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American Morning
101st Airborne Under Artillery Fire in Northern Iraq
Aired April 08, 2003 - 08:18 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: Listen, we know there is fighting ongoing in Baghdad. And we reported on that for several minutes right now, but there is still fighting south of the city. Al Hillah is the town, I believe about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad.
With the 101st Airborne Division, Ryan Chilcote is embedded there. By telephone, Ryan, I know we talked about two hours ago, there was fighting ongoing at the time. What's happening now?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, about two-and-a-half hours now a firefight outside of an agricultural complex. It looks like some kind of agricultural warehouse. The soldiers of the 101st Airborne moving into the city of Hillah, as you said, really a tactic that began at dawn. The goal of which is to root out Fedayeen fighters that are still inside or at least the U.S. military believes are still inside Hillah.
The soldiers were -- have encountered quite a bit of resistance, specifically at this agricultural complex, but even before it from both small arms fire and RPG fire. Here at this complex, there were two fighters, don't know whether they're Iraqis or some other nationality, came out from a bush and threw a grenade at soldiers. Three U.S. soldiers injured in that attack.
The soldiers, however, have been fighting back pretty intensely. There's been attack helicopters in the air, F-18s in the air. Soldiers on the ground clearing buildings right now, anti-tank weapons fired at this complex. Two confirmed, I saw them, two confirmed fighters killed here, but still not clear of what nationality. The fight continues.
The soldiers are now moving into the complex. It is on fire. Parts of it, at least, are on fire. And they're going to go room by room through this entire complex, because they do believe that they're seeing movement inside of it, until they find all of the fighters -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ryan, listen, earlier you said this was no surprise, they expected this fight. Is that still the case?
CHILCOTE: That's correct. The 101st, as you've -- as you've probably noticed, has really been charged with cleaning up in cities and making sure that they -- safeguarding, if you will, cities at the rear of the 3rd Infantry Division, which, as you know, has moved on to Baghdad. Excuse me.
Najaf was one of those cities in central Iraq, Karbala was another, and now, of course, this city, which is, as you know, probably very important in ancient Babylon. It is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon mentioned in the Bible. And it is with great concern and great, I guess, caution that the U.S. forces are moving in to this city to root out Fedayeen fighters that they believe have really taken up camp. And if this is at all to tell -- a telltale sign of what is to come in the city, then obviously this is going to be a big fight because already intense fighting on the outskirts of the city -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, keep us posted, Ryan, please. Ryan Chilcote, 101st Airborne, in the town of Hillah, 60 miles 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
Aired April 8, 2003 - 08:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Listen, we know there is fighting ongoing in Baghdad. And we reported on that for several minutes right now, but there is still fighting south of the city. Al Hillah is the town, I believe about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad.
With the 101st Airborne Division, Ryan Chilcote is embedded there. By telephone, Ryan, I know we talked about two hours ago, there was fighting ongoing at the time. What's happening now?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, about two-and-a-half hours now a firefight outside of an agricultural complex. It looks like some kind of agricultural warehouse. The soldiers of the 101st Airborne moving into the city of Hillah, as you said, really a tactic that began at dawn. The goal of which is to root out Fedayeen fighters that are still inside or at least the U.S. military believes are still inside Hillah.
The soldiers were -- have encountered quite a bit of resistance, specifically at this agricultural complex, but even before it from both small arms fire and RPG fire. Here at this complex, there were two fighters, don't know whether they're Iraqis or some other nationality, came out from a bush and threw a grenade at soldiers. Three U.S. soldiers injured in that attack.
The soldiers, however, have been fighting back pretty intensely. There's been attack helicopters in the air, F-18s in the air. Soldiers on the ground clearing buildings right now, anti-tank weapons fired at this complex. Two confirmed, I saw them, two confirmed fighters killed here, but still not clear of what nationality. The fight continues.
The soldiers are now moving into the complex. It is on fire. Parts of it, at least, are on fire. And they're going to go room by room through this entire complex, because they do believe that they're seeing movement inside of it, until they find all of the fighters -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ryan, listen, earlier you said this was no surprise, they expected this fight. Is that still the case?
CHILCOTE: That's correct. The 101st, as you've -- as you've probably noticed, has really been charged with cleaning up in cities and making sure that they -- safeguarding, if you will, cities at the rear of the 3rd Infantry Division, which, as you know, has moved on to Baghdad. Excuse me.
Najaf was one of those cities in central Iraq, Karbala was another, and now, of course, this city, which is, as you know, probably very important in ancient Babylon. It is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon mentioned in the Bible. And it is with great concern and great, I guess, caution that the U.S. forces are moving in to this city to root out Fedayeen fighters that they believe have really taken up camp. And if this is at all to tell -- a telltale sign of what is to come in the city, then obviously this is going to be a big fight because already intense fighting on the outskirts of the city -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, keep us posted, Ryan, please. Ryan Chilcote, 101st Airborne, in the town of Hillah, 60 miles 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
