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Estimated 1,000 U.S. Paratroopers Now on Ground in Northern Iraq

Aired March 27, 2003 - 15:08   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The operation was necessary because Coalition forces were not allowed to use Turkey as a staging ground for their push into northern Iraq, but there are now 1,000 U.S. paratroopers on the ground. CNN's Jane Arraf has been talking to some of those paratroopers. She is with us now from Northern Iraq.
Jane, what are they saying to you?

JAN ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, essentially what they were saying dramatic as that air dropped looked, they said it was pretty routine. That this is something they've practiced for and done lots of times before. The other thing he said they were landing basically an airstrip, which is -- it's freezing and muddy, but the mud provided a nice, soft landing.

A lot of those troops are spending a very cold evening around the perimeter of that airstrip. Members of the 173rd. They have basically landed with just their packs. They landed very early this morning, put on those packs, walked around to the perimeter of the airstrip, which they are defending. Now we talked to a group of them who are on a hill, there were about six of them, and they were covered with mud. They said essentially that they were going to spend the night there, without any shelter. All they have basically is a bed roll and poncho to keep themselves warm. They were digging into MRES, meals ready to eat.

And it's pretty basic. They have nothing. They landed with the help of Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters who met them and are providing support and transport. They can't really talk to them, though. They said they had translation cards with basic phrases, but there aren't many interpreters. And they said a lot of person Peshmerga can't read. This is the force the Kurds have been expecting. The long awaited northern front, as you mentioned. And people are quite excited to see them.

Wolf, I can't tell you how dramatic it actually was to actually see American soldiers on these hills in the backdrop of this beautiful idealic landscape. And they -- the people were quite amazed to see them as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What kind of equipment did they come with? Were light tanks, light armor, anything dropped from the skies? What do they have with them to protect themselves, if you will -- Jane.

ARRAF: This essentially is the first of what's expected to be a much larger force. Now we're expecting tonight possibly equipment to come, tanks, armored personnel carriers, everything that they will need to actually move into Iraq further into -- to engage Iraqi forces. These are very lightly equipped, these people, the airborne troops.

And they're basically here to defend the perimeter of that airstrip, so they weren't carrying very much except their packs and communications equipment and light arms. But this is a continuing operation and even as early as tonight, we are expecting to see planes, no more of the dramatic airborne landings, the parachutes. but we are expecting to see planes land with the equipment that they will need to make really a northern front -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Guess that airstrip is going to be ready for some planes to land from there.

Thanks very much, Jane Arraf. She's in Northern Iraq.

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




Northern Iraq>


Aired March 27, 2003 - 15:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The operation was necessary because Coalition forces were not allowed to use Turkey as a staging ground for their push into northern Iraq, but there are now 1,000 U.S. paratroopers on the ground. CNN's Jane Arraf has been talking to some of those paratroopers. She is with us now from Northern Iraq.
Jane, what are they saying to you?

JAN ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, essentially what they were saying dramatic as that air dropped looked, they said it was pretty routine. That this is something they've practiced for and done lots of times before. The other thing he said they were landing basically an airstrip, which is -- it's freezing and muddy, but the mud provided a nice, soft landing.

A lot of those troops are spending a very cold evening around the perimeter of that airstrip. Members of the 173rd. They have basically landed with just their packs. They landed very early this morning, put on those packs, walked around to the perimeter of the airstrip, which they are defending. Now we talked to a group of them who are on a hill, there were about six of them, and they were covered with mud. They said essentially that they were going to spend the night there, without any shelter. All they have basically is a bed roll and poncho to keep themselves warm. They were digging into MRES, meals ready to eat.

And it's pretty basic. They have nothing. They landed with the help of Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters who met them and are providing support and transport. They can't really talk to them, though. They said they had translation cards with basic phrases, but there aren't many interpreters. And they said a lot of person Peshmerga can't read. This is the force the Kurds have been expecting. The long awaited northern front, as you mentioned. And people are quite excited to see them.

Wolf, I can't tell you how dramatic it actually was to actually see American soldiers on these hills in the backdrop of this beautiful idealic landscape. And they -- the people were quite amazed to see them as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What kind of equipment did they come with? Were light tanks, light armor, anything dropped from the skies? What do they have with them to protect themselves, if you will -- Jane.

ARRAF: This essentially is the first of what's expected to be a much larger force. Now we're expecting tonight possibly equipment to come, tanks, armored personnel carriers, everything that they will need to actually move into Iraq further into -- to engage Iraqi forces. These are very lightly equipped, these people, the airborne troops.

And they're basically here to defend the perimeter of that airstrip, so they weren't carrying very much except their packs and communications equipment and light arms. But this is a continuing operation and even as early as tonight, we are expecting to see planes, no more of the dramatic airborne landings, the parachutes. but we are expecting to see planes land with the equipment that they will need to make really a northern front -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Guess that airstrip is going to be ready for some planes to land from there.

Thanks very much, Jane Arraf. She's in Northern Iraq.

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




Northern Iraq>