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Analysis of March Toward Baghdad

Aired April 01, 2003 - 12:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get a little bit more analysis now on what's happening on the battlefield. Miles O'Brien is standing by. Miles -- in the CNN Newsroom.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Wolf.

I'm joined by Major General Don Shepperd, retired U.S. Air Force. And we're going to talk a little bit about the march toward Baghdad. First of all, those orders -- that Tommy Franks has standing orders, if you will -- does that strike you as unusual?

RET. MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERED, USAF, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think it's standard -- I think what Barbara Starr is reporting is right on the mark.

Clearly Baghdad was the prize all along, part of the initial plan. It also makes sense at some point before you go to Baghdad, General Franks would stop, brief Secretary Rumsfeld, who would brief the president, and say All right, we're ready. Now let's go forward. Let's make sure we got our stuff together here. This all makes sense to me, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

The march toward Baghdad. Right now, pretty much the vanguard of U.S. troops, without revealing any secrets, right around the Karbala region, right?

SHEPPERD: Right.

O'BRIEN: We know 50 to 60 miles south of Baghdad. That particular area is kind of critical and -- and offers up a bit of choke point.

Let's talk about the lay of the land here. Maybe we can get some of the satellite imagery to help you explain what's going on there in Karbala.

SHEPPERD: Indeed.

O'BRIEN: All right. So zoom in, first of all.

SHEPPERD: All right.

First all, you got six Republican Guard Divisions, armored and infantry divisions, down in this area deployed one behind the other. And you've got the 101st, the 3rd and the Marines facing them.

O'BRIEN: All right. This is a huge body of water there. And the key here is to focus on this particular spot. That's a crucial band there, isn't it?

SHEPPERD: Right, and I'm going to draw a couple of other things.

We're hearing some terms coming up now, made for TV, the Karbala Gap. What we're talking about is the distance right here between this dam. This is Lake Razaza, southwest of Baghdad, and over here is the Tigris River. And what you're talking about now -- let me undo something that I just did there -- and what you're talking about is this area between the Tigris River and the dam. What you have to be concerned about is if you move troops up through this area like this and then this dam is blown, you could flood this whole area, get troops trapped. So this is a consideration.

Also, as the troops go through this -- quote -- gap, you have to be concerned about them bunching up and becoming targets for artillery, rockets and weapons of mass destruction.

O'BRIEN: All right.

Now, you have to wonder if Special Operations hasn't focused very clearly on that particular part of the world and has that dam secured right now.

SHEPPERD: Well, we are very careful about talking about Special Operations, but they're probably spread throughout the country at areas of concern.

Now, again, Special Operations are small teams. It doesn't mean without backup they can do everything and secure everything across the country, Miles.

O'BRIEN: So it's interesting, the breach of one dam could be very significant, strategically and tactically.

SHEPPERD: Could be, and the Karbala Gap is an important area.

O'BRIEN: I've got to ask you one other thing about the -- the softening up of the Republican Guard. How much has the Republican Guard and the Iraqi military in general gone to school on previous U.S. engagements, both in Iraq and say in Kosovo and has perhaps learned to put decoys out and has perhaps withstanding this bombardment better?

SHEPPERD: Well, they went to school on Kosovo big time. They sent teams there and were briefed by the Serbians. Very clear -- decoys are part of their -- part of their philosophy. They have also have got a lot of information about how to conceal their Air Force, as the Serbs did during the war and many other things that would be of use to them.

So that is a concern. They learned, also U.S. forces learned during the -- during the Kosovo War. O'BRIEN: All right. Interesting. We'll watch and see how that unfolds. Thank you very much, Don Shepperd ,introducing us to a new term, the Karbala Gap -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. General Shepperd, thanks very much. Miles, thanks to you as well.

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






Aired April 1, 2003 - 12:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get a little bit more analysis now on what's happening on the battlefield. Miles O'Brien is standing by. Miles -- in the CNN Newsroom.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Wolf.

I'm joined by Major General Don Shepperd, retired U.S. Air Force. And we're going to talk a little bit about the march toward Baghdad. First of all, those orders -- that Tommy Franks has standing orders, if you will -- does that strike you as unusual?

RET. MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERED, USAF, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think it's standard -- I think what Barbara Starr is reporting is right on the mark.

Clearly Baghdad was the prize all along, part of the initial plan. It also makes sense at some point before you go to Baghdad, General Franks would stop, brief Secretary Rumsfeld, who would brief the president, and say All right, we're ready. Now let's go forward. Let's make sure we got our stuff together here. This all makes sense to me, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

The march toward Baghdad. Right now, pretty much the vanguard of U.S. troops, without revealing any secrets, right around the Karbala region, right?

SHEPPERD: Right.

O'BRIEN: We know 50 to 60 miles south of Baghdad. That particular area is kind of critical and -- and offers up a bit of choke point.

Let's talk about the lay of the land here. Maybe we can get some of the satellite imagery to help you explain what's going on there in Karbala.

SHEPPERD: Indeed.

O'BRIEN: All right. So zoom in, first of all.

SHEPPERD: All right.

First all, you got six Republican Guard Divisions, armored and infantry divisions, down in this area deployed one behind the other. And you've got the 101st, the 3rd and the Marines facing them.

O'BRIEN: All right. This is a huge body of water there. And the key here is to focus on this particular spot. That's a crucial band there, isn't it?

SHEPPERD: Right, and I'm going to draw a couple of other things.

We're hearing some terms coming up now, made for TV, the Karbala Gap. What we're talking about is the distance right here between this dam. This is Lake Razaza, southwest of Baghdad, and over here is the Tigris River. And what you're talking about now -- let me undo something that I just did there -- and what you're talking about is this area between the Tigris River and the dam. What you have to be concerned about is if you move troops up through this area like this and then this dam is blown, you could flood this whole area, get troops trapped. So this is a consideration.

Also, as the troops go through this -- quote -- gap, you have to be concerned about them bunching up and becoming targets for artillery, rockets and weapons of mass destruction.

O'BRIEN: All right.

Now, you have to wonder if Special Operations hasn't focused very clearly on that particular part of the world and has that dam secured right now.

SHEPPERD: Well, we are very careful about talking about Special Operations, but they're probably spread throughout the country at areas of concern.

Now, again, Special Operations are small teams. It doesn't mean without backup they can do everything and secure everything across the country, Miles.

O'BRIEN: So it's interesting, the breach of one dam could be very significant, strategically and tactically.

SHEPPERD: Could be, and the Karbala Gap is an important area.

O'BRIEN: I've got to ask you one other thing about the -- the softening up of the Republican Guard. How much has the Republican Guard and the Iraqi military in general gone to school on previous U.S. engagements, both in Iraq and say in Kosovo and has perhaps learned to put decoys out and has perhaps withstanding this bombardment better?

SHEPPERD: Well, they went to school on Kosovo big time. They sent teams there and were briefed by the Serbians. Very clear -- decoys are part of their -- part of their philosophy. They have also have got a lot of information about how to conceal their Air Force, as the Serbs did during the war and many other things that would be of use to them.

So that is a concern. They learned, also U.S. forces learned during the -- during the Kosovo War. O'BRIEN: All right. Interesting. We'll watch and see how that unfolds. Thank you very much, Don Shepperd ,introducing us to a new term, the Karbala Gap -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. General Shepperd, thanks very much. Miles, thanks to you as well.

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