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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Target: Saddam's Sons; Uday, Qusay Hussein are Dead

Aired July 22, 2003 - 17:00   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This is a huge day in Iraq. The United States military confirmed Saddam Hussein's two sons are dead. They were killed by U.S. forces during a six-hour firefight in northern Iraq. We're standing by for wall to wall coverage, including reaction from around the world on a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Target: Saddam's sons. High-ranking regime loyalists holed up in this house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American troops from the 101st Airborne were able to enter the house, and there they found four charred bodies.

BLITZER: Uday and Qusay among the dead. Could this help end the attacks on U.S. troops? Is Saddam next? I'll ask former CIA Director James Woolsey.

Homecoming. The long road back for former POW Jessica Lynch leads to the hills of West Virginia.

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JEFFICA LYNCH, FORMER POW: Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

BLITZER: And a fire at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. Target: Saddam's Sons.

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, July 22, 2003. Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

A day of stunning developments in Iraq. It began when elite U.S. forces, acting on a tip, surrounded a house and engaged in a fierce six-hour battle with those inside. Then after hours of hints, we've learned in just the past 90 minutes or so from the United States military that among the four dead in that house were the two sons of Saddam Hussein, Uday and Qusay.

The final showdown took place in the northern city of Mosul. The fugitives were hunted down not in a traditional stronghold of the Iraqi regime, but in a surprising location in an area considerably more friendly towards the Americans. We'll spend the next hour taking a detailed look at this historic day and what it means. We'll go live to CNN's Rym Brahimi, she's in Baghdad. Jamie McIntyre, who is at the Pentagon. John King, he's over at the White House. And Richard Roth, he's following events at the United Nations.

But first, let's go directly to the scene of the showdown. Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, has just pulled in to that northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He's joining us now live on the phone -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I'm standing outside the building where the gun battle took place. It's heavily defended and guarded at this time by troops from the 101st Airborne. I can see at least one soldier on his Humvee looking out from behind a TOW missile launcher. A number of other Humvees are securing the area on the periphery of Mosul tonight.

There is very tight security. We've seen helicopters flying over the sky. Tight security. Troops tell us that they are searching everyone that's leaving Mosul tonight in case there are any other associates of Saddam, Uday or Qusay Hussein trying to flee the city of Mosul and get out. They are trying to track those people down tonight as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, stand by. We're going to get you up on the satellite, and we're going to continue this conversation. Collect some more information.

In the meantime, I want to go to Baghdad. CNN's Rym Brahimi has been following all of these events.

And, Rym, I understand you've just been facing some gunfire -- hearing some gunfire where you are over at the Palestine Hotel.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Wolf. You know, even before this was confirmed by Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who briefed reporters a short while ago, well, there was just a huge crack of very intense gunfire all around behind me here. You can even see a trace of fire, and it was coming from all directions to the point that we actually had to run for cover and stay inside the building for about an hour until it slowly died down.

Now, Ricardo Sanchez explained that those four bodies -- among those four bodies, as you said, were Qusay and Uday Saddam Hussein. Here's how he put it:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, COMMANDER, COALITION GROUND FORCE: Four persons were killed during that operation and were removed from the building, and we have since confirmed that Uday and Qusay Hussein are among the dead. The site is currently been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRAHIMI: Now, about the implications of such a catch, if you will, of what happened there in that raid that Lieutenant General Sanchez said was a very, very long and fierce battle in which Uday and Qusay Hussein both resisted very forcefully for a long time, well, immediate implication the gunfire I told you about. That seems or presumably was celebratory gunfire.

And also, of course, in the long term, the big question now, Wolf, is, of course, will that improve the situation for U.S. troops on the ground that are facing daily attacks on the part of remnants of the Baath Party regime? -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to follow all of those developments. Rym, stand by. We're going to be getting back to you for more coverage of this breaking story.

The battle, of course, involved elite United States forces. For more information on that, let's turn to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the U.S. Task Force 20, which is the special operations team spearheading the hunt for Saddam Hussein, his sons and other top Iraqi leadership, was involved in this operation, along with soldiers from the 101st Airborne.

But it appears that that $15 million reward may have paid off, because the commander of land forces in Iraq said that it was a -- quote -- "walk-in." He told the 101st that Saddam Hussein's sons, apparently a grandson and a bodyguard were all holed up hiding in a villa in the north part of Mosul. That kicked off this operation, which went on for hours. It involved an A-10 attack jet, an OH-58 helicopter and TOW antitank missiles, all fired into this building.

The Pentagon spent the whole day being very cautious about too much premature celebration, but by the end of the day, U.S. officials were expressing pleasure that Saddam Hussein's sons had been taken out, and that they said this was a boost to the morale for the U.S. military.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BREMER, U.S. ADMINISTRATOR IN IRAQ: It's a great day for the Iraqi people and great day for the American military, who once again showed their outstanding professionalism in this operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, one question is despite the fact that the United States says that they have killed these two most-wanted Iraqis, Iraqi people are still expressing some skepticism. And General Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces there, said at a further briefing tomorrow the United States will present more details and more evidence that the sons are, in fact, dead -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And, Jamie, they didn't need to use DNA evidence. Obviously, they couldn't do that that quickly. Their face, the appearance, that apparently was enough to get the job done.

MCINTYRE: We were told that the bodies were fairly well shot- up, but that they were still identifiable, and apparently the identification initially was made simply from the physical appearance of the bodies. But we are told that some DNA testing will be done just in the interest of complete (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: All right, Jamie McIntyre, we'll be checking back with you as well.

The results of the raid are sure to boost the Bush administration, beleaguered by accusations over the way it handled the U.S. entry into the war.

Let's get some more details now. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is standing by.

John -- what are they saying at the White House?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we are told that when the president was given the definitive word that Saddam Hussein's sons were, in fact, dead, that he characterized it as good news and characterized it as proof that for all of the controversy that the U.S. military mission in Iraq is succeeding. Look for the administration to make that case in the days ahead. That even though U.S. troops are still coming under hostile fire, that even though the security situation remains precarious in some places in Iraq, Mr. Bush will make the case that there are ongoing success stories, and the administration will trumpet this development as a very significant one.

Here at the White House, they say they believe, as Jamie noted, it should be a morale boost to U.S. troops on the ground, and they also are hoping as this evidence sinks in that perhaps it will take away any doubts the Iraqi people might have about the possibility that the old regime could return to power and perhaps make Iraqis even more willing now to come forward. Perhaps, the administration says, this will encourage more informants to come in, maybe with information about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein or maybe with information that could answer one of the key questions in the political controversy here in the United States: Where are the weapons of mass destruction? -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, as you and I well know going back over many years, normally when there is huge, important good news like this for the president of the United States, he personally wants to make that announcement to the American people, to people all over the world. They left this to the general on the scene in Baghdad to report what happened. What was the thinking leading up to this relatively low- key, very cautious stance from the White House?

KING: We are told that the White House made the decision that it was U.S. troops that put their lives on the line, it is U.S. troops who have had their mission questioned in recent days, and that the administration decided it was the U.S. military that would make this announcement. The president had no public events on his schedule today. We thought perhaps one would be added, but we are told, no, that we will not hear from the president, his official reaction to all of this until probably tomorrow.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. Thanks, John, very much.

The deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein may have a much more profound impact in Iraq than we can even now imagine. These are two brothers who held a huge amount of power and leave a legacy of fear and intimidation throughout the entire country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Saddam Hussein's regime depended on the instrument of fear. The dictator often asked his sons to wield that instrument. Uday and Qusay Hussein didn't disappoint.

Uday, 39 years old, once the heir apparent to Saddam, but according to many accounts, his behavior became too sociopathic, even for his father.

Uday, defensive, when asked during a 1997 interview with CNN's Ben Wedeman if he would succeed his father.

UDAY HUSSEIN, SON OF SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): If that was not a question from you, from a foreigner, the person who spoke like that, even as a form of praise, would be questioned or punished.

BLITZER: Positions and responsibility only gave Uday more power to brutalize anyone he chose. As head of Iraq's Olympic Committee, he was accused by former athletes of torturing and jailing those who didn't perform to his standards.

Accounts of his treatment of women are notorious. The MO: random abductions off the street, at parties, even brides from weddings; then captivity, rape, intimidation.

1998, Uday reportedly clubbed to death Saddam's favorite valet. 1996, Uday is credited with taking part in the killings of his two brothers-in-law, former members of Saddam's inner circle who defected to Jordan, only to be lured back to Iraq. That same year, Uday reportedly survived an assassination attempt, barely. The attack left him gravely injured, and many accounts say partially paralyzed.

UDAY HUSSEIN (through translator): Bullets can tear flesh, but flesh can be stitched. A bone is broken, but it can be mended. But the most important thing is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: He was left in charge of several state media outlets and oversaw the vicious militant group known as the Fedayeen Saddam.

With Uday's evolving brutality, Saddam Hussein began to shift greater responsibility to his younger son, Qusay Hussein, 37 years old, as ruthless as his brother but more cunning. He idolized his father, mimicked his appearance and method. By many accounts, he supervised the assassinations of political opponents and sometimes did the job himself. He reportedly oversaw the crushing of the 1991 Shiite rebellion in the south, then went on to lead the Republican Guard and most of Saddam's top security services.

According to a "TIME" magazine profile, as Qusay's profile grew, so did resentment from his brother.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Uday was so jealous of his brother that whenever he appeared in the media, he threw fits. He was so jealous of his brother's girlfriends he would bring them in and have sex with them himself, and then use a branding iron to mark them with a horseshoe-shaped "U" -- of course, "U" being the first letter of his name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And in the words of one expert, and I am quoting now: "Saddam himself couldn't kill everyone he wanted to or spy on everyone he needed to. Having those two boys do it for him is a critical element in his reign of terror."

They're both dead now.

Meanwhile, a deadly attack on a U.S. convoy in Iraq. It happened this morning on a road between Balad and the town of Ar Ramadi. Military officials say one soldier was killed, another was injured, when the convoy was hit by small-arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade. The fatality was from the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment.

This latest death makes 94 U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1 -- 37 of the deaths have resulted from what's officially described as "hostile action," 57 are classified as "non-hostile."

How can the United States be so sure that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? We'll talk to the former CIA director, James Woolsey, about how the United States and its forces could make the identifications even before any DNA testing was completed.

And what were Saddam's sons doing in Mosul, so far from their family's traditional base of power?

Also ahead, a fire at one of the world's most popular landmarks. We'll have details. All of that straight ahead on this special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

On this historic day, there is yet more news coming out of the White House. For that, let's turn to our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne -- you have some additional breaking news unfolding right now. What's going on? SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it really was an extraordinary briefing for more than an hour. The White House -- the bottom line is the White House is sharing responsibility for the flap over the president's State of the Union address, that 16- word statement that has become so controversial that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Well, Deputy National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, as well as the director of communications, Dan Bartlett, letting us in on the details in these communications.

What happened over the weekend is that the White House discovered two memos from the CIA that were sent to the National Security Council. In these memos, it states concerns that the CIA had over that statement that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Now, this was over the Cincinnati speech, a speech that the president gave in October. That was taken out of the Cincinnati speech because of these concerns. It was put back in the State of the Union address.

Now, Hadley said he did not recall those memos. Had he recalled those memos that he got from the CIA during the speechwriting process, it would have sent red flags. He would have told the president, no, we cannot have this in the speech.

He also said that National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is also taking personal responsibility for this snafu, for this flap. The White House still insisting, however, the bottom line is that information was technically accurate, but, yes, the White House now sharing that responsibility with the CIA that that should have never been included in the speech -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux with important information coming from the White House. Thanks, Suzanne. We'll be checking back with you as usual.

Let's get some more analysis now on what all of this means, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein, as well as these latest developments coming from the White House. For that, we turn to the former CIA director, James Woolsey. He's joining us from San Francisco.

Director Woolsey, as usual, thanks to you once again for joining us.

What do you make, first of all, of what Suzanne just reported? The White House now taking at least some of the responsibility for getting those 16 words into the president's State of the Union address, it wasn't simply the CIA slipping up.

JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I think, OK, fine. These 16 words have carried an awful lot of freight over the course of the last couple of weeks, Wolf. And I think if the president had said that the British government had indicated that they had learned that the Iraqis were attempting to get uranium from Africa, it really would have been unexceptionable. Because he said the British government learned, it suggested, it didn't exactly say, but it suggested that the U.S. fully believed it.

And it did have -- we had this report from early 2002 from the retired ambassador, who had gone to Niger, that at least material, in his judgment, had not come from there. But there is nothing inconsistent with Saddam having failed in early 2002 and attempting, again, in early 2003. And the British continue to say that their source is good, and presumably they're not relying on these forged documents.

So, you know, between the International Atomic Energy Agency, which, after all, missed all three of Saddam's nuclear programs in the 1980's, and British MI-6 (ph), I'm still betting with the British. This flap may all end up being about a true statement.

BLITZER: Tony Blair is still insisting that his intelligence was right and refusing to back down at all.

Let's move on and talk about this huge development today, confirmation from the U.S. military they've killed Uday and Qusay Hussein. In the scheme of things, Director Woolsey, how big a deal is this?

WOOLSEY: Well, this is very big, because it is a major part, not all, but it's a major part of blocking the idea in anyone's mind that the Baathists are going to come back. One of the things that has given rise to this continued rebellion in the so-called Sunni triangle, the area north and west of Baghdad where there is some 20 percent Sunni Arabs in the population of the country there, is the notion that the Baathists might be able to come back. Getting rid of Qusay and Uday is a major part of that. Of course, the key thing is to capture or kill Saddam Hussein.

And once that happens, I think we will start to see a number of Iraqis who have been closed-mouth, have been unwilling to talk, have been worried about not cooperating with us or the British because they think that Saddam may come back, they will start, I think, to cooperate more. So, I think there will be a positive cascading effect, and this is an important part of it.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, does the U.S. military now have to show pictures to the Iraqi people of the bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein to convince the Iraqi population these two guys really are dead?

WOOLSEY: They're going to have to do something like that and to describe what else they have, you know, dental records. They've captured a lot of material in Iraq. Maybe they have these guys' dental records, maybe they had at some point some DNA evidence, maybe it's pictures of parts of the body that are hard to change like people's ears. There are all sorts of things they could have.

But they're going to have to be quite persuasive in part because the airwaves of Iraq are more or less owned by Iran. It's Iranian broadcasting in Arabic into Iraq that is the source of news for most Iraqis. It's beyond me how this country, which is the leader of the world's media, has let this happen, and how we don't have a major media presence in Iraq. But apparently, we don't, and the Iranians, you can be sure, are going to distort this badly. BLITZER: Will the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein cause Iraqis basically to come forward and help the U.S.? Or is there a possibility there could be a backlash?

WOOLSEY: No, I think it will be largely positive. Certainly, some of the diehard defenders in this Sunni triangle, some of the people in the special security organization which one of the sons headed and so forth will try to create disruptions. They may already have done so.

But, generally speaking, this is going to help break the role of the resisters, the Baathists and the Tikritis, many of whom served as officers in the Republican Guard and the rest, the people in Saddam's clan. I think this is a very positive step.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, you heard there General Ricardo Sanchez, the U.S. military commander on the ground in Baghdad, say they got the tip from what he called a "walk-in."

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: Someone who just showed up.

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: In your line of work, you used to run spies all over the world, normally when you get a walk-in, you're very, very nervous about that.

WOOLSEY: Well, you should always be suspicious, but you should always listen.

In 1917, Allen Dulles, an early and distinguished CIA director, he always told this story on himself. He was a young foreign service officer in Switzerland, and a little fellow came by and wanted to see him on a Sunday. Dulles had a tennis date with an attractive young woman, and so he said I'll see this guy later. It turned out it was Lenin just before the Germans put him on a train to the Finland station and started the Russian Revolution. Dulles always wondered what it was Lenin, the walk-in, wanted to say to him.

And it's always a good idea to listen, and then after that decide if you may be getting bad information or not.

BLITZER: It's a good thing they listened to this walk-in on this particular day.

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, I'm going to have you stand by. I want to get back to you later this hour. We've got a lot more to talk about. Stand by.

WOOLSEY: OK.

BLITZER: With Saddam Hussein's sons dead, the United States military has now accounted for three of the four aces in its deck of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis. Qusay and Uday Hussein were the ace of clubs and the ace of hearts. The ace of diamonds, the former presidential secretary Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, was captured last month. Saddam Hussein, of course, is the only ace still outstanding. We'll see how much longer he has.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at CNN.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

So, are U.S. forces any closer to capturing Saddam Hussein now that his sons were killed in that major firefight earlier today? We'll get some special insights from (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

And, what caused the fire in the Eiffel Tower? Was it just an accident or something more sinister? We'll tell you. Stay with us.

And later:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: I'm an American soldier, too. Those stories were right. Those were my words. I am an American soldier, too. Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: You'll hear more from Private First Class Jessica Lynch in her first public statement since her capture and rescue in Iraq. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, is on Capitol Hill speaking now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BREMER: ... to include security to American forces and to the Iraqi people, and to continue the progress we've made, the extraordinary progress we've made on the political front. I think we find as we describe our strategy to members that there is a much better understanding of how we're moving forward and how we intend to go forward in the weeks ahead. I don't know if you have a statement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are extremely proud of Ambassador Bremer and his team over there. Ric Sanchez (ph), you've seen some of him on your television this afternoon. A lot of good things are happening. And I think that the message that we have received is that we've got to have some patience. This is a tough job. We have good people there working in a very tough operational climate, doing excellent work, and every day is a better day than yesterday, and that is (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that is the way things are working across the whole spectrum. Whether it's the political spectrum or the infrastructure or stability or the economy or anything you want to name it, it is going better. The news is good. People should be cheered, but this is not a short run. This is a long run. And I am pleased to be associated with it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me say that I worked with Ambassador Bremer in 1999 and 2000 as part of the commission on terrorism, an effort that he chaired ably. He is doing this project ably as well. Chairman Doss and I were recently in Baghdad. Our focus was on the effort to find WMD in Iraq. That is part of the ambassador's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as well, and we discussed that in depth today. It is absolutely critical that we continue our work on the WMD search. What worries me is not just that our credibility is at stake, but the safety of our troops on the ground is at stake. And so, I am very encouraged by what he said about the WMD search.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE).

BREMER: Thank you. Well, this is a really great day for the Iraqi people. It's a wonderful day for the fine American men and women in our services, who have shown again how competent and professional they are. The fact that Baghdad was lighted up with celebratory fire tonight shows you how important this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) desires that the Iraqi people (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that once and for all that Saddam Hussein, his sons and his odious regime. This is important because it also shows the cooperation between the Iraqis and the Americans. I understand the information came to us from an Iraqi informant, which led us to the house where these men were killed.

As we go forward, I'm looking and I'm hoping that we'll see more coordination and more cooperation between Iraqi and American people, and this is just very good news.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE).

BREMER: I think it's quite possible that what we'll find after this now is that people will be willing to come forward as they have been over the last few weeks. We've seen an increase in informants coming forward to our military, to our intelligence people and to our police in the last three weeks. This was an obvious example of a culmination of that. I would hope this will encourage other Iraqis to come forward now.

And I've said all along that it's only a matter of time before we find Saddam Hussein, and I hope that day is a day early.

Thank you.

BLITZER: Paul Bremer flanked by the chairman and the ranking Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee, Porter Goss and Jane Harmon. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civilian administrator for Iraq, clearly pleased by the latest developments, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein.

U.S. forces say they killed Saddam Hussein's sons earlier today, but does that put the United States any closer to getting Saddam Hussein himself? Some answers to that coming up.

First, though, let's check the latest headlines.

(INTERRUPTED BY NEWS BREAK)

BLITZER: Now back to our top story, a huge story. Delegates from the newly-formed Iraqi Governing Council were at the United Nations when (UNINTELLIGIBLE) news about Saddam Hussein's sons.

Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is following developments there, as he always does -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, well, interesting timing. The Governing Council's representatives, three of them, in New York inside the Security Council when word spread that the two sons of Saddam Hussein were probably dead. And then when news came of the confirmation, CNN asked Ahmed Chalabi, one of the Governing Council's representatives and an arch opponent of Saddam Hussein throughout the decades, for his reaction to the deaths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: Qusay was basically the chief of operations. It was very important (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and so the deaths (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because his sons were killed and given that we perceive them to be much (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Chalabi also said that these were two hated characters. The Iraqi National Congress (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in here at a press conference earlier. They also toured Iraq's United Nations Mission to the United Nations. Soon, the Iraqi Governing Council, when it's fully accredited, they get the official seat, will take possession of the Iraqi mission.

Here, you see Chalabi going in this morning. He actually met with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a holdover diplomat from the Saddam Hussein regime there. Relations pretty cordial. Inside the mission, Chalabi said (UNINTELLIGIBLE) be used as an intelligence (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It will be used purely for diplomacy. Saddam Hussein treated his diplomats (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Chalabi said.

One opponent of Chalabi in the gallery inside the Security Council with the United Nations, shortly before one of the representatives from the visiting council spoke out, two protestors screamed against the presence of Chalabi and the council, saying, they are not legitimate representatives of the Iraqi government. Some of the members of the Security Council are also concerned. They don't see the Iraqi people fully represented by everyone, and they are not so ready to give a full endorsement to Chalabi and his colleagues -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Richard Roth at the U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as well. Thanks, Richard, very much.

What were Saddam Hussein's sons doing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, some 200 miles from Baghdad?

Let's get some analysis on that right now. And we're joined by U.S. Army brigadier general retired David Grange, our CNN military analyst.

Were you surprised, General Grange, they were in Mosul? That's not normally seen as hot bed of pro-Saddam Sunni activity.

GENERAL BRIGADIER DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: A little bit surprised, but I believe that where Saddam, his sons and his higher-ups probably have safe sites throughout the country. They had time to set these up. And it may have been that had been an excellent place for them to hole up, that they may have been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by coalition forces, they were forced to move that way. When they got there, they couldn’t get out to go to another site. And so, ended up being in a place where they had to lie low before this attack took place.

BLITZER: Did the military operation -- because the firefight, we're told, lasted six hours before Iraqis inside were killed or confirmed two of those -- the two sons, six hours. Do you think the goal was to capture these two sons alive? Or did that not make a difference, alive or dead?

GRANGE: Well, I think the goal would be to capture if possible, because of the information that you can obtain from these people being captured instead of killed. And they didn't know for sure who was inside. I mean, they had information (UNINTELLIGIBLE) but it may not have been. And so, they were probably taking their time. They had (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They knew that these individuals could not get away. And so, if they could take them prisoner, well, that would have been better.

BLITZER: And one final question before I let you go, General Grange. The use of the 101st Airborne for this kind of operation, was it a case based on what you can tell they happened to be there on the scene, they were the closest to this residence in Mosul? Or would they have been the unit of choice to go after these two sons?

GRANGE: Well, if they were mostly sure it was the two sons (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it's a good chance that coalition headquarters would have used special operating forces that are trained in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) entry and surgical operations. However, our forces are trained for any extremist reaction like the 101st, and they were in the area, like you said, and were tasked to do the mission, and obviously did it quite well.

BLITZER: All right, General Grange, thanks very much.

I want to go to the White House right now. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is back with more information. It's coming out almost every few minutes.

Suzanne -- tell us what you have.

MALVEAUX: Wolf, we just got formal official reaction on the capture of Saddam Hussein's sons. President Bush had been in touch with the secretary of defense several times during the day. Of course, a great deal of anticipation and optimism.

I'm just going to read the statement very briefly. It says: "We were pleased to learn through the Department of Defense of today's action against Uday and Qusay Hussein. Over the period of many years, these two individuals were responsible for countless atrocities committed against the Iraqi people, and they can no longer cast a shadow of hate on Iraq. U.S. military forces and our intelligence community, working with an Iraqi citizen, deserve credit for today's successful action. While there is still much work to be done in Iraq, the Iraqi people can see progress each day toward a better and a more prosperous future for their country."

Clearly, a victory for the White House that has been under an incredible amount of criticism over the last couple of weeks regarding intelligence and other matters. This is a big win for them, and they are certainly hoping that it bolsters their case and credibility (UNINTELLIGIBLE) they hope to accomplish in Iraq -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A low-key reaction there from the White House, no overt gloating for that matter, no public statements other than Ambassador Paul Bremer. Thanks, Suzanne, very much.

Does the deaths of Saddam Hussein's two sons put U.S. forces any closer to the capture of the ultimate prize in Iraq, namely Saddam Hussein? I'll ask the former CIA director, James Woolsey. He's standing by. Also the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay Rockefeller. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Joining us now from Capitol Hill, the Democratic senator, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. He's the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Also we're speaking with CIA Director James Woolsey. We'll get to him in a moment.

Senator Rockefeller, does this -- did this death, the killings of the two sons, suggest to you that it's only a matter of time before the U.S. captures or kills their father?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: I'd like it to suggest that, Wolf, but it doesn't yet. Until we see him dead, know that he's dead and, more importantly, until the Iraqi people know that he's dead, he is still the looming presence. The sons are very important. That's extremely important. But the father is the person who extracts retribution, that's the person the people are afraid of, that's one of the reasons we have not found any weapons of mass destruction (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: The fact that they found Uday and Qusay Hussein in Mosul in the northern part of Iraq, what, if anything, does that suggest about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein?

ROCKEFELLER: I don't think anything. I was really struck by why they got them up here. That's, you know, traditionally not so much Saddam's territory. And so, I think Saddam is not up there. He's back where he always is, Tikrit, Baghdad, somewhere in that Sunni triangle. We have to get him, Wolf. It's wonderful that we've gotten the two sons. They are horrible people, but the father is the symbol and the intimidator to the Iraqi people.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, there is some suggestion, and I'm sure you've heard it, the fact these two sons were so far in the north, not far from the borders of Syria or Iran, they may have been attempting to cross those borders and to get into one of those two countries. Is there anything that you know that would suggest that that was perhaps one of their objectives?

ROCKEFELLER: Wolf, I just don't know that. I mean, it makes some sense on the face of it. It's not typical behavior of them. They tend to mimic their father in a lot of things. I don't think he would have encouraged that. He certainly wouldn't do it himself to go to another country. So, I was surprised they were in a place up there. It doesn't matter, it happened, they're gone and that's good.

BLITZER: Does this take a lot of the heat off of the administration on the pre-war intelligence flap, the uproar that we've been hearing about so much in recent days?

ROCKEFELLER: I don't think so. I mean, I really don't, and I don't mean to be a wet blanket on that, but I think that getting Saddam, No. 1. And then secondly, how did this all come to pass? You know, whether the intelligence that led to missing him in the first place. And what about the weapons of mass destruction? Does he, Saddam, in fact, know more than his younger sons where all of these things are located if, in fact, the weapons of mass destruction are buried out in some desert somewhere? We've got a lot more work to do.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, thanks so much for joining us.

ROCKEFELLER: OK.

BLITZER: Does the shootout in Mosul mean U.S. forces are, in fact, any closer to getting their hands on Saddam Hussein? Let's bring back the former CIA director, James Woolsey, who is joining us from San Francisco.

Your bottom-line assessment on that question, Director?

WOOLSEY: I think it will make other Iraqis more likely to cooperate with the U.S., and so I think, yes, it will hasten the day when we find and capture or kill Saddam Hussein. One of the only true things Osama bin Laden has ever said, Wolf, is that people look at a strong horse and a weak horse and they like the strong horse better. The main thing about this is that this killing of Qusay and Uday makes the U.S. look like a very strong horse, and I think you'll probably get a number of people come around to work with us now that weren't before.

BLITZER: The Iraqi who provided the tip of the location of these two sons, he might be eligible for, what, $30 million -- $15 million apiece. Presumably, if he gets that money, it's going to be highly publicized. It might encourage some other person to tell the U.S. where Saddam Hussein is.

WOOLSEY: Well, I think if that turns out to be justified, I would publicize it highly. I might let the guy and his family into the United States and give them a new identity and let him life (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Bravo.

BLITZER: Thirty million dollars, he could live quite handsomely for a long time. Why is it so hard, Director Woolsey? I would say that finding Saddam Hussein was very hard. But where are the weapons of mass destruction, the stockpiles that were supposedly ready within 45 minutes to be used against invading U.S. forces? Still the U.S. military has come up empty in the search.

WOOLSEY: Well, Wolf, I don't know about the 45 minute claim. I think it's very likely that there were both chemical and bacteriological weapons. I don't know in what volumes or locations. We didn't really know that I think as the war started. Some of them may have been buried. Some of them may have been destroyed. Some of them may have been taken into Syria.

But you have to realize that the volumes here are not huge. Saddam admitted making 8,500 liters of anthrax. That's about eight- and-a-half tons. It sounds like a lot, but that's less than half a tractor-trailer load. And if it's reduced to powder, it's about 150 pounds, sort of four medium-sized suitcases. This country is the size of California. Ask yourself how many half truckloads of marijuana and how many suitcases full of cocaine are in California that the authorities can't find. A number of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) say larger than the one set of each.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, unfortunately, we are out of time. Thanks so much for joining us this hour.

Four months ago, she was just another private in the United States Army. Today, Jessica Lynch is a national hero. Her homecoming and her thank you to her hometown and her country when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Today, a hero's homecoming. That's what former POW Jessica Lynch received this afternoon when she finally returned to her home in West Virginia. The Army private first class was flown by helicopter from Washington, D.C. to the town of Elizabeth. Her home is in nearby Palestine. The streets were packed with thousands of well-wishers, as Lynch was driven through the town in a red convertible as part of a large motorcade. Still recovering from her serious injuries received in an ambush in March, Lynch said her first words to the news media, said she's proud to be an American soldier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: I've heard thousands of stories that when I was captured I said, 'I'm an American soldier, too.' Those stories were right. Those were my words. I am an American soldier, too. Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lynch was warmly praised, understandably, by her fellow soldiers, especially those who were with her in combat.

Our Web question of the day is this: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? You can vote at CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Four persons were killed during that operation and were removed from the building, and we have since confirmed that Uday and Qusay Hussein are among the dead. The site is currently been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The scene of that firefight, six hours, Mosul in the northern part of Iraq. Let's go to our Nic Robertson. He's there on the scene right where it all happened.

And, Nic, you began this hour by giving us a little flavor of what's going on. Wrap it up. Tell us what you're seeing and hearing right now.

ROBERTSON: The streets of Mosul are very quiet. There are very few people out and about. There is certainly tight security still around the site of the gun battle around the building. There are a number of soldiers from the 101st Airborne patrolling the streets. At least three or four (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that are clearly visible from the main road. One of these has a TOW missile launcher mounted on it.

The security through the rest of the city is fairly light, but on the outskirts of the city, very tight security. Troops are telling us they're looking for anyone who also may be fleeing tonight -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And is there a sense in the community, based on what you've seen and heard so far, Nic, that Saddam Hussein potentially himself could be in the vicinity? ROBERTSON: We haven't been given that indication by anybody here yet at this time, certainly the people that we've come across so far. Still very much this place is getting to grips of what's actually happened in their city. Some people, believe it or not, on the far side of Mosul had not heard about this particular incident -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Nic Robertson will be joining us throughout the night. Nic Robertson now on the scene in Mosul for us. Thanks very much, Nic.

Let's check in and see how you are voting on our Web question of the day: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? Look at this, 22 percent of you say yes, 78 percent say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder: We're on every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. on the West Coast, as well as Noon Eastern. See you tomorrow.

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 July 22, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This is a huge day in Iraq. The United States military confirmed Saddam Hussein's two sons are dead. They were killed by U.S. forces during a six-hour firefight in northern Iraq. We're standing by for wall to wall coverage, including reaction from around the world on a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Target: Saddam's sons. High-ranking regime loyalists holed up in this house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American troops from the 101st Airborne were able to enter the house, and there they found four charred bodies.

BLITZER: Uday and Qusay among the dead. Could this help end the attacks on U.S. troops? Is Saddam next? I'll ask former CIA Director James Woolsey.

Homecoming. The long road back for former POW Jessica Lynch leads to the hills of West Virginia.

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JEFFICA LYNCH, FORMER POW: Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

BLITZER: And a fire at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. Target: Saddam's Sons.

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, July 22, 2003. Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

A day of stunning developments in Iraq. It began when elite U.S. forces, acting on a tip, surrounded a house and engaged in a fierce six-hour battle with those inside. Then after hours of hints, we've learned in just the past 90 minutes or so from the United States military that among the four dead in that house were the two sons of Saddam Hussein, Uday and Qusay.

The final showdown took place in the northern city of Mosul. The fugitives were hunted down not in a traditional stronghold of the Iraqi regime, but in a surprising location in an area considerably more friendly towards the Americans. We'll spend the next hour taking a detailed look at this historic day and what it means. We'll go live to CNN's Rym Brahimi, she's in Baghdad. Jamie McIntyre, who is at the Pentagon. John King, he's over at the White House. And Richard Roth, he's following events at the United Nations.

But first, let's go directly to the scene of the showdown. Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, has just pulled in to that northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He's joining us now live on the phone -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I'm standing outside the building where the gun battle took place. It's heavily defended and guarded at this time by troops from the 101st Airborne. I can see at least one soldier on his Humvee looking out from behind a TOW missile launcher. A number of other Humvees are securing the area on the periphery of Mosul tonight.

There is very tight security. We've seen helicopters flying over the sky. Tight security. Troops tell us that they are searching everyone that's leaving Mosul tonight in case there are any other associates of Saddam, Uday or Qusay Hussein trying to flee the city of Mosul and get out. They are trying to track those people down tonight as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, stand by. We're going to get you up on the satellite, and we're going to continue this conversation. Collect some more information.

In the meantime, I want to go to Baghdad. CNN's Rym Brahimi has been following all of these events.

And, Rym, I understand you've just been facing some gunfire -- hearing some gunfire where you are over at the Palestine Hotel.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Wolf. You know, even before this was confirmed by Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who briefed reporters a short while ago, well, there was just a huge crack of very intense gunfire all around behind me here. You can even see a trace of fire, and it was coming from all directions to the point that we actually had to run for cover and stay inside the building for about an hour until it slowly died down.

Now, Ricardo Sanchez explained that those four bodies -- among those four bodies, as you said, were Qusay and Uday Saddam Hussein. Here's how he put it:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, COMMANDER, COALITION GROUND FORCE: Four persons were killed during that operation and were removed from the building, and we have since confirmed that Uday and Qusay Hussein are among the dead. The site is currently been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRAHIMI: Now, about the implications of such a catch, if you will, of what happened there in that raid that Lieutenant General Sanchez said was a very, very long and fierce battle in which Uday and Qusay Hussein both resisted very forcefully for a long time, well, immediate implication the gunfire I told you about. That seems or presumably was celebratory gunfire.

And also, of course, in the long term, the big question now, Wolf, is, of course, will that improve the situation for U.S. troops on the ground that are facing daily attacks on the part of remnants of the Baath Party regime? -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to follow all of those developments. Rym, stand by. We're going to be getting back to you for more coverage of this breaking story.

The battle, of course, involved elite United States forces. For more information on that, let's turn to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the U.S. Task Force 20, which is the special operations team spearheading the hunt for Saddam Hussein, his sons and other top Iraqi leadership, was involved in this operation, along with soldiers from the 101st Airborne.

But it appears that that $15 million reward may have paid off, because the commander of land forces in Iraq said that it was a -- quote -- "walk-in." He told the 101st that Saddam Hussein's sons, apparently a grandson and a bodyguard were all holed up hiding in a villa in the north part of Mosul. That kicked off this operation, which went on for hours. It involved an A-10 attack jet, an OH-58 helicopter and TOW antitank missiles, all fired into this building.

The Pentagon spent the whole day being very cautious about too much premature celebration, but by the end of the day, U.S. officials were expressing pleasure that Saddam Hussein's sons had been taken out, and that they said this was a boost to the morale for the U.S. military.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BREMER, U.S. ADMINISTRATOR IN IRAQ: It's a great day for the Iraqi people and great day for the American military, who once again showed their outstanding professionalism in this operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, one question is despite the fact that the United States says that they have killed these two most-wanted Iraqis, Iraqi people are still expressing some skepticism. And General Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces there, said at a further briefing tomorrow the United States will present more details and more evidence that the sons are, in fact, dead -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And, Jamie, they didn't need to use DNA evidence. Obviously, they couldn't do that that quickly. Their face, the appearance, that apparently was enough to get the job done.

MCINTYRE: We were told that the bodies were fairly well shot- up, but that they were still identifiable, and apparently the identification initially was made simply from the physical appearance of the bodies. But we are told that some DNA testing will be done just in the interest of complete (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: All right, Jamie McIntyre, we'll be checking back with you as well.

The results of the raid are sure to boost the Bush administration, beleaguered by accusations over the way it handled the U.S. entry into the war.

Let's get some more details now. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is standing by.

John -- what are they saying at the White House?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we are told that when the president was given the definitive word that Saddam Hussein's sons were, in fact, dead, that he characterized it as good news and characterized it as proof that for all of the controversy that the U.S. military mission in Iraq is succeeding. Look for the administration to make that case in the days ahead. That even though U.S. troops are still coming under hostile fire, that even though the security situation remains precarious in some places in Iraq, Mr. Bush will make the case that there are ongoing success stories, and the administration will trumpet this development as a very significant one.

Here at the White House, they say they believe, as Jamie noted, it should be a morale boost to U.S. troops on the ground, and they also are hoping as this evidence sinks in that perhaps it will take away any doubts the Iraqi people might have about the possibility that the old regime could return to power and perhaps make Iraqis even more willing now to come forward. Perhaps, the administration says, this will encourage more informants to come in, maybe with information about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein or maybe with information that could answer one of the key questions in the political controversy here in the United States: Where are the weapons of mass destruction? -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, as you and I well know going back over many years, normally when there is huge, important good news like this for the president of the United States, he personally wants to make that announcement to the American people, to people all over the world. They left this to the general on the scene in Baghdad to report what happened. What was the thinking leading up to this relatively low- key, very cautious stance from the White House?

KING: We are told that the White House made the decision that it was U.S. troops that put their lives on the line, it is U.S. troops who have had their mission questioned in recent days, and that the administration decided it was the U.S. military that would make this announcement. The president had no public events on his schedule today. We thought perhaps one would be added, but we are told, no, that we will not hear from the president, his official reaction to all of this until probably tomorrow.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. Thanks, John, very much.

The deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein may have a much more profound impact in Iraq than we can even now imagine. These are two brothers who held a huge amount of power and leave a legacy of fear and intimidation throughout the entire country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Saddam Hussein's regime depended on the instrument of fear. The dictator often asked his sons to wield that instrument. Uday and Qusay Hussein didn't disappoint.

Uday, 39 years old, once the heir apparent to Saddam, but according to many accounts, his behavior became too sociopathic, even for his father.

Uday, defensive, when asked during a 1997 interview with CNN's Ben Wedeman if he would succeed his father.

UDAY HUSSEIN, SON OF SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): If that was not a question from you, from a foreigner, the person who spoke like that, even as a form of praise, would be questioned or punished.

BLITZER: Positions and responsibility only gave Uday more power to brutalize anyone he chose. As head of Iraq's Olympic Committee, he was accused by former athletes of torturing and jailing those who didn't perform to his standards.

Accounts of his treatment of women are notorious. The MO: random abductions off the street, at parties, even brides from weddings; then captivity, rape, intimidation.

1998, Uday reportedly clubbed to death Saddam's favorite valet. 1996, Uday is credited with taking part in the killings of his two brothers-in-law, former members of Saddam's inner circle who defected to Jordan, only to be lured back to Iraq. That same year, Uday reportedly survived an assassination attempt, barely. The attack left him gravely injured, and many accounts say partially paralyzed.

UDAY HUSSEIN (through translator): Bullets can tear flesh, but flesh can be stitched. A bone is broken, but it can be mended. But the most important thing is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: He was left in charge of several state media outlets and oversaw the vicious militant group known as the Fedayeen Saddam.

With Uday's evolving brutality, Saddam Hussein began to shift greater responsibility to his younger son, Qusay Hussein, 37 years old, as ruthless as his brother but more cunning. He idolized his father, mimicked his appearance and method. By many accounts, he supervised the assassinations of political opponents and sometimes did the job himself. He reportedly oversaw the crushing of the 1991 Shiite rebellion in the south, then went on to lead the Republican Guard and most of Saddam's top security services.

According to a "TIME" magazine profile, as Qusay's profile grew, so did resentment from his brother.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Uday was so jealous of his brother that whenever he appeared in the media, he threw fits. He was so jealous of his brother's girlfriends he would bring them in and have sex with them himself, and then use a branding iron to mark them with a horseshoe-shaped "U" -- of course, "U" being the first letter of his name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And in the words of one expert, and I am quoting now: "Saddam himself couldn't kill everyone he wanted to or spy on everyone he needed to. Having those two boys do it for him is a critical element in his reign of terror."

They're both dead now.

Meanwhile, a deadly attack on a U.S. convoy in Iraq. It happened this morning on a road between Balad and the town of Ar Ramadi. Military officials say one soldier was killed, another was injured, when the convoy was hit by small-arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade. The fatality was from the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment.

This latest death makes 94 U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1 -- 37 of the deaths have resulted from what's officially described as "hostile action," 57 are classified as "non-hostile."

How can the United States be so sure that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? We'll talk to the former CIA director, James Woolsey, about how the United States and its forces could make the identifications even before any DNA testing was completed.

And what were Saddam's sons doing in Mosul, so far from their family's traditional base of power?

Also ahead, a fire at one of the world's most popular landmarks. We'll have details. All of that straight ahead on this special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

On this historic day, there is yet more news coming out of the White House. For that, let's turn to our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne -- you have some additional breaking news unfolding right now. What's going on? SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it really was an extraordinary briefing for more than an hour. The White House -- the bottom line is the White House is sharing responsibility for the flap over the president's State of the Union address, that 16- word statement that has become so controversial that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Well, Deputy National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, as well as the director of communications, Dan Bartlett, letting us in on the details in these communications.

What happened over the weekend is that the White House discovered two memos from the CIA that were sent to the National Security Council. In these memos, it states concerns that the CIA had over that statement that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Now, this was over the Cincinnati speech, a speech that the president gave in October. That was taken out of the Cincinnati speech because of these concerns. It was put back in the State of the Union address.

Now, Hadley said he did not recall those memos. Had he recalled those memos that he got from the CIA during the speechwriting process, it would have sent red flags. He would have told the president, no, we cannot have this in the speech.

He also said that National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is also taking personal responsibility for this snafu, for this flap. The White House still insisting, however, the bottom line is that information was technically accurate, but, yes, the White House now sharing that responsibility with the CIA that that should have never been included in the speech -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux with important information coming from the White House. Thanks, Suzanne. We'll be checking back with you as usual.

Let's get some more analysis now on what all of this means, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein, as well as these latest developments coming from the White House. For that, we turn to the former CIA director, James Woolsey. He's joining us from San Francisco.

Director Woolsey, as usual, thanks to you once again for joining us.

What do you make, first of all, of what Suzanne just reported? The White House now taking at least some of the responsibility for getting those 16 words into the president's State of the Union address, it wasn't simply the CIA slipping up.

JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I think, OK, fine. These 16 words have carried an awful lot of freight over the course of the last couple of weeks, Wolf. And I think if the president had said that the British government had indicated that they had learned that the Iraqis were attempting to get uranium from Africa, it really would have been unexceptionable. Because he said the British government learned, it suggested, it didn't exactly say, but it suggested that the U.S. fully believed it.

And it did have -- we had this report from early 2002 from the retired ambassador, who had gone to Niger, that at least material, in his judgment, had not come from there. But there is nothing inconsistent with Saddam having failed in early 2002 and attempting, again, in early 2003. And the British continue to say that their source is good, and presumably they're not relying on these forged documents.

So, you know, between the International Atomic Energy Agency, which, after all, missed all three of Saddam's nuclear programs in the 1980's, and British MI-6 (ph), I'm still betting with the British. This flap may all end up being about a true statement.

BLITZER: Tony Blair is still insisting that his intelligence was right and refusing to back down at all.

Let's move on and talk about this huge development today, confirmation from the U.S. military they've killed Uday and Qusay Hussein. In the scheme of things, Director Woolsey, how big a deal is this?

WOOLSEY: Well, this is very big, because it is a major part, not all, but it's a major part of blocking the idea in anyone's mind that the Baathists are going to come back. One of the things that has given rise to this continued rebellion in the so-called Sunni triangle, the area north and west of Baghdad where there is some 20 percent Sunni Arabs in the population of the country there, is the notion that the Baathists might be able to come back. Getting rid of Qusay and Uday is a major part of that. Of course, the key thing is to capture or kill Saddam Hussein.

And once that happens, I think we will start to see a number of Iraqis who have been closed-mouth, have been unwilling to talk, have been worried about not cooperating with us or the British because they think that Saddam may come back, they will start, I think, to cooperate more. So, I think there will be a positive cascading effect, and this is an important part of it.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, does the U.S. military now have to show pictures to the Iraqi people of the bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein to convince the Iraqi population these two guys really are dead?

WOOLSEY: They're going to have to do something like that and to describe what else they have, you know, dental records. They've captured a lot of material in Iraq. Maybe they have these guys' dental records, maybe they had at some point some DNA evidence, maybe it's pictures of parts of the body that are hard to change like people's ears. There are all sorts of things they could have.

But they're going to have to be quite persuasive in part because the airwaves of Iraq are more or less owned by Iran. It's Iranian broadcasting in Arabic into Iraq that is the source of news for most Iraqis. It's beyond me how this country, which is the leader of the world's media, has let this happen, and how we don't have a major media presence in Iraq. But apparently, we don't, and the Iranians, you can be sure, are going to distort this badly. BLITZER: Will the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein cause Iraqis basically to come forward and help the U.S.? Or is there a possibility there could be a backlash?

WOOLSEY: No, I think it will be largely positive. Certainly, some of the diehard defenders in this Sunni triangle, some of the people in the special security organization which one of the sons headed and so forth will try to create disruptions. They may already have done so.

But, generally speaking, this is going to help break the role of the resisters, the Baathists and the Tikritis, many of whom served as officers in the Republican Guard and the rest, the people in Saddam's clan. I think this is a very positive step.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, you heard there General Ricardo Sanchez, the U.S. military commander on the ground in Baghdad, say they got the tip from what he called a "walk-in."

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: Someone who just showed up.

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: In your line of work, you used to run spies all over the world, normally when you get a walk-in, you're very, very nervous about that.

WOOLSEY: Well, you should always be suspicious, but you should always listen.

In 1917, Allen Dulles, an early and distinguished CIA director, he always told this story on himself. He was a young foreign service officer in Switzerland, and a little fellow came by and wanted to see him on a Sunday. Dulles had a tennis date with an attractive young woman, and so he said I'll see this guy later. It turned out it was Lenin just before the Germans put him on a train to the Finland station and started the Russian Revolution. Dulles always wondered what it was Lenin, the walk-in, wanted to say to him.

And it's always a good idea to listen, and then after that decide if you may be getting bad information or not.

BLITZER: It's a good thing they listened to this walk-in on this particular day.

WOOLSEY: Yes.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, I'm going to have you stand by. I want to get back to you later this hour. We've got a lot more to talk about. Stand by.

WOOLSEY: OK.

BLITZER: With Saddam Hussein's sons dead, the United States military has now accounted for three of the four aces in its deck of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis. Qusay and Uday Hussein were the ace of clubs and the ace of hearts. The ace of diamonds, the former presidential secretary Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, was captured last month. Saddam Hussein, of course, is the only ace still outstanding. We'll see how much longer he has.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at CNN.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

So, are U.S. forces any closer to capturing Saddam Hussein now that his sons were killed in that major firefight earlier today? We'll get some special insights from (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

And, what caused the fire in the Eiffel Tower? Was it just an accident or something more sinister? We'll tell you. Stay with us.

And later:

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LYNCH: I'm an American soldier, too. Those stories were right. Those were my words. I am an American soldier, too. Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: You'll hear more from Private First Class Jessica Lynch in her first public statement since her capture and rescue in Iraq. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, is on Capitol Hill speaking now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BREMER: ... to include security to American forces and to the Iraqi people, and to continue the progress we've made, the extraordinary progress we've made on the political front. I think we find as we describe our strategy to members that there is a much better understanding of how we're moving forward and how we intend to go forward in the weeks ahead. I don't know if you have a statement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are extremely proud of Ambassador Bremer and his team over there. Ric Sanchez (ph), you've seen some of him on your television this afternoon. A lot of good things are happening. And I think that the message that we have received is that we've got to have some patience. This is a tough job. We have good people there working in a very tough operational climate, doing excellent work, and every day is a better day than yesterday, and that is (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that is the way things are working across the whole spectrum. Whether it's the political spectrum or the infrastructure or stability or the economy or anything you want to name it, it is going better. The news is good. People should be cheered, but this is not a short run. This is a long run. And I am pleased to be associated with it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me say that I worked with Ambassador Bremer in 1999 and 2000 as part of the commission on terrorism, an effort that he chaired ably. He is doing this project ably as well. Chairman Doss and I were recently in Baghdad. Our focus was on the effort to find WMD in Iraq. That is part of the ambassador's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as well, and we discussed that in depth today. It is absolutely critical that we continue our work on the WMD search. What worries me is not just that our credibility is at stake, but the safety of our troops on the ground is at stake. And so, I am very encouraged by what he said about the WMD search.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE).

BREMER: Thank you. Well, this is a really great day for the Iraqi people. It's a wonderful day for the fine American men and women in our services, who have shown again how competent and professional they are. The fact that Baghdad was lighted up with celebratory fire tonight shows you how important this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) desires that the Iraqi people (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that once and for all that Saddam Hussein, his sons and his odious regime. This is important because it also shows the cooperation between the Iraqis and the Americans. I understand the information came to us from an Iraqi informant, which led us to the house where these men were killed.

As we go forward, I'm looking and I'm hoping that we'll see more coordination and more cooperation between Iraqi and American people, and this is just very good news.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE).

BREMER: I think it's quite possible that what we'll find after this now is that people will be willing to come forward as they have been over the last few weeks. We've seen an increase in informants coming forward to our military, to our intelligence people and to our police in the last three weeks. This was an obvious example of a culmination of that. I would hope this will encourage other Iraqis to come forward now.

And I've said all along that it's only a matter of time before we find Saddam Hussein, and I hope that day is a day early.

Thank you.

BLITZER: Paul Bremer flanked by the chairman and the ranking Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee, Porter Goss and Jane Harmon. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civilian administrator for Iraq, clearly pleased by the latest developments, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein.

U.S. forces say they killed Saddam Hussein's sons earlier today, but does that put the United States any closer to getting Saddam Hussein himself? Some answers to that coming up.

First, though, let's check the latest headlines.

(INTERRUPTED BY NEWS BREAK)

BLITZER: Now back to our top story, a huge story. Delegates from the newly-formed Iraqi Governing Council were at the United Nations when (UNINTELLIGIBLE) news about Saddam Hussein's sons.

Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is following developments there, as he always does -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, well, interesting timing. The Governing Council's representatives, three of them, in New York inside the Security Council when word spread that the two sons of Saddam Hussein were probably dead. And then when news came of the confirmation, CNN asked Ahmed Chalabi, one of the Governing Council's representatives and an arch opponent of Saddam Hussein throughout the decades, for his reaction to the deaths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: Qusay was basically the chief of operations. It was very important (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and so the deaths (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because his sons were killed and given that we perceive them to be much (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Chalabi also said that these were two hated characters. The Iraqi National Congress (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in here at a press conference earlier. They also toured Iraq's United Nations Mission to the United Nations. Soon, the Iraqi Governing Council, when it's fully accredited, they get the official seat, will take possession of the Iraqi mission.

Here, you see Chalabi going in this morning. He actually met with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a holdover diplomat from the Saddam Hussein regime there. Relations pretty cordial. Inside the mission, Chalabi said (UNINTELLIGIBLE) be used as an intelligence (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It will be used purely for diplomacy. Saddam Hussein treated his diplomats (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Chalabi said.

One opponent of Chalabi in the gallery inside the Security Council with the United Nations, shortly before one of the representatives from the visiting council spoke out, two protestors screamed against the presence of Chalabi and the council, saying, they are not legitimate representatives of the Iraqi government. Some of the members of the Security Council are also concerned. They don't see the Iraqi people fully represented by everyone, and they are not so ready to give a full endorsement to Chalabi and his colleagues -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Richard Roth at the U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as well. Thanks, Richard, very much.

What were Saddam Hussein's sons doing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, some 200 miles from Baghdad?

Let's get some analysis on that right now. And we're joined by U.S. Army brigadier general retired David Grange, our CNN military analyst.

Were you surprised, General Grange, they were in Mosul? That's not normally seen as hot bed of pro-Saddam Sunni activity.

GENERAL BRIGADIER DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: A little bit surprised, but I believe that where Saddam, his sons and his higher-ups probably have safe sites throughout the country. They had time to set these up. And it may have been that had been an excellent place for them to hole up, that they may have been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by coalition forces, they were forced to move that way. When they got there, they couldn’t get out to go to another site. And so, ended up being in a place where they had to lie low before this attack took place.

BLITZER: Did the military operation -- because the firefight, we're told, lasted six hours before Iraqis inside were killed or confirmed two of those -- the two sons, six hours. Do you think the goal was to capture these two sons alive? Or did that not make a difference, alive or dead?

GRANGE: Well, I think the goal would be to capture if possible, because of the information that you can obtain from these people being captured instead of killed. And they didn't know for sure who was inside. I mean, they had information (UNINTELLIGIBLE) but it may not have been. And so, they were probably taking their time. They had (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They knew that these individuals could not get away. And so, if they could take them prisoner, well, that would have been better.

BLITZER: And one final question before I let you go, General Grange. The use of the 101st Airborne for this kind of operation, was it a case based on what you can tell they happened to be there on the scene, they were the closest to this residence in Mosul? Or would they have been the unit of choice to go after these two sons?

GRANGE: Well, if they were mostly sure it was the two sons (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it's a good chance that coalition headquarters would have used special operating forces that are trained in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) entry and surgical operations. However, our forces are trained for any extremist reaction like the 101st, and they were in the area, like you said, and were tasked to do the mission, and obviously did it quite well.

BLITZER: All right, General Grange, thanks very much.

I want to go to the White House right now. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is back with more information. It's coming out almost every few minutes.

Suzanne -- tell us what you have.

MALVEAUX: Wolf, we just got formal official reaction on the capture of Saddam Hussein's sons. President Bush had been in touch with the secretary of defense several times during the day. Of course, a great deal of anticipation and optimism.

I'm just going to read the statement very briefly. It says: "We were pleased to learn through the Department of Defense of today's action against Uday and Qusay Hussein. Over the period of many years, these two individuals were responsible for countless atrocities committed against the Iraqi people, and they can no longer cast a shadow of hate on Iraq. U.S. military forces and our intelligence community, working with an Iraqi citizen, deserve credit for today's successful action. While there is still much work to be done in Iraq, the Iraqi people can see progress each day toward a better and a more prosperous future for their country."

Clearly, a victory for the White House that has been under an incredible amount of criticism over the last couple of weeks regarding intelligence and other matters. This is a big win for them, and they are certainly hoping that it bolsters their case and credibility (UNINTELLIGIBLE) they hope to accomplish in Iraq -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A low-key reaction there from the White House, no overt gloating for that matter, no public statements other than Ambassador Paul Bremer. Thanks, Suzanne, very much.

Does the deaths of Saddam Hussein's two sons put U.S. forces any closer to the capture of the ultimate prize in Iraq, namely Saddam Hussein? I'll ask the former CIA director, James Woolsey. He's standing by. Also the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay Rockefeller. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Joining us now from Capitol Hill, the Democratic senator, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. He's the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Also we're speaking with CIA Director James Woolsey. We'll get to him in a moment.

Senator Rockefeller, does this -- did this death, the killings of the two sons, suggest to you that it's only a matter of time before the U.S. captures or kills their father?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: I'd like it to suggest that, Wolf, but it doesn't yet. Until we see him dead, know that he's dead and, more importantly, until the Iraqi people know that he's dead, he is still the looming presence. The sons are very important. That's extremely important. But the father is the person who extracts retribution, that's the person the people are afraid of, that's one of the reasons we have not found any weapons of mass destruction (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: The fact that they found Uday and Qusay Hussein in Mosul in the northern part of Iraq, what, if anything, does that suggest about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein?

ROCKEFELLER: I don't think anything. I was really struck by why they got them up here. That's, you know, traditionally not so much Saddam's territory. And so, I think Saddam is not up there. He's back where he always is, Tikrit, Baghdad, somewhere in that Sunni triangle. We have to get him, Wolf. It's wonderful that we've gotten the two sons. They are horrible people, but the father is the symbol and the intimidator to the Iraqi people.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, there is some suggestion, and I'm sure you've heard it, the fact these two sons were so far in the north, not far from the borders of Syria or Iran, they may have been attempting to cross those borders and to get into one of those two countries. Is there anything that you know that would suggest that that was perhaps one of their objectives?

ROCKEFELLER: Wolf, I just don't know that. I mean, it makes some sense on the face of it. It's not typical behavior of them. They tend to mimic their father in a lot of things. I don't think he would have encouraged that. He certainly wouldn't do it himself to go to another country. So, I was surprised they were in a place up there. It doesn't matter, it happened, they're gone and that's good.

BLITZER: Does this take a lot of the heat off of the administration on the pre-war intelligence flap, the uproar that we've been hearing about so much in recent days?

ROCKEFELLER: I don't think so. I mean, I really don't, and I don't mean to be a wet blanket on that, but I think that getting Saddam, No. 1. And then secondly, how did this all come to pass? You know, whether the intelligence that led to missing him in the first place. And what about the weapons of mass destruction? Does he, Saddam, in fact, know more than his younger sons where all of these things are located if, in fact, the weapons of mass destruction are buried out in some desert somewhere? We've got a lot more work to do.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, thanks so much for joining us.

ROCKEFELLER: OK.

BLITZER: Does the shootout in Mosul mean U.S. forces are, in fact, any closer to getting their hands on Saddam Hussein? Let's bring back the former CIA director, James Woolsey, who is joining us from San Francisco.

Your bottom-line assessment on that question, Director?

WOOLSEY: I think it will make other Iraqis more likely to cooperate with the U.S., and so I think, yes, it will hasten the day when we find and capture or kill Saddam Hussein. One of the only true things Osama bin Laden has ever said, Wolf, is that people look at a strong horse and a weak horse and they like the strong horse better. The main thing about this is that this killing of Qusay and Uday makes the U.S. look like a very strong horse, and I think you'll probably get a number of people come around to work with us now that weren't before.

BLITZER: The Iraqi who provided the tip of the location of these two sons, he might be eligible for, what, $30 million -- $15 million apiece. Presumably, if he gets that money, it's going to be highly publicized. It might encourage some other person to tell the U.S. where Saddam Hussein is.

WOOLSEY: Well, I think if that turns out to be justified, I would publicize it highly. I might let the guy and his family into the United States and give them a new identity and let him life (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Bravo.

BLITZER: Thirty million dollars, he could live quite handsomely for a long time. Why is it so hard, Director Woolsey? I would say that finding Saddam Hussein was very hard. But where are the weapons of mass destruction, the stockpiles that were supposedly ready within 45 minutes to be used against invading U.S. forces? Still the U.S. military has come up empty in the search.

WOOLSEY: Well, Wolf, I don't know about the 45 minute claim. I think it's very likely that there were both chemical and bacteriological weapons. I don't know in what volumes or locations. We didn't really know that I think as the war started. Some of them may have been buried. Some of them may have been destroyed. Some of them may have been taken into Syria.

But you have to realize that the volumes here are not huge. Saddam admitted making 8,500 liters of anthrax. That's about eight- and-a-half tons. It sounds like a lot, but that's less than half a tractor-trailer load. And if it's reduced to powder, it's about 150 pounds, sort of four medium-sized suitcases. This country is the size of California. Ask yourself how many half truckloads of marijuana and how many suitcases full of cocaine are in California that the authorities can't find. A number of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) say larger than the one set of each.

BLITZER: Director Woolsey, unfortunately, we are out of time. Thanks so much for joining us this hour.

Four months ago, she was just another private in the United States Army. Today, Jessica Lynch is a national hero. Her homecoming and her thank you to her hometown and her country when we come back.

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BLITZER: Today, a hero's homecoming. That's what former POW Jessica Lynch received this afternoon when she finally returned to her home in West Virginia. The Army private first class was flown by helicopter from Washington, D.C. to the town of Elizabeth. Her home is in nearby Palestine. The streets were packed with thousands of well-wishers, as Lynch was driven through the town in a red convertible as part of a large motorcade. Still recovering from her serious injuries received in an ambush in March, Lynch said her first words to the news media, said she's proud to be an American soldier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: I've heard thousands of stories that when I was captured I said, 'I'm an American soldier, too.' Those stories were right. Those were my words. I am an American soldier, too. Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lynch was warmly praised, understandably, by her fellow soldiers, especially those who were with her in combat.

Our Web question of the day is this: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? You can vote at CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results when we come back.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Four persons were killed during that operation and were removed from the building, and we have since confirmed that Uday and Qusay Hussein are among the dead. The site is currently been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The scene of that firefight, six hours, Mosul in the northern part of Iraq. Let's go to our Nic Robertson. He's there on the scene right where it all happened.

And, Nic, you began this hour by giving us a little flavor of what's going on. Wrap it up. Tell us what you're seeing and hearing right now.

ROBERTSON: The streets of Mosul are very quiet. There are very few people out and about. There is certainly tight security still around the site of the gun battle around the building. There are a number of soldiers from the 101st Airborne patrolling the streets. At least three or four (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that are clearly visible from the main road. One of these has a TOW missile launcher mounted on it.

The security through the rest of the city is fairly light, but on the outskirts of the city, very tight security. Troops are telling us they're looking for anyone who also may be fleeing tonight -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And is there a sense in the community, based on what you've seen and heard so far, Nic, that Saddam Hussein potentially himself could be in the vicinity? ROBERTSON: We haven't been given that indication by anybody here yet at this time, certainly the people that we've come across so far. Still very much this place is getting to grips of what's actually happened in their city. Some people, believe it or not, on the far side of Mosul had not heard about this particular incident -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Nic Robertson will be joining us throughout the night. Nic Robertson now on the scene in Mosul for us. Thanks very much, Nic.

Let's check in and see how you are voting on our Web question of the day: Are U.S. troops safer now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead? Look at this, 22 percent of you say yes, 78 percent say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder: We're on every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. on the West Coast, as well as Noon Eastern. See you tomorrow.

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