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Strike on Iraq: New Explosions in Baghdad
Aired March 21, 2003 - 15:02 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.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is covering this story, as well.
Ryan, tell our viewers, first of all, where you are, right now, and what your seeing from your vantage point?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I don't know if you can hear me. I'm under pretty strict guidelines here, in terms of operational security, as to what I can report. But what I can tell you is that the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault (ph) now has a brigade sized element inside Iraq. I'm with them.
It is the 101st Airborne's 3rd Brigade, and they are now inside Iraq.
That is new.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things I can't tell you. For example, how they got here or where exactly we are inside Iraq.
At this point, I can only report that 101st Airborne has a brigade-sized element in an undisclosed location inside Iraq -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The 3rd Brigade now inside Iraq. This is a new development, as you report and, obviously, we don't want to do anything that's going to undermine operational security or the requirements or the restrictions under which you can report.
But this movement, as it's taking place, Ryan, are the U.S. troops coming under any enemy fire? Is there resistance, as they move along?
CHILCOTE: No, there is no fire. Very quiet. As you know, it's night here. Very quiet. No fire. Very, actually, friendly situation on the ground.
BLITZER: Has word filtered down to the troops of the 101st Airborne Division, you're covering them, of what has happened, tonight, in Baghdad, the start of so-called A-Day, the Shock and Awe bombardment?
CHILCOTE: You know, absolutely not, to be frank. The troops don't get a whole lot of information about what's happening in other places on the battlefield. Field commanders, ground commanders say from the lieutenant colonel and colonel level do. They have all kinds of devices and radios that allow them to really keep in touch with almost everything that's going on inside Iraq. But your average 101st infantryman, your average grunt infantryman does not know. He's too busy moving. He's too busy, you know, checking his pack, digging fox holes to really follow the news. And it is very quickly changing news here in Iraq -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote. He's covering the 101st Airborne Division. Many of you familiar with its nickname, the Screaming Eagles.
Let's move on. Marty Savidge is with the U.S. Marines. He's now in southern Iraq. I believe that's right, isn't it, Marty? You're in southern Iraq?
MARTY SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. We're in an area near Basra. And one of the things that -- there were two things really on the minds of the U.S. Marines, as they began to make their way into southern Iraq.
One was what sort of enemy opposition will they face? Of course, they were prepared for just about anything.
And the second was what was going to be the reaction of the local population? There was a lot of concern, here. Perhaps, there would be harsh memories about the uprising that took place in this part of southern Iraq, immediately after the end of the Gulf War that was not supported by the U.S. military and then, harshly put down by the regime of Saddam Hussein.
So it was worried, perhaps, by some soldiers just what the reaction would be. That was quickly dissolved when they got to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That's the first sort of village that you would get to crossing the Kuwaiti border, coming into southern Iraq and then, pushing on.
And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was a place that was relatively quiet, not a lot of people out on the streets. But those that were, a lot of them waiving white flags or hanging white flags from homes and offices. And also, waving to the troops as they went by, giving them the thumbs up, and the soldiers, themselves, feeling a certain sense of relief, waving back. So the only thing that was shot back and forth between the two was a sense of gratitude, apparently. And it seemed to have gone reasonably well.
But the troops didn't stop to have a chat with any of the locals, here. They had other objectives. Primarily today, focusing on the oil infrastructure of Iraq.
It was a critical grab that needed to be done and needed to be done quickly because it was afraid that the Scorched Earth policy of retreating Iraqi troops might destroy, cause great environmental damage, economic damage and, of course, damage to the prospects of trying to heal this nation.
The U.S. military believes that it is the oil, not for the U.S., itself, but for the people of Iraq that will play a prominent role in getting this nation back on its feet after the war is over -- Wolf. BLITZER: Marty, we heard at the Pentagon briefing the suggestion that the U.S. Marines who were moving into that oil-rich area toward Basra have already put out some of those oil well fires. Have you seen any of the fires yourself? And have you seen any Marine activity designed to deal with the fires?
SAVIDGE: No, the Marine activity we saw today was specifically focused on security and trying to gain access to these complexes and hold them and to make sure that they weren't booby trapped in any way, shape or form. We did not see, on the way up here, signs, or significant signs, of major oil well fires underway.
There are fires burning around this facility. These are mainly pipelines that have been disrupted. Not clear, exactly, how, whether it was during perhaps the air campaign. There was some fighting around here, initially, as the Marines pulled in. Or whether it was something that was deliberately set.
But there are a number of smaller fires that are burning. Right now, they are being left to burn until the experts can be brought in. And there are experts that are coming on their way to deal with this particular place. Want to make sure it's being run properly. Make sure that it can continue to operate properly and then, deal with those fires. They are not significant. Nothing like what you saw at the end of the Gulf War in Kuwait -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Marty Savidge, one of our journalists, moving into southern Iraq, moving towards Basra with the U.S. Marines. He's embedded, as we say.
Marty, take care of yourself. We'll be checking back with you soon.
Earlier, we heard from Ryan Chilcote. He's covering the 101st Airborne. He is reporting, now, that the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne stationed originally, headquartered Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, now moving inside Iraq, as well.
CNN's Frank Buckley is aboard the USS Constellation, one of three U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. Another two aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.
Must be a busy night over there, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. We are awaiting here on the USS Constellation the arrival back, within moments. We're expecting to hear the distinctive sound of jet aircraft hitting the carrier deck just above me. I'm in the hangar bay. We'll hear that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) cable skipping across the top of the carrier deck, and that will mark the arrival, of the beginning of the Rival back to this carrier. The first strike package into Iraq, as part of this new air campaign in Iraq.
We were able to sit in, earlier this evening, with unprecedented access, to the pre-strike briefing that was actually led by the CAG (ph) on this carrier. That is Carrier Airway and Commander Mark Fox (ph), Captain Mark Fox, a veteran of Desert Storm.
In fact, he was the U.S. Navy's first shoot-down veteran in Desert Storm. On the first day of Desert Storm, he shot down an Iraqi fighter. He was leading from the front, today, briefing his pilots and then, after that, he actually took to the skies in an F-18 and led this right into Iraq. And at any moment now, we are expecting the arrival back.
Captain Fox, in his briefing, said to the pilots that were assembled in this ready room, he said, to the effect, gentlemen, you'll never forget this day. This package is going downtown. We were told later and clarified that that package was going in the vicinity of Baghdad. And now, we are awaiting the arrival back of that package of strike aircraft.
Rear Admiral Barry Costello, the Constellation battle group commander, also talking to the pilots before they left. He told us, later, that he told them, be confident, you will make America proud.
Right now, flight operations continuing here aboard the USS Constellation. This is a carrier that's been on station, here, since mid-December.
And it sounds like, right now, we just heard a jet flying (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I don't know if you could hear it, but that was the sound of the first jet hitting the carrier arriving back, part of the strike package, the first strike package off the Constellation. It just landed, caught a wire, hit its throttle (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to make sure that it (UNINTELLIGIBLE) caught the wire and then throttled back. And it is, now, safely on the Constellation deck.
We've been talking for some quite time with the air crews here about the precision that they expect to employ in this air campaign. The bombs that they said that they will be dropping, laser-guided bomb and GPS-guided JDAMS, they say will give them a level of precision that will, essentially, turn the ratio upside down from Desert Storm.
In Desert Storm, three or four aircraft might be sortied to get one target. This time, it would be one aircraft using three or four different weapons going in different directions to hit three or four different targets.
And obviously, the bomb damage assessment, that's still to come. The planes are just now beginning to come back. But the first of the aircraft from the Oscar Bravo Sierra (ph) package are back on the deck here on the USS Constellation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Frank Buckley. He's aboard that aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. It's going to be a loud evening for you, as those planes, those F-14s, those F-18s, the other aircraft return, land on the deck and that tail hook stops those planes, as they make their landing on that huge aircraft carrier.
I want to update our viewers on what we're monitoring on Iraqi television. For hours now, they've been showing pictures of Saddam Hussein and his family. Clearly, videotape done long time ago. There's been no reaction, no statements coming on Iraqi television. Nothing suggesting that -- the Iraqi television suggesting -- reacting to the bombing strikes that have unfolded in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and, presumably, elsewhere in Iraq.
Now, you may be hearing the sound of sirens going off, here in Kuwait City, just a few seconds ago. And I'll pause. You can hear the sound. Once again, the alert is going off here in Kuwait City. We're hearing that siren that we've heard several times over the past few days. This is the third time, today, we've heard it. Yesterday, about seven times. Normally, people get that when there's some indication that there may be some sort of rocket that the Iraqis may have launched into some part of Kuwait. Usually, it's a little bit distant. We did have, just outside of Kuwait City, a rocket land earlier today. We showed our viewers some of those pictures.
But right now, that siren is going off here in Kuwait City, as it's done, now, more than a dozen times in the past couple days. We'll continue to monitor what that may or may not mean, and we'll get some information to you. Usually, it lasts for a few minutes. Then, there's a pause. And then, eventually, a single blast, which is an all-clear, and we'll deal with that.
Christiane Amanpour is standing by. She's covering the British Marines along the border between Iraq and Kuwait. Christiane, tell our viewers what you're seeing and what you're hearing, right now.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's been an awful lot of air activity, as you can imagine, overhead, as the aircraft are going strong, potentially this direction into Iraq and on to Baghdad. We can't be precise about exactly what that is, but we do know that there's been a stepped amount of air activity over our direction.
But at the same time, the ground war has gone on, today. And they have consolidated many strategic and important parts of this south part of Iraq. They have taken the city of Umm Qasr, which is a small, but a very important port town. Baghdad's, or rather Iraq's biggest commercial port.
U.S. Marines there. The 15th (ph) Marine Expeditionary Unit landing helicopters at the airfield, earlier today. And they didn't take the town quite as quickly as they thought they would. There was some resistance, but by the end of the afternoon, that town had been secured. And it was, as I said, and operation by U.S. Marines.
But interestingly, joined with British forces, and they were under the command of a British unit called (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Commando. Now, this is a little bit similar to what's been going on in southern Iraq.
For instance, yesterday, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Faw Peninsula, the important oil terminal of Iraq, that was also consolidated and taken by U.S. and British Marines. And then, further north, on the way to Basra, British and U.S. forces are moving up that direction in order to do several things, chief amongst them, to secure the Rumaylah Oil Fields, and to make sure that that important economic target is intact and that the Iraqis do not try to destroy it or tamper or sabotage it.
There are, also, British troops, we understand, on the outskirts of Basra. Basra, Iraq's second biggest town, is not a military target, but it is an important urban center.
And what they want to do is once any kind of Iraqi resistance or Iraqi army is neutralized or capitulate, they want to be able to be, if you like, invited in, welcomed in by the people. And the general strategic goal here, not only to consolidate these important things, but to use that consolidation of these important economic and strategic targets to send a clear message to Baghdad that, now, this part of Iraq is no longer under control of the Iraqi regime and that that should send a clear message and put more pressure on the Iraqi leadership.
There have been certain areas where U.S. troops have been welcomed, as they've gone through these border areas. And also, there have been Iraqi soldiers who have surrendered. We get very different numbers of that. But we understand in the zone that we're talking about, certainly, near Umm Qasr, something in the region of 200 to 250 Iraqi soldiers are surrendered and about 30 are over on the al-Faw Peninsula. Back to you.
BLITZER: All right, Christiane Amanpour, we'll be getting back to you, often.
Christiane Amanpour. She's with the British Marines, now, along the border between Iraq and Kuwait.
Even as she was delivering her report, here is Kuwait City, we had heard the sirens go off, suggesting that there was some sort of warning. Those sirens are no longer blasting. It's quiet here. We're expecting the all-clear to be issued momentarily. We'll tell you about that, as well.
Also, while Christiane was delivering her report, we're getting some new videotape, showing Saddam Hussein meeting with -- not Saddam Hussein. We're showing some of the Iraqi military generals. They've been meeting, as the bombs were going off.
Take a look at this videotape. It's pretty interesting.
All right, we're going to get that. We, obviously, didn't have the right tape. We're going to fix it. We're going to get that tape and show it to you. You'll see some nervous Iraqi military officers, as bombs go off in Baghdad.
Once again, the sirens have gone silent here in Kuwait City, suggesting that any threat of any incoming scuds or other kind of missiles has gone away. We have not yet heard that signal loud, piercing blast, which would indicate that there's an all-clear. We expect to hear that, momentarily, but I just want to alert our viewers that there was this siren, this warning of some sort of activity here in Kuwait City. It's quiet, now, and we'll continue to report and update on what's going on. We have a lot more coming up.
In the meantime, let's go to Judy Woodruff in Washington -- Judy.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf. I can assure you that all of us who are watching in the United States are riveted to these pictures on television, the scenes of Baghdad, the scenes of earlier this afternoon, Washington or east coast time, when the air war began in earnest over Baghdad.
Although, we should note that when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld talked with reporters, about an hour ago, he made a point of saying, you are only seeing part of what is going on across the country of Iraq. This is only one narrow picture of what is going on.
And to get a better understanding of what he meant, I'd like to go back to the Pentagon, now, to our correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, you have been talking, of course, to officials there throughout the day. What are they saying about what may be coming up next for Baghdad and for the rest of the country.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Right, Judy. Well, what Secretary Rumsfeld said about we're not seeing everything was underscored when officials told us here that in the first 24 hours of the campaign, if everything goes as expected, they will drop more than 1,500 munitions, bombs and missiles all over Iraq, as a country. Not just the swath (ph) that we are seeing over Baghdad. Those riveting pictures of explosions across the capital.
Fifteen hundred weapons to be dropped over the first 24 hours. We are told that this is going to be a constantly rolling campaign. That, optically, we may see a lull, like we appear to be seeing over Baghdad, right now. But that things are happening. Targets are being struck in other places, and that this campaign will not have a lull. It will be constantly rolling.
Further, we are told the targets that were hit, tonight, across the country, and it's hard to say whether they are done, now, include air defense, command and control, Republican Guard, the Special Republican Guard, those units most loyal to Saddam Hussein, communications and security services. General Richard Myers saying earlier today in the briefing here, several hundred military targets to be struck.
The Pentagon also made it very clear, earlier today, what their exact goal was, making absolutely no bones about it. It is to get the current regime out of power. They are on that course. They really don't intend to change course.
What they have said, however, is they have been in communication. The U.S. military forces in the field, as it were, have had some communication with Iraqi military units. There have been offline communications with Iraqi military leaders, with some of the high command, as it were. There had been a hope, right up to the end, that some of them would basically give up, surrender, stage a coup against Saddam Hussein, signal to the United States that they were giving up on the regime. When Secretary Rumsfeld about the success of this, he said, well, apparently, we haven't had enough success at it, and that it left the administration no option, earlier today, but to start this next phase of the campaign, the very aggressive air war over Baghdad and the rest of the country -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon.
Meantime, at the White House, we did see President Bush very briefly, today, in a meeting with Congressional leaders. He made a short statement to the press. Didn't take any questions.
And I believe our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with us.
John, even though we know the president is heading -- is headed -- to Camp David for the weekend, they are saying he is going to in very close touch with everything that is going on.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They certainly are, Judy, including a full meeting of what they're now openly calling the War Council, here at the White House up at Camp David, tomorrow. Most of the members, we are told, will participate on hand. Others might join in by secure video link.
Here, the White House briefing just wrapping up a short time ago. To follow up, briefly, on Barbara's points, senior officials are telling us, behind the scenes, that they think the Iraqi leadership is now in complete confusion and complete disarray are the terms being used here. We asked Ari Fleischer at the briefing whether it was still an option for Saddam Hussein to go into exile. He would not answer, directly. He just said the president wants to end this, as peacefully as possibly.
Also, asked if the United States government has any evidence, since that initial strike Wednesday night that Saddam Hussein or either of his sons are issuing any orders. Ari Fleischer suggesting that there is no solid evidence. He said, it's inconclusive on that point as to whether those three key individuals, Saddam Hussein and his sons, are still trying to direct anything in the military inside Iraq.
Now, as you noted, the president is at Camp David at his hour. He left the White House earlier today. I think we have some pictures of him boarding Marine One, as he left the White House. And he is already up at Camp David.
And we, also, can take you, I think, behind the scenes to some key moments in the run-up to this war. First, some current pictures. We have a White House photo, I believe of the National Security Council meeting held here, this morning. This is outside the Oval Office on Wednesday. This is just -- oop, here going a little too quickly for me, here -- that is inside the Oval Office on March 19th. This is as the president gave the orders for that dramatic change in the battle plans, the strikes on that residential compound outside Baghdad. It was at this meeting in the Oval Office that you Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in the middle with his back.
This is a meeting, this morning. This is a morning -- rare do we get a shot of the White House Situation Room, the most secure room here in the White House. This is the president leading his National Security Council earlier this morning, where he was told that the escalation of the air attack would take place today.
Now, some might ask how can the president run a war up at the Camp David Presidential Retreat. I think we also have some photographs from just after September 11, 2001, when Mr. Bush was, at times, up at Camp David. Here, you see him -- this is in a lodge- style room meeting with the CIA Director George Tenet, National Security Adviser Rice and Chief of Staff Andy Card.
But up at Camp David, the president also has a secure videoconferencing facility where he can have national security discussions, and I think if we move on, we can see some of those photographs, as well, and that is the technology the president will be using this weekend, while he is up at Camp David.
Here, you're taking a close look at a discussion. The CIA Director briefing the president and his top aids, here. Again, this is just after September 11, 2001, up at the Camp David Presidential Retreat.
We had hoped to show you another photograph of a videoconferencing facility. We don't have that, right now. Perhaps later we can show you. But safe to assume, even though the president is not here at the White House, up at Camp David is a facility run by the United States Marines he has available to him. The most secure technology in the world. If he wants to talk to General Tommy Franks in the region, he can pick up a line and do so -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: John, I was going to make that very point with you that Ari Fleischer, it seemed to me, bent over backwards to make sure everyone knew that even though the president is going to what is commonly known as the presidential retreat, he said, this is a Marine facility.
KING: It is. It is highly-protected. It actually, in many ways, more secure than the White House. You cannot -- no -- pedestrian can get pretty close to us here. You cannot get anywhere near the president when he is at Camp David. It offers him state-of- the-art communication facilities. And, Judy, for a president who is under a great deal of pressure, right now, it also gives him much more recreational opportunities. The president is a jogger. He likes to get out and run. He gets very frustrated. He calls it the bubble, here trapped inside the White House gates, so also a chance for the president to get out and relax a little bit. Perhaps, think by himself, as well.
WOODRUFF: Get some exercise and be able to think. And those are the pictures of earlier this afternoon when the president and Mrs. Bush, Laura Bush, did get on to Marine One to head out to Camp David.
All right, John King is at the White House. And as we continue to look at these live night scope pictures of Baghdad, the skies over that city where the electricity is still working.
Let's go back to Kuwait City and to Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. You'll be happy, I'm sure all of our viewers will be happy to know we do have the all-clear siren that has just gone off indicating no more threat, no more indication of any incoming rockets or missiles or anything along those lines. The all-clear has been sounded in Kuwait City. This is the third time that has happened today. About seven times, it happened yesterday.
We also have that videotape I promised earlier to show you, videotape of some Iraqi senior military officers. They were giving a briefing, as the bombs began to explode in Baghdad. I want our viewers to watch this.
That -- there you have it. Obviously, that had an impact on those military officers, as I'm sure it had an impact on a lot of people in Baghdad.
But the bombings did not only occur in the Iraqi capital. They've been occurring elsewhere around the country, especially in the northern part of Iraq in Kirkuk and Mosul.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is up in the northern part of Iraq.
Ben, any activity unfolding right now?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Back in my hotel room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, come on.
BLITZER: Ben Wedeman, can you hear me?
WEDEMAN: Yes, I'm sorry, Wolf, yes, I can. Regarding the situation here, about two-and-a-half hours ago, we saw a variety of sparks on the horizon where antiaircraft fire went up. We saw a variety of flashes, very bright. In addition to some very deep and distant thuds. And it went off on a fairly large, long horizon.
Now, of course, we are due east of the city of Mosul. And that's about 28 miles from here. But we could clearly hear and see the explosion in that city.
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Aired March 21, 2003 - 15:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is covering this story, as well.
Ryan, tell our viewers, first of all, where you are, right now, and what your seeing from your vantage point?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I don't know if you can hear me. I'm under pretty strict guidelines here, in terms of operational security, as to what I can report. But what I can tell you is that the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault (ph) now has a brigade sized element inside Iraq. I'm with them.
It is the 101st Airborne's 3rd Brigade, and they are now inside Iraq.
That is new.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things I can't tell you. For example, how they got here or where exactly we are inside Iraq.
At this point, I can only report that 101st Airborne has a brigade-sized element in an undisclosed location inside Iraq -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The 3rd Brigade now inside Iraq. This is a new development, as you report and, obviously, we don't want to do anything that's going to undermine operational security or the requirements or the restrictions under which you can report.
But this movement, as it's taking place, Ryan, are the U.S. troops coming under any enemy fire? Is there resistance, as they move along?
CHILCOTE: No, there is no fire. Very quiet. As you know, it's night here. Very quiet. No fire. Very, actually, friendly situation on the ground.
BLITZER: Has word filtered down to the troops of the 101st Airborne Division, you're covering them, of what has happened, tonight, in Baghdad, the start of so-called A-Day, the Shock and Awe bombardment?
CHILCOTE: You know, absolutely not, to be frank. The troops don't get a whole lot of information about what's happening in other places on the battlefield. Field commanders, ground commanders say from the lieutenant colonel and colonel level do. They have all kinds of devices and radios that allow them to really keep in touch with almost everything that's going on inside Iraq. But your average 101st infantryman, your average grunt infantryman does not know. He's too busy moving. He's too busy, you know, checking his pack, digging fox holes to really follow the news. And it is very quickly changing news here in Iraq -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote. He's covering the 101st Airborne Division. Many of you familiar with its nickname, the Screaming Eagles.
Let's move on. Marty Savidge is with the U.S. Marines. He's now in southern Iraq. I believe that's right, isn't it, Marty? You're in southern Iraq?
MARTY SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. We're in an area near Basra. And one of the things that -- there were two things really on the minds of the U.S. Marines, as they began to make their way into southern Iraq.
One was what sort of enemy opposition will they face? Of course, they were prepared for just about anything.
And the second was what was going to be the reaction of the local population? There was a lot of concern, here. Perhaps, there would be harsh memories about the uprising that took place in this part of southern Iraq, immediately after the end of the Gulf War that was not supported by the U.S. military and then, harshly put down by the regime of Saddam Hussein.
So it was worried, perhaps, by some soldiers just what the reaction would be. That was quickly dissolved when they got to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That's the first sort of village that you would get to crossing the Kuwaiti border, coming into southern Iraq and then, pushing on.
And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was a place that was relatively quiet, not a lot of people out on the streets. But those that were, a lot of them waiving white flags or hanging white flags from homes and offices. And also, waving to the troops as they went by, giving them the thumbs up, and the soldiers, themselves, feeling a certain sense of relief, waving back. So the only thing that was shot back and forth between the two was a sense of gratitude, apparently. And it seemed to have gone reasonably well.
But the troops didn't stop to have a chat with any of the locals, here. They had other objectives. Primarily today, focusing on the oil infrastructure of Iraq.
It was a critical grab that needed to be done and needed to be done quickly because it was afraid that the Scorched Earth policy of retreating Iraqi troops might destroy, cause great environmental damage, economic damage and, of course, damage to the prospects of trying to heal this nation.
The U.S. military believes that it is the oil, not for the U.S., itself, but for the people of Iraq that will play a prominent role in getting this nation back on its feet after the war is over -- Wolf. BLITZER: Marty, we heard at the Pentagon briefing the suggestion that the U.S. Marines who were moving into that oil-rich area toward Basra have already put out some of those oil well fires. Have you seen any of the fires yourself? And have you seen any Marine activity designed to deal with the fires?
SAVIDGE: No, the Marine activity we saw today was specifically focused on security and trying to gain access to these complexes and hold them and to make sure that they weren't booby trapped in any way, shape or form. We did not see, on the way up here, signs, or significant signs, of major oil well fires underway.
There are fires burning around this facility. These are mainly pipelines that have been disrupted. Not clear, exactly, how, whether it was during perhaps the air campaign. There was some fighting around here, initially, as the Marines pulled in. Or whether it was something that was deliberately set.
But there are a number of smaller fires that are burning. Right now, they are being left to burn until the experts can be brought in. And there are experts that are coming on their way to deal with this particular place. Want to make sure it's being run properly. Make sure that it can continue to operate properly and then, deal with those fires. They are not significant. Nothing like what you saw at the end of the Gulf War in Kuwait -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Marty Savidge, one of our journalists, moving into southern Iraq, moving towards Basra with the U.S. Marines. He's embedded, as we say.
Marty, take care of yourself. We'll be checking back with you soon.
Earlier, we heard from Ryan Chilcote. He's covering the 101st Airborne. He is reporting, now, that the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne stationed originally, headquartered Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, now moving inside Iraq, as well.
CNN's Frank Buckley is aboard the USS Constellation, one of three U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. Another two aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.
Must be a busy night over there, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. We are awaiting here on the USS Constellation the arrival back, within moments. We're expecting to hear the distinctive sound of jet aircraft hitting the carrier deck just above me. I'm in the hangar bay. We'll hear that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) cable skipping across the top of the carrier deck, and that will mark the arrival, of the beginning of the Rival back to this carrier. The first strike package into Iraq, as part of this new air campaign in Iraq.
We were able to sit in, earlier this evening, with unprecedented access, to the pre-strike briefing that was actually led by the CAG (ph) on this carrier. That is Carrier Airway and Commander Mark Fox (ph), Captain Mark Fox, a veteran of Desert Storm.
In fact, he was the U.S. Navy's first shoot-down veteran in Desert Storm. On the first day of Desert Storm, he shot down an Iraqi fighter. He was leading from the front, today, briefing his pilots and then, after that, he actually took to the skies in an F-18 and led this right into Iraq. And at any moment now, we are expecting the arrival back.
Captain Fox, in his briefing, said to the pilots that were assembled in this ready room, he said, to the effect, gentlemen, you'll never forget this day. This package is going downtown. We were told later and clarified that that package was going in the vicinity of Baghdad. And now, we are awaiting the arrival back of that package of strike aircraft.
Rear Admiral Barry Costello, the Constellation battle group commander, also talking to the pilots before they left. He told us, later, that he told them, be confident, you will make America proud.
Right now, flight operations continuing here aboard the USS Constellation. This is a carrier that's been on station, here, since mid-December.
And it sounds like, right now, we just heard a jet flying (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I don't know if you could hear it, but that was the sound of the first jet hitting the carrier arriving back, part of the strike package, the first strike package off the Constellation. It just landed, caught a wire, hit its throttle (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to make sure that it (UNINTELLIGIBLE) caught the wire and then throttled back. And it is, now, safely on the Constellation deck.
We've been talking for some quite time with the air crews here about the precision that they expect to employ in this air campaign. The bombs that they said that they will be dropping, laser-guided bomb and GPS-guided JDAMS, they say will give them a level of precision that will, essentially, turn the ratio upside down from Desert Storm.
In Desert Storm, three or four aircraft might be sortied to get one target. This time, it would be one aircraft using three or four different weapons going in different directions to hit three or four different targets.
And obviously, the bomb damage assessment, that's still to come. The planes are just now beginning to come back. But the first of the aircraft from the Oscar Bravo Sierra (ph) package are back on the deck here on the USS Constellation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Frank Buckley. He's aboard that aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. It's going to be a loud evening for you, as those planes, those F-14s, those F-18s, the other aircraft return, land on the deck and that tail hook stops those planes, as they make their landing on that huge aircraft carrier.
I want to update our viewers on what we're monitoring on Iraqi television. For hours now, they've been showing pictures of Saddam Hussein and his family. Clearly, videotape done long time ago. There's been no reaction, no statements coming on Iraqi television. Nothing suggesting that -- the Iraqi television suggesting -- reacting to the bombing strikes that have unfolded in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and, presumably, elsewhere in Iraq.
Now, you may be hearing the sound of sirens going off, here in Kuwait City, just a few seconds ago. And I'll pause. You can hear the sound. Once again, the alert is going off here in Kuwait City. We're hearing that siren that we've heard several times over the past few days. This is the third time, today, we've heard it. Yesterday, about seven times. Normally, people get that when there's some indication that there may be some sort of rocket that the Iraqis may have launched into some part of Kuwait. Usually, it's a little bit distant. We did have, just outside of Kuwait City, a rocket land earlier today. We showed our viewers some of those pictures.
But right now, that siren is going off here in Kuwait City, as it's done, now, more than a dozen times in the past couple days. We'll continue to monitor what that may or may not mean, and we'll get some information to you. Usually, it lasts for a few minutes. Then, there's a pause. And then, eventually, a single blast, which is an all-clear, and we'll deal with that.
Christiane Amanpour is standing by. She's covering the British Marines along the border between Iraq and Kuwait. Christiane, tell our viewers what you're seeing and what you're hearing, right now.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's been an awful lot of air activity, as you can imagine, overhead, as the aircraft are going strong, potentially this direction into Iraq and on to Baghdad. We can't be precise about exactly what that is, but we do know that there's been a stepped amount of air activity over our direction.
But at the same time, the ground war has gone on, today. And they have consolidated many strategic and important parts of this south part of Iraq. They have taken the city of Umm Qasr, which is a small, but a very important port town. Baghdad's, or rather Iraq's biggest commercial port.
U.S. Marines there. The 15th (ph) Marine Expeditionary Unit landing helicopters at the airfield, earlier today. And they didn't take the town quite as quickly as they thought they would. There was some resistance, but by the end of the afternoon, that town had been secured. And it was, as I said, and operation by U.S. Marines.
But interestingly, joined with British forces, and they were under the command of a British unit called (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Commando. Now, this is a little bit similar to what's been going on in southern Iraq.
For instance, yesterday, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Faw Peninsula, the important oil terminal of Iraq, that was also consolidated and taken by U.S. and British Marines. And then, further north, on the way to Basra, British and U.S. forces are moving up that direction in order to do several things, chief amongst them, to secure the Rumaylah Oil Fields, and to make sure that that important economic target is intact and that the Iraqis do not try to destroy it or tamper or sabotage it.
There are, also, British troops, we understand, on the outskirts of Basra. Basra, Iraq's second biggest town, is not a military target, but it is an important urban center.
And what they want to do is once any kind of Iraqi resistance or Iraqi army is neutralized or capitulate, they want to be able to be, if you like, invited in, welcomed in by the people. And the general strategic goal here, not only to consolidate these important things, but to use that consolidation of these important economic and strategic targets to send a clear message to Baghdad that, now, this part of Iraq is no longer under control of the Iraqi regime and that that should send a clear message and put more pressure on the Iraqi leadership.
There have been certain areas where U.S. troops have been welcomed, as they've gone through these border areas. And also, there have been Iraqi soldiers who have surrendered. We get very different numbers of that. But we understand in the zone that we're talking about, certainly, near Umm Qasr, something in the region of 200 to 250 Iraqi soldiers are surrendered and about 30 are over on the al-Faw Peninsula. Back to you.
BLITZER: All right, Christiane Amanpour, we'll be getting back to you, often.
Christiane Amanpour. She's with the British Marines, now, along the border between Iraq and Kuwait.
Even as she was delivering her report, here is Kuwait City, we had heard the sirens go off, suggesting that there was some sort of warning. Those sirens are no longer blasting. It's quiet here. We're expecting the all-clear to be issued momentarily. We'll tell you about that, as well.
Also, while Christiane was delivering her report, we're getting some new videotape, showing Saddam Hussein meeting with -- not Saddam Hussein. We're showing some of the Iraqi military generals. They've been meeting, as the bombs were going off.
Take a look at this videotape. It's pretty interesting.
All right, we're going to get that. We, obviously, didn't have the right tape. We're going to fix it. We're going to get that tape and show it to you. You'll see some nervous Iraqi military officers, as bombs go off in Baghdad.
Once again, the sirens have gone silent here in Kuwait City, suggesting that any threat of any incoming scuds or other kind of missiles has gone away. We have not yet heard that signal loud, piercing blast, which would indicate that there's an all-clear. We expect to hear that, momentarily, but I just want to alert our viewers that there was this siren, this warning of some sort of activity here in Kuwait City. It's quiet, now, and we'll continue to report and update on what's going on. We have a lot more coming up.
In the meantime, let's go to Judy Woodruff in Washington -- Judy.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf. I can assure you that all of us who are watching in the United States are riveted to these pictures on television, the scenes of Baghdad, the scenes of earlier this afternoon, Washington or east coast time, when the air war began in earnest over Baghdad.
Although, we should note that when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld talked with reporters, about an hour ago, he made a point of saying, you are only seeing part of what is going on across the country of Iraq. This is only one narrow picture of what is going on.
And to get a better understanding of what he meant, I'd like to go back to the Pentagon, now, to our correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, you have been talking, of course, to officials there throughout the day. What are they saying about what may be coming up next for Baghdad and for the rest of the country.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Right, Judy. Well, what Secretary Rumsfeld said about we're not seeing everything was underscored when officials told us here that in the first 24 hours of the campaign, if everything goes as expected, they will drop more than 1,500 munitions, bombs and missiles all over Iraq, as a country. Not just the swath (ph) that we are seeing over Baghdad. Those riveting pictures of explosions across the capital.
Fifteen hundred weapons to be dropped over the first 24 hours. We are told that this is going to be a constantly rolling campaign. That, optically, we may see a lull, like we appear to be seeing over Baghdad, right now. But that things are happening. Targets are being struck in other places, and that this campaign will not have a lull. It will be constantly rolling.
Further, we are told the targets that were hit, tonight, across the country, and it's hard to say whether they are done, now, include air defense, command and control, Republican Guard, the Special Republican Guard, those units most loyal to Saddam Hussein, communications and security services. General Richard Myers saying earlier today in the briefing here, several hundred military targets to be struck.
The Pentagon also made it very clear, earlier today, what their exact goal was, making absolutely no bones about it. It is to get the current regime out of power. They are on that course. They really don't intend to change course.
What they have said, however, is they have been in communication. The U.S. military forces in the field, as it were, have had some communication with Iraqi military units. There have been offline communications with Iraqi military leaders, with some of the high command, as it were. There had been a hope, right up to the end, that some of them would basically give up, surrender, stage a coup against Saddam Hussein, signal to the United States that they were giving up on the regime. When Secretary Rumsfeld about the success of this, he said, well, apparently, we haven't had enough success at it, and that it left the administration no option, earlier today, but to start this next phase of the campaign, the very aggressive air war over Baghdad and the rest of the country -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon.
Meantime, at the White House, we did see President Bush very briefly, today, in a meeting with Congressional leaders. He made a short statement to the press. Didn't take any questions.
And I believe our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with us.
John, even though we know the president is heading -- is headed -- to Camp David for the weekend, they are saying he is going to in very close touch with everything that is going on.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They certainly are, Judy, including a full meeting of what they're now openly calling the War Council, here at the White House up at Camp David, tomorrow. Most of the members, we are told, will participate on hand. Others might join in by secure video link.
Here, the White House briefing just wrapping up a short time ago. To follow up, briefly, on Barbara's points, senior officials are telling us, behind the scenes, that they think the Iraqi leadership is now in complete confusion and complete disarray are the terms being used here. We asked Ari Fleischer at the briefing whether it was still an option for Saddam Hussein to go into exile. He would not answer, directly. He just said the president wants to end this, as peacefully as possibly.
Also, asked if the United States government has any evidence, since that initial strike Wednesday night that Saddam Hussein or either of his sons are issuing any orders. Ari Fleischer suggesting that there is no solid evidence. He said, it's inconclusive on that point as to whether those three key individuals, Saddam Hussein and his sons, are still trying to direct anything in the military inside Iraq.
Now, as you noted, the president is at Camp David at his hour. He left the White House earlier today. I think we have some pictures of him boarding Marine One, as he left the White House. And he is already up at Camp David.
And we, also, can take you, I think, behind the scenes to some key moments in the run-up to this war. First, some current pictures. We have a White House photo, I believe of the National Security Council meeting held here, this morning. This is outside the Oval Office on Wednesday. This is just -- oop, here going a little too quickly for me, here -- that is inside the Oval Office on March 19th. This is as the president gave the orders for that dramatic change in the battle plans, the strikes on that residential compound outside Baghdad. It was at this meeting in the Oval Office that you Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in the middle with his back.
This is a meeting, this morning. This is a morning -- rare do we get a shot of the White House Situation Room, the most secure room here in the White House. This is the president leading his National Security Council earlier this morning, where he was told that the escalation of the air attack would take place today.
Now, some might ask how can the president run a war up at the Camp David Presidential Retreat. I think we also have some photographs from just after September 11, 2001, when Mr. Bush was, at times, up at Camp David. Here, you see him -- this is in a lodge- style room meeting with the CIA Director George Tenet, National Security Adviser Rice and Chief of Staff Andy Card.
But up at Camp David, the president also has a secure videoconferencing facility where he can have national security discussions, and I think if we move on, we can see some of those photographs, as well, and that is the technology the president will be using this weekend, while he is up at Camp David.
Here, you're taking a close look at a discussion. The CIA Director briefing the president and his top aids, here. Again, this is just after September 11, 2001, up at the Camp David Presidential Retreat.
We had hoped to show you another photograph of a videoconferencing facility. We don't have that, right now. Perhaps later we can show you. But safe to assume, even though the president is not here at the White House, up at Camp David is a facility run by the United States Marines he has available to him. The most secure technology in the world. If he wants to talk to General Tommy Franks in the region, he can pick up a line and do so -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: John, I was going to make that very point with you that Ari Fleischer, it seemed to me, bent over backwards to make sure everyone knew that even though the president is going to what is commonly known as the presidential retreat, he said, this is a Marine facility.
KING: It is. It is highly-protected. It actually, in many ways, more secure than the White House. You cannot -- no -- pedestrian can get pretty close to us here. You cannot get anywhere near the president when he is at Camp David. It offers him state-of- the-art communication facilities. And, Judy, for a president who is under a great deal of pressure, right now, it also gives him much more recreational opportunities. The president is a jogger. He likes to get out and run. He gets very frustrated. He calls it the bubble, here trapped inside the White House gates, so also a chance for the president to get out and relax a little bit. Perhaps, think by himself, as well.
WOODRUFF: Get some exercise and be able to think. And those are the pictures of earlier this afternoon when the president and Mrs. Bush, Laura Bush, did get on to Marine One to head out to Camp David.
All right, John King is at the White House. And as we continue to look at these live night scope pictures of Baghdad, the skies over that city where the electricity is still working.
Let's go back to Kuwait City and to Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. You'll be happy, I'm sure all of our viewers will be happy to know we do have the all-clear siren that has just gone off indicating no more threat, no more indication of any incoming rockets or missiles or anything along those lines. The all-clear has been sounded in Kuwait City. This is the third time that has happened today. About seven times, it happened yesterday.
We also have that videotape I promised earlier to show you, videotape of some Iraqi senior military officers. They were giving a briefing, as the bombs began to explode in Baghdad. I want our viewers to watch this.
That -- there you have it. Obviously, that had an impact on those military officers, as I'm sure it had an impact on a lot of people in Baghdad.
But the bombings did not only occur in the Iraqi capital. They've been occurring elsewhere around the country, especially in the northern part of Iraq in Kirkuk and Mosul.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is up in the northern part of Iraq.
Ben, any activity unfolding right now?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Back in my hotel room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, come on.
BLITZER: Ben Wedeman, can you hear me?
WEDEMAN: Yes, I'm sorry, Wolf, yes, I can. Regarding the situation here, about two-and-a-half hours ago, we saw a variety of sparks on the horizon where antiaircraft fire went up. We saw a variety of flashes, very bright. In addition to some very deep and distant thuds. And it went off on a fairly large, long horizon.
Now, of course, we are due east of the city of Mosul. And that's about 28 miles from here. But we could clearly hear and see the explosion in that city.
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