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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Launched Offensive Around Tikrit
Aired November 17, 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: A massive offensive, U.S. forces are unleashing laser-guided missiles and more around Tikrit. It's an effort to deal with those guerrilla attacks.
Live to Baghdad now and Alphonso Van Marsh.
What's happening there -- Alphonso?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
That massive operation is called Operation Ivy Cyclone II. Now, it's targeting so-called non-compliant groups, or opposition forces, in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. If you take a look at some of these pictures, 500-pound warheads, laser-guided missiles, that's just some of the ordnance that lit up the skies of Tikrit over the weekend.
Now, there is no word on casualties, but the U.S. military says it certainly is a show of force.
Let me give you an example. One of the targets was el-Dawri (ph) Palace. Now, that palace is an abandoned, looted summer home of a former Iraqi regime leader, not exactly a hot bed of opposition activity, but the U.S. says it's a legitimate target nonetheless.
They also targeted four homes north of Tikrit over the weekend. Now, we should say that in those homes is where they found suspects the U.S. military says were behind the November 7 downing of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. Six U.S. service members died in that shooting.
Now, the interesting thing about this attack, before U.S. forces destroyed those homes, they actually went into the neighborhood and warned residents ahead of time. And then about an hour before they shot Hellfire missiles into that neighborhood, they double-checked to be sure that the residents had a chance to leave, and to collect some personal belongings as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, there are probably two-fold reasons for that. U.S. forces certainly don't want to kill civilians in this latest bombing effort, right?
VAN MARSH: Well, the U.S. military says that its goal is to get rid of opposition forces, so-called non-complaint groups. Now, whether those are former Saddam regime loyalists or what they call foreign fighters, fighters from other countries, who knows? But the important thing they say is they want the attacks against U.S. and other coalition forces to stop and to stop now, go back on the offense -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alphonso Van Marsh reporting live from 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 17, 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: A massive offensive, U.S. forces are unleashing laser-guided missiles and more around Tikrit. It's an effort to deal with those guerrilla attacks.
Live to Baghdad now and Alphonso Van Marsh.
What's happening there -- Alphonso?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
That massive operation is called Operation Ivy Cyclone II. Now, it's targeting so-called non-compliant groups, or opposition forces, in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. If you take a look at some of these pictures, 500-pound warheads, laser-guided missiles, that's just some of the ordnance that lit up the skies of Tikrit over the weekend.
Now, there is no word on casualties, but the U.S. military says it certainly is a show of force.
Let me give you an example. One of the targets was el-Dawri (ph) Palace. Now, that palace is an abandoned, looted summer home of a former Iraqi regime leader, not exactly a hot bed of opposition activity, but the U.S. says it's a legitimate target nonetheless.
They also targeted four homes north of Tikrit over the weekend. Now, we should say that in those homes is where they found suspects the U.S. military says were behind the November 7 downing of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. Six U.S. service members died in that shooting.
Now, the interesting thing about this attack, before U.S. forces destroyed those homes, they actually went into the neighborhood and warned residents ahead of time. And then about an hour before they shot Hellfire missiles into that neighborhood, they double-checked to be sure that the residents had a chance to leave, and to collect some personal belongings as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, there are probably two-fold reasons for that. U.S. forces certainly don't want to kill civilians in this latest bombing effort, right?
VAN MARSH: Well, the U.S. military says that its goal is to get rid of opposition forces, so-called non-complaint groups. Now, whether those are former Saddam regime loyalists or what they call foreign fighters, fighters from other countries, who knows? But the important thing they say is they want the attacks against U.S. and other coalition forces to stop and to stop now, go back on the offense -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alphonso Van Marsh reporting live from 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.
