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Saddam Possibly Under Fire For Second Time
Aired April 08, 2003 - 15:04 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: More now on the intelligence information that prompted the so-called decapitation strike yesterday against Saddam Hussein. CNN's national security correspondent David Ensor has been talking to CNN sources about what led up to the attack. He joins us now with what he's learned -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the attack, the bombs hit just 45 minutes after U.S. intelligence told the Pentagon that senior Iraqi leaders, possibly including Saddam Hussein and one or more of his two sons were at the location in a Baghdad neighborhood. U.S. officials are saying they do not know whether they killed the Iraqi leader or not. They say it may be some time before the U.S. can be sure whether Saddam Hussein is alive. The Iraqi regime does have an extensive network of deep underground hardened bunkers under Baghdad and Tikrit. Some were built in the 80s by Switz, German and Ugoslav engineers, others more recently by Iraqis.
U.S. officials say they are not sure whether the buildings that were hit have bunkers under them. Experts say while the 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs are highly effective, the target information must be very precise. One expert told me if the bunker buster bomb misses the room where the targeted individuals are by just about 15 feet, then a foot-thick reinforced wall can protect the occupants from more than just some damage to their ears. So, it's not clear whether they were in a bunker under this building or whether they were definitely there, but U.S. Officials say they do believe they have good information that Saddam Hussein and/or one of his sons was there. So they are hopeful that they are taking out the leadership one by one, as one put it -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: David, whether Saddam Hussein himself is still alive or not, what are your sources saying about who is still calling the shots? We Tory Clark at the Pentagon a short time ago say somebody is still giving some orders.
What do your intelligence sources say -- or from whom do they understand those orders to be coming?
ENSOR: I haven't gotten any names from officials as to who they think might be running the show at this point. They do, however, say that who it is is not always getting very clear information and is not always giving very clear orders. For example, one official told me that they have, I guess, they probably monitor conversations, I don't know that for a fact, but that some senior official was quoted as talking about ordering some unit to do something when that unit no longer exists. And if you had any kind of communications, he would know that. Another official saying that it seemed that the top leaders in Baghdad thought they still had control of Baghdad airport, well after they had lost control of it -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. All of this is fascinating. And I know, David, continuing to work his sources in the intelligence community and elsewhere.
Thank you, David Ensor, very much.
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 8, 2003 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the intelligence information that prompted the so-called decapitation strike yesterday against Saddam Hussein. CNN's national security correspondent David Ensor has been talking to CNN sources about what led up to the attack. He joins us now with what he's learned -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the attack, the bombs hit just 45 minutes after U.S. intelligence told the Pentagon that senior Iraqi leaders, possibly including Saddam Hussein and one or more of his two sons were at the location in a Baghdad neighborhood. U.S. officials are saying they do not know whether they killed the Iraqi leader or not. They say it may be some time before the U.S. can be sure whether Saddam Hussein is alive. The Iraqi regime does have an extensive network of deep underground hardened bunkers under Baghdad and Tikrit. Some were built in the 80s by Switz, German and Ugoslav engineers, others more recently by Iraqis.
U.S. officials say they are not sure whether the buildings that were hit have bunkers under them. Experts say while the 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs are highly effective, the target information must be very precise. One expert told me if the bunker buster bomb misses the room where the targeted individuals are by just about 15 feet, then a foot-thick reinforced wall can protect the occupants from more than just some damage to their ears. So, it's not clear whether they were in a bunker under this building or whether they were definitely there, but U.S. Officials say they do believe they have good information that Saddam Hussein and/or one of his sons was there. So they are hopeful that they are taking out the leadership one by one, as one put it -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: David, whether Saddam Hussein himself is still alive or not, what are your sources saying about who is still calling the shots? We Tory Clark at the Pentagon a short time ago say somebody is still giving some orders.
What do your intelligence sources say -- or from whom do they understand those orders to be coming?
ENSOR: I haven't gotten any names from officials as to who they think might be running the show at this point. They do, however, say that who it is is not always getting very clear information and is not always giving very clear orders. For example, one official told me that they have, I guess, they probably monitor conversations, I don't know that for a fact, but that some senior official was quoted as talking about ordering some unit to do something when that unit no longer exists. And if you had any kind of communications, he would know that. Another official saying that it seemed that the top leaders in Baghdad thought they still had control of Baghdad airport, well after they had lost control of it -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. All of this is fascinating. And I know, David, continuing to work his sources in the intelligence community and elsewhere.
Thank you, David Ensor, very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
