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Unfolding Military Strategy for Coalition Forces as They Push Into Baghdad

Aired April 07, 2003 - 12:26   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: Let's go to the CNN center now, the CNN newsroom in Atlanta. Renay San Miguel has a look at the unfolding military strategy that the coalition forces have as they push into Baghdad -- Renay.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much, Wolf. The coalition indeed continues to expand its presence in Baghdad. Military officials no longer talking about this as a series of probing actions or raids. Basically, they're talking now about "dominating the battlefield."

Joining us now from Little Rock to talk more about this is CNN's military analyst, retired General Wesley Clark. General Clark, good to see you again. Thanks for being with us.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: I wanted to ask you -- I know you've talked about this bridge that was destroyed here within the last hour. Just to make it clear, it was destroyed because it was damaged in heavy fighting earlier today. I guess the question is, how does this -- are you concerned that there's some difficulties now in coordinating air strikes against Iraqi troops that may be near other bridges or in engaging in tanks battles with Iraqi troops on the other side of these bridges? You're going to need -- the coalition is going to need these bridges sooner or later.

CLARK: That's exactly right. There's no evidence to indicate, there are no indications of any difficulties in coordinating air strikes or engaging in any of these tank-on-tank fights, Renay. The comment was simply, what's the significance of the bridge?

And the bridge -- every bridge that's destroyed that has to be bypassed, or you have to build a pontoon (ph) bridge for, is an additional element of delay. And so we're presuming that, out in front of the Marine advance, just as out in front of the Army advance, there were special reconnaissance units, Special Forces, Marine recon (ph), or someone who was going out to make sure the Iraqis couldn't demolish the bridges as the American forces were approaching. Because what we want to do is we want to capture those bridges and use them into our advance.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. So the airport, the coalition says, is controlled. At least one palace is occupied. And maybe has not gotten to the exploitation phase yet, but that's assumed to be on the way. Bridges are either being strategically blown up or occupied.

So what is the coalition plan here? To corner the Iraqi troops? To quadrant -- to section off the city into quadrants? How is this being worked here?

CLARK: Well, we don't know what the plan is exactly, Renay, but it is a plan that takes advantage of emerging opportunity. So wherever they find weakness, the coalition forces will drive in.

The Marines are driving in from the east. You can expect probably another Army brigade to enter Baghdad. They're going to seize key objectives on the ground, palaces and other facilities that provide an opportunity to control an area. And then be able to sally forth from those areas under control to do more thunder runs to further extend U.S. control into the region.

And remember there are also reports of up to four Iraqi divisions, mostly infantry, that were somewhere in the western and northern Baghdad area. They've been pounded by air. This may be the explosions that Wolf Blitzer's reporting right now, following in Baghdad, where they're continuing to fight against them. But no one knows exactly how much starch they have left. And so forces on the ground are going to have to drive out into these areas, conduct reconnaissance and force, probe for the enemy's strength and weaknesses, degrade them, and then later occupy those areas.

SAN MIGUEL: We have talked a lot about Baghdad, as well we should, in the last 12 to 24 hours. But there's activity going on in the north. And then in the south, the British are reporting that Chemical Ali, who was in charge of defending the south, may be dead. What does that do to the southern advance and the organized resistance if there's any left in the south?

CLARK: Well, this is the big question, Renay, is whether as Baghdad is squeezed, and resistance there is killed off and ended, whether there's going to be any resistance elsewhere in the country. Certainly the British action in Basra seems to have been very well measured, very well timed and successful.

Now what about all those other places where Iraqi forces still are, not only in the south but also in the north? And so, in the coming hours and days, coalition forces will be watching anxiously to see that the resistance collapses throughout the country. That's the aim.

SAN MIGUEL: General Clark, we appreciate your time, as always. Thanks for being with us.





Push Into Baghdad>


Aired April 7, 2003 - 12:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to the CNN center now, the CNN newsroom in Atlanta. Renay San Miguel has a look at the unfolding military strategy that the coalition forces have as they push into Baghdad -- Renay.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much, Wolf. The coalition indeed continues to expand its presence in Baghdad. Military officials no longer talking about this as a series of probing actions or raids. Basically, they're talking now about "dominating the battlefield."

Joining us now from Little Rock to talk more about this is CNN's military analyst, retired General Wesley Clark. General Clark, good to see you again. Thanks for being with us.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: I wanted to ask you -- I know you've talked about this bridge that was destroyed here within the last hour. Just to make it clear, it was destroyed because it was damaged in heavy fighting earlier today. I guess the question is, how does this -- are you concerned that there's some difficulties now in coordinating air strikes against Iraqi troops that may be near other bridges or in engaging in tanks battles with Iraqi troops on the other side of these bridges? You're going to need -- the coalition is going to need these bridges sooner or later.

CLARK: That's exactly right. There's no evidence to indicate, there are no indications of any difficulties in coordinating air strikes or engaging in any of these tank-on-tank fights, Renay. The comment was simply, what's the significance of the bridge?

And the bridge -- every bridge that's destroyed that has to be bypassed, or you have to build a pontoon (ph) bridge for, is an additional element of delay. And so we're presuming that, out in front of the Marine advance, just as out in front of the Army advance, there were special reconnaissance units, Special Forces, Marine recon (ph), or someone who was going out to make sure the Iraqis couldn't demolish the bridges as the American forces were approaching. Because what we want to do is we want to capture those bridges and use them into our advance.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. So the airport, the coalition says, is controlled. At least one palace is occupied. And maybe has not gotten to the exploitation phase yet, but that's assumed to be on the way. Bridges are either being strategically blown up or occupied.

So what is the coalition plan here? To corner the Iraqi troops? To quadrant -- to section off the city into quadrants? How is this being worked here?

CLARK: Well, we don't know what the plan is exactly, Renay, but it is a plan that takes advantage of emerging opportunity. So wherever they find weakness, the coalition forces will drive in.

The Marines are driving in from the east. You can expect probably another Army brigade to enter Baghdad. They're going to seize key objectives on the ground, palaces and other facilities that provide an opportunity to control an area. And then be able to sally forth from those areas under control to do more thunder runs to further extend U.S. control into the region.

And remember there are also reports of up to four Iraqi divisions, mostly infantry, that were somewhere in the western and northern Baghdad area. They've been pounded by air. This may be the explosions that Wolf Blitzer's reporting right now, following in Baghdad, where they're continuing to fight against them. But no one knows exactly how much starch they have left. And so forces on the ground are going to have to drive out into these areas, conduct reconnaissance and force, probe for the enemy's strength and weaknesses, degrade them, and then later occupy those areas.

SAN MIGUEL: We have talked a lot about Baghdad, as well we should, in the last 12 to 24 hours. But there's activity going on in the north. And then in the south, the British are reporting that Chemical Ali, who was in charge of defending the south, may be dead. What does that do to the southern advance and the organized resistance if there's any left in the south?

CLARK: Well, this is the big question, Renay, is whether as Baghdad is squeezed, and resistance there is killed off and ended, whether there's going to be any resistance elsewhere in the country. Certainly the British action in Basra seems to have been very well measured, very well timed and successful.

Now what about all those other places where Iraqi forces still are, not only in the south but also in the north? And so, in the coming hours and days, coalition forces will be watching anxiously to see that the resistance collapses throughout the country. That's the aim.

SAN MIGUEL: General Clark, we appreciate your time, as always. Thanks for being with us.





Push Into Baghdad>