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Majority of Coalition Air Strikes Focused on Republican Guard, May be Precursor For Baghdad Invasion

Aired April 01, 2003 - 12:18   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 go over to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr is over there. There's still a war going on, Barbara, what are you hearing?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed, Wolf. In most of the action for today and the foreseeable future is going to be against the Republican Guard units that are defending the outskirts of Baghdad. More than two-thirds of all air strikes against Republican Guard Units. The beginning of some ground action and all of this a precursor, of course, to the battle for Baghdad, the top prize in this fight for the U.S. effort to unseat the regime.

The question is how will the battle for Baghdad unfold? Well, CNN has now been told that General Tommy Franks has the authority to decide when the U.S. military proceeds to Baghdad. It's not something he has to ask President Bush or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for permission for. The strategy will to be take tactical advantage, tactical surprise on the battlefield as he sees an opportunity open up, he will move.

The idea is first further degrade the Republican Guard unit, get them down to the minimal fighting force. Then we are told the phrase is punch through, use ground action, punch through the Republican Guard lines and move on to Baghdad. General Franks then expected to take a very close look at what is going on in the city. At that point, the strategy will be to basically suppress any action by whatever is left of the regime in Baghdad. Make sure that they can't engage in decision making authority, make sure they can't mask troops in the city. Make ever effort simply to make them irrelevant to the process.

We're told General Franks may decide, if he thinks he can take advantage of the situation on the ground, he may decide not to even wait until additional ground troops arrive. He could move very quickly -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Clearly a flexible plan. Barbara, I'm hearing that there are those six Republican Guard Divisions around Baghdad. There was one up near Tikrit, Saddam Husseins acestrial hometown. Since the widespread Iraqi assumption is the U.S. will move in from the south where most of the heavy armor is as opposed to the north where the U.S. has limited capabiliiesy in the north. They're moving some of their divisions further to the south to get ready for the United States.

Is that an accurate assessment based on what you're hearing at the Pentagon?

STARR: That's exactly right, Wolf. The intelligence analysis here is there -- have basically been five Republican Guard brigades, smaller elements of these divisions on the move throughout the country. That the units that were up near Tikrit, Saddam's ancestrial homeland, also protecting some of the northern oil fields have begun to move south. The units that were positioned perhaps to the east and west of the city, some elements also moving south.

Basically what they are doing with the Republican Guard is reinforcing in very defensive positions on the southern perimeter, maybe even as much as 50 miles south of the city. So what the U.S. Will try and do is attack those defensive positions, get them down to the minimal fighting level and then move on through with possible ground action. The assessment here is that already the Medina Division and the Baghdad Division, which are located south of Baghdad may now be only at less than 50 percent of their pre-war combat effectiveness. So, they think they are having considerable success with this strategy.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

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




Guard, May be Precursor For Baghdad Invasion>


Aired April 1, 2003 - 12:18   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 go over to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr is over there. There's still a war going on, Barbara, what are you hearing?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed, Wolf. In most of the action for today and the foreseeable future is going to be against the Republican Guard units that are defending the outskirts of Baghdad. More than two-thirds of all air strikes against Republican Guard Units. The beginning of some ground action and all of this a precursor, of course, to the battle for Baghdad, the top prize in this fight for the U.S. effort to unseat the regime.

The question is how will the battle for Baghdad unfold? Well, CNN has now been told that General Tommy Franks has the authority to decide when the U.S. military proceeds to Baghdad. It's not something he has to ask President Bush or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for permission for. The strategy will to be take tactical advantage, tactical surprise on the battlefield as he sees an opportunity open up, he will move.

The idea is first further degrade the Republican Guard unit, get them down to the minimal fighting force. Then we are told the phrase is punch through, use ground action, punch through the Republican Guard lines and move on to Baghdad. General Franks then expected to take a very close look at what is going on in the city. At that point, the strategy will be to basically suppress any action by whatever is left of the regime in Baghdad. Make sure that they can't engage in decision making authority, make sure they can't mask troops in the city. Make ever effort simply to make them irrelevant to the process.

We're told General Franks may decide, if he thinks he can take advantage of the situation on the ground, he may decide not to even wait until additional ground troops arrive. He could move very quickly -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Clearly a flexible plan. Barbara, I'm hearing that there are those six Republican Guard Divisions around Baghdad. There was one up near Tikrit, Saddam Husseins acestrial hometown. Since the widespread Iraqi assumption is the U.S. will move in from the south where most of the heavy armor is as opposed to the north where the U.S. has limited capabiliiesy in the north. They're moving some of their divisions further to the south to get ready for the United States.

Is that an accurate assessment based on what you're hearing at the Pentagon?

STARR: That's exactly right, Wolf. The intelligence analysis here is there -- have basically been five Republican Guard brigades, smaller elements of these divisions on the move throughout the country. That the units that were up near Tikrit, Saddam's ancestrial homeland, also protecting some of the northern oil fields have begun to move south. The units that were positioned perhaps to the east and west of the city, some elements also moving south.

Basically what they are doing with the Republican Guard is reinforcing in very defensive positions on the southern perimeter, maybe even as much as 50 miles south of the city. So what the U.S. Will try and do is attack those defensive positions, get them down to the minimal fighting level and then move on through with possible ground action. The assessment here is that already the Medina Division and the Baghdad Division, which are located south of Baghdad may now be only at less than 50 percent of their pre-war combat effectiveness. So, they think they are having considerable success with this strategy.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

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




Guard, May be Precursor For Baghdad Invasion>