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CNN Live Today

Military Update

Aired April 08, 2003 - 10:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to talk more about what happened at the Palestine Hotel, and how the U.S. military, now operating in a city the size of Baghdad, five million people, are going to be able, if at all possible, to limit collateral damage.
The general is back with us today, General Claudia Kennedy, retired from the U.S. Army.

Good to have you back here, General.

I want to talk about what happened, what we know anyway, or think we believe. You have got a hotel full of journalists. They've been there working now for months. The U.S. Army says there is sniper firing from inside that hotel. Why is that the U.S. military fire a tank shell into that building, knowing that there were journalists involved there anyway? Is there not a better way to do that?

GEN. CLAUDIA KENNEDY (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's very important for the U.S. Army to stay focused on their mission, which is to take military control of this city. And the fact that there was a sniper in the building would mean that it is now a military target. The journalists are very well informed, and the minute they think they are in a location where they could become a target, they are pretty canny and they need to move on out quickly. It's very important, too, for the military to be able to deal with each target as it comes up, because that sniper can move to another building and then kill a U.S. soldier or Marine.

HEMMER: Is this the kind of decision, though, that comes back, say a day or two from now, and Central Command says, you know what, we should have thought twice about that one?

KENNEDY: Well, I hope they do not agonize over each one of these attacks. What we are engaged in is a war that has not been so thoroughly covered, and a lot things we're seeing are things that have always gone on. That doesn't make it a perfect world, of course, but what we need to be doing here is focusing on military success, and whatever it takes to make sure that these operations continue successfully is just going to have to go forward.

HEMMER: Well, if it indeed goes forward and you are operating right now, urban warfare, we know the tanks are there, the Bradley Fighting Vehicles are there, there are snipers obviously as well -- a city of five million, you are running the show there on ground in Baghdad, how do you go about avoiding collateral damage, civilian loss of life? KENNEDY: You know, Bill, there is going to be some loss of life any time there is a military operation, and some of the estimates are that in the case of this transition to urban operations, you could have as many as 15 to 30 percent casualties. We're not seeing anything like that number, which I think is testimony to the precision with which the military is getting in there, getting their intelligence, building relationships with people who are on the ground and have been there for a lifetime, and can help do more pinpoint targeting.

HEMMER: General, if you compare the amount of fighting today, with what we were witnessing 24 hours ago, in your estimation, I know you're half a world away, but what are you hearing in terms of how long it may take to get Baghdad completely taken care of?

KENNEDY: You know, I am not hearing anyone give this a date. What I'm hearing is that we are not focused so much on what date will this be complete, but what is the status of the effectiveness of our operation. The Iraqis, I think, will speed up their capitulation as they become more confident that the past regime truly is in the past and that their future is in their own hands.

HEMMER: Thank you, General Claudia Kennedy, retired from the U.S. Army, with us today. Appreciate it.

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






Aired April 8, 2003 - 10:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to talk more about what happened at the Palestine Hotel, and how the U.S. military, now operating in a city the size of Baghdad, five million people, are going to be able, if at all possible, to limit collateral damage.
The general is back with us today, General Claudia Kennedy, retired from the U.S. Army.

Good to have you back here, General.

I want to talk about what happened, what we know anyway, or think we believe. You have got a hotel full of journalists. They've been there working now for months. The U.S. Army says there is sniper firing from inside that hotel. Why is that the U.S. military fire a tank shell into that building, knowing that there were journalists involved there anyway? Is there not a better way to do that?

GEN. CLAUDIA KENNEDY (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's very important for the U.S. Army to stay focused on their mission, which is to take military control of this city. And the fact that there was a sniper in the building would mean that it is now a military target. The journalists are very well informed, and the minute they think they are in a location where they could become a target, they are pretty canny and they need to move on out quickly. It's very important, too, for the military to be able to deal with each target as it comes up, because that sniper can move to another building and then kill a U.S. soldier or Marine.

HEMMER: Is this the kind of decision, though, that comes back, say a day or two from now, and Central Command says, you know what, we should have thought twice about that one?

KENNEDY: Well, I hope they do not agonize over each one of these attacks. What we are engaged in is a war that has not been so thoroughly covered, and a lot things we're seeing are things that have always gone on. That doesn't make it a perfect world, of course, but what we need to be doing here is focusing on military success, and whatever it takes to make sure that these operations continue successfully is just going to have to go forward.

HEMMER: Well, if it indeed goes forward and you are operating right now, urban warfare, we know the tanks are there, the Bradley Fighting Vehicles are there, there are snipers obviously as well -- a city of five million, you are running the show there on ground in Baghdad, how do you go about avoiding collateral damage, civilian loss of life? KENNEDY: You know, Bill, there is going to be some loss of life any time there is a military operation, and some of the estimates are that in the case of this transition to urban operations, you could have as many as 15 to 30 percent casualties. We're not seeing anything like that number, which I think is testimony to the precision with which the military is getting in there, getting their intelligence, building relationships with people who are on the ground and have been there for a lifetime, and can help do more pinpoint targeting.

HEMMER: General, if you compare the amount of fighting today, with what we were witnessing 24 hours ago, in your estimation, I know you're half a world away, but what are you hearing in terms of how long it may take to get Baghdad completely taken care of?

KENNEDY: You know, I am not hearing anyone give this a date. What I'm hearing is that we are not focused so much on what date will this be complete, but what is the status of the effectiveness of our operation. The Iraqis, I think, will speed up their capitulation as they become more confident that the past regime truly is in the past and that their future is in their own hands.

HEMMER: Thank you, General Claudia Kennedy, retired from the U.S. Army, with us today. Appreciate it.

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