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Live From the Front Lines

Aired April 06, 2003 - 19:00   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.


ANNOUNCER: One street at a time. One yard at a time. One very scared family at a time. Taking control of Baghdad, surely but slowly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to be careful how we use the term "surrounded," don't want the viewers to think that there's a soldier every 10 or 15 feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And despite the precision weapons and super accuracy, why has there been another deadly friendly fire incident?

Who runs Iraq once Saddam is gone?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What we want to make sure is that all Iraqis are free to participate in building a future government of their country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: How long will that take? What will it cost? And who is going to help?

And "THE CAPITAL GANG" is looking for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and at the fervor over one Democratic senator's call for regime change in Washington.

Live from Baghdad, Washington, Kuwait City, Jordan, and cities around the globe, war in Iraq, live from the front lines, with Paula Zahn in New York and Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. It's 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad, and for the first time, tonight's big story isn't the U.S. planes up in the night sky. It is what is happening on the ground at Baghdad's airport.

Good evening everyone. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Paula Zahn. And this half hour, we'll bring you all the latest news from Iraq.

My colleague Wolf Blitzer joins us now from Kuwait City. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Paula. Good evening to you, good evening to all of our viewers.

The C-130 cargo plane that landed just after dark was a dramatic development in this war. It came in with its lights off to avoid the possibility of antiaircraft fire. But the fact that it is in Baghdad at all underscores, underscores that U.S. forces are clearly in control of that situation over at the airport.

The airport, of course, is seen earlier in the day, it was seen here on CNN, and it is exactly southwest of downtown Baghdad. U.S. forces seized it a couple of days ago. Units of the U.S. Army approaching the southwest and Marines approaching from the southeast now control all, repeat, all of the highways into and out of Baghdad.

Earlier today, General Peter Pace, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told me the U.S. forces around the city have the capability to stop or attack any Iraqi military units that try to escape or stand and fight -- Paula.

ZAHN: And Wolf, taking a tour of Baghdad isn't just a matter of driving around the city in tanks. Troops are getting out and walking from street to street and house to house, looking for groups of Iraqi fighters and possible ambushes.

As Martin Savidge shows us, it is a scary business, and not only for the Marines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Other units have pushed ahead, but now the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, in this specific area where we are at has been tasked with the job of cleanup, trying to find whether the resistance is coming from, who is it, the search- and-destroy missions, as they call it.

The difficulty, of course, is they are now mixed in with the civilian population. Opposing forces are using that to their advantage. For the Marines, they have to be very careful now, have to be careful that they select their targets and make sure that the targets they aim at are in fact hostiles, while the innocent civilians are not caught in the way.

It is house-to-house sometime. A very poignant scene at one point that cameraman, Scott McWinny (ph), found, as these Marines moved in on a house. Now, we do have translators, but not all the units have translators. They came across this one family. It is through voice and hand gestures that they try to get them to come out of the house.

And they do. But it is clear, you can tell, the family is terrified in the presence of these Marines. Now, the Marines also, as you may notice in this video, are keeping their weapons well away. They are not pointing them at the women and children and the men of this family, and they are trying to assure them that it is for their own safety.

The Marines have been receiving fire from this specific area. They are trying to simply search in and around the home. And once that is completed, the family was allowed to return back to their house.

Meanwhile, though, in the back yards and the back alleys and the side streets, it is a different story. At times, infantry units are fired upon. They call in artillery, which is used to take out some of the heavier fortified positions of Iraqi opposition.

This is the way it has gone for the past three days and may continue like that for some time.

However, last night, a special find. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, managed to capture three members of the special Iraqi Republican Guard. These were men that were identified because of the ID cards that they had with them. They weren't wearing uniforms, but they did have them in the back seat of their vehicle, as well as their weapons.

The three men now are being interrogated and reportedly cooperating with the Marines.

It is hard, difficult, dangerous work. Within the forefront of their minds, always protecting Iraqi civilians.

Martin Savidge, CNN, southeast of Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Now to northern Iraq, the scene of a deadly friendly fire bombing near Erbil. U.S. Central Command is trying to figure out why a coalition war plane may have mistakenly bombed a U.S.-Kurdish convoy, killing 18 people.

CNN's Jane Arraf brings us up to date in all the details from northern -- from the northern front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Near this ridge in northern Iraq, the sound, the fury, and the chaos of war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ARRAF: That mortar didn't go off. But just a few hundred meters away, one air strike that shouldn't have, did. A few hours earlier, a U.S. bomb dropped on a convoy of friendly forces, Kurdish soldiers backing U.S. troops. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded, among them, a senior Kurdish military commander, the brother of the head of the regional Kurdish government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were way down in the valley when that happened. We turned around and we saw the plume of smoke way behind us, and all we did, we heard that some friendlies may have been hit, and we just sent our medics back up to the top of the hill to, you know, render what aid they could for what happened.

ARRAF: A Kurdish military commander visiting the scene put on a brave front, saying the accident wouldn't affect morale or relations with the Americans, whom the Kurds see as a liberation force.

The convoy had been heading towards this group of special forces holding the front line.

(on camera): These soldiers on the ridge are known as the forward air control post. It is kind of like an air traffic control tower, except they are guiding in F-14s, telling them where to target and drop 2,000-pound bombs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, laser code 1-7-1-1.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, you don't see nothing coming up that valley, right?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten seconds, and laser on, cleared hot.

ARRAF (voice-over): The dot in the sky quickly turns into an F- 14. It howls over the ridge before dropping its laser-guided bomb on targets supplied by the U.S. spotters on the ground. It targets Iraqi tanks, which advanced towards the Americans before they could call in air cover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We seen the tanks coming out of the haze. We pulled back to the ridge line here, we broke out our Javelin missiles, and we fired six missiles and took four tanks with six missile shots. So you could see -- most of them are already done burning already. We felt a little bit more pressure, and we took some artillery, was hitting far out, nothing really close. And then we backed up to here.

ARRAF: After a day on this ridge, tempers start to fray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't even shoot that last can, you're wasting it. Look at three clicks out.

ARRAF: While Kurdish soldiers down the road were still absorbing the horror of the friendly fire from their allies, U.S. soldiers got on with holding the ridge.

Jane Arraf, CNN, near Dibagan in northern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: To central Iraq now, where Russian officials want to know why a convoy of their diplomats and journalists was hit. Russia's ambassador to Iraq and two dozen others were leaving Baghdad headed for Syria when their convoy was caught in a reported crossfire between U.S. forces and Iraqi tanks.

U.S. military officials say there were no coalition forces in the area. Five people, including the Russian ambassador, received minor injuries in the incident, Paula.

ZAHN: Wolf, we're going to turn now to the southern stronghold of Basra. British troops believe they are finally getting the upper hand on Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen fighters. Using dozens of tanks and armored cars, they are taking up strategic positions towards the heart of Basra.

British troops have set up a command base inside the city's limits. They had limited their presidents -- presence to raids and sorties on the outskirts of town, but today, as the British pushed deeper into the city, they encountered only scattered resistance.

Time to get the latest now on Baghdad from our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He is keeping in touch with his sources in the city from his post along the Jordanian-Iraqi border.

Good evening, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Paula.

Sources in Baghdad report that so far during the night, it has been mostly quiet in Baghdad. There were some loud detonations about an hour or so ago, perhaps six detonations, but much quieter overnight than it was earlier during the day. During the day, they reported a lot of impacts around the city, some impacts falling in locations that hadn't been targeted before.

We're seeing a lot of targeting of presidential palaces, government buildings, military installations. Later in the afternoon, there was targeting apparently of what appeared to be a soccer stadium in the east of Baghdad, but it is in the west where the predominance of Iraqi forces are currently.

We understand from our sources that there are Republican Guard, Fedayeen fighters, and Ba'ath Party fighters. What surprises our sources who have toured this area is the number of men on the streets, they say, who are holding weapons, Kalashnikovs, rocket-propelled grenades. They also say that there are a number of T-72 tanks on the streets, a number of artillery pieces. They also say that a lot of the civilians have been moved out of those areas that are sort of turning into combat zones now.

But what surprises them the most is the fact that the fighters that they are talking to say that they are prepared to and will continue to fight at this stage.

But it is the civilians who have something completely different to say, they say. The civilians our sources have talked to say that they are feeling that they are caught in the crossfire. They're very unhappy, very concerned about their situation. They say that they just want the fighting to stop. They just want peace to be restored.

The civilians get -- very much get the impression, we are told at this time, that they think they are being targeted by the coalition forces and targeted by Iraqi forces as they get caught up somehow between the two -- the two groups of combatants at this particular time.

But perhaps the best indication of the disposition of Iraqi forces right now came in a statement from the Iraqi leader, read on Iraqi television by a news announcer dressed in a military uniform. That statement called on Iraqi fighters who had somehow lost contact with their units to team up with other military units and continue the fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In the name of God the most compassionate, the most merciful, from Saddam Hussein to all of the fighters of the Iraqi armed forces, peace be upon you. When it is hard or difficult for any member to join their own respective unit, they can join -- they can link up with any other unit, and they will be counted as such until further notice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Perhaps this is also an indication of something that we've heard both from coalition forces and from our sources in Baghdad, that many units in the regular, the conscript army have been deserting. Perhaps this is a call from the Iraqi leader for any of those who are thinking about giving up the fight to return back to the units.

It may also be an indication, really, that the coalition forces having a substantial effect on breaking down some of those large military units in Iraq, Paula.

ZAHN: Nick, I'd love for you to put something into perspective for all of us this evening. A little bit earlier today, the vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was on CNN, and he basically said two of the six Republican Guard divisions were wiped out, and the four that are left are at half-strength. Can you give us a sense of how much trouble they could cause?

ROBERTSON: Certainly any street-to-street fighting is going to make it very difficult for coalition forces to move into Baghdad and assert their authority, assert their control, and show that dominant presence that they want to show, to show the Iraqi population that they are there, that they are there to stay, that they can provide safety and security, but to also send a message to the Iraqi leadership that they are being defeated in this war.

As long as those fighters are roaming the streets of Baghdad, as long as they are armed with weapons like rocket-propelled grenades, they can pop out from behind schools or behind other buildings and take shots at coalition forces as they move through the city. It is going to make it difficult for the coalition forces to do what they want to do, which is begin to get control of areas inside the city, Paula.

ZAHN: Nick Robertson, thanks so much.

Now we're going to move on to the Pentagon for a progress report from U.S. military leaders about the war. Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is there. Hi, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Paula.

The U.S. military says it has seized more territory around Baghdad today, including a presidential palace complex it says was being used as a headquarters by the special Republican Guard. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry also destroyed more than 60 military in some converted civilian vehicles, including a number, approximately three, T-72 tanks.

At the Baghdad airport, the U.S. is moving to quickly consolidate its gains, flying in supplies today to its main operating base, which, of course, has been renamed Baghdad International.

Meanwhile, it's concentrating ground forces and aerial surveillance on the main roads in and out of town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, VICE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We do control the highways in and out of the city and do have the capability to interdict, to stop, to attack, any Iraqi military forces that might try to either escape or to engage our forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Pentagon sources say the U.S. will conduct more what they called armored raids into the heart of Baghdad. This is where U.S. tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles roar through the streets of Baghdad. The Pentagon says the purpose is twofold. One is to demonstrate that the U.S. can operate just as effectively in the city as they can outside. The second is to draw Iraqi forces into a combat situation where the U.S. can inflict casualties.

They say they estimate so far they have killed between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqis in this conquest of Baghdad, Paula.

ZAHN: Jamie McIntyre, thanks for now. We'll be getting back to you a little bit later on this evening.

Now back to Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Paula.

Another American journalist has died while covering the Iraq war. We'll have details in just a little bit.

Also, we'll talk with a photojournalist who was missing for a week. Molly Bingham's ordeal, held in an Iraqi prison, and the images she photographed of her days in Baghdad.

All that when live from the front lines returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Welcome back after 18 minutes after the hour.

What happens to Iraq after the war? That's one of the things President Bush will focus in on when he meets with his chief war ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, tomorrow near Belfast.

CNN's Chris Burns is live at the White House with a preview. Good evening, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Paula.

The president having passed through from Camp David, his retreat over the weekend, passing through here, spending the night here at the White House, before he leaves on Monday for Belfast. He'll be there through Tuesday night.

Conversations with Tony Blair will include the Middle East, the peace plan for the Middle East, as well as peace talks regarding the Irish Republican Army and the peace process in Northern Ireland.

But really, the top of the agenda is Iraq. How will they replace the regime of Saddam Hussein? How many exiles will there be, like Ahmed Chalabi, who is the head of the Iraqi National Congress? Do they have the respect of the Iraqi people? Time will tell. But should they also include indigenous Iraqis? And how will they pass the power, how will the U.S.-led coalition pass the power to this interim Iraqi administration?

Now, starting with after the end of the war, there will be some kind of office of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance setting up inside Iraq, led by Jay Garner, a former U.S. general, reporting to the Pentagon. How do you balance these interests? How do you work in the United Nations?

Here is some point, counterpoint between the leading members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The president, through his secretary of state, said that the United Nations should be partners. I add to that phrase, yes, they should be partners, but the managing partners, in other words, those that -- with the ultimate responsibility for the interim period, should be representatives from the coalition forces, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Poland, and others who've taken a very active role.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I think it is critically important, for all kinds of reasons, that this not be an American occupation. First of all, it is important, it seems to me, in terms of world opinion, which is hostile in many cases in many places to the United States, that they see us acting multilaterally.

It would have been better if we had the support of the world community acting through the U.N. going in. It is -- was not obtainable by us. It is important now in the post-conflict area that the world community be involved deeply in the reconstruction of Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BURNS: How long will it take to get an Iraqi government and up running? Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, is saying today it will take at least six months. Ahmed Chalabi is saying he'll need U.S. troops in Iraq at least for at least two years. Could be a very long and messy process.

U.S. needs support, international support. The -- Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, making an unannounced trip to Moscow, where she is talking with the Russians, who are opposing this war, U.S. courting their support in this apres- Saddam era, Paula.

ZAHN: Chris, thanks so much. We'll be seeing you a little bit later on this evening as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Paula.

Sunday religious services were particularly somber at Fort Bliss. The Texas base is home to the 507th Maintenance Company, which has lost seven members in Iraq. A special memorial service is planned for Friday.

One of the fallen soldiers, Lori Ann Piestewa, was remembered today in her hometown of Tuba City, Arizona. She's believed to be the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the United States military.

The members of the 507th are among 80 Americans killed in the conflict so far, 66 were killed in hostile action. Britain says it has lost 30 troops, nine by hostile fire, 19 were nonhostile deaths, and the cause of two others still isn't determined.

The Iraqi government is not releasing information about its military losses. State-run Iraqi TV estimates 420 civilians killed and 4,000 injured. No way of being able to confirm any of those numbers.

The U.S. Central Command says it has 6,000 Iraqi prisoners, Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Wolf.

Now we want to mention a fellow journalist who lost his life today in the Iraqi desert. Dedicated, tenacious, and good humored are some of the ways NBC correspondent David Bloom is being remembered. Bloom died suddenly of an apparent blood clot, according to the network. He leaves behind a wife and three young daughters. He would have turned 40 next month. We offer our condolences to David's family.

One journalist who knows the dangers of covering this war firsthand is Molly Bingham. She was on assignment for "Esquire" when Bingham and three other journalists were actually taken from their hotel rooms in the middle of the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOLLY BINGHAM, PHOTOJOURNALIST: We didn't know what they were going to do with us. And as I said, they often -- they took us way individually, blindfolded. I mean, you have no idea where they are taking you or what they're going to do to you.

And so, you know, absolutely, you know, every other moment of every day it was, like, you know, Are they going to kill me, or are they just going to ask me more questions?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Well, Bingham and the others spent, as we just said, a week in an Iraqi prison before they released.

Molly Bingham joins me now to talk about her challenge.

Welcome home, good to see you.

BINGHAM: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit about what happened when the Iraqis first came to your hotel room. What did they want?

BINGHAM: That was unclear. They asked me to put all of my equipment and my belongings in one place. And they started to search meticulously through everything, my suitcases, my camera bags, my computers. They set aside the things that they thought were interesting to them, my notebooks, my computer, and my cameras, and asked me to repack my bags.

And then, after about four hours, I was taken out of the...

ZAHN: It took four hours to go through that process in your room, without them even telling you what it was they were looking for?

BINGHAM: No. There was waiting. I mean, they finished, and then we were sitting there for some time. I wasn't allowed to call anyone. I asked to call our tour guide, who was our official government minder, and we was not allowed to call. I was not allowed to ask any questions.

They pretended they didn't speak any English, and sort of -- there was very little communication. And then the commander came back and said, you know, You need to come with us. We have some questions for you. And I said, You can ask me anything you want right here in the hotel. Said, No, we have a very safe place. And I said, Well, I feel safe here, please ask some questions... ZAHN: You felt that emboldened to talk that way, when they're trying to carry you out of the hotel room, which you probably knew was your only chance you would be seen by anyone?

BINGHAM: Yes. I mean, I was -- it was very clear to me that being taken in the middle of the night, you know, by a number of armed soldiers was not a good thing. And so I thought it was worth every effort to try to stay in the hotel and stay in the room. And I sat down on the sofa and I said, No, I'm sorry, you know, you can ask me questions here.

ZAHN: Were you kind of surprised, upon reflection, how strong you were?

BINGHAM: A little bit. I mean, I definitely was talking with a friend of mine yesterday, and they said, Has this changed you? And I said, You know, I definitely have a sense of a deeper strength than I knew I had, I think. And that's very reassuring to me.

ZAHN: Then you get down to the lobby. Someone does see you as you're leaving the hotel, and felt...

BINGHAM: No. I was sharing a suite with a colleague, and so he was actually there the whole time while my belongings were being searched. And when they took me, they took me down the service elevator out a back hall, so in one else saw me taken.

ZAHN: And then when did you realize where you were? Were you blindfolded at that point?

BINGHAM: No.

ZAHN: So you could see where you were going.

BINGHAM: I -- when I got downstairs, there was a -- there were two cars parked there, and Johann Spanner (ph), the photographer, and Phillip, the peace activist, were in that car. And I was at least reassured a little bit that it wasn't just me, that I wasn't alone. And they put me in a separate car, and about 10 minutes later brought down Matt and Moises, separately, handcuffed, and put them in the other car. So I was alone in the car that I was in.

ZAHN: What happened to you once you got to the prison? How were you treated?

BINGHAM: We were checked in, our belongings were gone through again and registered, the amount of money we had was counted. I was -- we were told to change into pajamas. They took all of our belong -- our jewelry, watches, all that sort of stuff. And I was given two blankets, and was taken to a set.

ZAHN: And you were fed three meals a day?

BINGHAM: Yes, three meals a day.

ZAHN: At any point during your imprisonment, did you think you were going to die?

BINGHAM: Sure. I thought I might be killed. I thought I might be raped. I thought I might be tortured. I was given some comfort in the fact that we were being treated humanely, but I didn't know how long that would last, so I was not in control of the situation. And they were in control of what happened to my life. And so there was a tremendous amount of insecurity and fear about what might happen next.

ZAHN: And when you were interrogated in prison, did it appear to you they thought you were a spy?

BINGHAM: They asked me what my connection was to Central Intelligence Agency. They asked me what my connection was to the Pentagon. They asked me what government I was working for. They asked me why I had come to Baghdad.

And I told them repeatedly, I am an independent journalist, I work for an agency called World Picture News. I came to Baghdad to cover the -- what happens to the civilians in this war in Baghdad, and I do not work for my government, I do not work for any government. I have no military training, and I am an independent photographer.

ZAHN: You are lucky they believed you.

BINGHAM: Yes.

ZAHN: Let's close off this interview by sharing with our audience some of the pictures you did capture before you were sent to prison. And I would like for you to describe what happened on this night, which I believe this would be the night of the decapitation strike.

BINGHAM: Yes. Those are the -- from the first bombing, first night of bombing, when the war started. I was on the roof of the Palestine Hotel.

ZAHN: Were you horrified by what you saw?

BINGHAM: It's the first time I've ever been under heavy bombing like that, and it was very close, it was just across the river. So I thought there would be a lot of shrapnel and I thought it would be a lot sort of messier than it was. And, in fact, these strikes were very precise, and they were hitting government buildings. These particular strikes were not in civilian areas. These are the government compounds and palaces.

So I was -- it was the first time I had really seen anything like that, so I was impressed both by the power of it and also by the precision of it.

ZAHN: And this is a picture you captured the next day, and you can describe to us -- obviously there are a number of things to catch your eye in this picture.

BINGHAM: This is of a mosque. I actually took this from the hotel as well. It's a mosque just near the Palestine Hotel. And Iraqi forces -- I presume, I didn't see it, but I was told that Iraqi forces had set fires to sand pits, to oil pits, and they were creating a ring of fire around the city in order to sort of, I guess, confuse what was bombing and just create a little more confusion, or maybe create some cover from satellites.

You know, I don't know exactly what their motivation was for doing it, but...

ZAHN: Do you have any plans to go back to Iraq during this war?

BINGHAM: You know, I really want to get back to work, and I'm looking at what my options are. And if I don't go back to Iraq, there are thousands of other important and interesting stories going on in the world right now, and I will find something.

ZAHN: I think your family might be relieved if you stay a little closer to home.

BINGHAM: Well, I'd just like to add one thing. I'd like to thank my family and my friends and my colleagues and hundreds of people that I have never met who came together and ensured our safety as a group, and our release. And without them I would not be here today.

ZAHN: Well, we've certainly heard from hundreds of them through our e-mails, very concerned about your welfare.

Thank you very much...

BINGHAM: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: ... for sharing your story with us, appreciate it. Best of luck to you.

BINGHAM: Thanks.

ZAHN: Wolf.

BLITZER: And let me just say how happy I am too that Molly has been released, together with her two colleagues from "Newsday" as well. Thank God she made it out.

And it's as true as anything else, when it comes to war, especially, mistakes do happen. But during a war, they can be quite deadly and have lots of repercussions. In just a minute, CNN's Miles O'Brien will dissect what appears to be just such a mistake. Miles will be joining us when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

The U.S. military is investigating a friendly fire incident which was very devastating. It happened in the northern part of Iraq, in Kurdish country. Allied war planes, U.S. war plane launched an attack on a convoy containing some Kurdish fighters allied with the U.S.

To talk a little bit about this so-called friendly fire incident, we turn now to Brigadier General David Grange, retired U.S. Army, joining us from Chicago.

General Grange, good to have you with us.

BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Good evening, Miles.

O'BRIEN: First of all, I want to give people a sense of what we are talking about geographically. I'm going to zoom in on the northern part of Iraq to the area around Erbil. This convoy was traveling in an area contested between the Iraqis and the Kurds.

Special operations for the U.S. on the ground -- typically, this would be Green Beret in this area -- were designating targets with lasers to allow war planes to fire precision weapons. When those devices are used, those laser designators, typically they're very accurate, are they not?

GRANGE: Extremely accurate to quite a long distance. So yes, they usually hit what they aim at.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's take a look at the remnants of what happened in this case. This van, this convoy was struck. We know that at least 18 are dead, 17 of them the so-called Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters, Peshmerga meaning "those who fight death," including a couple of -- and there are 45 injuries, including among the injured the brother of a leading member of those Kurdish -- the Kurdish faction there.

I'm curious, first of all, what can go wrong in these incidents? Give us kind of the parameters of possibilities.

GRANGE: Well, I think the problem in this one, and it is usually what happens, is, in this case, maybe a mistake on identifying, you know, friend or foe from the ground, not from the aircraft. In other words, they probably hit what they targeted and then struck.

And so, you know, it is just communication on the ground between different units. Was this an enemy unit moving to their lines, or what? They just didn't -- they would never just shoot thinking, Well, we don't know what it is, let's shoot. They would have had to receive some kind of some kind of information that it is an enemy column, let's take it out, and so I think that was the case here.

O'BRIEN: Shortly after the friendly fire incident, we captured a scene that's fairly dramatic. It and shows an F-14 dropping a precision laser-guided weapon. In this case, and we see some of the special operations forces there operating in the vicinity of these -- the Kurdish forces.

Shortly thereafter, an F-14 came in and dropped -- there you see the laser-guided weapon, you see the freeze right there. I can highlight it for you right there, you can see it. There is the F-14. If we let the tape go, we'll see it -- we'll show you this one hit exactly what it was supposed to, the tank. And so obviously, in some cases, this was effect -- very effective. As a matter of fact, most of the time it is effective.

I ask you, though, this, General Grange. You've had an opportunity to work in close proximity with forces of other nations, and in particular you have worked with the Kurds. What does this do to the relationship between special operations and those Kurdish fighters?

GRANGE: Well, I don't think it will break the camaraderie that's been established from the relationships when coalition forces first entered the area. They realize it was a mistake. They, in fact, may have caused the mistake by not giving the information to the controllers that brought in the strike. It may have been the Kurds that made the, you know, information mistake.

But just think what would happen on this battlefield if you did not have the coalition special operations forces in there with the Kurds to bring in all these hundreds and hundreds of strikes. And so, yes, the situation is unfortunate. The mistake's unfortunate. But it would have been quite worse if you didn't have coalition forces mixed with the Kurds.

So it -- you know, this is a great combat multiplier to have this teamwork between indigenous forces and coalition forces.

O'BRIEN: All right. General David Grange, retired U.S. Army, thanks very much for your insights on this seeming contradiction in terms, friendly fire -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Miles. Thanks to General Grange as well.

We will take a closer look at some other news in just a minute.

Also ahead, "THE CAPITAL GANG" weighs in on the war. Here's Mark Shields.

MARK SHIELDS, THE CAPITAL GANG: Wolf, THE GANG will ask what happened to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction, and we'll look at the early political fallout from the war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN newsroom. Here's what's happening at this hour.

U.S.-led forces fighting to topple Saddam Hussein have now encircled Baghdad. The U.S. Army says all major roads leading in and out of Iraq's capital city are under U.S. control.

And a U.S. military transport plane landed at Baghdad airport, the first to arrive since U.S. troops secured the facility. More planes are on the way. Dramatic pictures from Basra, where British Marines took out enemy positions and moved in to secure the city. They sill don't have full control, and are meeting pockets of resistance.

The battle over Baghdad is taking a growing toll on the people who live there. Hospitals are scrambling to cope. The Red Cross estimating that the wounded pour in at the rate of 100 an hour. Iraq's state-run TV says some 4,000 civilians have been injured in the fighting so far.

In other news, folks in the South are keeping an eye on the skies as a string of heavy thunderstorms moves from Texas to Georgia. A tornado touched down near Meridian, Mississippi, this afternoon, but no one was reported hurt. Elsewhere the storms are bringing lightning, high winds, and hail.

A prison riot in Honduras has left 69 inmates dead and another 31 injured. The inmates were killed yesterday in a struggle for control of the prison by members of two rival gangs.

In the next half hour, we'll look beyond today's war headlines. They can't pass out bottled water forever. We'll ask what's being done to rebuild Iraq and how soon things will get started.

"THE CAPITAL GANG" is ready to jump on a Democratic presidential candidate who says we need regime change in Washington.

And after the top of the hour, were all the antiwar critics wrong?

More news as it happens. Now back to live from the front lines.

ZAHN: Thanks, Fredricka.

When the gunfire ceases and no more mortars fall, who will be charge in Iraq?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It is in everyone's interest, particularly the Iraqi people, to be standing on their own feet as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So the question tonight is, how long will it take for a new government to take shape? We're going to take a look on the other side of this break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our coverage.

At least six months, as we heard earlier, that's how much time the U.S. deputy defense secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, thinks it will take to create a new government in Iraq. Wolfowitz says after Saddam Hussein's government is toppled, an interim one will be put in place. The U.S.-led coalition will then make sure food, water, and health needs of the Iraqi people are met.

The second major step will be to figure out how elections will be held in the country. Then power will be transferred to the Iraqi people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLFOWITZ: It is a real country. It is not Kosovo, which has never been a country. It's not Bosnia, which was sort of patched together. And it is in everyone's interest, particularly that of the Iraqi people, to be standing on their own feet as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Is six months a realistic time frame to replace the Iraqi regime?

Let me bring in an Arab political expert from Washington. Samer Shehata is an adjunct professor of Arab politics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Professor, thanks so much for joining us.

Is it realistic to think that there can be a democratic regime, a democratic government in Baghdad within six months?

SAMER SHEHATA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Incredibly optimistic, if not naive. Six months is too short for even the government to be effective, let alone to have any kind of legitimacy whatsoever. And the question of democracy really is quite laughable. Iraqis are capable of being democratic, but democracy isn't case of Coca-Cola that one can bring into Baghdad. It's institutions, it's a culture, and that takes time.

BLITZER: Well, what can be achieved in a relatively quick period in terms of a post-Saddam era? What is realistic?

SHEHATA: I think what is realistic is bringing some kind of stability into -- and security into Iraq in a short period of time. That's obviously essential before we can even talk about something like democracy. So stability, security, have the economy get back on its feet again.

As you know, Iraq has a financial burden of about three -- of over $300 billion dollars when you look into Iraq's debt as well as the war reparations that it has to pay because of the 1991 war, as well as the earlier war, and so forth.

So coming to some kind of a conclusion as to Iraq's financial status, its economy, and so forth, and providing security and stability, would be really the only possible end product after six months.

BLITZER: We heard today from Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, the opposition group in exile, he says the U.S. military will have to stay a minimum of two years to help in a transition. Is that realistic?

SHEHATA: I think that's right. I think that we're going to be there for quite some time, and that the American public has to get used to that. The problem, however, is that possibly for the first six months, those who aren't already against the United States might tolerate an American occupation of Iraq. But what happens after six months? What will -- how will Iraqis view American soldiers eight months, a year down the road?

People will obviously grow to be resentful. They will question America's intentions, and that will only increase our troubles. Tension, possibly American soldiers involved in conflict, military conflict with sporadic fighters and so forth, who aren't -- who haven't been kind of repressed or taken care of.

So all of these are difficult questions without easy answers.

BLITZER: What's your biggest concern in terms of a year or two years, three years, with the U.S. military effectively in control of day-to-day life inside Iraq?

SHEHATA: Well, I think there are two primary concerns. And one has to do with the legitimacy of any government that comes to place after this one, that is, in a postwar Iraq. Will it be viewed as legitimate by Iraqis? And will it be viewed as legitimate by the Arab world? I mean, I think what we have to recognize is that this war is viewed as illegitimate by almost everyone in the Arab world, and it's viewed as illegitimate by some Iraqis.

And will that translate into, will that carry over, into a feeling that the government afterwards, the administration is illegitimate? I think that's the first thing.

The second point, in terms of American troops on the ground in Iraq, after six months and a year and so forth, is, will they be subject to hostile attacks, as it were, by Iraqis of different stripes and colors and so forth? Security issues in terms of American soldiers overseas.

I think those are the two real kind of concerns that I have. There are many others. I think democracy is really a pipe dream, because democracy is a difficult issue. I mean, it requires an independent judiciary, media, political parties. It requires an agreement as to who is in the political community, the boundaries of the nation-state. And in Iraq we don't have that.

So democracy, regardless of what we hear from Mr. Wolfowitz or other people in the administration, I think, is not likely to occur.

BLITZER: All right. Professor Samer Shehata of Georgetown University in Washington, a gloomy assessment. Thanks for joining us.

Back to you, Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Wolf.

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 6, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: One street at a time. One yard at a time. One very scared family at a time. Taking control of Baghdad, surely but slowly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to be careful how we use the term "surrounded," don't want the viewers to think that there's a soldier every 10 or 15 feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And despite the precision weapons and super accuracy, why has there been another deadly friendly fire incident?

Who runs Iraq once Saddam is gone?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What we want to make sure is that all Iraqis are free to participate in building a future government of their country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: How long will that take? What will it cost? And who is going to help?

And "THE CAPITAL GANG" is looking for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and at the fervor over one Democratic senator's call for regime change in Washington.

Live from Baghdad, Washington, Kuwait City, Jordan, and cities around the globe, war in Iraq, live from the front lines, with Paula Zahn in New York and Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. It's 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad, and for the first time, tonight's big story isn't the U.S. planes up in the night sky. It is what is happening on the ground at Baghdad's airport.

Good evening everyone. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Paula Zahn. And this half hour, we'll bring you all the latest news from Iraq.

My colleague Wolf Blitzer joins us now from Kuwait City. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Paula. Good evening to you, good evening to all of our viewers.

The C-130 cargo plane that landed just after dark was a dramatic development in this war. It came in with its lights off to avoid the possibility of antiaircraft fire. But the fact that it is in Baghdad at all underscores, underscores that U.S. forces are clearly in control of that situation over at the airport.

The airport, of course, is seen earlier in the day, it was seen here on CNN, and it is exactly southwest of downtown Baghdad. U.S. forces seized it a couple of days ago. Units of the U.S. Army approaching the southwest and Marines approaching from the southeast now control all, repeat, all of the highways into and out of Baghdad.

Earlier today, General Peter Pace, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told me the U.S. forces around the city have the capability to stop or attack any Iraqi military units that try to escape or stand and fight -- Paula.

ZAHN: And Wolf, taking a tour of Baghdad isn't just a matter of driving around the city in tanks. Troops are getting out and walking from street to street and house to house, looking for groups of Iraqi fighters and possible ambushes.

As Martin Savidge shows us, it is a scary business, and not only for the Marines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Other units have pushed ahead, but now the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, in this specific area where we are at has been tasked with the job of cleanup, trying to find whether the resistance is coming from, who is it, the search- and-destroy missions, as they call it.

The difficulty, of course, is they are now mixed in with the civilian population. Opposing forces are using that to their advantage. For the Marines, they have to be very careful now, have to be careful that they select their targets and make sure that the targets they aim at are in fact hostiles, while the innocent civilians are not caught in the way.

It is house-to-house sometime. A very poignant scene at one point that cameraman, Scott McWinny (ph), found, as these Marines moved in on a house. Now, we do have translators, but not all the units have translators. They came across this one family. It is through voice and hand gestures that they try to get them to come out of the house.

And they do. But it is clear, you can tell, the family is terrified in the presence of these Marines. Now, the Marines also, as you may notice in this video, are keeping their weapons well away. They are not pointing them at the women and children and the men of this family, and they are trying to assure them that it is for their own safety.

The Marines have been receiving fire from this specific area. They are trying to simply search in and around the home. And once that is completed, the family was allowed to return back to their house.

Meanwhile, though, in the back yards and the back alleys and the side streets, it is a different story. At times, infantry units are fired upon. They call in artillery, which is used to take out some of the heavier fortified positions of Iraqi opposition.

This is the way it has gone for the past three days and may continue like that for some time.

However, last night, a special find. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, managed to capture three members of the special Iraqi Republican Guard. These were men that were identified because of the ID cards that they had with them. They weren't wearing uniforms, but they did have them in the back seat of their vehicle, as well as their weapons.

The three men now are being interrogated and reportedly cooperating with the Marines.

It is hard, difficult, dangerous work. Within the forefront of their minds, always protecting Iraqi civilians.

Martin Savidge, CNN, southeast of Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Now to northern Iraq, the scene of a deadly friendly fire bombing near Erbil. U.S. Central Command is trying to figure out why a coalition war plane may have mistakenly bombed a U.S.-Kurdish convoy, killing 18 people.

CNN's Jane Arraf brings us up to date in all the details from northern -- from the northern front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Near this ridge in northern Iraq, the sound, the fury, and the chaos of war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ARRAF: That mortar didn't go off. But just a few hundred meters away, one air strike that shouldn't have, did. A few hours earlier, a U.S. bomb dropped on a convoy of friendly forces, Kurdish soldiers backing U.S. troops. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded, among them, a senior Kurdish military commander, the brother of the head of the regional Kurdish government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were way down in the valley when that happened. We turned around and we saw the plume of smoke way behind us, and all we did, we heard that some friendlies may have been hit, and we just sent our medics back up to the top of the hill to, you know, render what aid they could for what happened.

ARRAF: A Kurdish military commander visiting the scene put on a brave front, saying the accident wouldn't affect morale or relations with the Americans, whom the Kurds see as a liberation force.

The convoy had been heading towards this group of special forces holding the front line.

(on camera): These soldiers on the ridge are known as the forward air control post. It is kind of like an air traffic control tower, except they are guiding in F-14s, telling them where to target and drop 2,000-pound bombs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, laser code 1-7-1-1.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, you don't see nothing coming up that valley, right?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten seconds, and laser on, cleared hot.

ARRAF (voice-over): The dot in the sky quickly turns into an F- 14. It howls over the ridge before dropping its laser-guided bomb on targets supplied by the U.S. spotters on the ground. It targets Iraqi tanks, which advanced towards the Americans before they could call in air cover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We seen the tanks coming out of the haze. We pulled back to the ridge line here, we broke out our Javelin missiles, and we fired six missiles and took four tanks with six missile shots. So you could see -- most of them are already done burning already. We felt a little bit more pressure, and we took some artillery, was hitting far out, nothing really close. And then we backed up to here.

ARRAF: After a day on this ridge, tempers start to fray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't even shoot that last can, you're wasting it. Look at three clicks out.

ARRAF: While Kurdish soldiers down the road were still absorbing the horror of the friendly fire from their allies, U.S. soldiers got on with holding the ridge.

Jane Arraf, CNN, near Dibagan in northern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: To central Iraq now, where Russian officials want to know why a convoy of their diplomats and journalists was hit. Russia's ambassador to Iraq and two dozen others were leaving Baghdad headed for Syria when their convoy was caught in a reported crossfire between U.S. forces and Iraqi tanks.

U.S. military officials say there were no coalition forces in the area. Five people, including the Russian ambassador, received minor injuries in the incident, Paula.

ZAHN: Wolf, we're going to turn now to the southern stronghold of Basra. British troops believe they are finally getting the upper hand on Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen fighters. Using dozens of tanks and armored cars, they are taking up strategic positions towards the heart of Basra.

British troops have set up a command base inside the city's limits. They had limited their presidents -- presence to raids and sorties on the outskirts of town, but today, as the British pushed deeper into the city, they encountered only scattered resistance.

Time to get the latest now on Baghdad from our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He is keeping in touch with his sources in the city from his post along the Jordanian-Iraqi border.

Good evening, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Paula.

Sources in Baghdad report that so far during the night, it has been mostly quiet in Baghdad. There were some loud detonations about an hour or so ago, perhaps six detonations, but much quieter overnight than it was earlier during the day. During the day, they reported a lot of impacts around the city, some impacts falling in locations that hadn't been targeted before.

We're seeing a lot of targeting of presidential palaces, government buildings, military installations. Later in the afternoon, there was targeting apparently of what appeared to be a soccer stadium in the east of Baghdad, but it is in the west where the predominance of Iraqi forces are currently.

We understand from our sources that there are Republican Guard, Fedayeen fighters, and Ba'ath Party fighters. What surprises our sources who have toured this area is the number of men on the streets, they say, who are holding weapons, Kalashnikovs, rocket-propelled grenades. They also say that there are a number of T-72 tanks on the streets, a number of artillery pieces. They also say that a lot of the civilians have been moved out of those areas that are sort of turning into combat zones now.

But what surprises them the most is the fact that the fighters that they are talking to say that they are prepared to and will continue to fight at this stage.

But it is the civilians who have something completely different to say, they say. The civilians our sources have talked to say that they are feeling that they are caught in the crossfire. They're very unhappy, very concerned about their situation. They say that they just want the fighting to stop. They just want peace to be restored.

The civilians get -- very much get the impression, we are told at this time, that they think they are being targeted by the coalition forces and targeted by Iraqi forces as they get caught up somehow between the two -- the two groups of combatants at this particular time.

But perhaps the best indication of the disposition of Iraqi forces right now came in a statement from the Iraqi leader, read on Iraqi television by a news announcer dressed in a military uniform. That statement called on Iraqi fighters who had somehow lost contact with their units to team up with other military units and continue the fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In the name of God the most compassionate, the most merciful, from Saddam Hussein to all of the fighters of the Iraqi armed forces, peace be upon you. When it is hard or difficult for any member to join their own respective unit, they can join -- they can link up with any other unit, and they will be counted as such until further notice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Perhaps this is also an indication of something that we've heard both from coalition forces and from our sources in Baghdad, that many units in the regular, the conscript army have been deserting. Perhaps this is a call from the Iraqi leader for any of those who are thinking about giving up the fight to return back to the units.

It may also be an indication, really, that the coalition forces having a substantial effect on breaking down some of those large military units in Iraq, Paula.

ZAHN: Nick, I'd love for you to put something into perspective for all of us this evening. A little bit earlier today, the vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was on CNN, and he basically said two of the six Republican Guard divisions were wiped out, and the four that are left are at half-strength. Can you give us a sense of how much trouble they could cause?

ROBERTSON: Certainly any street-to-street fighting is going to make it very difficult for coalition forces to move into Baghdad and assert their authority, assert their control, and show that dominant presence that they want to show, to show the Iraqi population that they are there, that they are there to stay, that they can provide safety and security, but to also send a message to the Iraqi leadership that they are being defeated in this war.

As long as those fighters are roaming the streets of Baghdad, as long as they are armed with weapons like rocket-propelled grenades, they can pop out from behind schools or behind other buildings and take shots at coalition forces as they move through the city. It is going to make it difficult for the coalition forces to do what they want to do, which is begin to get control of areas inside the city, Paula.

ZAHN: Nick Robertson, thanks so much.

Now we're going to move on to the Pentagon for a progress report from U.S. military leaders about the war. Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is there. Hi, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Paula.

The U.S. military says it has seized more territory around Baghdad today, including a presidential palace complex it says was being used as a headquarters by the special Republican Guard. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry also destroyed more than 60 military in some converted civilian vehicles, including a number, approximately three, T-72 tanks.

At the Baghdad airport, the U.S. is moving to quickly consolidate its gains, flying in supplies today to its main operating base, which, of course, has been renamed Baghdad International.

Meanwhile, it's concentrating ground forces and aerial surveillance on the main roads in and out of town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, VICE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We do control the highways in and out of the city and do have the capability to interdict, to stop, to attack, any Iraqi military forces that might try to either escape or to engage our forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Pentagon sources say the U.S. will conduct more what they called armored raids into the heart of Baghdad. This is where U.S. tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles roar through the streets of Baghdad. The Pentagon says the purpose is twofold. One is to demonstrate that the U.S. can operate just as effectively in the city as they can outside. The second is to draw Iraqi forces into a combat situation where the U.S. can inflict casualties.

They say they estimate so far they have killed between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqis in this conquest of Baghdad, Paula.

ZAHN: Jamie McIntyre, thanks for now. We'll be getting back to you a little bit later on this evening.

Now back to Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Paula.

Another American journalist has died while covering the Iraq war. We'll have details in just a little bit.

Also, we'll talk with a photojournalist who was missing for a week. Molly Bingham's ordeal, held in an Iraqi prison, and the images she photographed of her days in Baghdad.

All that when live from the front lines returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Welcome back after 18 minutes after the hour.

What happens to Iraq after the war? That's one of the things President Bush will focus in on when he meets with his chief war ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, tomorrow near Belfast.

CNN's Chris Burns is live at the White House with a preview. Good evening, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Paula.

The president having passed through from Camp David, his retreat over the weekend, passing through here, spending the night here at the White House, before he leaves on Monday for Belfast. He'll be there through Tuesday night.

Conversations with Tony Blair will include the Middle East, the peace plan for the Middle East, as well as peace talks regarding the Irish Republican Army and the peace process in Northern Ireland.

But really, the top of the agenda is Iraq. How will they replace the regime of Saddam Hussein? How many exiles will there be, like Ahmed Chalabi, who is the head of the Iraqi National Congress? Do they have the respect of the Iraqi people? Time will tell. But should they also include indigenous Iraqis? And how will they pass the power, how will the U.S.-led coalition pass the power to this interim Iraqi administration?

Now, starting with after the end of the war, there will be some kind of office of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance setting up inside Iraq, led by Jay Garner, a former U.S. general, reporting to the Pentagon. How do you balance these interests? How do you work in the United Nations?

Here is some point, counterpoint between the leading members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The president, through his secretary of state, said that the United Nations should be partners. I add to that phrase, yes, they should be partners, but the managing partners, in other words, those that -- with the ultimate responsibility for the interim period, should be representatives from the coalition forces, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Poland, and others who've taken a very active role.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I think it is critically important, for all kinds of reasons, that this not be an American occupation. First of all, it is important, it seems to me, in terms of world opinion, which is hostile in many cases in many places to the United States, that they see us acting multilaterally.

It would have been better if we had the support of the world community acting through the U.N. going in. It is -- was not obtainable by us. It is important now in the post-conflict area that the world community be involved deeply in the reconstruction of Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BURNS: How long will it take to get an Iraqi government and up running? Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, is saying today it will take at least six months. Ahmed Chalabi is saying he'll need U.S. troops in Iraq at least for at least two years. Could be a very long and messy process.

U.S. needs support, international support. The -- Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, making an unannounced trip to Moscow, where she is talking with the Russians, who are opposing this war, U.S. courting their support in this apres- Saddam era, Paula.

ZAHN: Chris, thanks so much. We'll be seeing you a little bit later on this evening as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Paula.

Sunday religious services were particularly somber at Fort Bliss. The Texas base is home to the 507th Maintenance Company, which has lost seven members in Iraq. A special memorial service is planned for Friday.

One of the fallen soldiers, Lori Ann Piestewa, was remembered today in her hometown of Tuba City, Arizona. She's believed to be the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the United States military.

The members of the 507th are among 80 Americans killed in the conflict so far, 66 were killed in hostile action. Britain says it has lost 30 troops, nine by hostile fire, 19 were nonhostile deaths, and the cause of two others still isn't determined.

The Iraqi government is not releasing information about its military losses. State-run Iraqi TV estimates 420 civilians killed and 4,000 injured. No way of being able to confirm any of those numbers.

The U.S. Central Command says it has 6,000 Iraqi prisoners, Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Wolf.

Now we want to mention a fellow journalist who lost his life today in the Iraqi desert. Dedicated, tenacious, and good humored are some of the ways NBC correspondent David Bloom is being remembered. Bloom died suddenly of an apparent blood clot, according to the network. He leaves behind a wife and three young daughters. He would have turned 40 next month. We offer our condolences to David's family.

One journalist who knows the dangers of covering this war firsthand is Molly Bingham. She was on assignment for "Esquire" when Bingham and three other journalists were actually taken from their hotel rooms in the middle of the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOLLY BINGHAM, PHOTOJOURNALIST: We didn't know what they were going to do with us. And as I said, they often -- they took us way individually, blindfolded. I mean, you have no idea where they are taking you or what they're going to do to you.

And so, you know, absolutely, you know, every other moment of every day it was, like, you know, Are they going to kill me, or are they just going to ask me more questions?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Well, Bingham and the others spent, as we just said, a week in an Iraqi prison before they released.

Molly Bingham joins me now to talk about her challenge.

Welcome home, good to see you.

BINGHAM: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit about what happened when the Iraqis first came to your hotel room. What did they want?

BINGHAM: That was unclear. They asked me to put all of my equipment and my belongings in one place. And they started to search meticulously through everything, my suitcases, my camera bags, my computers. They set aside the things that they thought were interesting to them, my notebooks, my computer, and my cameras, and asked me to repack my bags.

And then, after about four hours, I was taken out of the...

ZAHN: It took four hours to go through that process in your room, without them even telling you what it was they were looking for?

BINGHAM: No. There was waiting. I mean, they finished, and then we were sitting there for some time. I wasn't allowed to call anyone. I asked to call our tour guide, who was our official government minder, and we was not allowed to call. I was not allowed to ask any questions.

They pretended they didn't speak any English, and sort of -- there was very little communication. And then the commander came back and said, you know, You need to come with us. We have some questions for you. And I said, You can ask me anything you want right here in the hotel. Said, No, we have a very safe place. And I said, Well, I feel safe here, please ask some questions... ZAHN: You felt that emboldened to talk that way, when they're trying to carry you out of the hotel room, which you probably knew was your only chance you would be seen by anyone?

BINGHAM: Yes. I mean, I was -- it was very clear to me that being taken in the middle of the night, you know, by a number of armed soldiers was not a good thing. And so I thought it was worth every effort to try to stay in the hotel and stay in the room. And I sat down on the sofa and I said, No, I'm sorry, you know, you can ask me questions here.

ZAHN: Were you kind of surprised, upon reflection, how strong you were?

BINGHAM: A little bit. I mean, I definitely was talking with a friend of mine yesterday, and they said, Has this changed you? And I said, You know, I definitely have a sense of a deeper strength than I knew I had, I think. And that's very reassuring to me.

ZAHN: Then you get down to the lobby. Someone does see you as you're leaving the hotel, and felt...

BINGHAM: No. I was sharing a suite with a colleague, and so he was actually there the whole time while my belongings were being searched. And when they took me, they took me down the service elevator out a back hall, so in one else saw me taken.

ZAHN: And then when did you realize where you were? Were you blindfolded at that point?

BINGHAM: No.

ZAHN: So you could see where you were going.

BINGHAM: I -- when I got downstairs, there was a -- there were two cars parked there, and Johann Spanner (ph), the photographer, and Phillip, the peace activist, were in that car. And I was at least reassured a little bit that it wasn't just me, that I wasn't alone. And they put me in a separate car, and about 10 minutes later brought down Matt and Moises, separately, handcuffed, and put them in the other car. So I was alone in the car that I was in.

ZAHN: What happened to you once you got to the prison? How were you treated?

BINGHAM: We were checked in, our belongings were gone through again and registered, the amount of money we had was counted. I was -- we were told to change into pajamas. They took all of our belong -- our jewelry, watches, all that sort of stuff. And I was given two blankets, and was taken to a set.

ZAHN: And you were fed three meals a day?

BINGHAM: Yes, three meals a day.

ZAHN: At any point during your imprisonment, did you think you were going to die?

BINGHAM: Sure. I thought I might be killed. I thought I might be raped. I thought I might be tortured. I was given some comfort in the fact that we were being treated humanely, but I didn't know how long that would last, so I was not in control of the situation. And they were in control of what happened to my life. And so there was a tremendous amount of insecurity and fear about what might happen next.

ZAHN: And when you were interrogated in prison, did it appear to you they thought you were a spy?

BINGHAM: They asked me what my connection was to Central Intelligence Agency. They asked me what my connection was to the Pentagon. They asked me what government I was working for. They asked me why I had come to Baghdad.

And I told them repeatedly, I am an independent journalist, I work for an agency called World Picture News. I came to Baghdad to cover the -- what happens to the civilians in this war in Baghdad, and I do not work for my government, I do not work for any government. I have no military training, and I am an independent photographer.

ZAHN: You are lucky they believed you.

BINGHAM: Yes.

ZAHN: Let's close off this interview by sharing with our audience some of the pictures you did capture before you were sent to prison. And I would like for you to describe what happened on this night, which I believe this would be the night of the decapitation strike.

BINGHAM: Yes. Those are the -- from the first bombing, first night of bombing, when the war started. I was on the roof of the Palestine Hotel.

ZAHN: Were you horrified by what you saw?

BINGHAM: It's the first time I've ever been under heavy bombing like that, and it was very close, it was just across the river. So I thought there would be a lot of shrapnel and I thought it would be a lot sort of messier than it was. And, in fact, these strikes were very precise, and they were hitting government buildings. These particular strikes were not in civilian areas. These are the government compounds and palaces.

So I was -- it was the first time I had really seen anything like that, so I was impressed both by the power of it and also by the precision of it.

ZAHN: And this is a picture you captured the next day, and you can describe to us -- obviously there are a number of things to catch your eye in this picture.

BINGHAM: This is of a mosque. I actually took this from the hotel as well. It's a mosque just near the Palestine Hotel. And Iraqi forces -- I presume, I didn't see it, but I was told that Iraqi forces had set fires to sand pits, to oil pits, and they were creating a ring of fire around the city in order to sort of, I guess, confuse what was bombing and just create a little more confusion, or maybe create some cover from satellites.

You know, I don't know exactly what their motivation was for doing it, but...

ZAHN: Do you have any plans to go back to Iraq during this war?

BINGHAM: You know, I really want to get back to work, and I'm looking at what my options are. And if I don't go back to Iraq, there are thousands of other important and interesting stories going on in the world right now, and I will find something.

ZAHN: I think your family might be relieved if you stay a little closer to home.

BINGHAM: Well, I'd just like to add one thing. I'd like to thank my family and my friends and my colleagues and hundreds of people that I have never met who came together and ensured our safety as a group, and our release. And without them I would not be here today.

ZAHN: Well, we've certainly heard from hundreds of them through our e-mails, very concerned about your welfare.

Thank you very much...

BINGHAM: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: ... for sharing your story with us, appreciate it. Best of luck to you.

BINGHAM: Thanks.

ZAHN: Wolf.

BLITZER: And let me just say how happy I am too that Molly has been released, together with her two colleagues from "Newsday" as well. Thank God she made it out.

And it's as true as anything else, when it comes to war, especially, mistakes do happen. But during a war, they can be quite deadly and have lots of repercussions. In just a minute, CNN's Miles O'Brien will dissect what appears to be just such a mistake. Miles will be joining us when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

The U.S. military is investigating a friendly fire incident which was very devastating. It happened in the northern part of Iraq, in Kurdish country. Allied war planes, U.S. war plane launched an attack on a convoy containing some Kurdish fighters allied with the U.S.

To talk a little bit about this so-called friendly fire incident, we turn now to Brigadier General David Grange, retired U.S. Army, joining us from Chicago.

General Grange, good to have you with us.

BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Good evening, Miles.

O'BRIEN: First of all, I want to give people a sense of what we are talking about geographically. I'm going to zoom in on the northern part of Iraq to the area around Erbil. This convoy was traveling in an area contested between the Iraqis and the Kurds.

Special operations for the U.S. on the ground -- typically, this would be Green Beret in this area -- were designating targets with lasers to allow war planes to fire precision weapons. When those devices are used, those laser designators, typically they're very accurate, are they not?

GRANGE: Extremely accurate to quite a long distance. So yes, they usually hit what they aim at.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's take a look at the remnants of what happened in this case. This van, this convoy was struck. We know that at least 18 are dead, 17 of them the so-called Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters, Peshmerga meaning "those who fight death," including a couple of -- and there are 45 injuries, including among the injured the brother of a leading member of those Kurdish -- the Kurdish faction there.

I'm curious, first of all, what can go wrong in these incidents? Give us kind of the parameters of possibilities.

GRANGE: Well, I think the problem in this one, and it is usually what happens, is, in this case, maybe a mistake on identifying, you know, friend or foe from the ground, not from the aircraft. In other words, they probably hit what they targeted and then struck.

And so, you know, it is just communication on the ground between different units. Was this an enemy unit moving to their lines, or what? They just didn't -- they would never just shoot thinking, Well, we don't know what it is, let's shoot. They would have had to receive some kind of some kind of information that it is an enemy column, let's take it out, and so I think that was the case here.

O'BRIEN: Shortly after the friendly fire incident, we captured a scene that's fairly dramatic. It and shows an F-14 dropping a precision laser-guided weapon. In this case, and we see some of the special operations forces there operating in the vicinity of these -- the Kurdish forces.

Shortly thereafter, an F-14 came in and dropped -- there you see the laser-guided weapon, you see the freeze right there. I can highlight it for you right there, you can see it. There is the F-14. If we let the tape go, we'll see it -- we'll show you this one hit exactly what it was supposed to, the tank. And so obviously, in some cases, this was effect -- very effective. As a matter of fact, most of the time it is effective.

I ask you, though, this, General Grange. You've had an opportunity to work in close proximity with forces of other nations, and in particular you have worked with the Kurds. What does this do to the relationship between special operations and those Kurdish fighters?

GRANGE: Well, I don't think it will break the camaraderie that's been established from the relationships when coalition forces first entered the area. They realize it was a mistake. They, in fact, may have caused the mistake by not giving the information to the controllers that brought in the strike. It may have been the Kurds that made the, you know, information mistake.

But just think what would happen on this battlefield if you did not have the coalition special operations forces in there with the Kurds to bring in all these hundreds and hundreds of strikes. And so, yes, the situation is unfortunate. The mistake's unfortunate. But it would have been quite worse if you didn't have coalition forces mixed with the Kurds.

So it -- you know, this is a great combat multiplier to have this teamwork between indigenous forces and coalition forces.

O'BRIEN: All right. General David Grange, retired U.S. Army, thanks very much for your insights on this seeming contradiction in terms, friendly fire -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Miles. Thanks to General Grange as well.

We will take a closer look at some other news in just a minute.

Also ahead, "THE CAPITAL GANG" weighs in on the war. Here's Mark Shields.

MARK SHIELDS, THE CAPITAL GANG: Wolf, THE GANG will ask what happened to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction, and we'll look at the early political fallout from the war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN newsroom. Here's what's happening at this hour.

U.S.-led forces fighting to topple Saddam Hussein have now encircled Baghdad. The U.S. Army says all major roads leading in and out of Iraq's capital city are under U.S. control.

And a U.S. military transport plane landed at Baghdad airport, the first to arrive since U.S. troops secured the facility. More planes are on the way. Dramatic pictures from Basra, where British Marines took out enemy positions and moved in to secure the city. They sill don't have full control, and are meeting pockets of resistance.

The battle over Baghdad is taking a growing toll on the people who live there. Hospitals are scrambling to cope. The Red Cross estimating that the wounded pour in at the rate of 100 an hour. Iraq's state-run TV says some 4,000 civilians have been injured in the fighting so far.

In other news, folks in the South are keeping an eye on the skies as a string of heavy thunderstorms moves from Texas to Georgia. A tornado touched down near Meridian, Mississippi, this afternoon, but no one was reported hurt. Elsewhere the storms are bringing lightning, high winds, and hail.

A prison riot in Honduras has left 69 inmates dead and another 31 injured. The inmates were killed yesterday in a struggle for control of the prison by members of two rival gangs.

In the next half hour, we'll look beyond today's war headlines. They can't pass out bottled water forever. We'll ask what's being done to rebuild Iraq and how soon things will get started.

"THE CAPITAL GANG" is ready to jump on a Democratic presidential candidate who says we need regime change in Washington.

And after the top of the hour, were all the antiwar critics wrong?

More news as it happens. Now back to live from the front lines.

ZAHN: Thanks, Fredricka.

When the gunfire ceases and no more mortars fall, who will be charge in Iraq?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It is in everyone's interest, particularly the Iraqi people, to be standing on their own feet as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So the question tonight is, how long will it take for a new government to take shape? We're going to take a look on the other side of this break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our coverage.

At least six months, as we heard earlier, that's how much time the U.S. deputy defense secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, thinks it will take to create a new government in Iraq. Wolfowitz says after Saddam Hussein's government is toppled, an interim one will be put in place. The U.S.-led coalition will then make sure food, water, and health needs of the Iraqi people are met.

The second major step will be to figure out how elections will be held in the country. Then power will be transferred to the Iraqi people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLFOWITZ: It is a real country. It is not Kosovo, which has never been a country. It's not Bosnia, which was sort of patched together. And it is in everyone's interest, particularly that of the Iraqi people, to be standing on their own feet as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Is six months a realistic time frame to replace the Iraqi regime?

Let me bring in an Arab political expert from Washington. Samer Shehata is an adjunct professor of Arab politics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Professor, thanks so much for joining us.

Is it realistic to think that there can be a democratic regime, a democratic government in Baghdad within six months?

SAMER SHEHATA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Incredibly optimistic, if not naive. Six months is too short for even the government to be effective, let alone to have any kind of legitimacy whatsoever. And the question of democracy really is quite laughable. Iraqis are capable of being democratic, but democracy isn't case of Coca-Cola that one can bring into Baghdad. It's institutions, it's a culture, and that takes time.

BLITZER: Well, what can be achieved in a relatively quick period in terms of a post-Saddam era? What is realistic?

SHEHATA: I think what is realistic is bringing some kind of stability into -- and security into Iraq in a short period of time. That's obviously essential before we can even talk about something like democracy. So stability, security, have the economy get back on its feet again.

As you know, Iraq has a financial burden of about three -- of over $300 billion dollars when you look into Iraq's debt as well as the war reparations that it has to pay because of the 1991 war, as well as the earlier war, and so forth.

So coming to some kind of a conclusion as to Iraq's financial status, its economy, and so forth, and providing security and stability, would be really the only possible end product after six months.

BLITZER: We heard today from Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, the opposition group in exile, he says the U.S. military will have to stay a minimum of two years to help in a transition. Is that realistic?

SHEHATA: I think that's right. I think that we're going to be there for quite some time, and that the American public has to get used to that. The problem, however, is that possibly for the first six months, those who aren't already against the United States might tolerate an American occupation of Iraq. But what happens after six months? What will -- how will Iraqis view American soldiers eight months, a year down the road?

People will obviously grow to be resentful. They will question America's intentions, and that will only increase our troubles. Tension, possibly American soldiers involved in conflict, military conflict with sporadic fighters and so forth, who aren't -- who haven't been kind of repressed or taken care of.

So all of these are difficult questions without easy answers.

BLITZER: What's your biggest concern in terms of a year or two years, three years, with the U.S. military effectively in control of day-to-day life inside Iraq?

SHEHATA: Well, I think there are two primary concerns. And one has to do with the legitimacy of any government that comes to place after this one, that is, in a postwar Iraq. Will it be viewed as legitimate by Iraqis? And will it be viewed as legitimate by the Arab world? I mean, I think what we have to recognize is that this war is viewed as illegitimate by almost everyone in the Arab world, and it's viewed as illegitimate by some Iraqis.

And will that translate into, will that carry over, into a feeling that the government afterwards, the administration is illegitimate? I think that's the first thing.

The second point, in terms of American troops on the ground in Iraq, after six months and a year and so forth, is, will they be subject to hostile attacks, as it were, by Iraqis of different stripes and colors and so forth? Security issues in terms of American soldiers overseas.

I think those are the two real kind of concerns that I have. There are many others. I think democracy is really a pipe dream, because democracy is a difficult issue. I mean, it requires an independent judiciary, media, political parties. It requires an agreement as to who is in the political community, the boundaries of the nation-state. And in Iraq we don't have that.

So democracy, regardless of what we hear from Mr. Wolfowitz or other people in the administration, I think, is not likely to occur.

BLITZER: All right. Professor Samer Shehata of Georgetown University in Washington, a gloomy assessment. Thanks for joining us.

Back to you, Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Wolf.

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