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Special Edition: War in Iraq Part V
Aired April 05, 2003 - 15:00 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you for joining us. The battle for Baghdad. U.S.-led forces move into the heart of the city to make a statement to the Iraqi regime that they can move where they want when they want.
Another kind of statement in southern Iraq, a statue of Saddam Hussein falls but is the real Iraqi president close to being toppled?
I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington with more of our coverage of the war in Iraq.
Let's begin in Kuwait City with my colleague Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Good afternoon to you. Good evening from here Judy.
Coalition aircraft now have begun an around the clock mission over Baghdad to strike Iraqi targets and protect U.S. troops probing the capital.
A large explosion echoed through central Baghdad just after dark apparently near a hotel where journalists covering the war are staying. U.S. Central Command says U.S. forces move from the outskirts of Baghdad into the heart of the city at least briefly. They smashed through sporadic Iraqi resistance along the way and get a look at damage to the capital.
A statement attributed to Saddam Hussein acknowledged coalition forces were on Baghdad but Iraq contends that it's weakening coalition strength in other parts of the country.
U.S. forces are using their superior firepower to blast through Iraqi defenders but some combat is decidedly low tech. In one reported skirmish, Marines used bayonets to battle Arab fighters on the outskirts of Baghdad. Overall, coalition commanders are upbeat about their progress as our Walter Rodgers reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army commanders in the Iraqi theater are now extraordinarily confident about the way the battle is unfolding. One general was quoted as saying "we have the Iraqis rocking backward on their heels." He went on to say it will take several more days of pressure but the clear implication is the American generals at least in the Army believe that the battle is being won and that there is a timeline and that this war will not go on unceaselessly as some had earlier feared.
The Army intelligence has been getting reports of large numbers of Iraqi Baathist party members. Those are -- that's part of Saddam Hussein's regime as well as Iraqi soldiers, Republican Guard soldiers fleeing the city army trucks. Now those army trucks are being interspersed with civilian vehicles and consequently the U.S. air power cannot strike at these civilian vehicles but they all seem to be exiting in what one army officer called nothing sort of "a mass exodus" moving westward, north westward and in the general direction of Jordan but almost certainly more likely they will end up in Syria.
Walter Rodgers, CNN with the U.S. 7th Calvary on the outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Art Harris is south of Baghdad as well with the U.S. Marine Corps. They're working to prevent trouble before it happens. He's on the phone with us now.
Art, tell us what you're seeing what you're hearing.
ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I have been traveling with light Army reconnaissance unit about 50 miles south of Baghdad and they are trying to go inland along the major highways and as you said, keep trouble from happening. They have been going house to house trying to find weapons, possible paramilitary. Today we stopped at a home with a black flag over it, an indication I'm told of support for the regime fire to Saddam Hussein and inside there was nobody and all of the sudden one Marine said I've got them and 15 men, young men, came out. They brought them out into the yard and along with some military items, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a paratrooper's Special Forces hat and insignia and a clip of sniper ammunition and we didn't have the soldiers from the non-combatants and sent them off for processing.
Wolf, what's interesting is to see the level of either trust or mistrust of these Marines. This is an area that no U.S. forces have entered because the highway's blocked off and these Marines are what they call the tip of the spear in this area and they have found fighting holes that Iraqis have dug and at one point today a shot rang out in the field near this house. Someone was shooting at them. We don't know who. They went running out to look, never did find the person. It is an area that a Cobra helicopter also reported an RPG fired into the air at it but that person was never found either.
Members of the EPWs are being taken and processed and sent back to the rear for more information Wolf but the people here seem for the most part happy or at least tolerant of the U.S. Marines and their attitude is it appears to be wait and see. If you deliver we're with you -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Art Harris, EPWs, enemy prisoners of war, Art Harris joining us. He's embedded with the U.S. Marines just south of the Iraqi capital. Art, thanks very much.
For his take on these late breaking developments in and around the Iraqi capital, let's turn once again as we always do to CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. He of course was expelled from Baghdad. He's with us now from Ruashed (ph). That's along the border between Jordan and Iraq.
Nic, within the past few minutes I haven't seen them yet but apparently there were some videotape of Saddam Hussein shown on Iraqi state television not only with his two sons, Uday and Qusay, but with some of his senior advisers as well. Reuters, the news agency, saying they have no idea when this videotape was shot but it looks there's a steady drum beat coming out from the Iraqi regime trying to reassure a clearly nervous Iraqi public at large.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Wolf, the same that we've seen over the last two weeks. Every time that we see one image of President Saddam Hussein one day then there's questions about whether or not it's actually him, whether or not this was taken during the war. Again, Iraqi officials putting out these pictures. We haven't actually seen them yet as you say but very important for the Iraqi people not only the president, his two sons, Qusay Saddam Hussein in charge of the Republican Guard, Uday Saddam Hussein in charge of the Fedayeen forces, very important pictures for the leadership to show the Iraqi people just to show that they still control the airwaves, just to show that -- to try and tell the Iraqi people that they're still alive and that they still intend to carry on because it's that that is going to keep up the resistance in Baghdad at this time unlike many other cities through history that have been put through this process of being encircled as Baghdad is beginning to be. The political leaders are still co-located with the military commanders and obviously the political leaders trying to encourage the military commanders to stay with the fight.
Now what we've been hearing from our sources in Baghdad today and if in a way here I can paint you a picture of what the Iraqi people are seeing in and around the streets of Baghdad, tonight bombing, bombing in the west of the city at least explosions seen in that part of the city, one heavy detonation a little earlier closer to the center of the city. However, during the day it's been a picture for the Iraqis -- they have seen -- the Iraqi people, they have seen U.S. forces arrive in the southwestern part of the city. They know they're there. They've seen U.S. forces arrive in the southeastern part of the city, the Al Rasheed military base. This is a military base and a military airfield. Again, strategically important as is the international airport on the southwestern side of the city where coalition forces are.
Also, Iraqis in the city of Baghdad believe that the United States military has a checkpoint; the coalition has a checkpoint on the northern side of the city. So this is what the Iraqi people are seeing. Now when it comes to Iraqi forces, what our sources are telling us and again, this is what the people in Baghdad are seeing. They're seeing in one of the central parts in Baghdad just on the western side of the city a large zoological park, a park where people normally take their children. They're seeing the Iraqi military gather personnel, gather Republican Guard, gather Fedayeen, gather tanks. We understand there are T72 tanks there, possibly some artillery pieces. They're also seeing in some quite upscale up market areas of the city, suburban neighborhoods again in the west, again areas that face off against the -- where the airport is in the southwest of the city, military checkpoints, military reinforcements, tanks at the Almansor (ph) Square, tanks at the Almansor (ph) Square. So clearly the city becoming much more military fight, if you will. Our sources are saying they're seeing many more Iraqi soldiers out on the streets, many more than they have seen recently. They say that these soldiers are relaxed.
What the Iraqi people are hearing, we've heard -- we told what they're seeing. What they're hearing from their leadership is something that is completely contrary to what we're hearing. What they're being told by the Iraqi leadership, the Administer of Information saying that the coalition forces do not control the airport. The Iraqis have killed hundreds of coalition forces out at the airport. Coalition soldiers are lying dead. That is the message Iraqis are being told. The minister of information also read a statement from President Saddam Hussein telling Iraqis that they're going to defeat the coalition. The coalition is staring defeat in the face and that the Iraqis should stand firm and hit back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): But to harm the enemy more and more, go against the enemy and destroy the enemy and follow the plans that you got in writing. God is great. May the criminals lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So the Iraqi population certainly aware their city is very closely -- that coalition forces are very close to the city at this time Judy.
WOODRUFF: Nic Robertson describing a lot more military activity there in Baghdad. Nic, thank you very much. Nic reporting from the Jordanian side of the border with Iraq.
Well, we heard was reporting that he's hearing from inside Baghdad. Let's get a sense now of what the war planners here in Washington are thinking and doing. Chris Plante, our correspondent at the Pentagon, joins us now.
Chris, we know they're sharing some of that war plan and part of it involves the kind of incursion we saw into Baghdad last night from the south.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Judy. I think everyone was pretty much surprised when the 3rd Infantry Division was suddenly driving around in parts of downtown Baghdad early this morning. It was a daylight foray reconnaissance in force. American tanks and Bradley armored vehicles going in in significant numbers and directly confronting Iraqi troops, Republican Guard units. Walt Rodgers, who is there estimates that in the last 24 hours the unit that he is with alone, which is one of the smaller units, has destroyed 30 to 35 of the Iraqi tanks, so clearly a signal being sent to the administration in Baghdad that the U.S. military is there, that they are present and flies in the face of what Iraqis have been hearing from their officials there and we can expect to see much more of the same. The 1st Marine Expeditionary force coming into the city from the south and the east now expected to also be making forays in and we are told that we can expect a significant pickup in air strikes inside the city with close air support going after artillery pieces and other defenses that would make it more difficult for the United States to come in and easily dominate the city. At the same time we have reports that senior members of the Baath party and Republican Guard are taking the opportunity to flee in some cases with suitcases full of cash -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All of that very interesting, and Chris, as we talk to you, we're showing our audience live pictures of -- the night scope pictures of downtown Baghdad. Reuters, as you've just been seeing on the bottom of your screen, Reuters' news service is reporting a couple of large explosions in the capital city just in the last few moments. We're going to listen just a moment here.
What you're hearing is the call to prayer but as you're seeing at the bottom of your screen, Reuters reporting just moments ago two more loud explosions in the city center.
Chris Plante is still with us from the Pentagon. Chris, as we listen and we look at these pictures of Baghdad at night, the Pentagon Central Command also giving more details today of the rescue of American POW Jessica Lynch.
PLANTE: That's right. Even as Jessica's family left West Virginia today and boarded an Air Force jet to go to Germany to see their daughter who is undergoing medical treatment, a series of surgeries there at Landstuhl Hospital near Ramstein, General Renuart who is briefing in Doha, Qatar offered some more details as to what happened when these Special Operations Forces kicked down the door at the hospital where she was being held and started calling for an effort to locate her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. VICTOR RENUART, CENTCOM: As the team entered the hospital room, they found Private Lynch in a hospital bed. The first man approached the door and came in and called her name. She had been scared, had the sheet up over her head because she didn't know what was happening. She lowered the sheet from her head. She didn't really respond yet because I think she was probably pretty scared. The soldier again said, "Jessica Lynch, we're the United States soldiers and we're here to protect you and take you home."
She seemed to understand that. As he walked over, took his helmet off, she looked up to him to and said, "I'm an American soldier too." The team members carried her down the stairwell out to the front door to the waiting helicopter. Jessica held up her hand and grabbed the ranger doctor's hand, held onto it for the entire time and said, "Please don't let anybody leave me." It was clear she knew where she was and she didn't want to be left anywhere in the hands of the enemy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Dramatic telling of a dramatic story particularly from a general at a podium -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: It certainly is, Chris Plante. That story is just remarkable and we've now heard several different pieces of it. It adds up to something else and when we hear from Jessica herself it is going to a moving experience.
All right. Chris Plante reporting for us from the Pentagon.
And now, Wolf, as we look at these live pictures of Baghdad where there have been some more explosions in the last few minutes we'll come back to you.
BLITZER: Explosions rocking the Iraqi capital, Judy, continuing now for the past few hours. One, we're told, a couple of hours ago only about 100 meters or so, the length of a football field from the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. That's where most of the international press core is headquarter right now. They say, eyewitnesses, that that building actually shook during that one explosion but two more Reuters reporting just in the past few minutes. Also Reuters reporting that Saddam Hussein, two of his sons -- his two sons, Uday and Qusay, and other military advisers seen on Iraqi television also within the past few minutes. We're attempting to get that videotape. We'll bring it to our viewers of course as soon as we get it. We have no idea when it was actually shot.
In the meantime, our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his excellent photographer, Mark Biello (ph), have been doing incredible work for all of us. He's joining us now live via videophone. Sanjay, of course, and Mark (ph) are embedded with the so called Devil Docs just south of Baghdad right now. Sanjay, tell us what's going on.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf. Yes. Good night from Baghdad or from 30 miles south of Baghdad. It has been an incredibly, incredibly busy couple of days here for the Bravo surgical company, the Devil Docs that we've been talking so much about. Let me just show -- give you some numbers. One hundred and eight patients over the last 48 hours, 24 operations over that time, that's an operation every two hours, these doctors working around the clock.
Wolf, patients are brought in via helicopter. They're also taken back medevacked to other hospitals via helicopter. This is a process that is ongoing. These patients are brought in. They're triaged often taken to the operating room and then flown to another hospital. This process just continuous. Let me just tell you, we're in this tent right now. There's a dirt floor, a tent above our ceiling. There are 60 watt light bulbs. There's an operation that's about to start just behind me. There are -- physically challenging no question for the doctors, the surgeons, the anesthesiologists, everybody.
It's also emotionally challenging to some extent (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Wolf, just earlier today a young child being brought into this particular surgical company, a six year old Iraqi civilian with a just horrendous shrapnel injury to the face with much of this young boy's face just literally gone as a result of this shrapnel injury. Maybe you see some of the video of the doctors working tirelessly to try and establish an airway to save this little child's life. That was successful. The child's life was saved but no doubt a horrendous injury. They can't avert their days from these sorts of injuries Wolf. They can't look the other way. They have to look past some of these horrific images right in the eye and take care of these patients.
That's what they've been doing. That's what they continue to do. This particular surgical company is going to move north over the next couple of days. They're mobile Wolf. You and I have talked about that so much. They're mobile. They move just as the troops do -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Sanjay and I know you and Mark (ph) will be moving with them as well. Good luck to all of you. Be safe. Thanks very much. Those have been amazing reports from our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Back to you Judy in Washington.
WOODRUFF: And, Wolf, they have been amazing and those doctors are clearly some of the heroes of this war. Thanks very much to Sanjay.
A live update on the coalition air campaign from a base near the Iraqi border is next. Also ahead, U.S. Special Forces join Kurds in the north to put more pressure on the Iraqi regime and we go on patrol with Special Forces in the south as they continue efforts to secure the city of Basra.
But first more scenes from today's fighting in Baghdad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: CNN's Miles O'Brien with a quick recap of all the major developments of this day.
U.S. military officials say the coalition air campaign has seriously degraded the Iraqi forces deployed to protect Baghdad. CNN's Gary Tuchman is standing by more on the air campaign. He's in an air base near the Iraqi border.
Gary, tell us what's going on tonight.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Mosley, the air commander for CENTCOM was not subtle tonight when he issued this quote. He said, "We are not softening the Republican Guard. We are killing them. The United States Air Force is very proud of its performance in this war so far. Every single U.S. Air Force plane that has done a sortie over Iraq has made it back safely but of course it's not just the U.S. Air Force participating the air war, it's also the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Navy. They all have planes and helicopters in the theater and also Australian flyers and British flyers."
We spent part of the day today with the Royal Air Force Compound here at the space we're staying at. There are 8,000 service people here. There are Americans. There are Australians and there are also British service members of the military and we talked with one of the RAF pilots who just came back from a mission a few hours ago. He's been on 13 missions over the course of the war so far and we asked him about his relationship with is American counterparts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the American forces here?
TONY HANLON, ROYAL AIR FORCE: Not really. We've been made so very welcome on the base and also completely part of the coalition airborne and on the ground. We've been part of the team and just made to feel just exactly that.
TUCHMAN: How does it make you feel protecting the British ground forces being from the United Kingdom?
HANLON: It's nice to work with our own guys. We hear -- just on the radio you can get the old (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in they're the guys we train with home but it's actually not that much different from working with anybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: The British RAF has about 450 people at this particular base near the border of Iraq. One of the people we also talked to today is a weapons technician. She is in charge of putting bombs and missiles on the British planes and she's one of the very few women who does that job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORPORAL DEBBIE HANSON, ROYAL AIR FORCE: There's a few of us around, not many. It's obviously a more ratio male job but there are quite a few females (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
TUCHMAN: What's the most threatening -- you know, there's been a war -- this war's been going on for over two weeks now. There must be some pressure on you when you're doing this work.
HANSON: Yes. We do get a bit of pressure and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) times are quite (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and we have to reload all the bombs onto the weapons but you don't generally (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we don't get rushed. There's no mistakes made (UNINTELLIGIBLE) carefully done so they give us as much time as we need. (END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Urban combat sorties over Baghdad, the primary emphasis of the air war tonight. Officials with the Air Force are telling us that as many as 200 airplanes are over Iraq, coming from Iraq or going to Iraq at any single time.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary Tuchman, he's in an air base not far from Iraq, a very busy air base over these past two weeks plus. Gary, thanks very much.
Judy in Washington, back to you.
WOODRUFF: And we are learning that the women are doing just about all the jobs, not all but most of the jobs that the men are doing. Gary, interviewing that a woman with -- a corporal with the Royal Air Force.
Well, in addition to the coalition forces approaching Baghdad from the south, which we've heard a lot about, Iraqi troops are facing increasing pressure from Kurdish fighters and U.S. Special Forces in the north. CNN's Brent Sadler is with some of those troops now headed south from Kurdish controlled territory in northern Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A group of Iraqi Kurds manning this 50 caliber truck mounted machine gun is heading south towards Baghdad, a little more than an hour's drive away. They are in high spirits now believing in what they have always thought was the unimaginable, the collapse of Saddam Hussein's rule now that coalition forces have his regime in their gun sights. This is about as close to Baghdad as you can get from this sector of the northern front, a remote Peshmerga outpost. This route south is blocked by Iraqi front lines. Iraqi troops or it's thought, Saddam Fedayeen irregular units holding this ridgeline.
The Iraqi Kurds have been biting their time here casting cold stares towards their longtime enemy awaiting the U.S. military's next move, a move which now appears to be taking shape. Special Forces prepare the ground for another wave of air strikes pinpointing the range of targets and learning the lay of the land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is soldier Saddam Hussein.
SADLER: This Kurdish fighter says he knows the terrain like the back of his hand and maps out positions for his American allies with a small mosaic of stones.
As encircling American forces close in on Baghdad, the capital is all but surrounded except for approach or escape through the northeastern corridor, an unplugged gap that's unlikely to remain open for very much longer. The armed Iraqi opposition, mostly the Kurds, want to be the first Iraqis to liberate their own soil south of the front lines. They can't do it alone but under the command and control of their American allies, they might get the chance.
Brent Sadler, CNN near (UNINTELLIGIBLE), northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(NEWSBREAK)
WOODRUFF: Weather of course is one of the things that war planners always have to take into consideration and temperatures were expected to hit triple digits today in parts of Iraq. Let's go to Orelon Sidney at the CNN Weather Center right now to get the details -- Orelon.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Judy, thanks a lot. The high temperature today in Kuwait, now it's nighttime, was 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It's going to be a little bit cooler as we go into the early part of next week but it's still going to be uncomfortable I think for much of the south especially around Basra where some of the active fighting is expected to be. Could be a little bit dusty too as we get a stationary front to work its way right through the center of Iraq and then stall out and what you're going to find of course is very warm temperatures still on Sunday and then this front I think is going to drift a little bit further south. We're cooling off Baghdad but the problem then will be it's getting windy back behind the front so I think the visibilities may be dropping there. This is what happens then.
As we go on into Monday now notice the temperature drop in the north, still going to be kind of uncomfortable, 87, still very, very warm but look at Kuwait. Your temperature here starts to drop into the 90s. It's going to get windy here as well. So I think southern Iraq, Nasiriya all the way down to Kuwait the visibility could be pretty low as well. Unfortunately it's still going to be hot for the two -- for the troops in Basra. Temperature is still close to 100 degrees at least through the early part of next week -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. Orelon Sidney giving us the very latest weather forecast from the Iraq war theater area. Thanks very much.
Coming up in the war headlines, a piece of the battle that rescued soldier Jessica Lynch left behind. Plus, a retired general's view of the challenges of fighting in downtown Baghdad perhaps house to house and even hand to hand.
ANNOUNCER: CNN's continuing coverage of the war in Iraq. Evidence of atrocities, a gruesome discovery in southern Iraq, an in depth look at the possibility of chemical attacks on U.S. led forces pushing into Baghdad, a CNN exclusive, a flying glimpse of the new strategy to protect coalition forces on the ground. These stories and more tonight at six Eastern.
Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center. You're looking at live pictures from Baghdad, Iraq as we speak, a series of explosions heard, seen all throughout the capital city of Iraq over the past couple of hours. We're watching it very closely for you and we will keep you posted as the night progresses in Baghdad.
We are going to take a look now at what is going on on the ground and what potentially might be going on on the ground to take a look at the situation and the prospect of urban combat and some of the strategies and tactics that might be employed by coalition forces returned to retired General Paul Funk, U.S. Army Lieutenant General joining us from Austin, Texas. General Funk, good to have you back with us.
LT. GEN. PAUL FUNK, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: I'll tell you what. First, I'd like to do a quick satellite tour. We have focused so much on the airport. I wanted to show the likely approach of U.S. Marines here and zoom you down here a little bit to this side of the southeastern side of Baghdad and we don't have a good fix on the Marine approach right at this moment but what it conceivably will do will take the Marines right into the oldest sections of Baghdad. The old city is on the eastern side of the Tigress River you see there in the middle and as we go up this avenue right here called Jamiom (ph), you get into the real heart and soul of Baghdad. The reason I point that out is that obviously it gets very difficult there to distinguish between targets that would be valid in a military sense and just civilian neighborhoods.
What -- it's a challenging thing in a densely populated city to do just that, isn't it, General?
FUNK: Yes, it is, Miles, and of course they're going to be well disciplined and under control. They will of course not take undo risk but I suspect that knowing our Marines and our soldiers, they'll take extra effort to avoid civilian casualties and to watch out for cultural kinds of targets there that we don't want to destroy.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, I'll tell you what. I want to show an animation quickly, which shows some of the intelligence capabilities that would be available to the Marines.
FUNK: OK.
O'BRIEN: Starting right up, it's almost like a layer cake effect, way up high 80,000 plus the U-2. It's a piloted vehicle, which may or may not come into play when you're talking about identifying urban targets but as you get a little closer to the ground, we get into the global hawk, the predator and the hunter. The first two being Air Force and/or CIA, the hunter being an Army tool and these are unmanned vehicles. How much clarity does this give the war fighter on the ground? FUNK: That's a very good point. Increasingly it gets better as our sensors that are mounted on those platforms get better. They're able to penetrate dust in many cases, fog, things like that. As they improve, so will our performance. The real critical thing here though is the length between the sensor package and the soldier or Marine on the ground and that has to be real time for these kinds of actions. If we're going to have an advantage over the enemy, we've got to get them that real time information of what's around the corner, what's over the next hill.
O'BRIEN: So when you -- when you look at this hunter here used by the Army, in theory the view that that hunter captures can get right into that armored Abrams tank or whatever so a tank commander can make real time decisions.
FUNK: You bet. That's the key to this and of course you want that to the squad leader on the ground too that's got an infantry squad dismounted. Now we're not all the way there yet with that but we're getting very close. He can at least get voice -- he can at least get voice kinds of messages from the guys running the predator.
O'BRIEN: All right. Nevertheless, confusion can often reign when you're on the streets of a city five or six million people in size trying to identify friendlies from foes. General Paul Funk, thanks again. We appreciate your insights as always.
FUNK: You bet, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Send it back to Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Miles. Thanks, General Funk, as well.
Still ahead, mourning and memories of the first U.S. servicewoman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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BLITZER: The number of confirmed coalition deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom now has risen above 100, 75 American and 27 British troops have been killed. There are no reliable numbers of Iraqi casualties though the Information Minister has said more than 400 civilians have been killed. U.S. Central Command now says 6,500 Iraqis have been captured by coalition forces. Seven Americans are enlisted as prisoners of war in Iraq; eight are now listed as missing in action. The confirmations of the latest killed in action have hit the El Paso military community very hard. CNN's Ed Lavandera is standing by at Fort Bliss with reactions -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the 15 members of the 507th Maintenance Company here in El Paso, Texas, many of the family members we've spoken with say they never expected those particular soldiers to be anywhere near the front lines or in harm's way. This is a maintenance company, people who are supposed to be helping out the front line troops, fixing tanks, fixing trucks, just the maintenance and the upkeep that these units need to be able to move as they've been moving toward Baghdad doing all the behind the scenes work, if you will, to help those units out.
So none of the family members that we've had a chance to speak with say that they expected their family members to be really in harm's way but that has not turned out to be the case as the seven soldiers considered still missing in action yesterday were confirmed to be the bodies that were found when Private Jessica Lynch was rescued on Wednesday and the news hitting here particularly hard. "The El Paso Times" newspaper headline reading today "the worst news possible" and many of the family members here had been holding out hope of course as we've been reporting as well that there are five soldiers that are still considered to be prisoners of war so those family members still holding onto hope that their loved ones are OK but it was especially difficult for the family members of those missing in action because they had not turned up on the television broadcast and weren't -- there wasn't sure confirmation as to what had happened to them but now Pentagon officials saying that those bodies recovered on Wednesday are indeed of those soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company.
The military community here at Fort Bliss hit particularly hard, flags flying here at half staff and we're also told that there will a church service, a regularly scheduled church service that will focus on what has happened here tomorrow and there's also a special memorial service that is being planned for later on next week. The details of that have not been released as of yet but officials here say they are working on a memorial service to honor the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company which call Fort Bliss here home -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ed Lavandera, thanks very much. You certainly don't expect a maintenance company to be hit with killed in action and those kinds of numbers.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf, and we are learning more about the unique story of one of those soldiers killed in action, a soldier that Ed just mentioned. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was one of the very few Indian -- American Indian women in the U.S. military. Her hometown on the Navajo reservation is grieving her death today. Reporter Antwan Lewis of our affiliate station KTVK joins us now live from Tuba City, Arizona with more -- Antwan.
ANTWAN LEWIS, KTVK CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Judy. The community continues to embrace the Piestewa family here in northern Arizona. We want to step out of the way and let you look at the family home where you see patriotism is being met by grief, family members there on the porch still greeting the many people that have been coming here since very early this morning. We also want to call your attention to one shot in particular. As soon as this van goes by there is one thing that's on the front of the porch that we want to allow you to see among the many signs, among the many offers of condolence, there is a sign that sits on the front next to a little spinning wheel and a flag that simply says, "rest in peace, Lori."
Mourners started gathering early at the Piestewa home in Tuba City bringing food, flowers and hugs on the front yard, things associated with grieving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the worst part for them. They got really tired of waiting and worrying and everything but now she's going to be coming home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Private First Class Lori Ann Piestewa's death makes her the first female American casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom. By mid morning, family members raised a second flag on the porch, the POW MIA flag, a reminder of 12 days of not knowing that ended Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were informed yesterday evening that our sister's home and we're very happy that she's back on U.S. soil. We're asking the community and the media allow us at this time to begin the healing process and respect my wishes to spend time with our immediate family. At some point in the future we will have a celebration of her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: And again, a life that the family members described as one that they are proud of, a life that they repeatedly referred to her when talking with us calling her a hero and every respect befitting her will be given of course as we understand how they memorial services will be carried out, they're still working that out. We do also want to mention, Judy, that Lori Piestewa leaves behind two small children.
WOODRUFF: Antwan, you mentioned -- we mentioned she's one of the very few Native American women serving in the -- in the military. What about Native Americans overall? Do you have an understanding of how large a part of the services they make up?
LEWIS: We do. There are actually 56 Native Americans who are currently serving in the Operation Iraqi Freedom effort. Forty-eight of those are right now in Iraq, as we understand.
WOODRUFF: They are truly -- this service -- these military services truly a mosaic of America. Antwan Lewis of our affiliate station KTVK. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.
That planning for a post Saddam Iraq is already well underway. Up next, I'll talk with a leader in the effort to build a democracy after decades of one man rule in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOODRUFF: Even before the military battles in Iraq have ended the planning for a post Saddam Hussein Iraqi government is well underway. With me now to talk about efforts to build a democracy there and also about efforts to reach his family is Dr. Ali Al-Attar. He is with the Iraq Forum for Democracy, a group of Iraqi exiles.
Before I ask you about planning for the post Saddam Iraq Dr. Attar, I want to ask you about your own family. When was the last time you were able to speak? You have cousins and aunts. When were you last talking?
DR. ALI AL-ATTAR, IRAQI FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY: A week ago, Friday before last.
WOODRUFF: And how were they doing then?
AL-ATTAR: They were still anxious and they a little bit -- there morale was on the low side because they were realizing that Saddam is going to do a street fight for the battle of Baghdad and they are apprehended with that. Also, the footage and the images of all these civilian casualties that the Iraqi television is keeping and they're blaming the United States and the coalition forces for these babies, elderlies, dead, injured, this make their anxieties a little bite more.
WOODRUFF: And that's of course the only picture they were getting.
AL-ATTAR: Absolutely and also the propaganda that the Iraqi Information Ministry putting as a show everyday on TV with a lot of lies and we hear it here. We know it but unfortunately they don't have that access.
WOODRUFF: You've tried to reach them since then. Do you know why you haven't been able to get through?
AL-ATTAR: We didn't -- we were not able to get through. The lines were not open.
WOODRUFF: Are you -- do you have any other source of information about when they're all right?
AL-ATTAR: At this moment we don't.
WOODRUFF: You don't.
AL-ATTAR: I don't.
WOODRUFF: But at -- but at the last you talked to them you say they were apprehensive about what was coming.
AL-ATTAR: Absolutely and they were ...
WOODRUFF: Post Saddam Hussein Iraq, what is your sense of what shape the government should take and how easy or not it's going to be to move to a democracy there?
AL-ATTAR: I believe the most important aspect is to make sure that the people of Iraq hear that this act of liberation and not act of occupation. By that we can force that by putting an Iraqi transitional government in power after the act of liberation is ending and to do that I think we have to involve all Iraqis in exile and inside Iraq in that process. One way I have in mind maybe we can form (UNINTELLIGIBLE) committee; that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) committee composed of 15 to 20 different groups including a group of six that was in London before to prepare for ...
WOODRUFF: These are people who left -- these are people who left Iraq some time ago.
AL-ATTAR: Actually we are planning to do that for all people inside Iraq and in exile.
WOODRUFF: So you would include people who have been in Iraq.
AL-ATTAR: They should be. They are part of the Iraqi society and they have to put their efforts in that.
WOODRUFF: To what extent are there people inside Iraq who are still alive who have been opponents of the Saddam Hussein regime?
AL-ATTAR: There is a lot of them still inside Iraq and we can use them and I urge all international committee to extend their hands to help those people to be as -- they should support the effort of the American and the Brits continuing the liberation act of the Iraqi people and for the Iraqis to regain their freedom.
WOODRUFF: We're talking with Dr. Ali Al-Attar. He is with the Iraqi Forum for Democracy. He also has family members in Baghdad whom I know you are anxious to be in touch with.
Dr. Al-Attar, thank you again very much for coming by to talk with us.
AL-ATTAR: The pleasure was mine. Thank you.
WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.
And Wolf, now back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you Judy.
Coming up, we go on a patrol with Special Forces in the southern part of Iraq as they continue efforts to secure Iraq's second largest city, Basra.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Coalition forces faced the dangerous task of securing southern and central Iraqi cities. CNN's Mike Boettcher is embedded with the U.S. Special Forces staking out turf in and around Basra.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the way into Basra, the Special Forces soldier on the .50-caliber machine gun had a premonition, it was not going to be a quiet day. He would be proved right. The teams' mission, press into Basra to a point near the university, and set up a checkpoint. Anyone suspicious was to be questioned. British tanks would provide cover, but there wasn't any time for questions. Iraqi mortar fire made sure of that. .
Shells dropped less than 100 meters from the Special Forces' A- team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you get it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
BOETTCHER: One barely missed the British tank. There were at least 10 more impacts, but the Special Forces A-team had moved just out of the mortars' range.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely ain't going to get to shoot (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Where in the hell did that one hit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
BOETTCHER: Part of the team moved forward for a closer look. The rest of the unit provided cover, and scanned nearby building, bridges and highways for the Iraqi mortar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There goes the F-18, coming in for the air strike.
BOETTCHER: An F-18 streaked overhead, but British commanders who control this part of the Iraq war theater did not give the order for it to attack. Back at the checkpoint in Basra, where traffic and war intersected, more than 20 Iraqi rocket-propelled grenades were discovered in a bunker. The order was given to destroy them. American and British intelligence believe Iraqi units have stashed weapons throughout Basra, for use against any coalition advance.
It would soon be dark. The Iraqi mortar team was still at large. So the SF team wasted no time preparing their explosive charge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No twist, no turn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, captain, tell them Brits we're getting ready to pull the igniters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What have we got?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got about three minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About three minutes. We didn't have time to test it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. You got it. Tell them we are ready to go. Smoke on one. Smoke on two.
(CROSSTALK)
BOETTCHER: In the race to get away from the impending detonation, our driver aborted running over an unexploded mortar. A British armored vehicle did not. It was disabled. The dark cloud in the distance marked its location.
Then, a second detonation. The Iraqi arms cache.
The soldier on the .50-caliber was right, it was not a quiet day. All for a checkpoint. A temporary checkpoint.
Mike Boettcher, CNN with Special Operations Forces on the outskirts of Basra.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: That was some report from Mike Boettcher. Our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in a moment. When we come back, a disturbing discovery in southern Iraq. British troops find the remains of up to 200 people. We're back in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 5, 2003 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you for joining us. The battle for Baghdad. U.S.-led forces move into the heart of the city to make a statement to the Iraqi regime that they can move where they want when they want.
Another kind of statement in southern Iraq, a statue of Saddam Hussein falls but is the real Iraqi president close to being toppled?
I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington with more of our coverage of the war in Iraq.
Let's begin in Kuwait City with my colleague Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Good afternoon to you. Good evening from here Judy.
Coalition aircraft now have begun an around the clock mission over Baghdad to strike Iraqi targets and protect U.S. troops probing the capital.
A large explosion echoed through central Baghdad just after dark apparently near a hotel where journalists covering the war are staying. U.S. Central Command says U.S. forces move from the outskirts of Baghdad into the heart of the city at least briefly. They smashed through sporadic Iraqi resistance along the way and get a look at damage to the capital.
A statement attributed to Saddam Hussein acknowledged coalition forces were on Baghdad but Iraq contends that it's weakening coalition strength in other parts of the country.
U.S. forces are using their superior firepower to blast through Iraqi defenders but some combat is decidedly low tech. In one reported skirmish, Marines used bayonets to battle Arab fighters on the outskirts of Baghdad. Overall, coalition commanders are upbeat about their progress as our Walter Rodgers reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army commanders in the Iraqi theater are now extraordinarily confident about the way the battle is unfolding. One general was quoted as saying "we have the Iraqis rocking backward on their heels." He went on to say it will take several more days of pressure but the clear implication is the American generals at least in the Army believe that the battle is being won and that there is a timeline and that this war will not go on unceaselessly as some had earlier feared.
The Army intelligence has been getting reports of large numbers of Iraqi Baathist party members. Those are -- that's part of Saddam Hussein's regime as well as Iraqi soldiers, Republican Guard soldiers fleeing the city army trucks. Now those army trucks are being interspersed with civilian vehicles and consequently the U.S. air power cannot strike at these civilian vehicles but they all seem to be exiting in what one army officer called nothing sort of "a mass exodus" moving westward, north westward and in the general direction of Jordan but almost certainly more likely they will end up in Syria.
Walter Rodgers, CNN with the U.S. 7th Calvary on the outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Art Harris is south of Baghdad as well with the U.S. Marine Corps. They're working to prevent trouble before it happens. He's on the phone with us now.
Art, tell us what you're seeing what you're hearing.
ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I have been traveling with light Army reconnaissance unit about 50 miles south of Baghdad and they are trying to go inland along the major highways and as you said, keep trouble from happening. They have been going house to house trying to find weapons, possible paramilitary. Today we stopped at a home with a black flag over it, an indication I'm told of support for the regime fire to Saddam Hussein and inside there was nobody and all of the sudden one Marine said I've got them and 15 men, young men, came out. They brought them out into the yard and along with some military items, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a paratrooper's Special Forces hat and insignia and a clip of sniper ammunition and we didn't have the soldiers from the non-combatants and sent them off for processing.
Wolf, what's interesting is to see the level of either trust or mistrust of these Marines. This is an area that no U.S. forces have entered because the highway's blocked off and these Marines are what they call the tip of the spear in this area and they have found fighting holes that Iraqis have dug and at one point today a shot rang out in the field near this house. Someone was shooting at them. We don't know who. They went running out to look, never did find the person. It is an area that a Cobra helicopter also reported an RPG fired into the air at it but that person was never found either.
Members of the EPWs are being taken and processed and sent back to the rear for more information Wolf but the people here seem for the most part happy or at least tolerant of the U.S. Marines and their attitude is it appears to be wait and see. If you deliver we're with you -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Art Harris, EPWs, enemy prisoners of war, Art Harris joining us. He's embedded with the U.S. Marines just south of the Iraqi capital. Art, thanks very much.
For his take on these late breaking developments in and around the Iraqi capital, let's turn once again as we always do to CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. He of course was expelled from Baghdad. He's with us now from Ruashed (ph). That's along the border between Jordan and Iraq.
Nic, within the past few minutes I haven't seen them yet but apparently there were some videotape of Saddam Hussein shown on Iraqi state television not only with his two sons, Uday and Qusay, but with some of his senior advisers as well. Reuters, the news agency, saying they have no idea when this videotape was shot but it looks there's a steady drum beat coming out from the Iraqi regime trying to reassure a clearly nervous Iraqi public at large.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Wolf, the same that we've seen over the last two weeks. Every time that we see one image of President Saddam Hussein one day then there's questions about whether or not it's actually him, whether or not this was taken during the war. Again, Iraqi officials putting out these pictures. We haven't actually seen them yet as you say but very important for the Iraqi people not only the president, his two sons, Qusay Saddam Hussein in charge of the Republican Guard, Uday Saddam Hussein in charge of the Fedayeen forces, very important pictures for the leadership to show the Iraqi people just to show that they still control the airwaves, just to show that -- to try and tell the Iraqi people that they're still alive and that they still intend to carry on because it's that that is going to keep up the resistance in Baghdad at this time unlike many other cities through history that have been put through this process of being encircled as Baghdad is beginning to be. The political leaders are still co-located with the military commanders and obviously the political leaders trying to encourage the military commanders to stay with the fight.
Now what we've been hearing from our sources in Baghdad today and if in a way here I can paint you a picture of what the Iraqi people are seeing in and around the streets of Baghdad, tonight bombing, bombing in the west of the city at least explosions seen in that part of the city, one heavy detonation a little earlier closer to the center of the city. However, during the day it's been a picture for the Iraqis -- they have seen -- the Iraqi people, they have seen U.S. forces arrive in the southwestern part of the city. They know they're there. They've seen U.S. forces arrive in the southeastern part of the city, the Al Rasheed military base. This is a military base and a military airfield. Again, strategically important as is the international airport on the southwestern side of the city where coalition forces are.
Also, Iraqis in the city of Baghdad believe that the United States military has a checkpoint; the coalition has a checkpoint on the northern side of the city. So this is what the Iraqi people are seeing. Now when it comes to Iraqi forces, what our sources are telling us and again, this is what the people in Baghdad are seeing. They're seeing in one of the central parts in Baghdad just on the western side of the city a large zoological park, a park where people normally take their children. They're seeing the Iraqi military gather personnel, gather Republican Guard, gather Fedayeen, gather tanks. We understand there are T72 tanks there, possibly some artillery pieces. They're also seeing in some quite upscale up market areas of the city, suburban neighborhoods again in the west, again areas that face off against the -- where the airport is in the southwest of the city, military checkpoints, military reinforcements, tanks at the Almansor (ph) Square, tanks at the Almansor (ph) Square. So clearly the city becoming much more military fight, if you will. Our sources are saying they're seeing many more Iraqi soldiers out on the streets, many more than they have seen recently. They say that these soldiers are relaxed.
What the Iraqi people are hearing, we've heard -- we told what they're seeing. What they're hearing from their leadership is something that is completely contrary to what we're hearing. What they're being told by the Iraqi leadership, the Administer of Information saying that the coalition forces do not control the airport. The Iraqis have killed hundreds of coalition forces out at the airport. Coalition soldiers are lying dead. That is the message Iraqis are being told. The minister of information also read a statement from President Saddam Hussein telling Iraqis that they're going to defeat the coalition. The coalition is staring defeat in the face and that the Iraqis should stand firm and hit back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): But to harm the enemy more and more, go against the enemy and destroy the enemy and follow the plans that you got in writing. God is great. May the criminals lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So the Iraqi population certainly aware their city is very closely -- that coalition forces are very close to the city at this time Judy.
WOODRUFF: Nic Robertson describing a lot more military activity there in Baghdad. Nic, thank you very much. Nic reporting from the Jordanian side of the border with Iraq.
Well, we heard was reporting that he's hearing from inside Baghdad. Let's get a sense now of what the war planners here in Washington are thinking and doing. Chris Plante, our correspondent at the Pentagon, joins us now.
Chris, we know they're sharing some of that war plan and part of it involves the kind of incursion we saw into Baghdad last night from the south.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Judy. I think everyone was pretty much surprised when the 3rd Infantry Division was suddenly driving around in parts of downtown Baghdad early this morning. It was a daylight foray reconnaissance in force. American tanks and Bradley armored vehicles going in in significant numbers and directly confronting Iraqi troops, Republican Guard units. Walt Rodgers, who is there estimates that in the last 24 hours the unit that he is with alone, which is one of the smaller units, has destroyed 30 to 35 of the Iraqi tanks, so clearly a signal being sent to the administration in Baghdad that the U.S. military is there, that they are present and flies in the face of what Iraqis have been hearing from their officials there and we can expect to see much more of the same. The 1st Marine Expeditionary force coming into the city from the south and the east now expected to also be making forays in and we are told that we can expect a significant pickup in air strikes inside the city with close air support going after artillery pieces and other defenses that would make it more difficult for the United States to come in and easily dominate the city. At the same time we have reports that senior members of the Baath party and Republican Guard are taking the opportunity to flee in some cases with suitcases full of cash -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All of that very interesting, and Chris, as we talk to you, we're showing our audience live pictures of -- the night scope pictures of downtown Baghdad. Reuters, as you've just been seeing on the bottom of your screen, Reuters' news service is reporting a couple of large explosions in the capital city just in the last few moments. We're going to listen just a moment here.
What you're hearing is the call to prayer but as you're seeing at the bottom of your screen, Reuters reporting just moments ago two more loud explosions in the city center.
Chris Plante is still with us from the Pentagon. Chris, as we listen and we look at these pictures of Baghdad at night, the Pentagon Central Command also giving more details today of the rescue of American POW Jessica Lynch.
PLANTE: That's right. Even as Jessica's family left West Virginia today and boarded an Air Force jet to go to Germany to see their daughter who is undergoing medical treatment, a series of surgeries there at Landstuhl Hospital near Ramstein, General Renuart who is briefing in Doha, Qatar offered some more details as to what happened when these Special Operations Forces kicked down the door at the hospital where she was being held and started calling for an effort to locate her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. VICTOR RENUART, CENTCOM: As the team entered the hospital room, they found Private Lynch in a hospital bed. The first man approached the door and came in and called her name. She had been scared, had the sheet up over her head because she didn't know what was happening. She lowered the sheet from her head. She didn't really respond yet because I think she was probably pretty scared. The soldier again said, "Jessica Lynch, we're the United States soldiers and we're here to protect you and take you home."
She seemed to understand that. As he walked over, took his helmet off, she looked up to him to and said, "I'm an American soldier too." The team members carried her down the stairwell out to the front door to the waiting helicopter. Jessica held up her hand and grabbed the ranger doctor's hand, held onto it for the entire time and said, "Please don't let anybody leave me." It was clear she knew where she was and she didn't want to be left anywhere in the hands of the enemy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Dramatic telling of a dramatic story particularly from a general at a podium -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: It certainly is, Chris Plante. That story is just remarkable and we've now heard several different pieces of it. It adds up to something else and when we hear from Jessica herself it is going to a moving experience.
All right. Chris Plante reporting for us from the Pentagon.
And now, Wolf, as we look at these live pictures of Baghdad where there have been some more explosions in the last few minutes we'll come back to you.
BLITZER: Explosions rocking the Iraqi capital, Judy, continuing now for the past few hours. One, we're told, a couple of hours ago only about 100 meters or so, the length of a football field from the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. That's where most of the international press core is headquarter right now. They say, eyewitnesses, that that building actually shook during that one explosion but two more Reuters reporting just in the past few minutes. Also Reuters reporting that Saddam Hussein, two of his sons -- his two sons, Uday and Qusay, and other military advisers seen on Iraqi television also within the past few minutes. We're attempting to get that videotape. We'll bring it to our viewers of course as soon as we get it. We have no idea when it was actually shot.
In the meantime, our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his excellent photographer, Mark Biello (ph), have been doing incredible work for all of us. He's joining us now live via videophone. Sanjay, of course, and Mark (ph) are embedded with the so called Devil Docs just south of Baghdad right now. Sanjay, tell us what's going on.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf. Yes. Good night from Baghdad or from 30 miles south of Baghdad. It has been an incredibly, incredibly busy couple of days here for the Bravo surgical company, the Devil Docs that we've been talking so much about. Let me just show -- give you some numbers. One hundred and eight patients over the last 48 hours, 24 operations over that time, that's an operation every two hours, these doctors working around the clock.
Wolf, patients are brought in via helicopter. They're also taken back medevacked to other hospitals via helicopter. This is a process that is ongoing. These patients are brought in. They're triaged often taken to the operating room and then flown to another hospital. This process just continuous. Let me just tell you, we're in this tent right now. There's a dirt floor, a tent above our ceiling. There are 60 watt light bulbs. There's an operation that's about to start just behind me. There are -- physically challenging no question for the doctors, the surgeons, the anesthesiologists, everybody.
It's also emotionally challenging to some extent (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Wolf, just earlier today a young child being brought into this particular surgical company, a six year old Iraqi civilian with a just horrendous shrapnel injury to the face with much of this young boy's face just literally gone as a result of this shrapnel injury. Maybe you see some of the video of the doctors working tirelessly to try and establish an airway to save this little child's life. That was successful. The child's life was saved but no doubt a horrendous injury. They can't avert their days from these sorts of injuries Wolf. They can't look the other way. They have to look past some of these horrific images right in the eye and take care of these patients.
That's what they've been doing. That's what they continue to do. This particular surgical company is going to move north over the next couple of days. They're mobile Wolf. You and I have talked about that so much. They're mobile. They move just as the troops do -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Sanjay and I know you and Mark (ph) will be moving with them as well. Good luck to all of you. Be safe. Thanks very much. Those have been amazing reports from our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Back to you Judy in Washington.
WOODRUFF: And, Wolf, they have been amazing and those doctors are clearly some of the heroes of this war. Thanks very much to Sanjay.
A live update on the coalition air campaign from a base near the Iraqi border is next. Also ahead, U.S. Special Forces join Kurds in the north to put more pressure on the Iraqi regime and we go on patrol with Special Forces in the south as they continue efforts to secure the city of Basra.
But first more scenes from today's fighting in Baghdad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: CNN's Miles O'Brien with a quick recap of all the major developments of this day.
U.S. military officials say the coalition air campaign has seriously degraded the Iraqi forces deployed to protect Baghdad. CNN's Gary Tuchman is standing by more on the air campaign. He's in an air base near the Iraqi border.
Gary, tell us what's going on tonight.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Mosley, the air commander for CENTCOM was not subtle tonight when he issued this quote. He said, "We are not softening the Republican Guard. We are killing them. The United States Air Force is very proud of its performance in this war so far. Every single U.S. Air Force plane that has done a sortie over Iraq has made it back safely but of course it's not just the U.S. Air Force participating the air war, it's also the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Navy. They all have planes and helicopters in the theater and also Australian flyers and British flyers."
We spent part of the day today with the Royal Air Force Compound here at the space we're staying at. There are 8,000 service people here. There are Americans. There are Australians and there are also British service members of the military and we talked with one of the RAF pilots who just came back from a mission a few hours ago. He's been on 13 missions over the course of the war so far and we asked him about his relationship with is American counterparts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the American forces here?
TONY HANLON, ROYAL AIR FORCE: Not really. We've been made so very welcome on the base and also completely part of the coalition airborne and on the ground. We've been part of the team and just made to feel just exactly that.
TUCHMAN: How does it make you feel protecting the British ground forces being from the United Kingdom?
HANLON: It's nice to work with our own guys. We hear -- just on the radio you can get the old (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in they're the guys we train with home but it's actually not that much different from working with anybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: The British RAF has about 450 people at this particular base near the border of Iraq. One of the people we also talked to today is a weapons technician. She is in charge of putting bombs and missiles on the British planes and she's one of the very few women who does that job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORPORAL DEBBIE HANSON, ROYAL AIR FORCE: There's a few of us around, not many. It's obviously a more ratio male job but there are quite a few females (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
TUCHMAN: What's the most threatening -- you know, there's been a war -- this war's been going on for over two weeks now. There must be some pressure on you when you're doing this work.
HANSON: Yes. We do get a bit of pressure and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) times are quite (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and we have to reload all the bombs onto the weapons but you don't generally (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we don't get rushed. There's no mistakes made (UNINTELLIGIBLE) carefully done so they give us as much time as we need. (END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Urban combat sorties over Baghdad, the primary emphasis of the air war tonight. Officials with the Air Force are telling us that as many as 200 airplanes are over Iraq, coming from Iraq or going to Iraq at any single time.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary Tuchman, he's in an air base not far from Iraq, a very busy air base over these past two weeks plus. Gary, thanks very much.
Judy in Washington, back to you.
WOODRUFF: And we are learning that the women are doing just about all the jobs, not all but most of the jobs that the men are doing. Gary, interviewing that a woman with -- a corporal with the Royal Air Force.
Well, in addition to the coalition forces approaching Baghdad from the south, which we've heard a lot about, Iraqi troops are facing increasing pressure from Kurdish fighters and U.S. Special Forces in the north. CNN's Brent Sadler is with some of those troops now headed south from Kurdish controlled territory in northern Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A group of Iraqi Kurds manning this 50 caliber truck mounted machine gun is heading south towards Baghdad, a little more than an hour's drive away. They are in high spirits now believing in what they have always thought was the unimaginable, the collapse of Saddam Hussein's rule now that coalition forces have his regime in their gun sights. This is about as close to Baghdad as you can get from this sector of the northern front, a remote Peshmerga outpost. This route south is blocked by Iraqi front lines. Iraqi troops or it's thought, Saddam Fedayeen irregular units holding this ridgeline.
The Iraqi Kurds have been biting their time here casting cold stares towards their longtime enemy awaiting the U.S. military's next move, a move which now appears to be taking shape. Special Forces prepare the ground for another wave of air strikes pinpointing the range of targets and learning the lay of the land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is soldier Saddam Hussein.
SADLER: This Kurdish fighter says he knows the terrain like the back of his hand and maps out positions for his American allies with a small mosaic of stones.
As encircling American forces close in on Baghdad, the capital is all but surrounded except for approach or escape through the northeastern corridor, an unplugged gap that's unlikely to remain open for very much longer. The armed Iraqi opposition, mostly the Kurds, want to be the first Iraqis to liberate their own soil south of the front lines. They can't do it alone but under the command and control of their American allies, they might get the chance.
Brent Sadler, CNN near (UNINTELLIGIBLE), northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(NEWSBREAK)
WOODRUFF: Weather of course is one of the things that war planners always have to take into consideration and temperatures were expected to hit triple digits today in parts of Iraq. Let's go to Orelon Sidney at the CNN Weather Center right now to get the details -- Orelon.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Judy, thanks a lot. The high temperature today in Kuwait, now it's nighttime, was 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It's going to be a little bit cooler as we go into the early part of next week but it's still going to be uncomfortable I think for much of the south especially around Basra where some of the active fighting is expected to be. Could be a little bit dusty too as we get a stationary front to work its way right through the center of Iraq and then stall out and what you're going to find of course is very warm temperatures still on Sunday and then this front I think is going to drift a little bit further south. We're cooling off Baghdad but the problem then will be it's getting windy back behind the front so I think the visibilities may be dropping there. This is what happens then.
As we go on into Monday now notice the temperature drop in the north, still going to be kind of uncomfortable, 87, still very, very warm but look at Kuwait. Your temperature here starts to drop into the 90s. It's going to get windy here as well. So I think southern Iraq, Nasiriya all the way down to Kuwait the visibility could be pretty low as well. Unfortunately it's still going to be hot for the two -- for the troops in Basra. Temperature is still close to 100 degrees at least through the early part of next week -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. Orelon Sidney giving us the very latest weather forecast from the Iraq war theater area. Thanks very much.
Coming up in the war headlines, a piece of the battle that rescued soldier Jessica Lynch left behind. Plus, a retired general's view of the challenges of fighting in downtown Baghdad perhaps house to house and even hand to hand.
ANNOUNCER: CNN's continuing coverage of the war in Iraq. Evidence of atrocities, a gruesome discovery in southern Iraq, an in depth look at the possibility of chemical attacks on U.S. led forces pushing into Baghdad, a CNN exclusive, a flying glimpse of the new strategy to protect coalition forces on the ground. These stories and more tonight at six Eastern.
Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center. You're looking at live pictures from Baghdad, Iraq as we speak, a series of explosions heard, seen all throughout the capital city of Iraq over the past couple of hours. We're watching it very closely for you and we will keep you posted as the night progresses in Baghdad.
We are going to take a look now at what is going on on the ground and what potentially might be going on on the ground to take a look at the situation and the prospect of urban combat and some of the strategies and tactics that might be employed by coalition forces returned to retired General Paul Funk, U.S. Army Lieutenant General joining us from Austin, Texas. General Funk, good to have you back with us.
LT. GEN. PAUL FUNK, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: I'll tell you what. First, I'd like to do a quick satellite tour. We have focused so much on the airport. I wanted to show the likely approach of U.S. Marines here and zoom you down here a little bit to this side of the southeastern side of Baghdad and we don't have a good fix on the Marine approach right at this moment but what it conceivably will do will take the Marines right into the oldest sections of Baghdad. The old city is on the eastern side of the Tigress River you see there in the middle and as we go up this avenue right here called Jamiom (ph), you get into the real heart and soul of Baghdad. The reason I point that out is that obviously it gets very difficult there to distinguish between targets that would be valid in a military sense and just civilian neighborhoods.
What -- it's a challenging thing in a densely populated city to do just that, isn't it, General?
FUNK: Yes, it is, Miles, and of course they're going to be well disciplined and under control. They will of course not take undo risk but I suspect that knowing our Marines and our soldiers, they'll take extra effort to avoid civilian casualties and to watch out for cultural kinds of targets there that we don't want to destroy.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, I'll tell you what. I want to show an animation quickly, which shows some of the intelligence capabilities that would be available to the Marines.
FUNK: OK.
O'BRIEN: Starting right up, it's almost like a layer cake effect, way up high 80,000 plus the U-2. It's a piloted vehicle, which may or may not come into play when you're talking about identifying urban targets but as you get a little closer to the ground, we get into the global hawk, the predator and the hunter. The first two being Air Force and/or CIA, the hunter being an Army tool and these are unmanned vehicles. How much clarity does this give the war fighter on the ground? FUNK: That's a very good point. Increasingly it gets better as our sensors that are mounted on those platforms get better. They're able to penetrate dust in many cases, fog, things like that. As they improve, so will our performance. The real critical thing here though is the length between the sensor package and the soldier or Marine on the ground and that has to be real time for these kinds of actions. If we're going to have an advantage over the enemy, we've got to get them that real time information of what's around the corner, what's over the next hill.
O'BRIEN: So when you -- when you look at this hunter here used by the Army, in theory the view that that hunter captures can get right into that armored Abrams tank or whatever so a tank commander can make real time decisions.
FUNK: You bet. That's the key to this and of course you want that to the squad leader on the ground too that's got an infantry squad dismounted. Now we're not all the way there yet with that but we're getting very close. He can at least get voice -- he can at least get voice kinds of messages from the guys running the predator.
O'BRIEN: All right. Nevertheless, confusion can often reign when you're on the streets of a city five or six million people in size trying to identify friendlies from foes. General Paul Funk, thanks again. We appreciate your insights as always.
FUNK: You bet, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Send it back to Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Miles. Thanks, General Funk, as well.
Still ahead, mourning and memories of the first U.S. servicewoman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The number of confirmed coalition deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom now has risen above 100, 75 American and 27 British troops have been killed. There are no reliable numbers of Iraqi casualties though the Information Minister has said more than 400 civilians have been killed. U.S. Central Command now says 6,500 Iraqis have been captured by coalition forces. Seven Americans are enlisted as prisoners of war in Iraq; eight are now listed as missing in action. The confirmations of the latest killed in action have hit the El Paso military community very hard. CNN's Ed Lavandera is standing by at Fort Bliss with reactions -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the 15 members of the 507th Maintenance Company here in El Paso, Texas, many of the family members we've spoken with say they never expected those particular soldiers to be anywhere near the front lines or in harm's way. This is a maintenance company, people who are supposed to be helping out the front line troops, fixing tanks, fixing trucks, just the maintenance and the upkeep that these units need to be able to move as they've been moving toward Baghdad doing all the behind the scenes work, if you will, to help those units out.
So none of the family members that we've had a chance to speak with say that they expected their family members to be really in harm's way but that has not turned out to be the case as the seven soldiers considered still missing in action yesterday were confirmed to be the bodies that were found when Private Jessica Lynch was rescued on Wednesday and the news hitting here particularly hard. "The El Paso Times" newspaper headline reading today "the worst news possible" and many of the family members here had been holding out hope of course as we've been reporting as well that there are five soldiers that are still considered to be prisoners of war so those family members still holding onto hope that their loved ones are OK but it was especially difficult for the family members of those missing in action because they had not turned up on the television broadcast and weren't -- there wasn't sure confirmation as to what had happened to them but now Pentagon officials saying that those bodies recovered on Wednesday are indeed of those soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company.
The military community here at Fort Bliss hit particularly hard, flags flying here at half staff and we're also told that there will a church service, a regularly scheduled church service that will focus on what has happened here tomorrow and there's also a special memorial service that is being planned for later on next week. The details of that have not been released as of yet but officials here say they are working on a memorial service to honor the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company which call Fort Bliss here home -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ed Lavandera, thanks very much. You certainly don't expect a maintenance company to be hit with killed in action and those kinds of numbers.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf, and we are learning more about the unique story of one of those soldiers killed in action, a soldier that Ed just mentioned. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was one of the very few Indian -- American Indian women in the U.S. military. Her hometown on the Navajo reservation is grieving her death today. Reporter Antwan Lewis of our affiliate station KTVK joins us now live from Tuba City, Arizona with more -- Antwan.
ANTWAN LEWIS, KTVK CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Judy. The community continues to embrace the Piestewa family here in northern Arizona. We want to step out of the way and let you look at the family home where you see patriotism is being met by grief, family members there on the porch still greeting the many people that have been coming here since very early this morning. We also want to call your attention to one shot in particular. As soon as this van goes by there is one thing that's on the front of the porch that we want to allow you to see among the many signs, among the many offers of condolence, there is a sign that sits on the front next to a little spinning wheel and a flag that simply says, "rest in peace, Lori."
Mourners started gathering early at the Piestewa home in Tuba City bringing food, flowers and hugs on the front yard, things associated with grieving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the worst part for them. They got really tired of waiting and worrying and everything but now she's going to be coming home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Private First Class Lori Ann Piestewa's death makes her the first female American casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom. By mid morning, family members raised a second flag on the porch, the POW MIA flag, a reminder of 12 days of not knowing that ended Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were informed yesterday evening that our sister's home and we're very happy that she's back on U.S. soil. We're asking the community and the media allow us at this time to begin the healing process and respect my wishes to spend time with our immediate family. At some point in the future we will have a celebration of her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: And again, a life that the family members described as one that they are proud of, a life that they repeatedly referred to her when talking with us calling her a hero and every respect befitting her will be given of course as we understand how they memorial services will be carried out, they're still working that out. We do also want to mention, Judy, that Lori Piestewa leaves behind two small children.
WOODRUFF: Antwan, you mentioned -- we mentioned she's one of the very few Native American women serving in the -- in the military. What about Native Americans overall? Do you have an understanding of how large a part of the services they make up?
LEWIS: We do. There are actually 56 Native Americans who are currently serving in the Operation Iraqi Freedom effort. Forty-eight of those are right now in Iraq, as we understand.
WOODRUFF: They are truly -- this service -- these military services truly a mosaic of America. Antwan Lewis of our affiliate station KTVK. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.
That planning for a post Saddam Iraq is already well underway. Up next, I'll talk with a leader in the effort to build a democracy after decades of one man rule in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOODRUFF: Even before the military battles in Iraq have ended the planning for a post Saddam Hussein Iraqi government is well underway. With me now to talk about efforts to build a democracy there and also about efforts to reach his family is Dr. Ali Al-Attar. He is with the Iraq Forum for Democracy, a group of Iraqi exiles.
Before I ask you about planning for the post Saddam Iraq Dr. Attar, I want to ask you about your own family. When was the last time you were able to speak? You have cousins and aunts. When were you last talking?
DR. ALI AL-ATTAR, IRAQI FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY: A week ago, Friday before last.
WOODRUFF: And how were they doing then?
AL-ATTAR: They were still anxious and they a little bit -- there morale was on the low side because they were realizing that Saddam is going to do a street fight for the battle of Baghdad and they are apprehended with that. Also, the footage and the images of all these civilian casualties that the Iraqi television is keeping and they're blaming the United States and the coalition forces for these babies, elderlies, dead, injured, this make their anxieties a little bite more.
WOODRUFF: And that's of course the only picture they were getting.
AL-ATTAR: Absolutely and also the propaganda that the Iraqi Information Ministry putting as a show everyday on TV with a lot of lies and we hear it here. We know it but unfortunately they don't have that access.
WOODRUFF: You've tried to reach them since then. Do you know why you haven't been able to get through?
AL-ATTAR: We didn't -- we were not able to get through. The lines were not open.
WOODRUFF: Are you -- do you have any other source of information about when they're all right?
AL-ATTAR: At this moment we don't.
WOODRUFF: You don't.
AL-ATTAR: I don't.
WOODRUFF: But at -- but at the last you talked to them you say they were apprehensive about what was coming.
AL-ATTAR: Absolutely and they were ...
WOODRUFF: Post Saddam Hussein Iraq, what is your sense of what shape the government should take and how easy or not it's going to be to move to a democracy there?
AL-ATTAR: I believe the most important aspect is to make sure that the people of Iraq hear that this act of liberation and not act of occupation. By that we can force that by putting an Iraqi transitional government in power after the act of liberation is ending and to do that I think we have to involve all Iraqis in exile and inside Iraq in that process. One way I have in mind maybe we can form (UNINTELLIGIBLE) committee; that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) committee composed of 15 to 20 different groups including a group of six that was in London before to prepare for ...
WOODRUFF: These are people who left -- these are people who left Iraq some time ago.
AL-ATTAR: Actually we are planning to do that for all people inside Iraq and in exile.
WOODRUFF: So you would include people who have been in Iraq.
AL-ATTAR: They should be. They are part of the Iraqi society and they have to put their efforts in that.
WOODRUFF: To what extent are there people inside Iraq who are still alive who have been opponents of the Saddam Hussein regime?
AL-ATTAR: There is a lot of them still inside Iraq and we can use them and I urge all international committee to extend their hands to help those people to be as -- they should support the effort of the American and the Brits continuing the liberation act of the Iraqi people and for the Iraqis to regain their freedom.
WOODRUFF: We're talking with Dr. Ali Al-Attar. He is with the Iraqi Forum for Democracy. He also has family members in Baghdad whom I know you are anxious to be in touch with.
Dr. Al-Attar, thank you again very much for coming by to talk with us.
AL-ATTAR: The pleasure was mine. Thank you.
WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.
And Wolf, now back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you Judy.
Coming up, we go on a patrol with Special Forces in the southern part of Iraq as they continue efforts to secure Iraq's second largest city, Basra.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Coalition forces faced the dangerous task of securing southern and central Iraqi cities. CNN's Mike Boettcher is embedded with the U.S. Special Forces staking out turf in and around Basra.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the way into Basra, the Special Forces soldier on the .50-caliber machine gun had a premonition, it was not going to be a quiet day. He would be proved right. The teams' mission, press into Basra to a point near the university, and set up a checkpoint. Anyone suspicious was to be questioned. British tanks would provide cover, but there wasn't any time for questions. Iraqi mortar fire made sure of that. .
Shells dropped less than 100 meters from the Special Forces' A- team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you get it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
BOETTCHER: One barely missed the British tank. There were at least 10 more impacts, but the Special Forces A-team had moved just out of the mortars' range.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely ain't going to get to shoot (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Where in the hell did that one hit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
BOETTCHER: Part of the team moved forward for a closer look. The rest of the unit provided cover, and scanned nearby building, bridges and highways for the Iraqi mortar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There goes the F-18, coming in for the air strike.
BOETTCHER: An F-18 streaked overhead, but British commanders who control this part of the Iraq war theater did not give the order for it to attack. Back at the checkpoint in Basra, where traffic and war intersected, more than 20 Iraqi rocket-propelled grenades were discovered in a bunker. The order was given to destroy them. American and British intelligence believe Iraqi units have stashed weapons throughout Basra, for use against any coalition advance.
It would soon be dark. The Iraqi mortar team was still at large. So the SF team wasted no time preparing their explosive charge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No twist, no turn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, captain, tell them Brits we're getting ready to pull the igniters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What have we got?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got about three minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About three minutes. We didn't have time to test it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. You got it. Tell them we are ready to go. Smoke on one. Smoke on two.
(CROSSTALK)
BOETTCHER: In the race to get away from the impending detonation, our driver aborted running over an unexploded mortar. A British armored vehicle did not. It was disabled. The dark cloud in the distance marked its location.
Then, a second detonation. The Iraqi arms cache.
The soldier on the .50-caliber was right, it was not a quiet day. All for a checkpoint. A temporary checkpoint.
Mike Boettcher, CNN with Special Operations Forces on the outskirts of Basra.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: That was some report from Mike Boettcher. Our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in a moment. When we come back, a disturbing discovery in southern Iraq. British troops find the remains of up to 200 people. We're back in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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