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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Forces Have Pressed Forward in Campaign Against Iraqi Insurgents
Aired November 17, 2003 - 05:01 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: U.S. forces have pressed forward on two fronts in their campaign against Iraqi insurgents.
For details on those raids, let's head live to Baghdad and CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh -- good morning.
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
I want to tell you about Operation Ivy Cyclone Two. It's a massive show of force that follows the Saturday downing of two U.S. military Black Hawk helicopters west of Mosul. Seventeen U.S. military service members were killed in that attack.
Now, back to Operation Ivy Cyclone Two, it's called a massive show of force against so-called non-compliant or opposition forces in Tikrit. That's Saddam Hussein's hometown.
Take a look at some of these pictures. You'll see that 500 pound warheads and laser guided missiles just some of the ordinance used over the skies of Tikrit. The U.S. military says it used tanks and fighter jets and also helicopters to hit their targets.
Now, there's no word on casualties, but at the very least it's a show of force. I'll give you an example. Al-Dahri Palace (ph) was one of those targets. Al-Dahri Palace is an empty abandoned summer home of a former Iraqi regime leader. Now, the empty building may just be an empty shell. It was certainly not a hotbed of opposition activity. But the U.S. military says it's a legitimate target nonetheless.
Now, also targeted over the weekend, four homes in Tikrit. The U.S. military says in those homes, that's where they found suspects behind the November 7 downing of another U.S. Black Hawk military heart. Six U.S. service members died in that attack.
Now, this is an interesting note, Carol. Before they attacked those homes, the U.S. military actually warned residents in the neighborhood that they were going to be under fire and that an hour before they used Hellfire missiles to take out those homes they double checked to be sure that the residents had left and that they had the opportunity to take some personal belongings with them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Is this mission different from Operation Iron Hammer and is that over?
VAN MARSH: Well, yes. One way of looking at it, Operation Iron Hammer seems to be targeting alleged targets in the Baghdad and surrounding areas of the Iraqi capital, whereas this separate Operation Ivy Cyclone Two is up north, right at the heart of Saddam Hussein's hometown.
COSTELLO: All right, Alphonso, many thanks.
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
Insurgents>
Aired November 17, 2003 - 05:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces have pressed forward on two fronts in their campaign against Iraqi insurgents.
For details on those raids, let's head live to Baghdad and CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh -- good morning.
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
I want to tell you about Operation Ivy Cyclone Two. It's a massive show of force that follows the Saturday downing of two U.S. military Black Hawk helicopters west of Mosul. Seventeen U.S. military service members were killed in that attack.
Now, back to Operation Ivy Cyclone Two, it's called a massive show of force against so-called non-compliant or opposition forces in Tikrit. That's Saddam Hussein's hometown.
Take a look at some of these pictures. You'll see that 500 pound warheads and laser guided missiles just some of the ordinance used over the skies of Tikrit. The U.S. military says it used tanks and fighter jets and also helicopters to hit their targets.
Now, there's no word on casualties, but at the very least it's a show of force. I'll give you an example. Al-Dahri Palace (ph) was one of those targets. Al-Dahri Palace is an empty abandoned summer home of a former Iraqi regime leader. Now, the empty building may just be an empty shell. It was certainly not a hotbed of opposition activity. But the U.S. military says it's a legitimate target nonetheless.
Now, also targeted over the weekend, four homes in Tikrit. The U.S. military says in those homes, that's where they found suspects behind the November 7 downing of another U.S. Black Hawk military heart. Six U.S. service members died in that attack.
Now, this is an interesting note, Carol. Before they attacked those homes, the U.S. military actually warned residents in the neighborhood that they were going to be under fire and that an hour before they used Hellfire missiles to take out those homes they double checked to be sure that the residents had left and that they had the opportunity to take some personal belongings with them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Is this mission different from Operation Iron Hammer and is that over?
VAN MARSH: Well, yes. One way of looking at it, Operation Iron Hammer seems to be targeting alleged targets in the Baghdad and surrounding areas of the Iraqi capital, whereas this separate Operation Ivy Cyclone Two is up north, right at the heart of Saddam Hussein's hometown.
COSTELLO: All right, Alphonso, many thanks.
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
Insurgents>
