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Air Strikes to Continue Strong
Aired April 07, 2003 - 13:18 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: Now we want to go to one of our correspondents who's been with us from the start of this war, Gary Tuchman. He has at an air base very close to Iraq.
Gary, tell us the latest from where you are.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, one thing we want to tell you, you say we've been here since the start of the war. And since start of the war we've have been reporting that we've been from an air base, a coalition air base, near the Iraqi border. The Pentagon has given us authorization now to say that we're at a coalition air base in the nation of Kuwait. We can't tell you the name of the base or where it is in Kuwait, but we have been given authorization to tell you we're in Kuwait. So when you introduce us now you can say we're at an air base in Kuwait.
Now the late of the news from the Air Force. Air Force has given us information to report. We can tell you that the air war is continuing as intensely as ever. We've been here for 17 nights since "shock and awe" began. There's no absolutely no letup in the number of sorties leaving this base.
We are told that the air coverage over Baghdad, which began two nights ago, a 24-hour, 7 day a week air coverage over Baghdad, will only be expanded.
Initially we were told there would always be two Air Force planes flying over Baghdad, acting as dispatchers of sorts. Whenever other planes were needed, attack planes or fighter planes they would dispatch them, and there would be at least six planes ready to come in over Baghdad.
We're not told there will always be more than two planes over Baghdad with the increased number of troops there.
Also, regarding the Baghdad International Airport, it's surmised that ultimately it will be the base of operations for Air Force aircraft. Already a C-130 transport plane has flown into the airport.
But as of now the Air Force is telling us, there are no Air Force aircraft based at Baghdad International Airport, the new name it's been given, formerly Saddam International Airport.
Finally, we want to tell you the most recent 24 hour period, 1,860 sorties over Iraq. The highest number since this war began, 2,000. The lowest, about 1,400. So you can see the air war does continue as intensely as ever. At this point over the 17 days of the "shock and awe" campaign, there have been more than 29,000 sorties.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Gary, now that U.S. forces are not only on the outskirts of Baghdad, they are making regular forays into city. Some of the Battalions are staying there. How does that affect the air campaign over the city?
TUCHMAN: Well, the Air Force considers it more important than ever to have a very hardy presence over Baghdad. And that's why they're very specifically saying and telling us they will now have more planes over the city at all times.
There will not be a time of the day when there aren't a considerably number of planes flying over Iraq's capital city.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Gary Tuchman. I was thinking in terms of accuracy being even more important than ever before. Of course, that has all been of paramount importance.
Gary Tuchman, reporting for us from an air base in Kuwait, as we're authorized now to say.
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 - 13:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to go to one of our correspondents who's been with us from the start of this war, Gary Tuchman. He has at an air base very close to Iraq.
Gary, tell us the latest from where you are.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, one thing we want to tell you, you say we've been here since the start of the war. And since start of the war we've have been reporting that we've been from an air base, a coalition air base, near the Iraqi border. The Pentagon has given us authorization now to say that we're at a coalition air base in the nation of Kuwait. We can't tell you the name of the base or where it is in Kuwait, but we have been given authorization to tell you we're in Kuwait. So when you introduce us now you can say we're at an air base in Kuwait.
Now the late of the news from the Air Force. Air Force has given us information to report. We can tell you that the air war is continuing as intensely as ever. We've been here for 17 nights since "shock and awe" began. There's no absolutely no letup in the number of sorties leaving this base.
We are told that the air coverage over Baghdad, which began two nights ago, a 24-hour, 7 day a week air coverage over Baghdad, will only be expanded.
Initially we were told there would always be two Air Force planes flying over Baghdad, acting as dispatchers of sorts. Whenever other planes were needed, attack planes or fighter planes they would dispatch them, and there would be at least six planes ready to come in over Baghdad.
We're not told there will always be more than two planes over Baghdad with the increased number of troops there.
Also, regarding the Baghdad International Airport, it's surmised that ultimately it will be the base of operations for Air Force aircraft. Already a C-130 transport plane has flown into the airport.
But as of now the Air Force is telling us, there are no Air Force aircraft based at Baghdad International Airport, the new name it's been given, formerly Saddam International Airport.
Finally, we want to tell you the most recent 24 hour period, 1,860 sorties over Iraq. The highest number since this war began, 2,000. The lowest, about 1,400. So you can see the air war does continue as intensely as ever. At this point over the 17 days of the "shock and awe" campaign, there have been more than 29,000 sorties.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Gary, now that U.S. forces are not only on the outskirts of Baghdad, they are making regular forays into city. Some of the Battalions are staying there. How does that affect the air campaign over the city?
TUCHMAN: Well, the Air Force considers it more important than ever to have a very hardy presence over Baghdad. And that's why they're very specifically saying and telling us they will now have more planes over the city at all times.
There will not be a time of the day when there aren't a considerably number of planes flying over Iraq's capital city.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Gary Tuchman. I was thinking in terms of accuracy being even more important than ever before. Of course, that has all been of paramount importance.
Gary Tuchman, reporting for us from an air base in Kuwait, as we're authorized now to say.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
