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Coalition Reinforcement Continues at Bagdad Airport

Aired April 04, 2003 - 15:12   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Just a little while ago, we watched the Pentagon briefing, a daily briefing with Victoria Clarke and General Stanley McChrystal. I want to bring in our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, they talked about a continued effort to reinforce coalition troops at the International Airport outside of Baghdad. Beyond that, though, a number of questions unanswered about what's next.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Judy. Now, reinforcing the airport, as you say, is really the next step. The pictures we've seen throughout the day from the airport facilities show that fighting has continued. There have been a number of engagements with Iraqi forces dug in around the airport facility. Officials saying that it's not completely secure, but they believe they will, over the next hours and few days, as they root out some of the Iraqi forces that are dug in.

But at the Pentagon briefing, there was a lot of focus that this is really just the first step toward securing the situation around Baghdad. Officials are very aware of the statements made by the Iraqi information minister, for example, earlier today in which he warned of an unconventional attack. And General Stanley McChrystal, briefing here at the Pentagon earlier today, talked about that and said that the U.S. would be ready for those kinds of dangers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJOR GENERAL STANLEY MCCRYSTAL, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Our level of concern over the surprise or unexpected activity. We went into this operation expecting the unexpected. And from car bombings to the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, we've had to stay postured for sort of anything that the regime is capable of using. So at this point, we are just postured for that. We have no particular threat that we consider more than another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But Judy, officials are making it clear for them the next step is Baghdad. U.S. forces continuing to press. If they watch these tapes of Saddam Hussein here earlier today, the comments you hear is that these tapes are almost irrelevant, that U.S. officials say it really no longer matters if Saddam Hussein is dead or alive, that his regime is isolated militarily and politically. And now the next step will be Baghdad and even the possibility, officials say, of installing some sort of provisional government even before Saddam is gone -- Judy. WOODRUFF: Barbara, I want to quickly ask you about something that Nic Robertson told us a short time ago. He said a source inside Baghdad telling him that as far as he could see, that a number of Republican Guard, what he described as militia forces, were gathering close to the International Airport and that any aircraft guns were being moved back into the city. Any reaction or comment on that at this point from the Pentagon?

STARR: No. They're watching the entire situation. There's a number of intelligence platforms, assets, capabilities, as it were, deployed around that area. U.S. forces very clearly are aware of the statements from the Iraqi regime earlier today about some sort of attack against the airport. They feel that they are secure and they are prepared for any threat that would be coming their way. Still, very much on guard now, though they know there are Iraqi military and Republican Guard forces in that specific area -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Barbara Starr with the latest from the Pentagon. Thank you very much.

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 4, 2003 - 15:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Just a little while ago, we watched the Pentagon briefing, a daily briefing with Victoria Clarke and General Stanley McChrystal. I want to bring in our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, they talked about a continued effort to reinforce coalition troops at the International Airport outside of Baghdad. Beyond that, though, a number of questions unanswered about what's next.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Judy. Now, reinforcing the airport, as you say, is really the next step. The pictures we've seen throughout the day from the airport facilities show that fighting has continued. There have been a number of engagements with Iraqi forces dug in around the airport facility. Officials saying that it's not completely secure, but they believe they will, over the next hours and few days, as they root out some of the Iraqi forces that are dug in.

But at the Pentagon briefing, there was a lot of focus that this is really just the first step toward securing the situation around Baghdad. Officials are very aware of the statements made by the Iraqi information minister, for example, earlier today in which he warned of an unconventional attack. And General Stanley McChrystal, briefing here at the Pentagon earlier today, talked about that and said that the U.S. would be ready for those kinds of dangers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJOR GENERAL STANLEY MCCRYSTAL, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Our level of concern over the surprise or unexpected activity. We went into this operation expecting the unexpected. And from car bombings to the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, we've had to stay postured for sort of anything that the regime is capable of using. So at this point, we are just postured for that. We have no particular threat that we consider more than another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But Judy, officials are making it clear for them the next step is Baghdad. U.S. forces continuing to press. If they watch these tapes of Saddam Hussein here earlier today, the comments you hear is that these tapes are almost irrelevant, that U.S. officials say it really no longer matters if Saddam Hussein is dead or alive, that his regime is isolated militarily and politically. And now the next step will be Baghdad and even the possibility, officials say, of installing some sort of provisional government even before Saddam is gone -- Judy. WOODRUFF: Barbara, I want to quickly ask you about something that Nic Robertson told us a short time ago. He said a source inside Baghdad telling him that as far as he could see, that a number of Republican Guard, what he described as militia forces, were gathering close to the International Airport and that any aircraft guns were being moved back into the city. Any reaction or comment on that at this point from the Pentagon?

STARR: No. They're watching the entire situation. There's a number of intelligence platforms, assets, capabilities, as it were, deployed around that area. U.S. forces very clearly are aware of the statements from the Iraqi regime earlier today about some sort of attack against the airport. They feel that they are secure and they are prepared for any threat that would be coming their way. Still, very much on guard now, though they know there are Iraqi military and Republican Guard forces in that specific area -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Barbara Starr with the latest from the Pentagon. Thank you very much.

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