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American Morning
U.S. Forces Pounding Targets Around Tikrit Today
Aired November 17, 2003 - 08:15 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces have been pounding targets around Tikrit today. A military source said the offensive is designed to "let the Iraqis know that the attacks on the coalition will not be tolerated."
Walt Rodgers is live for us in Baghdad this morning -- Walter, good morning.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
The target of this mission, Operation Ivy Cyclone Two, conducted by the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, the targets seem to be Saddam loyalists, Iraqi paramilitary groups, foreign fighters and whatever extremists may be in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The objective, of course, is to disrupt their ability to conduct raids against U.S. forces. We do not know and won't know for some time whether this mission is successful. It's supposed to go on for several more nights. Again, the measure of success or failure is whether there are more attacks on U.S. forces in the coming weeks.
Having said that, there were combined air strikes overnight in the Tikrit area, combined with armored division attacks. Most of the rids we're pinpoint, that is, they were aimed at particular buildings. One of the targets the Army hit was an abandoned and long ago looted former palace in the Tikrit area. Also, the Army struck four Iraqi homes in Tikrit. They were said to have belonged to former Iraqis who were involved in the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter November 7.
Again, this exercise is going to go on at least two more nights -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Walt, I want to ask you a question about what you're hearing about this audiotape supposedly from Saddam Hussein.
What are you hearing in Baghdad about that?
RODGERS: Well, everyone assumes it's legitimate. It's consistent with the kind of, kinds of things he's been saying. Of course, President Bush apparently accepts it as legitimate and genuine. The president said it's the same old stuff.
Perhaps, but recall that it is more than the same old stuff because Saddam called for increased resistance to the Americans and British, the occupation of Iraq. And last week, 25 Americans were killed in increased resistance. Nineteen Italians died, as well.
What was interesting about the Saddam speech here, of course, was that Saddam referred to the other axis of evil, what he sees as the Americans, the British and the Zionists, read that the Israelis. It's an interesting twist on President Bush's former axis of evil -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Walt Rodgers for us in Baghdad this morning.
Walt, 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 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces have been pounding targets around Tikrit today. A military source said the offensive is designed to "let the Iraqis know that the attacks on the coalition will not be tolerated."
Walt Rodgers is live for us in Baghdad this morning -- Walter, good morning.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
The target of this mission, Operation Ivy Cyclone Two, conducted by the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, the targets seem to be Saddam loyalists, Iraqi paramilitary groups, foreign fighters and whatever extremists may be in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The objective, of course, is to disrupt their ability to conduct raids against U.S. forces. We do not know and won't know for some time whether this mission is successful. It's supposed to go on for several more nights. Again, the measure of success or failure is whether there are more attacks on U.S. forces in the coming weeks.
Having said that, there were combined air strikes overnight in the Tikrit area, combined with armored division attacks. Most of the rids we're pinpoint, that is, they were aimed at particular buildings. One of the targets the Army hit was an abandoned and long ago looted former palace in the Tikrit area. Also, the Army struck four Iraqi homes in Tikrit. They were said to have belonged to former Iraqis who were involved in the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter November 7.
Again, this exercise is going to go on at least two more nights -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Walt, I want to ask you a question about what you're hearing about this audiotape supposedly from Saddam Hussein.
What are you hearing in Baghdad about that?
RODGERS: Well, everyone assumes it's legitimate. It's consistent with the kind of, kinds of things he's been saying. Of course, President Bush apparently accepts it as legitimate and genuine. The president said it's the same old stuff.
Perhaps, but recall that it is more than the same old stuff because Saddam called for increased resistance to the Americans and British, the occupation of Iraq. And last week, 25 Americans were killed in increased resistance. Nineteen Italians died, as well.
What was interesting about the Saddam speech here, of course, was that Saddam referred to the other axis of evil, what he sees as the Americans, the British and the Zionists, read that the Israelis. It's an interesting twist on President Bush's former axis of evil -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Walt Rodgers for us in Baghdad this morning.
Walt, 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
