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Friendly Fire Kills 18 Kurds
Aired April 06, 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN newsroom in Atlanta. Our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in a few moments, but now this hour's developments.
American military planes have started landing at Baghdad's international airport, that word from U.S. forces in the area. The airport was captured two days ago by American troops.
Kurds say friendly fire is to blame for a deadly attack on Kurdish fighters today in northern Iraq. They say a U.S. warplane attacked a convoy near Erbil, killing 18 people, most of them Kurdish fighters, and wounding dozens more. Kurdish forces are allies of the coalition. U.S. Central Command says it's investigating.
After waiting in the outskirts for two weeks, British troops rolled into Basra today in 40 armored personnel carriers. The British met only scattered resistance inside Iraq's second largest city. They reported officials of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party were fleeing Basra.
President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is in Moscow for talks with several top Russian leaders. Differences over Iraq have strained relations between Moscow and Washington, but a U.S embassy spokesman says the Bush Administration is committed to a long-term, strategic partnership with Russia.
It is a heart-breaking loss to those of us who knew him personally, and to those of you who knew of him. NBC correspondent and anchor, David Bloom, died today in Iraq where he has been covering the war as an embedded journalist. NBC says the 10-year network veteran apparently died of pulmonary embolism. He was 39, married, and with three daughters. And as a former coworker of David Bloom, he was great. He was gregarious and a tireless reporter.
Well, coming up this hour, U.S. Marines launch house-to-house searches on the southern edges of Baghdad, very aware of the civilian risks. From weapons to worship, laying down arms for a moment this Sunday. And as we just mentioned, there are weather concerns to keep an eye on both in the Persian Gulf region and in the U.S.
For now, let's go to Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City and Judy Woodruff in Washington.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Fredricka. Under the gun in Baghdad, U.S. forces say they have the city surrounded and have penetrated the heart of the capital again. Amid the ruins of war, Iraqi officials still contend their forces are the ones turning up the heat and making headway.
I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington with more of our coverage of the war in Iraq. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer, is at his post in Kuwait City -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. The warning is out in Baghdad tonight -- stay off the streets if -- if -- you want to stay alive. Iraqi authorities have established an overnight curfew there. The U.S. military says it controls all the roads in and out of the Iraqi capital after creating a circle of force around the city. But the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff tells me that doesn't mean there is a soldier every 10 or 15 feet.
In northern Iraq, more coalition bombing and U.S. commanders are investing a report of a friendly fire incident near Mosul. Kurdish officials say at least 18 of their fighters were killed when a U.S. warplane attacked their convoy.
To the south, British troops made their deepest push yet Basra where they have faced bitter fight from Iraqis. A large column of armored vehicles rolled into the city after a series of strikes on Saddam Hussein's fighters. Basra is the second largest city of Iraq.
Coalition forces appear to be cementing their control over the Baghdad airport even though Iraqis still contend their facility is supposedly in their hands. A U.S. military transport plane landed at the airport just after dark tonight, after another first in this battle for Baghdad. More now from CNN's Walter Rodgers. He's near the Iraqi capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army forces have told CNN that the Iraqi capital of Baghdad is now -- quote -- "completely encircled." He went on to tell us that the highways into and out of the city, both at the northeast and southwest, northwest, southeast, are controlled by the United States Marines and the United States Army. And one soldier said -- quote -- "nothing goes into that city or out of that city if they want to live."
Now the same source also told us there was another armed reconnaissance into Baghdad earlier by the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. Again, armed reconnaissance looking for Iraqi pockets of resistance. It made a foray into the city. It did not stay and since has come out.
Again, the 7th Cavalry, the unit with which I'm embedded, continually comes under sporadic fire. CNN has been told that local civilians have approached the Army and explained to the Army that the Fedayeen, the most militant of Saddam Hussein's troops, take refuge in Iraqi schools during the day, and then they leave the sanctuary of those schools, come out at night and fire anti-tank missiles, machineguns and sniper fire at the U.S. 7th Calvary in the darkness. Again, this is a battle, particularly in the western suburbs, that continues to no real boundaries nor frontlines.
Walter Rodgers, CNN, with the U.S. 7th Calvary on the western outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Intense fighting in northern Iraq as well. Coalition forces and their Kurdish allies are keeping up their pounding of Iraqi positions. But today there's a troubling new development. An apparent friendly fire airstrike killed a group of Kurdish fighters near Erbil. From the latest from the northern front, here's CNN's Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, Kurdish leaders are saying that this will not affect the cooperation between the Peshmerga, those Kurdish guerillas, who are fighting with U.S. forces, and the U.S. But certainly, it was a shock, an absolutely horrific event. Now, this bomb appears to have been dropped on a convoy of Kurdish Peshmerga and senior Kurdish military officials along with journalists as it was heading toward the frontline. A senior Kurdish official here in Erbil has said he believes that it was a terrible mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOSHYAR ZEBARI, KUP SPOKESMAN (through translator): They were engaging the Iraqi tanks and forces there, and some fighting. They called in close air support. At 12:30, two U.S. planes mistaken mistakenly bombed the friendly force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, the death toll appears to be at least 18, 17 of those Peshmerga and one of them, a young translator, working for the BBC. At least 45 people, including a senior military commander have been injured. He has been airlifted to Germany.
Now, they were heading towards that frontline because U.S. Special Forces were there working in conjunction with the Kurdish fighters to repel an Iraqi advance. The Special Forces on the ground told us that earlier this morning they saw Iraqi tanks advancing. They didn't have air support, so they pulled back and called in those airstrikes. All day long, while we were there, they were launching 2,000-pound bombs from F-14s as well as a barrage of mortar and artillery as well. The battle was still continuing when we left. They were trying to take the ridge further on to push forward that frontline -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane, I understand one of the relatives of Masoud Barzani, one of the Kurdish leaders, was himself injured in that attack?
ARRAF: Yes, critically injured, Wolf. It couldn't have been more unfortunate. As you mentioned, he is the brother of the leader of this part of northern Iraq. Masoud Barzani is revered here really. He's the descendant of a legendary Kurdish fighter, Mistafa (ph) Barzani. It's his brother, Wageeh Barzani who was critically injured and has been flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. He was taken out by helicopter. In addition, Wolf, the son of Masoud Barzani was injured not quite as seriously. Lightly injured, it's believed to be said. But certainly, this has had an effect on the Peshmerga. They tell us that this will not effect their relations, that they're still grateful for the U.S., but certainly, it was a shock -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, the two leaders of the Kurdish groups in the northern part of Iraq. Thanks very much, Jane, for that report.
Russia, meanwhile, is trying to find out who is responsible for today's attack on a convoy carrying a group of its diplomats and journalists out of Iraq. The convoy was headed to the Syrian border when it was attacked just outside Baghdad. Russia's ambassador to Iraq was among the five people who suffered minor injuries. The U.S. Central Command says the attack took place in territory controlled by the Iraqi government and U.S. officials say there were no coalition forces in the area at the time.
Coalition forces say they have a choke hold on Iraq's capital city. Baghdad is reportedly completely surrounded. CNN's senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is keeping an eye on all of these developments for us. He's just across the border from Iraq in Jordan. He's joining us now live.
What's your take today, Nic? What's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, some people I've been talking to in the capital, they talk about an intense day of explosions in a lot areas of the city. And in a stadium just on the eastern edge of the city, explosions there. What they are describing is fighting that appears to be coming closer to the center of the city rather than the bombs just falling in government neighborhoods. They're saying that now there are explosions in other areas around the city. They even report hearing small arms fire and slightly heavier machine gun fire quite close to the center of the city.
They also say that in the western part of the city, there are a lot of Republican Guard fighters, a lot of Fedayeen fighters, a lot of Baath Party volunteers out on the streets. The impression, they say, is that there's a large military force in the western side of the city, virtually no civilians to be seen around in those areas, particularly as dusk fell in the city. They say that the roads in and out of the city are closed at this time, that there is a lot of Iraqi heavy armored weapons out on the streets of the west of the city.
They also say that civilians in Baghdad now are becoming increasingly concerned. They say that the civilians of the city feel that they're being caught in the crossfire, that they're being targeted by coalition forces and they feel that they're being targeted by the Iraqi forces because they're getting hit. They're getting caught up in the crossfire, so civilians in the city very concerned.
The people I'm talking to say they believe 70 to 80 percent of the civilians, those who can vehicles or can afford taxis or buses, have actually gotten themselves out of harm's way, particularly on the western side of the city, which -- from what I told is where most of the fighting is going on at this time.
Also, Iraqis have been told by the Iraqi leader, President Saddam Hussein, in a spokesman today that if they have become detached from their military unit, then they should go and locate themselves, continue to fight, but join onto other military formations.
(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: Possibly an indication that command and control is breaking down, possibly an indication that many of Iraq's military units have now been fractured and broken apart. The Iraqi leader calling on them to unite and join other units.
We've also heard from our sources in Baghdad that although there are Republican fighters, although there are Fedayeen fighters, although there are the Baath Party volunteers out on the street, they believe that a lot of the conscripts, younger elements, if you will, of the regular Iraqi Army are, in fact, deserting, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, occasionally we see Saddam Hussein on Iraqi television himself making some sort of videotaped speech. Once in a while, the information minister reads a statement on behalf of the Iraqi leader. Today, we hear an Iraqi state television anchor reading a statement. Is there any rhyme or reason when they do what?
ROBERTSON: I think in this, Wolf, the important issue for the Iraqis is that they get the message out to their audience. And perhaps if we try and read detail into it, it could be as simply as they just cannot coordinate getting the information minister to record it and get the tapes to TV station. But, again, that may be reading too much into it. Certainly, they are very focused on getting the information minister on television, on international news stations, to put out their message.
And his message again today has been as it has been on so many days before -- to essentially deny the gains that the coalition has made. He said today that the coalition had -- they had taken on the coalition at the airport, destroyed a number of their tanks, killed 50 American soldiers, statements like that, statements that don't tally with what the coalition sees as the action as its happening on the ground. But statements designed very much to bolster the population of Baghdad and bolster them in such a way that they would want to continue to support a resistance to the coalition force -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic Robertson, thanks very much. And when I interviewed the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier today, he made it clear they would very much like to knock Iraqi television off the air. They're frustrated they haven't been able to do so yet. They're going to keep on trying, that what he says.
As always, we want it keep you updated on the confirmed number of casualties in this war. One hundred eight coalition troops have been killed according to the latest figures from the U.S. and British military officials, 80 American, 28 from Britain. Iraq hasn't been releasing any official numbers on military deaths, but U.S. Central Command says more than 2,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed or wounded yesterday when coalition forces made their initial foray into Baghdad -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Wolf, it's -- I want to take time now to get a progress report from U.S. military headquarters. CNN Senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is with us now with an update.
Jamie, it's been six or seven hours since we've heard from Central Command. What are they adding since then at the Pentagon?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, as the U.S. is tightening its stranglehold on Baghdad, Pentagon sources say one of the main things standing in the way of toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein is the plate of innocent civilians. The U.S. Central Command today is complaining again that Iraqi military equipment is being placed next to homes in residential areas to protect it from bombardment. They also claim that Iraqi fighters are operating out of sacred sites, including the Mother of All Battles Mosque in northwest Baghdad and the Saddam Hospital in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, at the airport, the newly renamed Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. is continuing to reinforce its position there, flying in more equipment and supplies as they begin to fortify that main base of operations. At the same time, they're concentrating more ground forces and aerial surveillance on the main roads in and out of Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PETER PACE, VICE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: There is significant military force all around the city of Baghdad, but it is a huge perimeter. So I don't want the viewers to think that there's a soldier every 10 or 15 feet. We do control the highways in and out of the city and do have the capability to interject, to stop, to attack, any Iraqi military forces that might try to either escape or to engage our forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Meanwhile, Pentagon sources say what you can expect in the days and hours ahead is that the U.S. will conduct more armored raids in which U.S. tanks and Bradleys work through the city's streets. The idea is two-fold -- a show of force and a chance to lure Iraqi troops into an overmatched dual. The Pentagon says that its conquest of Baghdad has already killed, it thinks, between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi troops. Sources say the U.S. may also launch more commando-style raids or raids of opportunity against a regime or leadership targets, particularly if they think that Saddam Hussein or any of his inner circle are meeting in a particular location. Again, the U.S. not wanting to talk too much about future operations -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Understandably, Jamie. And those Iraqi casualties, particularly noteworthy when you consider the casualties on the U.S. side have been very, very small by comparison. All right, Jamie McIntyre, our senior military affairs correspondent. Thank you, Jamie.
The world's most modern army has now converged on the ancient capital of Babylon, a live update on the beginning of the battle through Baghdad. And later, mourning those who have paid the ultimate price in service to their country. Tears on the home front when the war in Iraq continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: British forces today rode into Iraq's second largest city, Basra, where coalition troops have faced heavy fighting from Iraqis. The move was intended to be a raid, but instead the British forces started taking strategic positions to secure the city after facing light resistance.
With us now on the phone, CNN's Mike Boettcher. He's embedded with U.S. Special Operations forces. He's on the outskirts of Basra.
What are you seeing, Mike? What's going on?
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, tonight, Basra is pitch black. The power is off and that is a complete change from previous nights. It is extremely quiet. No artillery, no bombing. We do know that the British believe that they can move through all parts of Basra with probably the exception of the old city in the center, and that is where there is a lot of Baath Party membership and possibly Fedayeen.
They are meeting light resistance as you said. It is a guerrilla resistance. Occasional RPGs fired at armor. The British say that one of their columns -- and they've made their advance on three fronts -- one of their columns met no resistance at all. So it appears that in the morning, the British and British armor and British soldiers will be in Basra -- or in Basra now and will -- if not complete control, be able to have freedom of movement throughout the city --Wolf.
BLITZER: Have they managed to find a lot of those so-called paramilitary forces, the Fedayeen Saddam, the irregular troops that supposedly were holding out in various pockets in Basra?
BOETTCHER: I have no word on any of those people captured tonight. There have been captures of various Fedayeen over the last few days, and that's part of what U.S. Special Operations and Special Forces were involved in. I was in the city two days ago and the Fedayeen were roaming around the city. They had set up various ammo dumps, small, little dumps, in various parts of the city so that they could readily grab a rocket-propelled grenade or a motor. And that is the resistance they're going to meet from these people.
But as the British close in and get more and more control of the city, they will melt into the population, more than likely. That is the feeling of a lot of military people here. They will melt into the population, and then it will be the job of the British to find them. And they believe that will be an easy task because they believe once the population of Basra, predominantly Shiite -- once that population knows that the British there and there to stay, that they will start pointing fingers at the Fedayeen and other Saddam Hussein sympathizers in Basra -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Finally, before I let you go, Mike, with the humanitarian condition -- water, medicine, food -- what's it like for those million-plus people in Basra?
BOETTCHER: Well, Wolf, I am told that water is the biggest problem. And I can tell you that with my own eyes inside the city now. Water is a problem. Although, remarkably, it's been alleviated somewhat in recent days. More water was getting into the city. Food doesn't seem to be a problem. And I walked into the giant Oil for Food warehouse three days ago, and it was unbelievable the stocks of food in there, by some estimates four months worth of food.
Now, was that being stockpiled? Was that the regular reserve? Or were they holding back food during this period when Basra was surrounded? We do not know. But there were stacks and stacks in warehouses the size of football fields full of baby milk and tea and rice and beans and other items. So it should not be a problem. It is there in the city. Once the coalition takes control inside Basra, they'll be able to get the power back up to the water pumping station, which I visited several times. And that shouldn't be difficult because the station itself is not damaged --Wolf.
BLITZER: Mike Boettcher with the Special Operations forces in Basra, just outside Basra. Thanks, Mike, very much.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Wolf, a tragic so-called friendly fire incident in northern Iraq. A U.S. bomb apparently killed 18 Kurdish fires and wounds dozens of others. U.S. Special Forces troops are calling in airstrikes to support the Kurdish fighters in the north. They had been doing that. More on all this now from CNN's Miles O'Brien -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Judy, very much. Friendly fire, it's sort of an oxymoron, a contraction in terms, but it is an unfortunate fact of warfare and it has been a part of warfare for time in memorial.
First of all, let's get the specifics of this latest incident. It happened in the northern part of Iraq in Erbil. We'll go to our earthbureau.com and take you down to that part of the world. This, of course, is an area that is controlled -- Kurdish country. And those Kurds, the Peshmerga, as they're called, those who face death, harshly opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein, hoping to have an independent, autonomous state at some point, working very closely with U.S. Special Operations. This is the town of Erbil, a crucial town of north. And just south of here is where this occurred.
We'll show you some videotape, which Jane Arraf embedded -- or not officially embedded, but reporting from that part of the world, first of all, showing you some of the action that occurred there as those Special Operations teams engaged in mortar fire. And then using laser designators brought in -- check out this F-14. You can't see the bomb drop yet. If you advance it just a little bit, advance that -- now let it go. Let go. Now, check that out. That is a laser- guided, 1,000-pound ammunition. You can tell the F-14 by its distinctive swing-wings there. They swing out when it's in a maneuvering situation. Let it go now and we'll show you exactly the precision when thing go wells. This is not the friendly fire incident. This occurred afterwards.
We'll show you the pictures of the remnants of that friendly fire incident, a bus that was just burned out. It's a horrible scene. At least a dozen people dead, including the brother of one of the Kurdish leaders. Now, the Kurds say this is an unfortunate fact of war and they're willing to move on from that. But this is part of a pattern that goes back to -- for example, in World War II, we know of incidents in Sicily, for example. One bombing run where allied forces took out 150 of 276 of their own British aircraft. Fifty-five percent friendly fire casualties in that case. And then, if you go back to the first Gulf War, 18 percent of all U.S. casualties were attributed to friendly fire.
Just in this war, a little more than two weeks old, we know of a couple of aircraft suspected downed by Patriot missiles. There was a Tornado fighter, a British fighter -- we'll show you some animation of how that happened -- downed in the south of Iraq near Kuwait, was painted by a Patriot missile battery. The Patriot went off, presuming it to be a SCUD missile. In fact, it was a Tornado. That crew was lost. And a U.S. F-18 with one pilot aboard possibly lost as a result of a Patriot strike. So despite all the technology, unfortunately, friendly fire, that seeming contradiction in term, still very much a reality.
Back to -- let's see, who we sending it to -- to Judy -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Miles, thanks very much. And we do want to clarify, the brother of the Kurdish leader, Hashyar Zabari (ph), the brother, Wageeh, is in critical condition, was critically wounded. And that is what we believe his condition to be now after that friendly fire incident.
Well, the medical -- the coalition medical convoy is bringing up the rear in the campaign headed to Baghdad. CNN's medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is embedded with the group, the so- called Devil Docs. He joins us now by telephone with some new developments.
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Aired April 6, 2003 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN newsroom in Atlanta. Our coverage of the war in Iraq continues in a few moments, but now this hour's developments.
American military planes have started landing at Baghdad's international airport, that word from U.S. forces in the area. The airport was captured two days ago by American troops.
Kurds say friendly fire is to blame for a deadly attack on Kurdish fighters today in northern Iraq. They say a U.S. warplane attacked a convoy near Erbil, killing 18 people, most of them Kurdish fighters, and wounding dozens more. Kurdish forces are allies of the coalition. U.S. Central Command says it's investigating.
After waiting in the outskirts for two weeks, British troops rolled into Basra today in 40 armored personnel carriers. The British met only scattered resistance inside Iraq's second largest city. They reported officials of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party were fleeing Basra.
President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is in Moscow for talks with several top Russian leaders. Differences over Iraq have strained relations between Moscow and Washington, but a U.S embassy spokesman says the Bush Administration is committed to a long-term, strategic partnership with Russia.
It is a heart-breaking loss to those of us who knew him personally, and to those of you who knew of him. NBC correspondent and anchor, David Bloom, died today in Iraq where he has been covering the war as an embedded journalist. NBC says the 10-year network veteran apparently died of pulmonary embolism. He was 39, married, and with three daughters. And as a former coworker of David Bloom, he was great. He was gregarious and a tireless reporter.
Well, coming up this hour, U.S. Marines launch house-to-house searches on the southern edges of Baghdad, very aware of the civilian risks. From weapons to worship, laying down arms for a moment this Sunday. And as we just mentioned, there are weather concerns to keep an eye on both in the Persian Gulf region and in the U.S.
For now, let's go to Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City and Judy Woodruff in Washington.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Fredricka. Under the gun in Baghdad, U.S. forces say they have the city surrounded and have penetrated the heart of the capital again. Amid the ruins of war, Iraqi officials still contend their forces are the ones turning up the heat and making headway.
I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington with more of our coverage of the war in Iraq. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer, is at his post in Kuwait City -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. The warning is out in Baghdad tonight -- stay off the streets if -- if -- you want to stay alive. Iraqi authorities have established an overnight curfew there. The U.S. military says it controls all the roads in and out of the Iraqi capital after creating a circle of force around the city. But the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff tells me that doesn't mean there is a soldier every 10 or 15 feet.
In northern Iraq, more coalition bombing and U.S. commanders are investing a report of a friendly fire incident near Mosul. Kurdish officials say at least 18 of their fighters were killed when a U.S. warplane attacked their convoy.
To the south, British troops made their deepest push yet Basra where they have faced bitter fight from Iraqis. A large column of armored vehicles rolled into the city after a series of strikes on Saddam Hussein's fighters. Basra is the second largest city of Iraq.
Coalition forces appear to be cementing their control over the Baghdad airport even though Iraqis still contend their facility is supposedly in their hands. A U.S. military transport plane landed at the airport just after dark tonight, after another first in this battle for Baghdad. More now from CNN's Walter Rodgers. He's near the Iraqi capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army forces have told CNN that the Iraqi capital of Baghdad is now -- quote -- "completely encircled." He went on to tell us that the highways into and out of the city, both at the northeast and southwest, northwest, southeast, are controlled by the United States Marines and the United States Army. And one soldier said -- quote -- "nothing goes into that city or out of that city if they want to live."
Now the same source also told us there was another armed reconnaissance into Baghdad earlier by the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. Again, armed reconnaissance looking for Iraqi pockets of resistance. It made a foray into the city. It did not stay and since has come out.
Again, the 7th Cavalry, the unit with which I'm embedded, continually comes under sporadic fire. CNN has been told that local civilians have approached the Army and explained to the Army that the Fedayeen, the most militant of Saddam Hussein's troops, take refuge in Iraqi schools during the day, and then they leave the sanctuary of those schools, come out at night and fire anti-tank missiles, machineguns and sniper fire at the U.S. 7th Calvary in the darkness. Again, this is a battle, particularly in the western suburbs, that continues to no real boundaries nor frontlines.
Walter Rodgers, CNN, with the U.S. 7th Calvary on the western outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Intense fighting in northern Iraq as well. Coalition forces and their Kurdish allies are keeping up their pounding of Iraqi positions. But today there's a troubling new development. An apparent friendly fire airstrike killed a group of Kurdish fighters near Erbil. From the latest from the northern front, here's CNN's Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, Kurdish leaders are saying that this will not affect the cooperation between the Peshmerga, those Kurdish guerillas, who are fighting with U.S. forces, and the U.S. But certainly, it was a shock, an absolutely horrific event. Now, this bomb appears to have been dropped on a convoy of Kurdish Peshmerga and senior Kurdish military officials along with journalists as it was heading toward the frontline. A senior Kurdish official here in Erbil has said he believes that it was a terrible mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOSHYAR ZEBARI, KUP SPOKESMAN (through translator): They were engaging the Iraqi tanks and forces there, and some fighting. They called in close air support. At 12:30, two U.S. planes mistaken mistakenly bombed the friendly force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, the death toll appears to be at least 18, 17 of those Peshmerga and one of them, a young translator, working for the BBC. At least 45 people, including a senior military commander have been injured. He has been airlifted to Germany.
Now, they were heading towards that frontline because U.S. Special Forces were there working in conjunction with the Kurdish fighters to repel an Iraqi advance. The Special Forces on the ground told us that earlier this morning they saw Iraqi tanks advancing. They didn't have air support, so they pulled back and called in those airstrikes. All day long, while we were there, they were launching 2,000-pound bombs from F-14s as well as a barrage of mortar and artillery as well. The battle was still continuing when we left. They were trying to take the ridge further on to push forward that frontline -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane, I understand one of the relatives of Masoud Barzani, one of the Kurdish leaders, was himself injured in that attack?
ARRAF: Yes, critically injured, Wolf. It couldn't have been more unfortunate. As you mentioned, he is the brother of the leader of this part of northern Iraq. Masoud Barzani is revered here really. He's the descendant of a legendary Kurdish fighter, Mistafa (ph) Barzani. It's his brother, Wageeh Barzani who was critically injured and has been flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. He was taken out by helicopter. In addition, Wolf, the son of Masoud Barzani was injured not quite as seriously. Lightly injured, it's believed to be said. But certainly, this has had an effect on the Peshmerga. They tell us that this will not effect their relations, that they're still grateful for the U.S., but certainly, it was a shock -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, the two leaders of the Kurdish groups in the northern part of Iraq. Thanks very much, Jane, for that report.
Russia, meanwhile, is trying to find out who is responsible for today's attack on a convoy carrying a group of its diplomats and journalists out of Iraq. The convoy was headed to the Syrian border when it was attacked just outside Baghdad. Russia's ambassador to Iraq was among the five people who suffered minor injuries. The U.S. Central Command says the attack took place in territory controlled by the Iraqi government and U.S. officials say there were no coalition forces in the area at the time.
Coalition forces say they have a choke hold on Iraq's capital city. Baghdad is reportedly completely surrounded. CNN's senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is keeping an eye on all of these developments for us. He's just across the border from Iraq in Jordan. He's joining us now live.
What's your take today, Nic? What's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, some people I've been talking to in the capital, they talk about an intense day of explosions in a lot areas of the city. And in a stadium just on the eastern edge of the city, explosions there. What they are describing is fighting that appears to be coming closer to the center of the city rather than the bombs just falling in government neighborhoods. They're saying that now there are explosions in other areas around the city. They even report hearing small arms fire and slightly heavier machine gun fire quite close to the center of the city.
They also say that in the western part of the city, there are a lot of Republican Guard fighters, a lot of Fedayeen fighters, a lot of Baath Party volunteers out on the streets. The impression, they say, is that there's a large military force in the western side of the city, virtually no civilians to be seen around in those areas, particularly as dusk fell in the city. They say that the roads in and out of the city are closed at this time, that there is a lot of Iraqi heavy armored weapons out on the streets of the west of the city.
They also say that civilians in Baghdad now are becoming increasingly concerned. They say that the civilians of the city feel that they're being caught in the crossfire, that they're being targeted by coalition forces and they feel that they're being targeted by the Iraqi forces because they're getting hit. They're getting caught up in the crossfire, so civilians in the city very concerned.
The people I'm talking to say they believe 70 to 80 percent of the civilians, those who can vehicles or can afford taxis or buses, have actually gotten themselves out of harm's way, particularly on the western side of the city, which -- from what I told is where most of the fighting is going on at this time.
Also, Iraqis have been told by the Iraqi leader, President Saddam Hussein, in a spokesman today that if they have become detached from their military unit, then they should go and locate themselves, continue to fight, but join onto other military formations.
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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.
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ROBERTSON: Possibly an indication that command and control is breaking down, possibly an indication that many of Iraq's military units have now been fractured and broken apart. The Iraqi leader calling on them to unite and join other units.
We've also heard from our sources in Baghdad that although there are Republican fighters, although there are Fedayeen fighters, although there are the Baath Party volunteers out on the street, they believe that a lot of the conscripts, younger elements, if you will, of the regular Iraqi Army are, in fact, deserting, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, occasionally we see Saddam Hussein on Iraqi television himself making some sort of videotaped speech. Once in a while, the information minister reads a statement on behalf of the Iraqi leader. Today, we hear an Iraqi state television anchor reading a statement. Is there any rhyme or reason when they do what?
ROBERTSON: I think in this, Wolf, the important issue for the Iraqis is that they get the message out to their audience. And perhaps if we try and read detail into it, it could be as simply as they just cannot coordinate getting the information minister to record it and get the tapes to TV station. But, again, that may be reading too much into it. Certainly, they are very focused on getting the information minister on television, on international news stations, to put out their message.
And his message again today has been as it has been on so many days before -- to essentially deny the gains that the coalition has made. He said today that the coalition had -- they had taken on the coalition at the airport, destroyed a number of their tanks, killed 50 American soldiers, statements like that, statements that don't tally with what the coalition sees as the action as its happening on the ground. But statements designed very much to bolster the population of Baghdad and bolster them in such a way that they would want to continue to support a resistance to the coalition force -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic Robertson, thanks very much. And when I interviewed the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier today, he made it clear they would very much like to knock Iraqi television off the air. They're frustrated they haven't been able to do so yet. They're going to keep on trying, that what he says.
As always, we want it keep you updated on the confirmed number of casualties in this war. One hundred eight coalition troops have been killed according to the latest figures from the U.S. and British military officials, 80 American, 28 from Britain. Iraq hasn't been releasing any official numbers on military deaths, but U.S. Central Command says more than 2,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed or wounded yesterday when coalition forces made their initial foray into Baghdad -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Wolf, it's -- I want to take time now to get a progress report from U.S. military headquarters. CNN Senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is with us now with an update.
Jamie, it's been six or seven hours since we've heard from Central Command. What are they adding since then at the Pentagon?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, as the U.S. is tightening its stranglehold on Baghdad, Pentagon sources say one of the main things standing in the way of toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein is the plate of innocent civilians. The U.S. Central Command today is complaining again that Iraqi military equipment is being placed next to homes in residential areas to protect it from bombardment. They also claim that Iraqi fighters are operating out of sacred sites, including the Mother of All Battles Mosque in northwest Baghdad and the Saddam Hospital in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, at the airport, the newly renamed Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. is continuing to reinforce its position there, flying in more equipment and supplies as they begin to fortify that main base of operations. At the same time, they're concentrating more ground forces and aerial surveillance on the main roads in and out of Baghdad.
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GEN. PETER PACE, VICE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: There is significant military force all around the city of Baghdad, but it is a huge perimeter. So I don't want the viewers to think that there's a soldier every 10 or 15 feet. We do control the highways in and out of the city and do have the capability to interject, to stop, to attack, any Iraqi military forces that might try to either escape or to engage our forces.
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MCINTYRE: Meanwhile, Pentagon sources say what you can expect in the days and hours ahead is that the U.S. will conduct more armored raids in which U.S. tanks and Bradleys work through the city's streets. The idea is two-fold -- a show of force and a chance to lure Iraqi troops into an overmatched dual. The Pentagon says that its conquest of Baghdad has already killed, it thinks, between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi troops. Sources say the U.S. may also launch more commando-style raids or raids of opportunity against a regime or leadership targets, particularly if they think that Saddam Hussein or any of his inner circle are meeting in a particular location. Again, the U.S. not wanting to talk too much about future operations -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Understandably, Jamie. And those Iraqi casualties, particularly noteworthy when you consider the casualties on the U.S. side have been very, very small by comparison. All right, Jamie McIntyre, our senior military affairs correspondent. Thank you, Jamie.
The world's most modern army has now converged on the ancient capital of Babylon, a live update on the beginning of the battle through Baghdad. And later, mourning those who have paid the ultimate price in service to their country. Tears on the home front when the war in Iraq continues.
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BLITZER: British forces today rode into Iraq's second largest city, Basra, where coalition troops have faced heavy fighting from Iraqis. The move was intended to be a raid, but instead the British forces started taking strategic positions to secure the city after facing light resistance.
With us now on the phone, CNN's Mike Boettcher. He's embedded with U.S. Special Operations forces. He's on the outskirts of Basra.
What are you seeing, Mike? What's going on?
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, tonight, Basra is pitch black. The power is off and that is a complete change from previous nights. It is extremely quiet. No artillery, no bombing. We do know that the British believe that they can move through all parts of Basra with probably the exception of the old city in the center, and that is where there is a lot of Baath Party membership and possibly Fedayeen.
They are meeting light resistance as you said. It is a guerrilla resistance. Occasional RPGs fired at armor. The British say that one of their columns -- and they've made their advance on three fronts -- one of their columns met no resistance at all. So it appears that in the morning, the British and British armor and British soldiers will be in Basra -- or in Basra now and will -- if not complete control, be able to have freedom of movement throughout the city --Wolf.
BLITZER: Have they managed to find a lot of those so-called paramilitary forces, the Fedayeen Saddam, the irregular troops that supposedly were holding out in various pockets in Basra?
BOETTCHER: I have no word on any of those people captured tonight. There have been captures of various Fedayeen over the last few days, and that's part of what U.S. Special Operations and Special Forces were involved in. I was in the city two days ago and the Fedayeen were roaming around the city. They had set up various ammo dumps, small, little dumps, in various parts of the city so that they could readily grab a rocket-propelled grenade or a motor. And that is the resistance they're going to meet from these people.
But as the British close in and get more and more control of the city, they will melt into the population, more than likely. That is the feeling of a lot of military people here. They will melt into the population, and then it will be the job of the British to find them. And they believe that will be an easy task because they believe once the population of Basra, predominantly Shiite -- once that population knows that the British there and there to stay, that they will start pointing fingers at the Fedayeen and other Saddam Hussein sympathizers in Basra -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Finally, before I let you go, Mike, with the humanitarian condition -- water, medicine, food -- what's it like for those million-plus people in Basra?
BOETTCHER: Well, Wolf, I am told that water is the biggest problem. And I can tell you that with my own eyes inside the city now. Water is a problem. Although, remarkably, it's been alleviated somewhat in recent days. More water was getting into the city. Food doesn't seem to be a problem. And I walked into the giant Oil for Food warehouse three days ago, and it was unbelievable the stocks of food in there, by some estimates four months worth of food.
Now, was that being stockpiled? Was that the regular reserve? Or were they holding back food during this period when Basra was surrounded? We do not know. But there were stacks and stacks in warehouses the size of football fields full of baby milk and tea and rice and beans and other items. So it should not be a problem. It is there in the city. Once the coalition takes control inside Basra, they'll be able to get the power back up to the water pumping station, which I visited several times. And that shouldn't be difficult because the station itself is not damaged --Wolf.
BLITZER: Mike Boettcher with the Special Operations forces in Basra, just outside Basra. Thanks, Mike, very much.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Wolf, a tragic so-called friendly fire incident in northern Iraq. A U.S. bomb apparently killed 18 Kurdish fires and wounds dozens of others. U.S. Special Forces troops are calling in airstrikes to support the Kurdish fighters in the north. They had been doing that. More on all this now from CNN's Miles O'Brien -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Judy, very much. Friendly fire, it's sort of an oxymoron, a contraction in terms, but it is an unfortunate fact of warfare and it has been a part of warfare for time in memorial.
First of all, let's get the specifics of this latest incident. It happened in the northern part of Iraq in Erbil. We'll go to our earthbureau.com and take you down to that part of the world. This, of course, is an area that is controlled -- Kurdish country. And those Kurds, the Peshmerga, as they're called, those who face death, harshly opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein, hoping to have an independent, autonomous state at some point, working very closely with U.S. Special Operations. This is the town of Erbil, a crucial town of north. And just south of here is where this occurred.
We'll show you some videotape, which Jane Arraf embedded -- or not officially embedded, but reporting from that part of the world, first of all, showing you some of the action that occurred there as those Special Operations teams engaged in mortar fire. And then using laser designators brought in -- check out this F-14. You can't see the bomb drop yet. If you advance it just a little bit, advance that -- now let it go. Let go. Now, check that out. That is a laser- guided, 1,000-pound ammunition. You can tell the F-14 by its distinctive swing-wings there. They swing out when it's in a maneuvering situation. Let it go now and we'll show you exactly the precision when thing go wells. This is not the friendly fire incident. This occurred afterwards.
We'll show you the pictures of the remnants of that friendly fire incident, a bus that was just burned out. It's a horrible scene. At least a dozen people dead, including the brother of one of the Kurdish leaders. Now, the Kurds say this is an unfortunate fact of war and they're willing to move on from that. But this is part of a pattern that goes back to -- for example, in World War II, we know of incidents in Sicily, for example. One bombing run where allied forces took out 150 of 276 of their own British aircraft. Fifty-five percent friendly fire casualties in that case. And then, if you go back to the first Gulf War, 18 percent of all U.S. casualties were attributed to friendly fire.
Just in this war, a little more than two weeks old, we know of a couple of aircraft suspected downed by Patriot missiles. There was a Tornado fighter, a British fighter -- we'll show you some animation of how that happened -- downed in the south of Iraq near Kuwait, was painted by a Patriot missile battery. The Patriot went off, presuming it to be a SCUD missile. In fact, it was a Tornado. That crew was lost. And a U.S. F-18 with one pilot aboard possibly lost as a result of a Patriot strike. So despite all the technology, unfortunately, friendly fire, that seeming contradiction in term, still very much a reality.
Back to -- let's see, who we sending it to -- to Judy -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Miles, thanks very much. And we do want to clarify, the brother of the Kurdish leader, Hashyar Zabari (ph), the brother, Wageeh, is in critical condition, was critically wounded. And that is what we believe his condition to be now after that friendly fire incident.
Well, the medical -- the coalition medical convoy is bringing up the rear in the campaign headed to Baghdad. CNN's medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is embedded with the group, the so- called Devil Docs. He joins us now by telephone with some new developments.
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