuries from bullet wounds.
Today, again, a gentleman came in, probably in his mid-'40s, with a significant bullet wound to the right side of his head. He had a lot of damage with bleeding around the brain. They came to me, asked me if I would be willing to take a look at the patient and to actually operate on the patient. Medically and morally, I thought that that was absolutely the right thing to do. Happy to report that that patient did very well after that operation, has actually already been medivaced from here to another location for more definitive care, but certainly his life was saved. And, you know, these are some of the success stories. I play a small part.
These doctors over here play a very large part. Lots of success stories. And they're reveling in that. But they're just also very busy waiting for whatever else might come -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That is excellent news, Sanjay.
I also want to ask you what are the biggest challenges that you face? Obviously these are nowhere near normal operating procedures or actually conditions that you work in that you are used to back in the United States. And we have heard about the sandstorms and the sterile conditions. What is the biggest challenge?
GUPTA: Yes, Heidi, you know, that's a good question, and this is a very austere environment out here. It is hot, first of all, up to 110 degrees here today. You're operating in non-air conditioned operating rooms, sometimes in full garb, in additional to surgical gown. It can become very, very warm.
There's also lots of dirt and sand.
But in addition to that, Heidi, the operating rooms are well equipped, but, for example, today when we were doing this procedure for the gunshot wound to the head, we had to make due with the instruments that we had so it really, I was basically looking around the room saying OK, let's try these instruments over here, let's try this particular material to try and create a closure over here.
It's really trying to make the best of what you can with scarce resources and that is what these doctors are doing all the time.
Having said that, I will say that it is truly remarkable, in a way, what they do have. This is a totally mobile operating room. These operating rooms move. They're designed to be mobile. Why? So that they can move with the troops and they can support the troops as soon as they come off the front line.
So it's a little bit of both. But, you know, just every day, Heidi, you look around and you remember that you're in the desert. It's hot. There's lots of dirt. There are sandstorms. There are helicopters throwing up dirt, coming in and out of here all the time. And if you think about that, it is really remarkable what they're able to accomplish despite all of that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the Devil Docs.
Thanks so much.
We are going to take a quick break for now.
When we come back, we will have the very latest news at the top of the hour.
We'll be back with more of CNN's coverage of the war in Iraq.
COMMERCIAL
HARRIS: Good morning.
Leon Harris here in the CNN newsroom.
And our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in just a moment.
But first, here's what's happening at this hour.
U.S. forces are taking sporadic but fierce gunfire as they push into the heard of Baghdad. Tanks and troops rolled into the city overnight. There are some initial reports of casualties on both sides. More on this coming up in just a moment so stay with us.
U.S. troops reportedly took over what had been a headquarters of the Republican Guard's Medina division after the Iraqis fled. The Associated Press says that U.S. troops were unopposed when they took the headquarters about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad. That was in the town of Suwahara.
Iraq, though, is reporting a very different story. The country's information minister denies that U.S. forces are even in Baghdad. He says the Republican Guard is in control of the Baghdad airport after "butchering" U.S. forces there.
Well, there are reports of a suicide bombing at Baghdad International Airport.
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