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CNN Live At Daybreak
Operation Iron Hammer Targets Saddam Loyalists
Aired November 14, 2003 - 06:01 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqification (ph) -- that is turning over Iraq to the Iraqis faster. It's what the Bush administration is paving the way for with Operation Iron Hammer.
Live to Baghdad and Alphonso Van Marsh.
What's been happening there this morning?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've just gotten news in -- a news release that a U.S. civilian contractor has been killed in the Balad (ph) region outside of Baghdad. He was traveling in a U.S. convoy and was hit by an automatic weapons fire. Another U.S. service -- excuse me -- another U.S. person was injured in that attack.
Now, the interesting thing about this is this comes during the daytime assessment of Operation Iron Hammer. As you mentioned, Operation Iron Hammer is a series of assaults and raids on targets outside of Baghdad and inside of the Iraqi capital. It's led by the U.S. military's 1st Armored Division, and it also marks a strategic change in military strategy here, going on the offensive in the wake of increasing attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.
Now, you can see from these images that powerful weaponry was used, cannon and gunfire. It basically destroyed buildings that the U.S. military says was used by enemy or opposition forces against U.S. and coalition forces.
Now, it's important to remember that the U.S. military describes these enemies as being small in number, about 5,000 fighters, but being very well organized.
A U.S. staff sergeant on the ground described one of Operation Iron Hammer's targets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAFF SGT. GUILLON, U.S. ARMY: This building here is a former Republican Guard compound, and our unit has been taking fire from this building for several days. And that's the reason why we called in that mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAN MARSH: Now, the U.S. military says that that Republican Guard building was actually used by enemy forces or opposition forces to launch small rocket attacks and also small-arms fires against U.S. forces.
Now, this daytime assessment follows a second night of raids. CNN was able to ride along on a U.S. military helicopter over the skies of Baghdad as Operation Iron Hammer was being carried out. During the second night of raids, the U.S. says its forces were targeting suspected mortar and rocket launch sites, we're told in western Baghdad, and another target east of the capital -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alphonso, many thanks, live out of Baghdad this morning.
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 November 14, 2003 - 06:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqification (ph) -- that is turning over Iraq to the Iraqis faster. It's what the Bush administration is paving the way for with Operation Iron Hammer.
Live to Baghdad and Alphonso Van Marsh.
What's been happening there this morning?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've just gotten news in -- a news release that a U.S. civilian contractor has been killed in the Balad (ph) region outside of Baghdad. He was traveling in a U.S. convoy and was hit by an automatic weapons fire. Another U.S. service -- excuse me -- another U.S. person was injured in that attack.
Now, the interesting thing about this is this comes during the daytime assessment of Operation Iron Hammer. As you mentioned, Operation Iron Hammer is a series of assaults and raids on targets outside of Baghdad and inside of the Iraqi capital. It's led by the U.S. military's 1st Armored Division, and it also marks a strategic change in military strategy here, going on the offensive in the wake of increasing attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.
Now, you can see from these images that powerful weaponry was used, cannon and gunfire. It basically destroyed buildings that the U.S. military says was used by enemy or opposition forces against U.S. and coalition forces.
Now, it's important to remember that the U.S. military describes these enemies as being small in number, about 5,000 fighters, but being very well organized.
A U.S. staff sergeant on the ground described one of Operation Iron Hammer's targets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAFF SGT. GUILLON, U.S. ARMY: This building here is a former Republican Guard compound, and our unit has been taking fire from this building for several days. And that's the reason why we called in that mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAN MARSH: Now, the U.S. military says that that Republican Guard building was actually used by enemy forces or opposition forces to launch small rocket attacks and also small-arms fires against U.S. forces.
Now, this daytime assessment follows a second night of raids. CNN was able to ride along on a U.S. military helicopter over the skies of Baghdad as Operation Iron Hammer was being carried out. During the second night of raids, the U.S. says its forces were targeting suspected mortar and rocket launch sites, we're told in western Baghdad, and another target east of the capital -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alphonso, many thanks, live out of Baghdad this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
