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Marines Practice Deadly Raids in Kuwaiti Desert
Aired March 17, 2003 - 13:44 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well while diplomats were hard at work looking for a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue, an impressive contingent of U.S. troops in Kuwait prepared for the worst. They say they are ready for the commander in chief to give the order.
We begin our special series of reports from a CNN team that is embedded within the forces in Kuwait. Martin Savidge takes us the war games on the front line.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A building in the middle of the desert. Innocent looking enough, but under war conditions, potentially lethal.
A platoon of Marines have the task of checking it out. There has not been a lot of time to plan. The first teams have to cover open ground. As they move, their concerns are confirmed. Shots come from inside. A Marine goes down.
The ammunition the Marines are using is a kind of paint ball. If they're hit, they'll feel and see it about. It is the closest thing to actually getting shot at.
The teams close in on the objective, using outbuildings for cover. Inside another team of Marine snipers and mortarmen play the role of the enemy. The defense has the advantage of good cover.
It is early in the assault and already the casualties have begun to mount. Another two-man team moves on an enemy position. A quick look around the corner is costly. The Marine is shot in the head. Soon, his partner falls.
(on camera): So here's the scenario now. The Marines have come up on what appears to be like a house, maybe a farmhouse. It has enemy forces inside it may also have civilians. Their job to go in and clear the enemy and keep the civilians alive and try to keep themselves alive at the same time.
(voice-over): The attack on the main building is hard. Within just a few minutes, 90 percent of the initial assault team is own. When the Marines finally make it inside, the simulated fighting is close and chaotic.
The raid eventually lasts about half an hour. Nearly half of the platoon, 14 of 34 Marines, lie dying or dead. The debris it isn't pretty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the biggest freaking thing here was no communication, all right? You had three guys who hot shot in the back because no one said anything.
SAVIDGE: In the end the dead will walk again, but lessons have been learned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your mortality comes in to play. Marines realize all of a sudden, hey, this means something, and what we're being taught, you know, actually means that I could be a casualty at any given time.
Martin Savidge, CNN, with the Marine 1st Division in Northern Kuwait.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Very sobering. It may be practice, may be war games, but it's still very serious and they are getting ready for the real thing.
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 March 17, 2003 - 13:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well while diplomats were hard at work looking for a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue, an impressive contingent of U.S. troops in Kuwait prepared for the worst. They say they are ready for the commander in chief to give the order.
We begin our special series of reports from a CNN team that is embedded within the forces in Kuwait. Martin Savidge takes us the war games on the front line.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A building in the middle of the desert. Innocent looking enough, but under war conditions, potentially lethal.
A platoon of Marines have the task of checking it out. There has not been a lot of time to plan. The first teams have to cover open ground. As they move, their concerns are confirmed. Shots come from inside. A Marine goes down.
The ammunition the Marines are using is a kind of paint ball. If they're hit, they'll feel and see it about. It is the closest thing to actually getting shot at.
The teams close in on the objective, using outbuildings for cover. Inside another team of Marine snipers and mortarmen play the role of the enemy. The defense has the advantage of good cover.
It is early in the assault and already the casualties have begun to mount. Another two-man team moves on an enemy position. A quick look around the corner is costly. The Marine is shot in the head. Soon, his partner falls.
(on camera): So here's the scenario now. The Marines have come up on what appears to be like a house, maybe a farmhouse. It has enemy forces inside it may also have civilians. Their job to go in and clear the enemy and keep the civilians alive and try to keep themselves alive at the same time.
(voice-over): The attack on the main building is hard. Within just a few minutes, 90 percent of the initial assault team is own. When the Marines finally make it inside, the simulated fighting is close and chaotic.
The raid eventually lasts about half an hour. Nearly half of the platoon, 14 of 34 Marines, lie dying or dead. The debris it isn't pretty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the biggest freaking thing here was no communication, all right? You had three guys who hot shot in the back because no one said anything.
SAVIDGE: In the end the dead will walk again, but lessons have been learned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your mortality comes in to play. Marines realize all of a sudden, hey, this means something, and what we're being taught, you know, actually means that I could be a casualty at any given time.
Martin Savidge, CNN, with the Marine 1st Division in Northern Kuwait.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Very sobering. It may be practice, may be war games, but it's still very serious and they are getting ready for the real thing.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
