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CENTCOM: Four Killed in Suicide Bombing

Aired March 29, 2003 - 12:00   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Leon Harris in the CNN news room.
At this hour, Central Command now says four American soldiers were killed today in that suicide car bombing in Najaf. That's four, not five as CENTCOM had previously said all from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. A top Iraqi official says it is just the beginning, he says more such attacks are on the way.

CNN's Alessio Vinci reports the Marines in Nasiriya have recovered the bodies of a number of comrades missing since Sunday. He says seven bodies were retrieved from Nasiriya's outskirts and one or two more from inside the city itself. CNN's Art Harris reports the fighting in Nasiriya continues.

For the first time in the war, an Iraqi missile has struck Kuwait City. The missile slammed into a popular mall. It happened after closing time last night so only one person was wounded. Reports suggest the missile-avoided detection by flying in low.

And sadness today across Britain as bodies begin arriving there from the Gulf Campaign. Ten fallen fighters were returned to British soil with full military honors. Two of the dead were killed by friendly fire. The other eight died in a helicopter crash.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And now back to CNN's coverage of the war in Iraq.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting live from Kuwait City.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. Welcome to another hour of CNN's special coverage of the war in Iraq. A great deal to bring you up to date on. Let's start with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. In the hour ahead, we'll once again call on CNN correspondents and analysts around the globe. Among them: CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, CNN military analyst retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd he's in Atlanta, and CNN's Rula Amin, she's in Jordan.

The Central Command leaders are denying reports that coalition forces having blazed their way deep into central Iraq are pausing for several days to re-equip.

Let's check in with CNN's Barbara Starr our Pentagon correspondent. Take a look at what's going on that front as well as the first combat losses from a suicide bombing attack. BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf what coalition forces are saying is, yes, some units are staying in place while they get re-supplied, that is to be expected. They need food. They need water. They need ammunition, other supplies. So some units on the battlefield are in place at the moment, but no pause in the overall campaign.

Air strikes, attacks are continuing, especially at leadership targets in Baghdad and at Republican Guard units spread out all around the outer perimeter of the capital. Even the British coalition has now been forced to address this issue. Here's what one of the British military officials have to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP CAPT. AL LOCKWOOD, U.K. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: These reports of a pause I've only heard on open sources and I noted that the Pentagon have just denied that there is a pause. What happens in any campaign is that there will be a period of time where we -- before we commit our troops forward, we will shape the battle space and make sure the troops are in the same place -- sorry, the correct place for the next part of the campaign and get things on our side so that we have the advantage when we next encounter the enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But to be clear Wolf, the U.S. military is reacting now to these continued attacks from the paramilitary forces. The 82 Airborne is now on the job, all way up and down what is known as Ambush Alley where the forces have been striking at the coalition, the 82 Airborne providing reinforcement for those vital supply lines -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What about Barbara, as we look at the pictures from Baghdad, looks like tracer fire, Iraqi antiaircraft guns shooting up in the skies, that's very often a precursor to more U.S. bombs on the way. The Iraqis may have some indication U.S. warplanes are moving close to Baghdad, we'll keep that picture up for our viewers. But what about this disturbing incident involving the suicide bombing attack against U.S. soldiers? What happened on that front?

STARR: Well, this was the first suicide bombing attack against coalition forces. Apparently a car driven by some Iraqis approaching a U.S. checkpoint at Najaf and it blew up. Now, earlier today the Central Command said to reporters that this tactic, of course, has been seen in the Middle East region in the past and they label it a terrorist type tactic.

But clearly it is another indication that Saddam Hussein's loyalists are turning to these paramilitary guerrilla, very much insurgency tactics against the coalition. They're trying to get to them that way. And that's why the extra security forces, the 82nd Airborne and other forces are now on the job all the way up and down that area to try and provide extra force protection to supply lines and to other units. BLITZER: Then I assume that the U.S. military is going to take extra precautions now that they've been hit by one of these suicide- bombing attacks.

STARR: Exactly. Commanders throughout the area have -- are warning their troops to be extremely cautious when they approach civilians. They have seen consistent tactics where people dressed in civilian clothes approach U.S. forces and then begin firing. They appear to be disguising themselves as civilians, but appear to be loyalists to the regime.

So there is two efforts, extreme caution when -- when approaching civilians and also more of an effort to try and separate out coalition forces from civilians, put a bit of a buffer between them so forces can try and assess what is going on before civilians get too close.

BLITZER: Barbara, before I let you go, I know we're standing by for a Pentagon briefing at the top of the hour, 1:00 PM. The Pentagon briefers presumably will be answering questions about this incident, this suicide-bombing incident. But as you and I remember, and many of our viewers remember, there is a history of suicide bombing attacks against U.S. troops. I'm referring specifically to Beirut in 1983 and more than 200 U.S. Marines were killed in a truck bombing, a suicide bombing attack.

Is this a surprise that there are these tactics now developing against U.S troops? Or was this anticipated from the start?

STARR: Well, the types of suicide attacks of course, that the U.S. military has seen in recent years throughout the region have largely been when U.S. troops are in large fixed concentrations; Beirut, the USS Cole, the bombing of the barracks in Saudi Arabia. So, there is an effort when there are concentrations of U.S. forces to provide them with the maximum force protection.

In this type of instance, you're talking about small groups of U.S. military forces trying to move throughout what is essentially is a civilian area and they want to make sure -- they tell us, of course, that they don't accidentally injure any civilians who may be trying to flee the loyalist forces to Saddam Hussein. So this is a much tougher proposition. This is the onesies and twosies that they may not automatically recognize whether they are civilian, friendly or enemy. Very tough business and the military is really trying to get a better fix on what is going on.

Remember it was several days ago that officials here at the Pentagon began saying privately they feared they had underestimated the dispersal of these paramilitary forces throughout these towns and regions. They're trying to go after their leaders, but there is every understanding it will be very difficult to target individual potential suicide bombers.

BLITZER: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. We'll be checking back with you.

And remember we're standing by at the top of the hour for the Pentagon briefing, 1:00 PM Eastern. CNN of course, will have live coverage. And this programming note, 24 hours from now, tomorrow, noon Eastern, a special interview with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers on a special edition of "LATE EDITION," that's at noon on Eastern, 9 AM Pacific Sunday -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Wolf that suicide-bombing incident near Najaf has to make coalition forces even more on guard than they already were.

Right now we want to check in with one of our correspondents in southeastern Iraq right now. He's CNN's Bob Franken, He is at an airfield that is now held by coalition forces.

And Bob, I understand you have news some of new arrivals there.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there have been arrivals throughout the day. But of course, the most important one is the reason this air base is so vital. It is 150 miles closer to the action. That means it is 150 miles closer to the action for the A- 10's.

The A-10's of course, are the anti-tank planes that have made such an impact on this particular effort supporting the ground operations of the coalition forces. Well, the first ones have landed and taken off from here. That is just a day after this operation really got up and running. This was a former Iraqi air base; it was taken over by the coalition forces last week.

But only yesterday did they really get the serious operation going. That is when the fuel trucks arrived, which were really of course the key. That means the A-10's and other aircraft can now land here on an airstrip that is remarkably in tact. It is a very long one, about 10,000 feet, which means it can handle just about everything. It is one that has really not been in use for about ten years since the first Gulf War. This was part of the southern no-fly zone this went into disuse or disrepair except for the fact this didn't deteriorate all that much.

So, now it is going to become an important point in this war effort because this is so much closer to all the action. The entire area is surrounded by hostility, but they have very, very strict, very significant security measures to make sure this base can be used.

It is also a transit point. First of all, for POW's who are brought in here and then moved out to parts unknown. It is also a transit point for -- we have seen a lot of members of the 82 Airborne Division, they're coming in here and being sent to points north. They're going to be used to protect, for instance, the different supply routes going up to the north. So this is going to be a very busy place. It is going to be busier.

There is sort of an irony here, Judy. We were here in what is literally the cradle of civilization, some of the most important historical spots in the world very close by. And you look up in the sky and you see the stars like you can see them nowhere else, the shooting stars. It is just a remarkably peaceful site except for the fact that this is the center of a war-like operation -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Yes, the contrast Bob, must be extraordinary. Bob Franken, I know you're talking to the troops. How are they holding up at this point?

FRANKEN: Well, the morale is quite high. First of all, I think everybody here realizes that their participation here is extremely important. They all have some specialized jobs. They really are gung ho as a matter of fact, very friendly, very interested in talking about what they're doing. There is no letdown. There is no concern that some people in the United States that they're hearing about are questioning the war effort and feel -- question whether it is working well. These are people that are focused on their jobs.

I've of course been looking around, as any reporter does, looking for things that aren't going well here, to be perfectly honest about it, I haven't been able to found much like that.

WOODRUFF: And Bob, on security, just to underline, your sense of it is that they are have done a good job of securing this location.

FRANKEN: Well, their sense of it certainly is. I mean, we have everything from missiles here and I don't want to be more specific. But probably be breaking the rules if I did, that there is that kind of security around the base, there is a huge security force. As a matter of fact, we came up here part of a very, very long effort to come up here was with security forces.

They have tunnels on this air base and one of the first things they did as they went into all the tunnels and as a matter of fact, they captured a few Iraqis in the tunnels. They've done a very thorough search and they believe they've secured them all and that they're not a problem. But security -- the place is brisling with security as a matter of fact.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bob Franken reporting from an airfield in southeast Iraq. Thank you, Bob, very much.

And from Iraq we want to move to another location in the Persian Gulf where the U.S. Air Force from which we know the Air Force has been flying nightly missions over Iraq. Whether it is air strikes or refueling missions.

Our Gary Tuchman is at the other air base in the Gulf. He joins us by videophone -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy there were 8,000 servicemen and women at this base near the border of Iraq. They come from the United States. They come from the United Kingdom. They come from Australia. There are army people here, Navy people, Marines, but primarily Air Force.

Each and every night for the last week and a half they've been flying between 130 and 300 Sorties to Iraq; and we're going to be at the high end of that tonight into tomorrow. We're expecting another 300 Sorties. For first time since the Vietnam War, the Air Force is committing us, the journalists to go along on the Sorties. And that's precisely what we did late last night. We were aboard an HC-130. It is a huge aircraft, ten men aboard.

There are three missions that this airplane served. No. 1, it is sort of a police plane in the sky. This is a support Sortie, it's not a strike Sortie. The difference between strike and support, the strike Sorties carry bombs and missiles. The support Sorties help out. It's almost like a police vehicle looking for trouble. It also has PJ's aboard, that's short for parachute jumpers. What they do is they jump off the plane in case rescue needs to be made.

But the primary purpose that we went on was a refueling mission. They refueled the HA-60 helicopters. Those helicopters known as Jollies and they also participate in search and rescue missions. So, what the helicopter does while we were on it is fly right up to the plane. The plane and the helicopter both going 125 miles per hour. They're 50 feet away from each other, flying at that speed in the utter darkness. The plane is over Iraq as we're doing this. They want to refuel these helicopters over Iraq so they can be in the right place at the right time in case they're needed.

So, 50 feet apart, they refuel. You cannot see the helicopters with the naked eye. When we looked through our night vision scopes, that's what we see is what looks like this ghostly green image of a helicopter flying at high speeds, getting refueled. Ten minutes later the refueling is over, the mission is over and the HC-130 and its crew of ten returns to the base where we're at right now ready for another mission 24 hours later.

Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: Gary, when they pull off, if you will, one of these operations, is it now that they've done so many of them that it is just second nature to them or is the adrenaline racing? I mean, what is it like?

TUCHMAN: Judy, forgive me because of all the aircraft taking off here; it is hard for me to hear you. I think you asked me though, is it getting routine after all these missions. And for these people who fly in this, they get a laser-like intensity each and every time they get into that plane and it takes off. When they're not flying, before and after, they are friendly, laid back men and women. But once they're on that -- particularly when they're flying over Iraq with no lights on, flying in the darkness, there is an intense feeling aboard.

WOODRUFF: Gary Tuchman with vivid description of what is going on.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. The government of Syria is fuming today over a public broad side yesterday from the U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. If you caught yesterday's Pentagon briefing, you heard this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Specifically with respect to Syria, I pointed out that we have seen military supplies and materials and equipment crossing the border and we'd like it to stop. And to the extent it keeps on, we have to consider it a hostile act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Short time later Syria's U.N. ambassador accused Rumsfeld of lashing out in frustration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKHAIL WEHBE, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR, U.N.: We believe, you know, these accusation, it is a mark of failure of the invasion, the American-Iraqi -- the American-British invasion to Iraq. And because of the failure, trying to mislead the American people, unfortunately, with distributing these accusation here and there. In particularly to Syria at this stage, you know? And to cover the killing of the innocent and the civilians in hundreds in Baghdad and al Basra and al Mosul and everywhere around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining me from Damascus is the Syrian Foreign Ministry Official Bouthaina Shaaban.

Thanks very much Miss Shaaban for joining us. What about the substance of the allegation from Donald Rumsfeld that night vision goggles somehow manage to cross the border from Syria into Iraq and are being used by Iraqi forces? Is he right?

BOUTHAINA SHAABAN, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: You know, of course he's not right. But I was wondering whether Mr. Rumsfeld wanted to suggest that this means that the -- with this Iraq might have a military superiority over the U.S. I sometimes wonder what is behind you know, these allegations. And we made allegations about how the war is going to go and how it is going to be fast and be quick, and how the Iraqis are going to meet them with flowers. So none of them proven to be correct. So why should this one be?

BLITZER: What about the specific charge though, that your government, the Syrian government is allowing military equipment to cross the border into Iraq? Is that true? Can you flatly deny that?

SHAABAN: Absolutely, absolutely. The Syrian government has been behaving extremely responsibly since the beginning of this crisis. And tried its best with many countries in the world to make this crisis be solved through peaceful means. It was unfortunately the misguided vision that led to such a war that is leading so to so much killing and so much destruction, unnecessary killing and unnecessary destruction.

It's an illegitimate war and I think instead of dishing out accusations here and there, I really believe it is a point where this aggression has to stop and to rethink the policy and to go back to the United Nations and you know, do the job peacefully. It would be good for American people, for Iraqi people, for British people, for all the world.

BLITZER: I assume Miss Shabaan, that before Rumsfeld went public with the accusation, given the fact that the United States and Syria have formal diplomatic relations, the U.S. government raised this issue quietly, diplomatically with your government. Did they?

SHAABAN: Well, the Syrian government always told the U.S. government if you bring us any evidence, we will be very pleased to act. Until this very moment, no evidence has been presented to Syria that any of this information and many other types of information are correct. I think there is a problem of the source of information, you know? They have to check the source of information.

And I think a different way of dealing with the region should be sought, you know? The problem is that information sometimes is coming from people who don't understand the history of the Arabs in the region. The ten thousands of years of this history and I think this is posing a real problem for decision makers in the United States. I think they need more advice, good advice from this region.

BLITZER: Do you accept the apology from the Pentagon that came earlier in the week when that civilian bus, including a lot of Syrian civilians was hit by an errant U.S bomb as it was attempting to leave Iraq to head back to Syria. Do you accept the U.S explanation that this was a mistake?

SHAABAN: You know, I -- we accept the apology, but I'm a mother. I don't know whether you are a father. You know if my child is killed, I don't know what do I do with the apology. You know when the mothers of these American Marines are there, I don't know what any war could do good for anybody.

I think the best thing to do is to stop an illegitimate and totally unnecessary war. The United States could be met with love, rather than with anger in this region if it took -- if it put its priorities and if it were able to get better advice and better experts. You know, the experts are the real problem in the United States. They're only experts on one thing but not experts on the most important issues.

BLITZER: Bouthaina Shaaban, thanks for joining us from Damascus.

SHAABAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Bouthaina Shaaban is a representative of the Syrian Foreign Ministry; appreciate your time.

Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: Yes, Wolf. It does appear to have been deterioration, I think it's safe to say, in U.S.-Syrian relations since after September 11 when I remember the Syrian government pledged its support to the United States and for the war on terror. Things have certainly changed since then.

Well, now we want to go to our military desk in Atlanta for a little more on what is happening on the ground in Iraq and in the air. For that, let's go CNN's Renay San Miguel and our military analyst, retired Major General Don Shepperd.

Hello, Renay.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. And we want to talk about what has happened in Iraq in the last 12 to 24 hours. But first, I want to get the General's perspective this -- the admission from the Iraqi vice president that suicide attacks are now apart of military tactics. What's going to need to change in the defense of the coalition checkpoints?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: We just had one at Najaf down here, four American military personnel killed. It is the toughest thing to defend against. You're going to have to be very careful at all of the vehicular checkpoints and make sure the vehicles clear and the people are out of the vehicles don't approach it with a large number of people. And don't assume you're safe anywhere around any civilian right there. It is tough Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: OK. Let's go ahead and show people the map table now and give our viewers an idea of what we're talking about.

Here is Najaf right here where that suicide bombing happened. Tell us what else is going on in the country right now.

SHEPPERD: Well, up in the northern part of the country, in the vicinity of Harir, the 173 Airborne Brigade continues to be enforced. In that vicinity also, is the Nebuchadnezzar Infantry Division deployed along the Kurd lines outside of Erbil.

Further south in the country we have seen a ranger operations and some type of Special Operations in the western part of the country, taking a -- an Iraqi commando location there earlier, and seizing something intelligence as well.

In addition, we have seen the 101st Airborne hitting the right flank or left on the screen of the Medina Armored Division on a long- range strike. We have also seen the operations now out of a airfield -- an airfield the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Airfield in southeastern Iraq with A-10 aircraft. Fighting continues in Nasiriya with the Marines, in Basra with the British. We had overnight the missile attack in Kuwait.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. We want to show -- you talked about that Army Ranger operation in western Iraq. They showed some night vision photography of that operation going on at the Central Command briefing today.

And we talked about night vision and what the Syrians have been accused of doing this does give such an advantage to the coalition troops. SHEPPERD: Yes, you wouldn't see anything if you didn't have on night vision goggles other than the flashes from the guns. And so anyone that has night vision devices gives them a significant advantage. And as Wolf just talked about the U.S. military's very concerned about anyone selling night vision equipment to the Iraqis and that was what Secretary Rumsfeld intimated in his remarks yesterday.

SAN MIGUEL: If you were actually out there in the desert, all you'd see was a lot of flashes and hear some thundering, thundering noise.

General Shepperd, thank you for your time and we'll visit with you later.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

SAN MIGUEL: Judy, we give it back to you right now.

WOODRUFF: Thanks Renay and General Shepperd.

We know the administration has been upset with the Russians as well for providing night vision goggles and other equipment they've described to the Iraqis.

CNN's live coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom continues in just a moment. Plus, the Iraqi capitol is rocked again. Coalition forces have now hit Baghdad eight straight nights.

Also, the faces of pain, how Iraqi civilians deal with the day- to-day dangers created in their country.

But first, we want to show you some of the pictures of this day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Coalition bombs fell over Baghdad for an eighth straight night. One big blast hit the Information Ministry downtown. CNN's Rula Amin is live from Ruwasheid, Jordan with the latest.

Rula, what is the latest, best information you have on any assessment of the damage?

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, we're hearing that the bombing is continuing night and day. The last explosions we heard were about two hours ago, four big explosions in the center of Baghdad. And as the bombing continues, Iraqi civilians killed in this war, the number of those people killed in this war is on the rise.

The U.S. and Iraq continues to blame each other. Who is to blame? Whose missile hit what? On the ground, the Iraqi -- the regular Iraqis are paying a heavy price for this war.

Iraq is like a long family. This family says it fled Baghdad with an extended family, fled Baghdad, went to the outskirts and took a farm as a shelter. And during that, their stay there, a missile hit them. A 14-year-old daughter was killed. Some of her siblings were injured and many of those family members now are in the hospital. This is what her father had to say about this war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): our house is located in a farm area. After the prayer, we were sitting for breakfast. We heard the plane. And we were hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMIN: Now Iraqi officials say that in the last 24 hours, more than 68 Iraqi civilians were killed, more than 107 injured. And they point to these numbers trying to rally the world against this war. However, Iraq's Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan made it clear today that Iraq is not actually relying on the world or even on the united nations security council to stop the war. He says the main tool to stop the war is to fight back. And to fight back with people like Ali Hamed, an Iraqi junior officer who carried out the suicide attack this morning against the U.S. soldiers. And Iraqi vice president says it is only the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAHA YASSIN RAMADAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): Today our military officer had a suicide mission and killed five Americans and destroyed several vehicles. His name is Naya Jaffrah Alimusa Almadi Anmandi (ph). And we will issue a statement regarding this mission and operation. This is the beginning. And you will hear more and more in the next few days.

AMIN: The Iraqi government says it is entitled to use any tool it has to defend itself. They are saying they were not allowed to develop missiles and bombs as powerful as the ones the U.S. has, and so they are going to resort to any method they can come up with in order to fight back -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Rula, you have covered Iraq for many years. To what -- and we know that there are other fundamentalists, strongly fundamentalists Muslim groups, some of them who do believe in pursuing suicide missions. But how much of this had you seen before now in Iraq?

AMIN: in Iraq we haven't seen methods like this being used before because Iraq regime is a secular regime. And they haven't -- we haven't heard much about suicide bombings before. However, it seems that the Iraqis now feel that they're desperate. They are weak in terms of who has more technological edge in terms of the weapons and the abilities. They say they have been under sanctions for 12 years, they were not allowed to develop weapons. So it seems they with going to use any method they can get their hands on in order to fight back and they are very defiant -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, CNN's Rula Amin, just across the boarder from Iraq in Jordan. Thank you Rula, very much. Well, you've heard it said that an army travels on its stomach and as true as that might be; it is only a fraction of the logistical support that a fighting force needs on the battlefield. Just ask William Gus Pagonis, the author of a business bestseller called "Moving Mountains."

Gus Pagonis served as the logistics commander for U.S. forces during the first Gulf War in 1991. He left the service as a three star general. He joins us from his home base of Pittsburgh with his insights.

As you observe what has happened in Iraq this time, as you observed this unfold, how well -- how good a job are they doing of providing food, ammunition, and everything else that these troops need?

LT. GEN. GUS PAGONIS (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, actually they're doing a terrific job. But people don't realize the supply chain; the supply link was part of the plan. When the tacticians were putting together their tactical plan, the logistician was there at all levels to tell them whether they could support it or not support it.

And the problems that had been going on with the supply chain are not something that someone had anticipated. Until someone blows up the entire road or destroys hundreds of vehicle, these kind of things occur, which are difficult and problems, they going to have game plans to try to overcome it and continue the flow of the goods to get as far forward as possible to get the combat troops coming back as far to get re-supplied.

WOODRUFF: What I'm hearing discussed today, General Pagonis is this whole question of security for the supply line. When you've got a line that is 300 some odd miles long from the border with Kuwait into the place where the forward forces are near Baghdad, keeping that line secure against Iraqi irregulars, regulars, whatever you want to call them, has been much more difficult than anticipated.

PAGONIS: Well, actually in Vietnam, supply lines were hit every day, every few miles from the jungle because enemy snipers can hide very easily. In the desert, they'll have helicopters patrolling the supply line, they'll military police in their HUMVEES with .50 cal and .60 cal machine guns.

And then each logistician -- there's a master controller of the supply line and he will make sure that when there's an incident, it's told to all they other convoys; and then they'll do the best they can.

You don't want to divert too much of the combat force to guard the supply line. You want the combat troops actually fighting against the enemy and then the logisticians will do the best they can.

WOODRUFF: Well, how do they keep it safe then; if you don't want to divert the combat troops, who do you use for that purpose?

PAGONIS: Well, the logisticians themselves. I can assure you they're armed and well trained, they know how to fire their weapons. If they come under fire, they'll return the fire; call in the situation.

You know, there will be some combat troops that will be diverted to keep a greater patrol on it. Or when there's an incident, you don't want to put them in there. But you don't want to start taking entire divisions and guarding the entire supply line. And 300 miles, although it is a great distance and difficult, it is not something that these logisticians aren't capable of trying to work through.

The support of this force and as fast as moved, was really astonishing. These young men and women did a terrific job in being able to get the goods to the combat troops to allow them to keep their push going to Baghdad. I think when this is all over with it will be documented as an excellent, excellent effort on the part of the logisticians.

WOODRUFF: As you watch it, though, unfold; is there a sense that they didn't anticipate that it was going to take as long as it apparently is going to take to get this mission done?

PAGONIS: Well, again, I can't speak from a tactical point of view. I have a hard time believing there was not a very detailed plan laid out as a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Myers has articulated. It was laid out. I think the American public were may be looking for a quick 100-hour ground war like we were fortunate enough to have in first go round. This is going to be a much longer effort.

Remember that when they came into the theater, we had six months to prepare and we were in a defensive posture preparing for the time when the bombing would start, which went on for three weeks and then we had the ground attack. In this particular case, they came in, had their reception, married up the equipment with the soldiers coming in on planes and then went right on into the onward movement into the combat zone. And of course, they're going from Kuwait all the way to Baghdad. And there is only one road network.

So consequently it going to probably take a little longer, the skirmishes occurring are causing delays in the operation but not stopping it.

WOODRUFF: And General, tell us some of the things that have to get through that have got to get to the forces on the front line in order for them achieve their objective of getting into the Baghdad and taking over the capitol.

PAGONIS: Well, foremost, is they have to have ammunition. And they have to have fuel for their maneuver vehicles. And then third will be water. Water became a very critical element the last go around. Remember all the generals, colonels, sergeants, majors and first sergeants of this go round were the privates, majors and lieutenant colonels 12 years ago. And they've been through this. They are very, very experienced.

American corporation would love to be able to have this kind of expertise that was in that part of the world 12 years ago and are right back here. Many of the young men and women serve with us in a 22 Support Command are right back there. But fuel, ammunition and water and then finally medical supplies. Probably the last item that is critical but not that important would be the food because they have their meals ready to eat that they take on their vehicles with them.

WOODRUFF: Last question General Gus Pagonis, as you look at the faces of these young men and women, most of them experiencing combat for first time, what goes through your mind?

PAGONIS: Well, first of all, I just -- I would hope that the American people keep supporting the men and women who have been asked to take on this tremendous task. You know, we keep forgetting that these are young men and women, 18, 19, 20 years old. Those are the ones who have to fight the battle and pay the supreme sacrifice. The leaders are doing the best they can and hopefully we'll get this thing over with and bring them all home soon.

WOODRUFF: Retired Army General William Gus Pagonis, he was the logistics commander for U.S. forces during Desert Storm, Desert Shield. He was a top adviser to General Schwarzkopf. So once again, General Pagonis, good to see you and we appreciate you talking with us.

PAGONIS: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: Thank you.

Wolf, quite a story he has to tell.

BLITZER: Yes, and I can tell you having covered that first Gulf War, General Pagonis did a brilliant job by all accounts, one of the unsung heroes of the first Gulf War in getting all of that logistics, all that equipment, heavy armor and supplies ready to go. Clearly someone who knew what he was doing. Obviously knows what he's still doing right now.

Meanwhile this weekend President Bush is monitoring the war in Iraq from Camp David. He also used his weekly radio address today to rally Americans around the war.

CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has more now from the White House -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush is at Camp David with his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and his Chief of Staff Andy Card.

I just got off the phone with a senior administration official who said the president received his intelligence briefing between 8:30 and 9:00. From 9:00 until 10:00, he had a meeting with his war council through a secured video link on that call was the vice president, Secretary Rumsfeld as well as Secretary Powell and others that the president in his weekly radio address, quite frankly, addressing the questions and even the criticism from some that perhaps the administration underestimated how difficult this war was going to be after only ten days. President Bush making the case however, that the administration has been successful so far. He outline -- he said that they are clearing mines, that the secured oil fields already providing humanitarian aid, but also that the president cautioning the American name there is still a more dangerous time ahead.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: We are now fighting the most desperate units of the dictator's army, the fighting is fierce and we do not know its duration. Yet we know the outcome of this battle, the Iraqi regime will be disarmed and removed from power. Iraq will be free.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The president in his radio address also urging Congress to pass that emergency-spending bill. The cost of the war, an estimated $75 billion. It is likely, Wolf, that he is going to get that money if not more but there are some in Congress who doubt that we can afford the war and at the same time pass that economic stimulus package, the tax cut package in the Senate just this past week. They slashed it in half. $726 billion in half. There are some Democrats who responded in their radio address. Actually voicing their concerns about the budget and whether or not the U.S. can afford this war.

(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: Frankly I don't think his next year's budget adds up. The president proposes large spending increases, much of it for the military, large tax cuts mostly for the upper income tax payers. In fact, $724 billion worth in the next ten years, and the largest federal budget deficits in history.

(END AUDIO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: Wolf, now the House actually passed the president's tax plan, the package there, the $726 billion. When it goes into conference, in all likelihood it is going to be somewhere between the figure that the Senate comes up with and the House -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This may be premature right now, given the focus is on the war itself, on the battlefield, but at some point, diplomacy will have to play a major role in a post war Iraq. Is there talk of that at the White House already?

MALVEAUX: Well, they certainly addressed that, the president and British Prime Minister Tony Blair when they were in Camp David just a few days ago saying they're not talking about the details. But certainly British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying the U.N. has to have a central role in the humanitarian aid and reconstruction. There are some within the Bush administration, somewhat reticent about that, that they see a more limited role.

It is fair to say there is even a debate within the administration, the Pentagon really seeing a much more limited role for the U.N., but the State Department and Secretary Powell being very outspoken about that saying that the U.N. has to be involved because they really see it as an issue of legitimacy going in, trying to reconstruct a post Saddam Iraq. And at the same time, they will need the U.N. Security Council to pass resolutions to lift those sanctions, to get that aid in there in the long-term, and also to get that reconstruction -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Malveaux at the White House. Suzanne, thanks very much.

And tomorrow, at noon Eastern on "LATE EDITION," I'll have the chance to ask General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all of the serious military related questions our viewers want answered. That's tomorrow, a special edition of "LATE EDITION" with the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

In 15 minutes from now at the top of the hour, the Pentagon has its daily briefing. CNN, of course, will have live coverage of that.

In the southern part of Baghdad, some 1,000 Iraqi civilians apparently have fled to further south of the city of Basra. British military officials say the militia in the city fired mortars and artillery at people as they left. This is certainly a perilous situation for Iraqi citizens. That region as they fear how honest they should be in revealing their true loyalties.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Umm Qasr is a dilapidated little town. At the marketplace, there is not much more than tomato, onions, and a lot of flies and opinions. Saddam Hussein is our president, says this woman. We love him. But we're scared of him. In fact, Ali, an anti-Saddam exile returning home with the U.S. Army, says these women don't dare speak out against Saddam Hussein just yet.

These people don't believe the Americans can or will get rid of Saddam Hussein.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We've been hearing that every day that we've been here and part of our job and our free Iraqi forces are helping us to convince the people that we will stay until Saddam is gone.

AMANPOUR: As part of Army Civil Affairs, Colonel David Blackledge and his team interact with the people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you.

COL. DAVID BLACKLEDGE, ARMY CIVIL AFFAIRS: Nice to meet you. How old are you?

AMANPOUR: They're trying to gain valuable information and their trust. But it is a hard sell. This is Iraq's Shiite heartland and memories are deep and bitter. They'll not easily forget what they consider America's great betrayal during the Gulf War 12 years ago when they were encouraged to rise up only to be left to the brutal mercies of Saddam Hussein.

Still, there are increasing if tentative signs that the tell want to believe that this time it is for real. The Shiite flags forbidden by the Baghdad regime during this holy month of Moharam.

People gather around U.S. soldiers and tell us they're looking forward to a new Iraq, one without fear of Saddam's reign of terror.

I want my freedom, says this man. I don't want food or water. I just want my freedom.

But actually food and especially water are very much on everyone's mind.

The Americans and the British promise to help us, they say, but when we ask them about the water, they tell us tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. This man tells us that all America wants is Iraq's oil.

A sign of the dangers still lurking here; these two men who flagged down the American Humvee and asked to surrender. We can't show their faces because they've been taken as prisoners of war, but they say they are Saddam's Fedayeen militias, sent down from Baghdad on pain of execution. Their mission, to conduct suicide attacks against American and British troops. They're giving themselves up to these Americans. They said, they didn't want to die for Saddam Hussein.

(on camera): Removing the image and the influence of Saddam Hussein is a main objective for the Americans and the British in this part of Iraq. And they hope by first stabilizing Umm Qasr, word will then spread northwards and have an effect on Basra and beyond.

(voice over): In fact, the British sent 11 of these Challenger tanks into Basra to crush Saddam's statue in the center.

Meantime, a steady stream of civilians continues to leave. It is a portrait of war with thick, black smoke billowing from the city they leave behind. Some are surrendering to the British forces and some of the men want to go back after bringing out their families.

And to the question the British ask every day, when will the people rise up? The answer many give us, the day they know Saddam Hussein is dead.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, near Basra in southern Iraq.

((END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: So powerful hearing that Iraqi man say I just want my freedom.

Well, just as they were last weekend there are many a number of anti-war protests happening around the world. As well as rallies supporting the U.S. troops in Iraq. RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rusty Dornin in San Francisco, a city known for its anti-war protests and today, it will be the site of what organizers hope is a major support the troops rally, coming up

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: There are some Americans who have been watching anti- war protests and saying that they diminish somehow the bravery and commitment of U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. So today there was a support the troops rally in a city where we have seen almost daily anti-war demonstrations, San Francisco. And that's where we find our Rusty Dornin -- Rusty.

DORNIN: Well Judy, you know San Francisco is probably known worldwide ever since the Vietnam era for its anti-war demonstrations. This has been no exception. There have been more than 2,000 protesters arrested over the last few weeks for civil disobedience.

Now, often at the rallies that occur on the weekends, there are a handful of folks for supporting the troops that show up and they get into often-verbal confrontations with the anti-war protesters. Today will be their very first major rally here at San Francisco Civic Center, which is sort of considered the bastion of free speech in this city.

Here to tell us a little bit more about how that is going to go is Alfredo Najera of the Support The Troops Rally.

ALFREDO NAJERA, RALLY ORGANIZER: Yes.

DORNIN: Now, this has got to be difficult for you in a city known for such an anti-war stance.

NAJERA: Yes, it is. I received some threats today, this morning; telling me you better shut it down. I've had e-mails that I've received as well, Web sites where they say we're going to come over here and shut it down. It is sad because these people say free speech; you know tolerance, but only for their side. When you disagree with their view, they try to censor you and limit what you say.

DORNIN: Now, why do you think also, there has been so few of you folks showing up at protests and rallies and things like that? If you maintain this is the majority of how Americans feel, why aren't there more people out here?

NAJERA: Well, a lot of us have jobs; a lot of us go to school. We have a life. A lot of these people who are anti-war have been career protesters. And I know because I was a formal liberal because since I was 16 I use to see them and I still see them today now that I'm 29. So, I think there is a history there that they tend to have all this free time.

DORNIN: Are you expecting some anti-war protesters to show up here too today? NAJERA: Aim expecting that. But nevertheless, we say our military can march into Baghdad, we can march into San Francisco.

DORNIN: OK, how many people are you expecting to show up today?

NAJERA: It's hard to say, but we say anywhere from 500 to a few thousand. It is hard to say. We've done so much work to get the word out and we just hope that people will come by and support our country.

DORNIN: On the same note, do you think there are some folks fearful to come into San Francisco where they might go a place like Sacramento to -- for its support the troops rally but might be fearful to come here?

NAJERA: That is the case. I had some people ask me is it safe, can we go, coming from Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Santa Clara? I said yes, it is going to be perfectly safe because we're going to have security; the police will be there. We're not marching anywhere, we don't want to cross the streets. We want to show how to do a real rally to support our country.

DORNIN: OK, great. Thank you very much, Alfredo Najera.

NAJERA: Thank you.

DORNIN: Now, the really is expected to begin in about two and a half hours. Perhaps a thousand people or more. But Judy, as they fully expect, they said in a place like San Francisco they could be disappointed if also the anti-war protesters didn't show up as well.

WOODRUFF: Rusty, that's something else people trying to participate in a support the troops rally, feeling in any way intimidated about their ability to do that.

Rusty Dornin reporting for us live from San Francisco. Thanks very much. I know we'll be coming back to you through the afternoon -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy. Into the second week of the war, those against the action in Iraq are unrelenting in their protests. For example, in Bangladesh, one of the world's most populous Muslim nations, thousands of people marched against the war. Some demonstrators also burned effigies of President Bush.

Punches were thrown between riot police and students in Seoul, South Korea. Some 2,000 protesters took to the streets. They fear the U.S. will target North Korea after the war.

And in the United States, these anti-war protesters took to the streets of Beantown; the New England-wide peace march to stop the war is being held this hour in Boston.

Coming up, portrait of a warrior; the story of a 28-year-old Marine Corps captain on his first aircraft carrier deployment and the loved ones he left behind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage. War is being waged of course, by large armies, fighting is often an individual experience for these soldiers, sailors and Marine Corps officers handle all of these tensions in his or her own way.

Frank Buckley has the portrait of a 28-year-old warrior and his parents back on the home front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The man behind the visor flying an F-18 strike fighter is Marine Corps. Captain Chris Collins. He's only 28-years-old but he's already a veteran of war. He just got back from a mission over Iraq.

Dust storms made it difficult to see but he eventually dropped bombs on artillery pieces may be on people, Iraq soldiers.

CAPT. CHRIS COLLINS, U.S. MARINES: I thought that might effect me you know, when I first came out here but they're trying to kill me, so they're shooting at me, we're trying to shoot at them. And you know, I guess that's what war is all about.

BUCKLEY: It's pretty intense stuff for a guy on his first aircraft carrier deployment. Collins is what you call a "Nugget." To his friends he is, "Kitty, a call sign his squadron gave him when he showed up with a tough guy call sign, "Mad Dog."

To Jack and Barbara Collins, he is a son. And like the parents of so many young men and women in the Gulf, they watch for news about their boy whenever they can. We got word to them so they could watch when we interviewed Chris about the conditions pilots are facing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And when we can't see the ground, obviously, we can't see the target.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: They stay in touch by e-mail. Occasionally they talk by phone. Chris knows his mom is worried.

COLLINS: I feel like every time she thinks she talks to me it will be my last day talking to her, you know? And so, you know, she always wants to know what I'm doing and then I tell her. And then she gets all worried. So, you know, now when she asks me, what have you been doing? Well, you don't want to know.

BUCKLEY: Chris' parents pray for their boy's safe return.

BARBARA COLLINS, MOTHER: I'm okay. You know, I think Christopher is highly trained as are all the pilots. I think he'll be fine.

BUCKLEY: And at the moment, he is. Doing what he was trained to do, to fly and fight.

Frank Buckley, CNN, aboard the USS Constellation in the Persian Gulf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And we're standing by at the top of the hour, Judy. We're waiting for this Pentagon briefing that should be starting momentarily. Hopefully we'll learn a little bit more about what is happening in the war here in the Persian Gulf -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Wolf, I was just moved watching that mother and father, keeping an eye on their son. It just doesn't get any easier for the parents and loved ones back home.

And, Wolf, we're glad that things are quiet in Kuwait City where you are since last night.

BLITZER: We're glad they're quiet, too. About two and a half hours ago there was an air raid siren that went off. We were told subsequently that there was some sort of a missile that was fired. But this time the Patriot system worked, knocked out that missile before it got anywhere near Kuwait.

So the Iraqis are still attempting to do something, but the Patriot system seems to be working quite well, when the missiles go up high enough for it to function the way it is supposed to -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Wolf in Kuwait. He'll be back. I'll be back after a short break. Our live coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom continues.

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LEON HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Leon Harris in the CNN news room.
At this hour, Central Command now says four American soldiers were killed today in that suicide car bombing in Najaf. That's four, not five as CENTCOM had previously said all from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. A top Iraqi official says it is just the beginning, he says more such attacks are on the way.

CNN's Alessio Vinci reports the Marines in Nasiriya have recovered the bodies of a number of comrades missing since Sunday. He says seven bodies were retrieved from Nasiriya's outskirts and one or two more from inside the city itself. CNN's Art Harris reports the fighting in Nasiriya continues.

For the first time in the war, an Iraqi missile has struck Kuwait City. The missile slammed into a popular mall. It happened after closing time last night so only one person was wounded. Reports suggest the missile-avoided detection by flying in low.

And sadness today across Britain as bodies begin arriving there from the Gulf Campaign. Ten fallen fighters were returned to British soil with full military honors. Two of the dead were killed by friendly fire. The other eight died in a helicopter crash.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And now back to CNN's coverage of the war in Iraq.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting live from Kuwait City.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. Welcome to another hour of CNN's special coverage of the war in Iraq. A great deal to bring you up to date on. Let's start with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. In the hour ahead, we'll once again call on CNN correspondents and analysts around the globe. Among them: CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, CNN military analyst retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd he's in Atlanta, and CNN's Rula Amin, she's in Jordan.

The Central Command leaders are denying reports that coalition forces having blazed their way deep into central Iraq are pausing for several days to re-equip.

Let's check in with CNN's Barbara Starr our Pentagon correspondent. Take a look at what's going on that front as well as the first combat losses from a suicide bombing attack. BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf what coalition forces are saying is, yes, some units are staying in place while they get re-supplied, that is to be expected. They need food. They need water. They need ammunition, other supplies. So some units on the battlefield are in place at the moment, but no pause in the overall campaign.

Air strikes, attacks are continuing, especially at leadership targets in Baghdad and at Republican Guard units spread out all around the outer perimeter of the capital. Even the British coalition has now been forced to address this issue. Here's what one of the British military officials have to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP CAPT. AL LOCKWOOD, U.K. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: These reports of a pause I've only heard on open sources and I noted that the Pentagon have just denied that there is a pause. What happens in any campaign is that there will be a period of time where we -- before we commit our troops forward, we will shape the battle space and make sure the troops are in the same place -- sorry, the correct place for the next part of the campaign and get things on our side so that we have the advantage when we next encounter the enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But to be clear Wolf, the U.S. military is reacting now to these continued attacks from the paramilitary forces. The 82 Airborne is now on the job, all way up and down what is known as Ambush Alley where the forces have been striking at the coalition, the 82 Airborne providing reinforcement for those vital supply lines -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What about Barbara, as we look at the pictures from Baghdad, looks like tracer fire, Iraqi antiaircraft guns shooting up in the skies, that's very often a precursor to more U.S. bombs on the way. The Iraqis may have some indication U.S. warplanes are moving close to Baghdad, we'll keep that picture up for our viewers. But what about this disturbing incident involving the suicide bombing attack against U.S. soldiers? What happened on that front?

STARR: Well, this was the first suicide bombing attack against coalition forces. Apparently a car driven by some Iraqis approaching a U.S. checkpoint at Najaf and it blew up. Now, earlier today the Central Command said to reporters that this tactic, of course, has been seen in the Middle East region in the past and they label it a terrorist type tactic.

But clearly it is another indication that Saddam Hussein's loyalists are turning to these paramilitary guerrilla, very much insurgency tactics against the coalition. They're trying to get to them that way. And that's why the extra security forces, the 82nd Airborne and other forces are now on the job all the way up and down that area to try and provide extra force protection to supply lines and to other units. BLITZER: Then I assume that the U.S. military is going to take extra precautions now that they've been hit by one of these suicide- bombing attacks.

STARR: Exactly. Commanders throughout the area have -- are warning their troops to be extremely cautious when they approach civilians. They have seen consistent tactics where people dressed in civilian clothes approach U.S. forces and then begin firing. They appear to be disguising themselves as civilians, but appear to be loyalists to the regime.

So there is two efforts, extreme caution when -- when approaching civilians and also more of an effort to try and separate out coalition forces from civilians, put a bit of a buffer between them so forces can try and assess what is going on before civilians get too close.

BLITZER: Barbara, before I let you go, I know we're standing by for a Pentagon briefing at the top of the hour, 1:00 PM. The Pentagon briefers presumably will be answering questions about this incident, this suicide-bombing incident. But as you and I remember, and many of our viewers remember, there is a history of suicide bombing attacks against U.S. troops. I'm referring specifically to Beirut in 1983 and more than 200 U.S. Marines were killed in a truck bombing, a suicide bombing attack.

Is this a surprise that there are these tactics now developing against U.S troops? Or was this anticipated from the start?

STARR: Well, the types of suicide attacks of course, that the U.S. military has seen in recent years throughout the region have largely been when U.S. troops are in large fixed concentrations; Beirut, the USS Cole, the bombing of the barracks in Saudi Arabia. So, there is an effort when there are concentrations of U.S. forces to provide them with the maximum force protection.

In this type of instance, you're talking about small groups of U.S. military forces trying to move throughout what is essentially is a civilian area and they want to make sure -- they tell us, of course, that they don't accidentally injure any civilians who may be trying to flee the loyalist forces to Saddam Hussein. So this is a much tougher proposition. This is the onesies and twosies that they may not automatically recognize whether they are civilian, friendly or enemy. Very tough business and the military is really trying to get a better fix on what is going on.

Remember it was several days ago that officials here at the Pentagon began saying privately they feared they had underestimated the dispersal of these paramilitary forces throughout these towns and regions. They're trying to go after their leaders, but there is every understanding it will be very difficult to target individual potential suicide bombers.

BLITZER: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. We'll be checking back with you.

And remember we're standing by at the top of the hour for the Pentagon briefing, 1:00 PM Eastern. CNN of course, will have live coverage. And this programming note, 24 hours from now, tomorrow, noon Eastern, a special interview with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers on a special edition of "LATE EDITION," that's at noon on Eastern, 9 AM Pacific Sunday -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Wolf that suicide-bombing incident near Najaf has to make coalition forces even more on guard than they already were.

Right now we want to check in with one of our correspondents in southeastern Iraq right now. He's CNN's Bob Franken, He is at an airfield that is now held by coalition forces.

And Bob, I understand you have news some of new arrivals there.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there have been arrivals throughout the day. But of course, the most important one is the reason this air base is so vital. It is 150 miles closer to the action. That means it is 150 miles closer to the action for the A- 10's.

The A-10's of course, are the anti-tank planes that have made such an impact on this particular effort supporting the ground operations of the coalition forces. Well, the first ones have landed and taken off from here. That is just a day after this operation really got up and running. This was a former Iraqi air base; it was taken over by the coalition forces last week.

But only yesterday did they really get the serious operation going. That is when the fuel trucks arrived, which were really of course the key. That means the A-10's and other aircraft can now land here on an airstrip that is remarkably in tact. It is a very long one, about 10,000 feet, which means it can handle just about everything. It is one that has really not been in use for about ten years since the first Gulf War. This was part of the southern no-fly zone this went into disuse or disrepair except for the fact this didn't deteriorate all that much.

So, now it is going to become an important point in this war effort because this is so much closer to all the action. The entire area is surrounded by hostility, but they have very, very strict, very significant security measures to make sure this base can be used.

It is also a transit point. First of all, for POW's who are brought in here and then moved out to parts unknown. It is also a transit point for -- we have seen a lot of members of the 82 Airborne Division, they're coming in here and being sent to points north. They're going to be used to protect, for instance, the different supply routes going up to the north. So this is going to be a very busy place. It is going to be busier.

There is sort of an irony here, Judy. We were here in what is literally the cradle of civilization, some of the most important historical spots in the world very close by. And you look up in the sky and you see the stars like you can see them nowhere else, the shooting stars. It is just a remarkably peaceful site except for the fact that this is the center of a war-like operation -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Yes, the contrast Bob, must be extraordinary. Bob Franken, I know you're talking to the troops. How are they holding up at this point?

FRANKEN: Well, the morale is quite high. First of all, I think everybody here realizes that their participation here is extremely important. They all have some specialized jobs. They really are gung ho as a matter of fact, very friendly, very interested in talking about what they're doing. There is no letdown. There is no concern that some people in the United States that they're hearing about are questioning the war effort and feel -- question whether it is working well. These are people that are focused on their jobs.

I've of course been looking around, as any reporter does, looking for things that aren't going well here, to be perfectly honest about it, I haven't been able to found much like that.

WOODRUFF: And Bob, on security, just to underline, your sense of it is that they are have done a good job of securing this location.

FRANKEN: Well, their sense of it certainly is. I mean, we have everything from missiles here and I don't want to be more specific. But probably be breaking the rules if I did, that there is that kind of security around the base, there is a huge security force. As a matter of fact, we came up here part of a very, very long effort to come up here was with security forces.

They have tunnels on this air base and one of the first things they did as they went into all the tunnels and as a matter of fact, they captured a few Iraqis in the tunnels. They've done a very thorough search and they believe they've secured them all and that they're not a problem. But security -- the place is brisling with security as a matter of fact.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bob Franken reporting from an airfield in southeast Iraq. Thank you, Bob, very much.

And from Iraq we want to move to another location in the Persian Gulf where the U.S. Air Force from which we know the Air Force has been flying nightly missions over Iraq. Whether it is air strikes or refueling missions.

Our Gary Tuchman is at the other air base in the Gulf. He joins us by videophone -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy there were 8,000 servicemen and women at this base near the border of Iraq. They come from the United States. They come from the United Kingdom. They come from Australia. There are army people here, Navy people, Marines, but primarily Air Force.

Each and every night for the last week and a half they've been flying between 130 and 300 Sorties to Iraq; and we're going to be at the high end of that tonight into tomorrow. We're expecting another 300 Sorties. For first time since the Vietnam War, the Air Force is committing us, the journalists to go along on the Sorties. And that's precisely what we did late last night. We were aboard an HC-130. It is a huge aircraft, ten men aboard.

There are three missions that this airplane served. No. 1, it is sort of a police plane in the sky. This is a support Sortie, it's not a strike Sortie. The difference between strike and support, the strike Sorties carry bombs and missiles. The support Sorties help out. It's almost like a police vehicle looking for trouble. It also has PJ's aboard, that's short for parachute jumpers. What they do is they jump off the plane in case rescue needs to be made.

But the primary purpose that we went on was a refueling mission. They refueled the HA-60 helicopters. Those helicopters known as Jollies and they also participate in search and rescue missions. So, what the helicopter does while we were on it is fly right up to the plane. The plane and the helicopter both going 125 miles per hour. They're 50 feet away from each other, flying at that speed in the utter darkness. The plane is over Iraq as we're doing this. They want to refuel these helicopters over Iraq so they can be in the right place at the right time in case they're needed.

So, 50 feet apart, they refuel. You cannot see the helicopters with the naked eye. When we looked through our night vision scopes, that's what we see is what looks like this ghostly green image of a helicopter flying at high speeds, getting refueled. Ten minutes later the refueling is over, the mission is over and the HC-130 and its crew of ten returns to the base where we're at right now ready for another mission 24 hours later.

Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: Gary, when they pull off, if you will, one of these operations, is it now that they've done so many of them that it is just second nature to them or is the adrenaline racing? I mean, what is it like?

TUCHMAN: Judy, forgive me because of all the aircraft taking off here; it is hard for me to hear you. I think you asked me though, is it getting routine after all these missions. And for these people who fly in this, they get a laser-like intensity each and every time they get into that plane and it takes off. When they're not flying, before and after, they are friendly, laid back men and women. But once they're on that -- particularly when they're flying over Iraq with no lights on, flying in the darkness, there is an intense feeling aboard.

WOODRUFF: Gary Tuchman with vivid description of what is going on.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Judy. The government of Syria is fuming today over a public broad side yesterday from the U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. If you caught yesterday's Pentagon briefing, you heard this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Specifically with respect to Syria, I pointed out that we have seen military supplies and materials and equipment crossing the border and we'd like it to stop. And to the extent it keeps on, we have to consider it a hostile act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Short time later Syria's U.N. ambassador accused Rumsfeld of lashing out in frustration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKHAIL WEHBE, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR, U.N.: We believe, you know, these accusation, it is a mark of failure of the invasion, the American-Iraqi -- the American-British invasion to Iraq. And because of the failure, trying to mislead the American people, unfortunately, with distributing these accusation here and there. In particularly to Syria at this stage, you know? And to cover the killing of the innocent and the civilians in hundreds in Baghdad and al Basra and al Mosul and everywhere around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining me from Damascus is the Syrian Foreign Ministry Official Bouthaina Shaaban.

Thanks very much Miss Shaaban for joining us. What about the substance of the allegation from Donald Rumsfeld that night vision goggles somehow manage to cross the border from Syria into Iraq and are being used by Iraqi forces? Is he right?

BOUTHAINA SHAABAN, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: You know, of course he's not right. But I was wondering whether Mr. Rumsfeld wanted to suggest that this means that the -- with this Iraq might have a military superiority over the U.S. I sometimes wonder what is behind you know, these allegations. And we made allegations about how the war is going to go and how it is going to be fast and be quick, and how the Iraqis are going to meet them with flowers. So none of them proven to be correct. So why should this one be?

BLITZER: What about the specific charge though, that your government, the Syrian government is allowing military equipment to cross the border into Iraq? Is that true? Can you flatly deny that?

SHAABAN: Absolutely, absolutely. The Syrian government has been behaving extremely responsibly since the beginning of this crisis. And tried its best with many countries in the world to make this crisis be solved through peaceful means. It was unfortunately the misguided vision that led to such a war that is leading so to so much killing and so much destruction, unnecessary killing and unnecessary destruction.

It's an illegitimate war and I think instead of dishing out accusations here and there, I really believe it is a point where this aggression has to stop and to rethink the policy and to go back to the United Nations and you know, do the job peacefully. It would be good for American people, for Iraqi people, for British people, for all the world.

BLITZER: I assume Miss Shabaan, that before Rumsfeld went public with the accusation, given the fact that the United States and Syria have formal diplomatic relations, the U.S. government raised this issue quietly, diplomatically with your government. Did they?

SHAABAN: Well, the Syrian government always told the U.S. government if you bring us any evidence, we will be very pleased to act. Until this very moment, no evidence has been presented to Syria that any of this information and many other types of information are correct. I think there is a problem of the source of information, you know? They have to check the source of information.

And I think a different way of dealing with the region should be sought, you know? The problem is that information sometimes is coming from people who don't understand the history of the Arabs in the region. The ten thousands of years of this history and I think this is posing a real problem for decision makers in the United States. I think they need more advice, good advice from this region.

BLITZER: Do you accept the apology from the Pentagon that came earlier in the week when that civilian bus, including a lot of Syrian civilians was hit by an errant U.S bomb as it was attempting to leave Iraq to head back to Syria. Do you accept the U.S explanation that this was a mistake?

SHAABAN: You know, I -- we accept the apology, but I'm a mother. I don't know whether you are a father. You know if my child is killed, I don't know what do I do with the apology. You know when the mothers of these American Marines are there, I don't know what any war could do good for anybody.

I think the best thing to do is to stop an illegitimate and totally unnecessary war. The United States could be met with love, rather than with anger in this region if it took -- if it put its priorities and if it were able to get better advice and better experts. You know, the experts are the real problem in the United States. They're only experts on one thing but not experts on the most important issues.

BLITZER: Bouthaina Shaaban, thanks for joining us from Damascus.

SHAABAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Bouthaina Shaaban is a representative of the Syrian Foreign Ministry; appreciate your time.

Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: Yes, Wolf. It does appear to have been deterioration, I think it's safe to say, in U.S.-Syrian relations since after September 11 when I remember the Syrian government pledged its support to the United States and for the war on terror. Things have certainly changed since then.

Well, now we want to go to our military desk in Atlanta for a little more on what is happening on the ground in Iraq and in the air. For that, let's go CNN's Renay San Miguel and our military analyst, retired Major General Don Shepperd.

Hello, Renay.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. And we want to talk about what has happened in Iraq in the last 12 to 24 hours. But first, I want to get the General's perspective this -- the admission from the Iraqi vice president that suicide attacks are now apart of military tactics. What's going to need to change in the defense of the coalition checkpoints?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: We just had one at Najaf down here, four American military personnel killed. It is the toughest thing to defend against. You're going to have to be very careful at all of the vehicular checkpoints and make sure the vehicles clear and the people are out of the vehicles don't approach it with a large number of people. And don't assume you're safe anywhere around any civilian right there. It is tough Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: OK. Let's go ahead and show people the map table now and give our viewers an idea of what we're talking about.

Here is Najaf right here where that suicide bombing happened. Tell us what else is going on in the country right now.

SHEPPERD: Well, up in the northern part of the country, in the vicinity of Harir, the 173 Airborne Brigade continues to be enforced. In that vicinity also, is the Nebuchadnezzar Infantry Division deployed along the Kurd lines outside of Erbil.

Further south in the country we have seen a ranger operations and some type of Special Operations in the western part of the country, taking a -- an Iraqi commando location there earlier, and seizing something intelligence as well.

In addition, we have seen the 101st Airborne hitting the right flank or left on the screen of the Medina Armored Division on a long- range strike. We have also seen the operations now out of a airfield -- an airfield the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Airfield in southeastern Iraq with A-10 aircraft. Fighting continues in Nasiriya with the Marines, in Basra with the British. We had overnight the missile attack in Kuwait.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. We want to show -- you talked about that Army Ranger operation in western Iraq. They showed some night vision photography of that operation going on at the Central Command briefing today.

And we talked about night vision and what the Syrians have been accused of doing this does give such an advantage to the coalition troops. SHEPPERD: Yes, you wouldn't see anything if you didn't have on night vision goggles other than the flashes from the guns. And so anyone that has night vision devices gives them a significant advantage. And as Wolf just talked about the U.S. military's very concerned about anyone selling night vision equipment to the Iraqis and that was what Secretary Rumsfeld intimated in his remarks yesterday.

SAN MIGUEL: If you were actually out there in the desert, all you'd see was a lot of flashes and hear some thundering, thundering noise.

General Shepperd, thank you for your time and we'll visit with you later.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

SAN MIGUEL: Judy, we give it back to you right now.

WOODRUFF: Thanks Renay and General Shepperd.

We know the administration has been upset with the Russians as well for providing night vision goggles and other equipment they've described to the Iraqis.

CNN's live coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom continues in just a moment. Plus, the Iraqi capitol is rocked again. Coalition forces have now hit Baghdad eight straight nights.

Also, the faces of pain, how Iraqi civilians deal with the day- to-day dangers created in their country.

But first, we want to show you some of the pictures of this day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Coalition bombs fell over Baghdad for an eighth straight night. One big blast hit the Information Ministry downtown. CNN's Rula Amin is live from Ruwasheid, Jordan with the latest.

Rula, what is the latest, best information you have on any assessment of the damage?

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, we're hearing that the bombing is continuing night and day. The last explosions we heard were about two hours ago, four big explosions in the center of Baghdad. And as the bombing continues, Iraqi civilians killed in this war, the number of those people killed in this war is on the rise.

The U.S. and Iraq continues to blame each other. Who is to blame? Whose missile hit what? On the ground, the Iraqi -- the regular Iraqis are paying a heavy price for this war.

Iraq is like a long family. This family says it fled Baghdad with an extended family, fled Baghdad, went to the outskirts and took a farm as a shelter. And during that, their stay there, a missile hit them. A 14-year-old daughter was killed. Some of her siblings were injured and many of those family members now are in the hospital. This is what her father had to say about this war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): our house is located in a farm area. After the prayer, we were sitting for breakfast. We heard the plane. And we were hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMIN: Now Iraqi officials say that in the last 24 hours, more than 68 Iraqi civilians were killed, more than 107 injured. And they point to these numbers trying to rally the world against this war. However, Iraq's Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan made it clear today that Iraq is not actually relying on the world or even on the united nations security council to stop the war. He says the main tool to stop the war is to fight back. And to fight back with people like Ali Hamed, an Iraqi junior officer who carried out the suicide attack this morning against the U.S. soldiers. And Iraqi vice president says it is only the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAHA YASSIN RAMADAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): Today our military officer had a suicide mission and killed five Americans and destroyed several vehicles. His name is Naya Jaffrah Alimusa Almadi Anmandi (ph). And we will issue a statement regarding this mission and operation. This is the beginning. And you will hear more and more in the next few days.

AMIN: The Iraqi government says it is entitled to use any tool it has to defend itself. They are saying they were not allowed to develop missiles and bombs as powerful as the ones the U.S. has, and so they are going to resort to any method they can come up with in order to fight back -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Rula, you have covered Iraq for many years. To what -- and we know that there are other fundamentalists, strongly fundamentalists Muslim groups, some of them who do believe in pursuing suicide missions. But how much of this had you seen before now in Iraq?

AMIN: in Iraq we haven't seen methods like this being used before because Iraq regime is a secular regime. And they haven't -- we haven't heard much about suicide bombings before. However, it seems that the Iraqis now feel that they're desperate. They are weak in terms of who has more technological edge in terms of the weapons and the abilities. They say they have been under sanctions for 12 years, they were not allowed to develop weapons. So it seems they with going to use any method they can get their hands on in order to fight back and they are very defiant -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, CNN's Rula Amin, just across the boarder from Iraq in Jordan. Thank you Rula, very much. Well, you've heard it said that an army travels on its stomach and as true as that might be; it is only a fraction of the logistical support that a fighting force needs on the battlefield. Just ask William Gus Pagonis, the author of a business bestseller called "Moving Mountains."

Gus Pagonis served as the logistics commander for U.S. forces during the first Gulf War in 1991. He left the service as a three star general. He joins us from his home base of Pittsburgh with his insights.

As you observe what has happened in Iraq this time, as you observed this unfold, how well -- how good a job are they doing of providing food, ammunition, and everything else that these troops need?

LT. GEN. GUS PAGONIS (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, actually they're doing a terrific job. But people don't realize the supply chain; the supply link was part of the plan. When the tacticians were putting together their tactical plan, the logistician was there at all levels to tell them whether they could support it or not support it.

And the problems that had been going on with the supply chain are not something that someone had anticipated. Until someone blows up the entire road or destroys hundreds of vehicle, these kind of things occur, which are difficult and problems, they going to have game plans to try to overcome it and continue the flow of the goods to get as far forward as possible to get the combat troops coming back as far to get re-supplied.

WOODRUFF: What I'm hearing discussed today, General Pagonis is this whole question of security for the supply line. When you've got a line that is 300 some odd miles long from the border with Kuwait into the place where the forward forces are near Baghdad, keeping that line secure against Iraqi irregulars, regulars, whatever you want to call them, has been much more difficult than anticipated.

PAGONIS: Well, actually in Vietnam, supply lines were hit every day, every few miles from the jungle because enemy snipers can hide very easily. In the desert, they'll have helicopters patrolling the supply line, they'll military police in their HUMVEES with .50 cal and .60 cal machine guns.

And then each logistician -- there's a master controller of the supply line and he will make sure that when there's an incident, it's told to all they other convoys; and then they'll do the best they can.

You don't want to divert too much of the combat force to guard the supply line. You want the combat troops actually fighting against the enemy and then the logisticians will do the best they can.

WOODRUFF: Well, how do they keep it safe then; if you don't want to divert the combat troops, who do you use for that purpose?

PAGONIS: Well, the logisticians themselves. I can assure you they're armed and well trained, they know how to fire their weapons. If they come under fire, they'll return the fire; call in the situation.

You know, there will be some combat troops that will be diverted to keep a greater patrol on it. Or when there's an incident, you don't want to put them in there. But you don't want to start taking entire divisions and guarding the entire supply line. And 300 miles, although it is a great distance and difficult, it is not something that these logisticians aren't capable of trying to work through.

The support of this force and as fast as moved, was really astonishing. These young men and women did a terrific job in being able to get the goods to the combat troops to allow them to keep their push going to Baghdad. I think when this is all over with it will be documented as an excellent, excellent effort on the part of the logisticians.

WOODRUFF: As you watch it, though, unfold; is there a sense that they didn't anticipate that it was going to take as long as it apparently is going to take to get this mission done?

PAGONIS: Well, again, I can't speak from a tactical point of view. I have a hard time believing there was not a very detailed plan laid out as a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Myers has articulated. It was laid out. I think the American public were may be looking for a quick 100-hour ground war like we were fortunate enough to have in first go round. This is going to be a much longer effort.

Remember that when they came into the theater, we had six months to prepare and we were in a defensive posture preparing for the time when the bombing would start, which went on for three weeks and then we had the ground attack. In this particular case, they came in, had their reception, married up the equipment with the soldiers coming in on planes and then went right on into the onward movement into the combat zone. And of course, they're going from Kuwait all the way to Baghdad. And there is only one road network.

So consequently it going to probably take a little longer, the skirmishes occurring are causing delays in the operation but not stopping it.

WOODRUFF: And General, tell us some of the things that have to get through that have got to get to the forces on the front line in order for them achieve their objective of getting into the Baghdad and taking over the capitol.

PAGONIS: Well, foremost, is they have to have ammunition. And they have to have fuel for their maneuver vehicles. And then third will be water. Water became a very critical element the last go around. Remember all the generals, colonels, sergeants, majors and first sergeants of this go round were the privates, majors and lieutenant colonels 12 years ago. And they've been through this. They are very, very experienced.

American corporation would love to be able to have this kind of expertise that was in that part of the world 12 years ago and are right back here. Many of the young men and women serve with us in a 22 Support Command are right back there. But fuel, ammunition and water and then finally medical supplies. Probably the last item that is critical but not that important would be the food because they have their meals ready to eat that they take on their vehicles with them.

WOODRUFF: Last question General Gus Pagonis, as you look at the faces of these young men and women, most of them experiencing combat for first time, what goes through your mind?

PAGONIS: Well, first of all, I just -- I would hope that the American people keep supporting the men and women who have been asked to take on this tremendous task. You know, we keep forgetting that these are young men and women, 18, 19, 20 years old. Those are the ones who have to fight the battle and pay the supreme sacrifice. The leaders are doing the best they can and hopefully we'll get this thing over with and bring them all home soon.

WOODRUFF: Retired Army General William Gus Pagonis, he was the logistics commander for U.S. forces during Desert Storm, Desert Shield. He was a top adviser to General Schwarzkopf. So once again, General Pagonis, good to see you and we appreciate you talking with us.

PAGONIS: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: Thank you.

Wolf, quite a story he has to tell.

BLITZER: Yes, and I can tell you having covered that first Gulf War, General Pagonis did a brilliant job by all accounts, one of the unsung heroes of the first Gulf War in getting all of that logistics, all that equipment, heavy armor and supplies ready to go. Clearly someone who knew what he was doing. Obviously knows what he's still doing right now.

Meanwhile this weekend President Bush is monitoring the war in Iraq from Camp David. He also used his weekly radio address today to rally Americans around the war.

CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has more now from the White House -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush is at Camp David with his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and his Chief of Staff Andy Card.

I just got off the phone with a senior administration official who said the president received his intelligence briefing between 8:30 and 9:00. From 9:00 until 10:00, he had a meeting with his war council through a secured video link on that call was the vice president, Secretary Rumsfeld as well as Secretary Powell and others that the president in his weekly radio address, quite frankly, addressing the questions and even the criticism from some that perhaps the administration underestimated how difficult this war was going to be after only ten days. President Bush making the case however, that the administration has been successful so far. He outline -- he said that they are clearing mines, that the secured oil fields already providing humanitarian aid, but also that the president cautioning the American name there is still a more dangerous time ahead.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: We are now fighting the most desperate units of the dictator's army, the fighting is fierce and we do not know its duration. Yet we know the outcome of this battle, the Iraqi regime will be disarmed and removed from power. Iraq will be free.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The president in his radio address also urging Congress to pass that emergency-spending bill. The cost of the war, an estimated $75 billion. It is likely, Wolf, that he is going to get that money if not more but there are some in Congress who doubt that we can afford the war and at the same time pass that economic stimulus package, the tax cut package in the Senate just this past week. They slashed it in half. $726 billion in half. There are some Democrats who responded in their radio address. Actually voicing their concerns about the budget and whether or not the U.S. can afford this war.

(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: Frankly I don't think his next year's budget adds up. The president proposes large spending increases, much of it for the military, large tax cuts mostly for the upper income tax payers. In fact, $724 billion worth in the next ten years, and the largest federal budget deficits in history.

(END AUDIO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: Wolf, now the House actually passed the president's tax plan, the package there, the $726 billion. When it goes into conference, in all likelihood it is going to be somewhere between the figure that the Senate comes up with and the House -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This may be premature right now, given the focus is on the war itself, on the battlefield, but at some point, diplomacy will have to play a major role in a post war Iraq. Is there talk of that at the White House already?

MALVEAUX: Well, they certainly addressed that, the president and British Prime Minister Tony Blair when they were in Camp David just a few days ago saying they're not talking about the details. But certainly British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying the U.N. has to have a central role in the humanitarian aid and reconstruction. There are some within the Bush administration, somewhat reticent about that, that they see a more limited role.

It is fair to say there is even a debate within the administration, the Pentagon really seeing a much more limited role for the U.N., but the State Department and Secretary Powell being very outspoken about that saying that the U.N. has to be involved because they really see it as an issue of legitimacy going in, trying to reconstruct a post Saddam Iraq. And at the same time, they will need the U.N. Security Council to pass resolutions to lift those sanctions, to get that aid in there in the long-term, and also to get that reconstruction -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Malveaux at the White House. Suzanne, thanks very much.

And tomorrow, at noon Eastern on "LATE EDITION," I'll have the chance to ask General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all of the serious military related questions our viewers want answered. That's tomorrow, a special edition of "LATE EDITION" with the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

In 15 minutes from now at the top of the hour, the Pentagon has its daily briefing. CNN, of course, will have live coverage of that.

In the southern part of Baghdad, some 1,000 Iraqi civilians apparently have fled to further south of the city of Basra. British military officials say the militia in the city fired mortars and artillery at people as they left. This is certainly a perilous situation for Iraqi citizens. That region as they fear how honest they should be in revealing their true loyalties.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Umm Qasr is a dilapidated little town. At the marketplace, there is not much more than tomato, onions, and a lot of flies and opinions. Saddam Hussein is our president, says this woman. We love him. But we're scared of him. In fact, Ali, an anti-Saddam exile returning home with the U.S. Army, says these women don't dare speak out against Saddam Hussein just yet.

These people don't believe the Americans can or will get rid of Saddam Hussein.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We've been hearing that every day that we've been here and part of our job and our free Iraqi forces are helping us to convince the people that we will stay until Saddam is gone.

AMANPOUR: As part of Army Civil Affairs, Colonel David Blackledge and his team interact with the people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you.

COL. DAVID BLACKLEDGE, ARMY CIVIL AFFAIRS: Nice to meet you. How old are you?

AMANPOUR: They're trying to gain valuable information and their trust. But it is a hard sell. This is Iraq's Shiite heartland and memories are deep and bitter. They'll not easily forget what they consider America's great betrayal during the Gulf War 12 years ago when they were encouraged to rise up only to be left to the brutal mercies of Saddam Hussein.

Still, there are increasing if tentative signs that the tell want to believe that this time it is for real. The Shiite flags forbidden by the Baghdad regime during this holy month of Moharam.

People gather around U.S. soldiers and tell us they're looking forward to a new Iraq, one without fear of Saddam's reign of terror.

I want my freedom, says this man. I don't want food or water. I just want my freedom.

But actually food and especially water are very much on everyone's mind.

The Americans and the British promise to help us, they say, but when we ask them about the water, they tell us tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. This man tells us that all America wants is Iraq's oil.

A sign of the dangers still lurking here; these two men who flagged down the American Humvee and asked to surrender. We can't show their faces because they've been taken as prisoners of war, but they say they are Saddam's Fedayeen militias, sent down from Baghdad on pain of execution. Their mission, to conduct suicide attacks against American and British troops. They're giving themselves up to these Americans. They said, they didn't want to die for Saddam Hussein.

(on camera): Removing the image and the influence of Saddam Hussein is a main objective for the Americans and the British in this part of Iraq. And they hope by first stabilizing Umm Qasr, word will then spread northwards and have an effect on Basra and beyond.

(voice over): In fact, the British sent 11 of these Challenger tanks into Basra to crush Saddam's statue in the center.

Meantime, a steady stream of civilians continues to leave. It is a portrait of war with thick, black smoke billowing from the city they leave behind. Some are surrendering to the British forces and some of the men want to go back after bringing out their families.

And to the question the British ask every day, when will the people rise up? The answer many give us, the day they know Saddam Hussein is dead.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, near Basra in southern Iraq.

((END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: So powerful hearing that Iraqi man say I just want my freedom.

Well, just as they were last weekend there are many a number of anti-war protests happening around the world. As well as rallies supporting the U.S. troops in Iraq. RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rusty Dornin in San Francisco, a city known for its anti-war protests and today, it will be the site of what organizers hope is a major support the troops rally, coming up

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: There are some Americans who have been watching anti- war protests and saying that they diminish somehow the bravery and commitment of U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. So today there was a support the troops rally in a city where we have seen almost daily anti-war demonstrations, San Francisco. And that's where we find our Rusty Dornin -- Rusty.

DORNIN: Well Judy, you know San Francisco is probably known worldwide ever since the Vietnam era for its anti-war demonstrations. This has been no exception. There have been more than 2,000 protesters arrested over the last few weeks for civil disobedience.

Now, often at the rallies that occur on the weekends, there are a handful of folks for supporting the troops that show up and they get into often-verbal confrontations with the anti-war protesters. Today will be their very first major rally here at San Francisco Civic Center, which is sort of considered the bastion of free speech in this city.

Here to tell us a little bit more about how that is going to go is Alfredo Najera of the Support The Troops Rally.

ALFREDO NAJERA, RALLY ORGANIZER: Yes.

DORNIN: Now, this has got to be difficult for you in a city known for such an anti-war stance.

NAJERA: Yes, it is. I received some threats today, this morning; telling me you better shut it down. I've had e-mails that I've received as well, Web sites where they say we're going to come over here and shut it down. It is sad because these people say free speech; you know tolerance, but only for their side. When you disagree with their view, they try to censor you and limit what you say.

DORNIN: Now, why do you think also, there has been so few of you folks showing up at protests and rallies and things like that? If you maintain this is the majority of how Americans feel, why aren't there more people out here?

NAJERA: Well, a lot of us have jobs; a lot of us go to school. We have a life. A lot of these people who are anti-war have been career protesters. And I know because I was a formal liberal because since I was 16 I use to see them and I still see them today now that I'm 29. So, I think there is a history there that they tend to have all this free time.

DORNIN: Are you expecting some anti-war protesters to show up here too today? NAJERA: Aim expecting that. But nevertheless, we say our military can march into Baghdad, we can march into San Francisco.

DORNIN: OK, how many people are you expecting to show up today?

NAJERA: It's hard to say, but we say anywhere from 500 to a few thousand. It is hard to say. We've done so much work to get the word out and we just hope that people will come by and support our country.

DORNIN: On the same note, do you think there are some folks fearful to come into San Francisco where they might go a place like Sacramento to -- for its support the troops rally but might be fearful to come here?

NAJERA: That is the case. I had some people ask me is it safe, can we go, coming from Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Santa Clara? I said yes, it is going to be perfectly safe because we're going to have security; the police will be there. We're not marching anywhere, we don't want to cross the streets. We want to show how to do a real rally to support our country.

DORNIN: OK, great. Thank you very much, Alfredo Najera.

NAJERA: Thank you.

DORNIN: Now, the really is expected to begin in about two and a half hours. Perhaps a thousand people or more. But Judy, as they fully expect, they said in a place like San Francisco they could be disappointed if also the anti-war protesters didn't show up as well.

WOODRUFF: Rusty, that's something else people trying to participate in a support the troops rally, feeling in any way intimidated about their ability to do that.

Rusty Dornin reporting for us live from San Francisco. Thanks very much. I know we'll be coming back to you through the afternoon -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy. Into the second week of the war, those against the action in Iraq are unrelenting in their protests. For example, in Bangladesh, one of the world's most populous Muslim nations, thousands of people marched against the war. Some demonstrators also burned effigies of President Bush.

Punches were thrown between riot police and students in Seoul, South Korea. Some 2,000 protesters took to the streets. They fear the U.S. will target North Korea after the war.

And in the United States, these anti-war protesters took to the streets of Beantown; the New England-wide peace march to stop the war is being held this hour in Boston.

Coming up, portrait of a warrior; the story of a 28-year-old Marine Corps captain on his first aircraft carrier deployment and the loved ones he left behind.

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BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage. War is being waged of course, by large armies, fighting is often an individual experience for these soldiers, sailors and Marine Corps officers handle all of these tensions in his or her own way.

Frank Buckley has the portrait of a 28-year-old warrior and his parents back on the home front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The man behind the visor flying an F-18 strike fighter is Marine Corps. Captain Chris Collins. He's only 28-years-old but he's already a veteran of war. He just got back from a mission over Iraq.

Dust storms made it difficult to see but he eventually dropped bombs on artillery pieces may be on people, Iraq soldiers.

CAPT. CHRIS COLLINS, U.S. MARINES: I thought that might effect me you know, when I first came out here but they're trying to kill me, so they're shooting at me, we're trying to shoot at them. And you know, I guess that's what war is all about.

BUCKLEY: It's pretty intense stuff for a guy on his first aircraft carrier deployment. Collins is what you call a "Nugget." To his friends he is, "Kitty, a call sign his squadron gave him when he showed up with a tough guy call sign, "Mad Dog."

To Jack and Barbara Collins, he is a son. And like the parents of so many young men and women in the Gulf, they watch for news about their boy whenever they can. We got word to them so they could watch when we interviewed Chris about the conditions pilots are facing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And when we can't see the ground, obviously, we can't see the target.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: They stay in touch by e-mail. Occasionally they talk by phone. Chris knows his mom is worried.

COLLINS: I feel like every time she thinks she talks to me it will be my last day talking to her, you know? And so, you know, she always wants to know what I'm doing and then I tell her. And then she gets all worried. So, you know, now when she asks me, what have you been doing? Well, you don't want to know.

BUCKLEY: Chris' parents pray for their boy's safe return.

BARBARA COLLINS, MOTHER: I'm okay. You know, I think Christopher is highly trained as are all the pilots. I think he'll be fine.

BUCKLEY: And at the moment, he is. Doing what he was trained to do, to fly and fight.

Frank Buckley, CNN, aboard the USS Constellation in the Persian Gulf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And we're standing by at the top of the hour, Judy. We're waiting for this Pentagon briefing that should be starting momentarily. Hopefully we'll learn a little bit more about what is happening in the war here in the Persian Gulf -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Wolf, I was just moved watching that mother and father, keeping an eye on their son. It just doesn't get any easier for the parents and loved ones back home.

And, Wolf, we're glad that things are quiet in Kuwait City where you are since last night.

BLITZER: We're glad they're quiet, too. About two and a half hours ago there was an air raid siren that went off. We were told subsequently that there was some sort of a missile that was fired. But this time the Patriot system worked, knocked out that missile before it got anywhere near Kuwait.

So the Iraqis are still attempting to do something, but the Patriot system seems to be working quite well, when the missiles go up high enough for it to function the way it is supposed to -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Wolf in Kuwait. He'll be back. I'll be back after a short break. Our live coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom continues.

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