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American Morning

Resistance Targeted in Iraq

Aired November 17, 2003 - 07:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The ground shook earlier today in Tikrit under heavy U.S. bombardment -- American forces launching a major offensive at the heart of Iraq's insurgency.
Walter Rodgers, the latest now in Baghdad.

Walter -- what do we know at this point?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, the objective appears to be Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. That's northwest of Baghdad. It has been a major pocket of resistance to the American military occupation of Iraq, and it's believed where many of the attacks targeting U.S. forces emanate from.

Having said that, what we're seeing are major land and air strikes, coordinated precision strikes against what the Army is calling noncompliant groups. Translate that into Iraqi paramilitary groups, former members of Saddam Hussein's forces, his secret police forces and other extremists.

We do not know how many, if any, of the insurgents were killed at this point. So far, what the Army is reporting is that they struck at a former abandoned palace, which had already been looted, and they hit four homes where they believe that the owners of those homes had been involved in the attacks on an American helicopter on November 7.

Again, it's a major American show of force aimed more at intimidating, however, than launching any scorched earth policy to kill a lot of people -- Bill.

HEMMER: If what you say is the truth and it's an act of intimidation, has the U.S. retaken the initiative in this battle?

RODGERS: Well, remember, here in a situation like this with its overwhelming military power, the U.S. always has the initiative to use when it wishes to use it. But the enemy always has a vote on the battlefield, is a major corollary of all military thinking. And so, the real question is who is winning and who is not. The U.S. can at any point launch a massive military strike, like it's done around Tikrit now.

But remember this as well: that the Iraqi insurgents have expanded their activities from the Sunni Triangle and the Tikrit area. They struck at Mosul, taking down those two American helicopters over the weekend, killing 17 Americans. They struck the previous week in Najaf, where the Italians were killed. And it also should be remembered here that U.S. forces, when they're not out on military offenses, are behind bunkers -- Bill.

HEMMER: Walter Rogers in Baghdad, thanks.

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 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The ground shook earlier today in Tikrit under heavy U.S. bombardment -- American forces launching a major offensive at the heart of Iraq's insurgency.
Walter Rodgers, the latest now in Baghdad.

Walter -- what do we know at this point?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, the objective appears to be Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. That's northwest of Baghdad. It has been a major pocket of resistance to the American military occupation of Iraq, and it's believed where many of the attacks targeting U.S. forces emanate from.

Having said that, what we're seeing are major land and air strikes, coordinated precision strikes against what the Army is calling noncompliant groups. Translate that into Iraqi paramilitary groups, former members of Saddam Hussein's forces, his secret police forces and other extremists.

We do not know how many, if any, of the insurgents were killed at this point. So far, what the Army is reporting is that they struck at a former abandoned palace, which had already been looted, and they hit four homes where they believe that the owners of those homes had been involved in the attacks on an American helicopter on November 7.

Again, it's a major American show of force aimed more at intimidating, however, than launching any scorched earth policy to kill a lot of people -- Bill.

HEMMER: If what you say is the truth and it's an act of intimidation, has the U.S. retaken the initiative in this battle?

RODGERS: Well, remember, here in a situation like this with its overwhelming military power, the U.S. always has the initiative to use when it wishes to use it. But the enemy always has a vote on the battlefield, is a major corollary of all military thinking. And so, the real question is who is winning and who is not. The U.S. can at any point launch a massive military strike, like it's done around Tikrit now.

But remember this as well: that the Iraqi insurgents have expanded their activities from the Sunni Triangle and the Tikrit area. They struck at Mosul, taking down those two American helicopters over the weekend, killing 17 Americans. They struck the previous week in Najaf, where the Italians were killed. And it also should be remembered here that U.S. forces, when they're not out on military offenses, are behind bunkers -- Bill.

HEMMER: Walter Rogers in Baghdad, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.