Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Marines Working to Keep Roads Clear
Aired April 05, 2003 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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, web belts (ph), 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.
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 5, 2003 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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, web belts (ph), 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.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
