Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Resistance Continues in Mosul Despite Bombings
Aired April 07, 2003 - 13:06 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In a section of northern Iraq, U.S. forces are said to be holding strong. They are trying to root out pockets of Iraqi fighters between the cities of Mosul and Kirkuk.
In the middle of those two cities lies Erbil. That's where we find our Ben Wedeman. Ben, what is the latest from there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the latest is that the city of Mosul, the largest city still under the control of forces loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Mosul was very heavily bombed throughout the morning.
We were in Kurdish trenches right about 25 miles to the east of Mosul this morning, and we heard some very heavy, heavy bombing of that city.
Now, Al Jazeera, the Arabic satellite news channel, does have a live camera in that city and they broadcast some very large explosions from that area. Now according to Al Jazeera, those blasts were from, among other targets, an Iraqi Army munitions depot that was hit there.
And really, what we've seen for the last two weeks, I'd say, is daily bombing of that city. Now you also referred to U.S. forces that are gradually approaching the main highway that connects Mosul to the oil rich region of Kirkuk, where there's also the second largest Iraqi city in the north, still controlled by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein.
So as they approach that highway, they really will effectively cut those two cities off from one another. And as we know, U.S. forces now surround Baghdad as well. So it does appear that the Americans and their British allies are beginning to basically choke off and surround all of the major cities in Iraq, including in the north -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Ben, can you characterize the kind of resistance that they are running into there in the area right around Mosul?
WEDEMAN: There is resistance. I'd say it's fairly strong.
For instance, the area where we are, 25 miles east of Mosul, has been heavily bombed on a daily basis for quite some time. Despite that the Iraqis are still there. Their artillery is very still very much active. We were shelled several times during the morning from the Iraqi positions. This, despite this bombing. So they're there.
Now we do know that there appear to be no Republican Guards in that area. We've learned that from several defectors or deserters from the Iraqi positions we've spoken to.
So the resistance is still there. It's hard to say how coordinated it is but still very much alive and able to respond to the air strikes, as well as the firing that's coming from the Kurdish forces, as well -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. CNN's Ben Wedeman reporting from Erbil. As you were just hearing him describe heavy coalition bombardment of the city, critical city of Mosul, in the north over the last day. And as he said, it has been going on for days.
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 7, 2003 - 13:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In a section of northern Iraq, U.S. forces are said to be holding strong. They are trying to root out pockets of Iraqi fighters between the cities of Mosul and Kirkuk.
In the middle of those two cities lies Erbil. That's where we find our Ben Wedeman. Ben, what is the latest from there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the latest is that the city of Mosul, the largest city still under the control of forces loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Mosul was very heavily bombed throughout the morning.
We were in Kurdish trenches right about 25 miles to the east of Mosul this morning, and we heard some very heavy, heavy bombing of that city.
Now, Al Jazeera, the Arabic satellite news channel, does have a live camera in that city and they broadcast some very large explosions from that area. Now according to Al Jazeera, those blasts were from, among other targets, an Iraqi Army munitions depot that was hit there.
And really, what we've seen for the last two weeks, I'd say, is daily bombing of that city. Now you also referred to U.S. forces that are gradually approaching the main highway that connects Mosul to the oil rich region of Kirkuk, where there's also the second largest Iraqi city in the north, still controlled by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein.
So as they approach that highway, they really will effectively cut those two cities off from one another. And as we know, U.S. forces now surround Baghdad as well. So it does appear that the Americans and their British allies are beginning to basically choke off and surround all of the major cities in Iraq, including in the north -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Ben, can you characterize the kind of resistance that they are running into there in the area right around Mosul?
WEDEMAN: There is resistance. I'd say it's fairly strong.
For instance, the area where we are, 25 miles east of Mosul, has been heavily bombed on a daily basis for quite some time. Despite that the Iraqis are still there. Their artillery is very still very much active. We were shelled several times during the morning from the Iraqi positions. This, despite this bombing. So they're there.
Now we do know that there appear to be no Republican Guards in that area. We've learned that from several defectors or deserters from the Iraqi positions we've spoken to.
So the resistance is still there. It's hard to say how coordinated it is but still very much alive and able to respond to the air strikes, as well as the firing that's coming from the Kurdish forces, as well -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. CNN's Ben Wedeman reporting from Erbil. As you were just hearing him describe heavy coalition bombardment of the city, critical city of Mosul, in the north over the last day. And as he said, it has been going on for days.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
