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After Lull, Fighting in Baghdad Resumes
Aired April 07, 2003 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: American forces battle their way to the very heart of Baghdad today. It seemed to be a largely symbolic thrust; one to telegraph the message the regime, the Saddam Hussein regime, is no longer calling the shots. Perhaps nothing sends a stronger signal than this photo. American soldiers -- take a look at this -- sitting in Saddam Hussein's living room at his main presidential palace on the Tigris River.
Another in and out strike, perhaps bolder and longer than those over the weekend. Or, possibly a permanent U.S. military presence in the Iraqi capital. Still unclear at this hour what precisely is going on. We hope to get additional details as our coverage unfolds.
In the meantime, CNN's Rula Amin is joining us now live to discuss this raid from her post along the Iraqi-Jordanian border. Rula, what do you sense? What's unfolding in Baghdad right now?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, right now there is fighting on the streets of Baghdad. After a relative lull in the afternoon, the fighting resumed very heavily. There is a heavy exchange of artillery fired between the U.S. forces and Iraqi security forces. There's also still coalition missiles hitting different targets in Baghdad.
Iraqi television is still on the air. They just showed pictures of the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein meeting with his aides. Among them, the vice president, the deputy prime minister, and one of his sons.
Now the president is not close or not near his palaces. Actually, we are hearing reports that Iraqi troops are sending artillery shells into the presidential compound where the U.S. troops are positioned. The U.S. troops have moved into the western site of the Tigris earlier this morning. They moved in and took pictures of themselves right at the major landmarks in Baghdad: the presidential palaces, the Rashid Hotel, and the parade (ph) grounds.
These are very strong symbols for the Iraqi regime, for the grip of power that Saddam Hussein has -- or his grip on power. And that's why most Iraqis now in the capital are wondering, where is the Iraqi army? And this is the message that the U.S. wants to send to the people in Baghdad.
The regime there is over. It's futile to fight. There's no need for them to waste their lives trying to save a collapsing regime.
We did see pictures of some Iraqi soldiers fleeing the battlegrounds. Some were jumping into the river even. However, we do know from people we have spoken to in Baghdad, still there are Republican Guards on the streets of Baghdad, ruling Ba'ath Party militias, and Fedayeen Saddam. And they seem determined to stay and to put up a fight.
Now Iraqi officials are in full denial. The Iraqi information minister insists that Iraqi troops have managed to inflict serious damage among U.S. troops, killing a large number, he says. And what he's saying is the Iraqi troops have managed to force the U.S. troops to retreat. This is how he described the battle from his own perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): This is only to attract attention, in fact. They gave them (UNINTELLIGIBLE) poison yesterday. The soldiers of Saddam Hussein have given them a lesson they will never forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: Now the residents of the capital have been hearing this strong rhetoric for a while now. And now that the U.S. troops are inside the capital, they are wondering, is this the beginning of a quick end to the battle to take over Baghdad, or is it the beginning of an urban warfare that will take place in their own streets, in their own neighborhoods -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula, what are you hearing about refugees, people attempting to flee Baghdad to get outside of the city presumably where it's more safe?
AMIN: Well, Wolf, surprisingly enough, we didn't hear about Iraqis fleeing Baghdad today. Some of them did leave yesterday and the day before, but not today. In fact, we did see pictures very close to the Information Ministry in Baghdad at to the Rashid Hotel, where we do know that the U.S. troops were present for a short while in the morning.
And surprisingly, we did see Iraqis on the streets, government buses still working, people in their own cars. And maybe it is that people are trying to have a close-up look, something that they can see with their own eyes to try to assess what's happening on the ground away from the propaganda, away from the media, away from what the U.S. and the Iraqi officials are telling them -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula Amin joining us from her listening post along the border with Iraq. Rula, thanks very much.
Aired April 7, 2003 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: American forces battle their way to the very heart of Baghdad today. It seemed to be a largely symbolic thrust; one to telegraph the message the regime, the Saddam Hussein regime, is no longer calling the shots. Perhaps nothing sends a stronger signal than this photo. American soldiers -- take a look at this -- sitting in Saddam Hussein's living room at his main presidential palace on the Tigris River.
Another in and out strike, perhaps bolder and longer than those over the weekend. Or, possibly a permanent U.S. military presence in the Iraqi capital. Still unclear at this hour what precisely is going on. We hope to get additional details as our coverage unfolds.
In the meantime, CNN's Rula Amin is joining us now live to discuss this raid from her post along the Iraqi-Jordanian border. Rula, what do you sense? What's unfolding in Baghdad right now?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, right now there is fighting on the streets of Baghdad. After a relative lull in the afternoon, the fighting resumed very heavily. There is a heavy exchange of artillery fired between the U.S. forces and Iraqi security forces. There's also still coalition missiles hitting different targets in Baghdad.
Iraqi television is still on the air. They just showed pictures of the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein meeting with his aides. Among them, the vice president, the deputy prime minister, and one of his sons.
Now the president is not close or not near his palaces. Actually, we are hearing reports that Iraqi troops are sending artillery shells into the presidential compound where the U.S. troops are positioned. The U.S. troops have moved into the western site of the Tigris earlier this morning. They moved in and took pictures of themselves right at the major landmarks in Baghdad: the presidential palaces, the Rashid Hotel, and the parade (ph) grounds.
These are very strong symbols for the Iraqi regime, for the grip of power that Saddam Hussein has -- or his grip on power. And that's why most Iraqis now in the capital are wondering, where is the Iraqi army? And this is the message that the U.S. wants to send to the people in Baghdad.
The regime there is over. It's futile to fight. There's no need for them to waste their lives trying to save a collapsing regime.
We did see pictures of some Iraqi soldiers fleeing the battlegrounds. Some were jumping into the river even. However, we do know from people we have spoken to in Baghdad, still there are Republican Guards on the streets of Baghdad, ruling Ba'ath Party militias, and Fedayeen Saddam. And they seem determined to stay and to put up a fight.
Now Iraqi officials are in full denial. The Iraqi information minister insists that Iraqi troops have managed to inflict serious damage among U.S. troops, killing a large number, he says. And what he's saying is the Iraqi troops have managed to force the U.S. troops to retreat. This is how he described the battle from his own perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): This is only to attract attention, in fact. They gave them (UNINTELLIGIBLE) poison yesterday. The soldiers of Saddam Hussein have given them a lesson they will never forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: Now the residents of the capital have been hearing this strong rhetoric for a while now. And now that the U.S. troops are inside the capital, they are wondering, is this the beginning of a quick end to the battle to take over Baghdad, or is it the beginning of an urban warfare that will take place in their own streets, in their own neighborhoods -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula, what are you hearing about refugees, people attempting to flee Baghdad to get outside of the city presumably where it's more safe?
AMIN: Well, Wolf, surprisingly enough, we didn't hear about Iraqis fleeing Baghdad today. Some of them did leave yesterday and the day before, but not today. In fact, we did see pictures very close to the Information Ministry in Baghdad at to the Rashid Hotel, where we do know that the U.S. troops were present for a short while in the morning.
And surprisingly, we did see Iraqis on the streets, government buses still working, people in their own cars. And maybe it is that people are trying to have a close-up look, something that they can see with their own eyes to try to assess what's happening on the ground away from the propaganda, away from the media, away from what the U.S. and the Iraqi officials are telling them -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula Amin joining us from her listening post along the border with Iraq. Rula, thanks very much.
