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Iraqis Celebrate in Streets as U.S. Takes Hold of Baghdad

Aired April 09, 2003 - 15:30   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: A different kind of attack in Baghdad. Iraqis venting their anger today at Saddam Hussein, pounding away at statues and other symbols. U.S. officials say they believe Saddam's regime has fallen too.
Is the Iraqi leader dead or in hiding?

I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington, where the Bush administration is calling today's images from Bag historic and breathtaking.

For more on the celebrations in Iraq and the war that is still being fought, let's go to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer, in Kuwait City -- Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. The head of the Iraqi National Congress tells me opposition groups have information Saddam Hussein survived a massive air strike on Baghdad on Monday, and has escaped the Iraqi capital with at least one of his sons. We have no confirmation of what Ahmed Chalabi is saying.

Whatever Saddam's fate, many people in Baghdad are celebrating the apparent collapse of his iron rule.

U.S. officials say they see no sign of a regime in control in Baghdad or indeed anywhere else. For many, this was the moment Saddam fell, when one of his statues in the capital was toppled. U.S. Marines pulled it down with a tank, after Iraqis chipped away at its base in scenes reminiscent, as all of us remember, of the demise of the Berlin Wall.

But just two miles away from that scene in Firdos (ph) Square, on the campus of Baghdad University, a reminder that the war is not over yet.

Marines came under heavy fire, turning the campus into a battlefield. And we had a report about an hour ago of new gunfire heard west of the Tigris River in Baghdad.

Another concern in the Iraqi capital, looting. With Saddam's security teams and death squads gone, some Iraqis took what they could, particularly from government buildings, another apparent attempt at revenge after so many years, indeed decades, of suppression.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calls this -- and I'm quoting now -- "a very good day for the Iraqi people." That may feel like an understatement to some of those in Baghdad who were elated to see U.S. tanks roll in.

Neil Connery of ITN filed this report from the Iraqi capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEIL CONNERY, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Into the very heart of Baghdad, U.S. tanks and troops finally arrived, spelling the end to the Iraqi regime. The "Stars and Stripes" have come to town. Saddam Hussein's reign of terror is over.

(on camera): So nearly three weeks after this war began, U.S. forces are now coming into the center of Baghdad. This is what regime change looks like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, just keep the truck off to the side. There's too much over here already.

(voice-over): But no one here was taking any chances, checking all the time for possible resistance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did. There's no barrels, nothing on the roof.

CONNERY (on camera): Are you pleased to be in Baghdad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, a feeling of satisfaction, I guess. It's almost over -- if I could just go home soon.

CONNERY: What's it like being in the middle of Baghdad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of crazy. A pretty good, warm welcome from everybody kind of.

CONNERY: Good luck. Stay safe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Thanks. You too.

CONNERY (voice-over): The welcome was definitely warm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Baghdad, I say to the American people, and thank you for all things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CONNERY: The president's rule is no more. Years of repression and brutality have been brought to a close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody here has suffered a lot from the unfair regime of Saddam Hussein and all his, you know, his soldiers and the others, and we just want to get rid of him these days. And let's wait and see what America has waiting for us.

CONNERY: Saddam's statue soon became the focus of the crowd's anger.

In front of our hotel, Iraqis were burning pictures of the president. Back at the statue, they found a ladder and a rope. The people were determined to topple Saddam.

CONNERY (on camera): Tell me, will you bring his statue down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

CONNERY (voice-over): A few hours later, they found a crane to do the job. For decades, his image could be seen at almost every turn in this country. But everything has changed here now.

And then, as evening fell, so did Saddam, removed from power.

They are a people free at last to express what they really think. Saddam is gone.

Neil Connery, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Those scenes from earlier today, this historic day, Wednesday, April the 9th, in Iraq.

Well, right now, it is about 11:00 at night on this Wednesday. CNN's Rula Amin has been watching all of these developments throughout the day in Baghdad from her watching post just across the border in Jordan.

Rula, we had to abruptly cut away from you -- again, apologies -- a few minutes ago to go to the White House briefing. But right now, tell us what you are hearing from the people you are talking to inside Baghdad.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, it was a long, dramatic day in Baghdad, and it ended with that dramatic scene of Iraqi young men collaborating with the U.S. soldiers to bring the statue of Saddam Hussein down. It was very symbolic of how the day had unfolded in the Iraqi capital.

In the morning, as soon as people saw signs of a collapsing regime, where officials, Iraqi officials have disappeared from government offices and Iraq security forces disappeared from the streets, crowds in Saddam City, a poor, overpopulated neighborhoods, went on the streets and started cheering the falling of the regime.

Those are long opponents of the Iraqi regime and the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. For years, they couldn't go on the streets and express their dissatisfaction.

On this day, they did. They were very cheerful. They welcomed the U.S. troops, and they thanked President Bush for what he did. Many of them know people who have been in prison, who have been killed by the regime. Shiite leaders have been persecuted, some assassinated. It's a predominantly Shiites, the Iraqi majority that lives in that neighborhood. And those people were very happy to see the regime go.

And there were also looters in Baghdad. People just stormed government buildings, U.N. headquarters, university. They took everything they can take, things that are valuable and things that you would think are un-valuable, like plastic flowers. They took chairs; they took desks, safe boxes, documents, anything they can put their hands onto.

It was seen -- and those scenes of the looting have caused a lot of alarm among other residents in Baghdad who have been, for weeks and months, expressing concern that, even if they welcome the removal of Saddam Hussein, they are concerned and actually very anxious on what will happen next, the chaos that will follow, the breakdown of the law and order.

And today, they saw only bits of it, but it really alarmed people for what will be next -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Rula, those scenes that we saw of celebrating were in the daytime. We've heard a number of people say, at night, a sense of fear has come back over the city. What are the people you're talking to say about just how safe, how secure they feel now?

AMIN: Well, right now, people feel the streets of Baghdad are still dangerous because, in the morning, it was all quiet. There were no fights going on. The U.S. troops were advancing with (INAUDIBLE) on the resistance.

However, as the day unfolded, there were more resistance in the afternoon, more firefights in different parts of Baghdad. We do know that the Red Cross even said that some of its vehicles have been caught in the crossfire, and they haven't been yet able to reach the wounded in order to evacuate.

So people in Baghdad are very aware of these dangerous streets. Many of them are staying at home trying to assess what is going on. And many know that some of the Iraqi regime's bets loyal, who were on the streets last night with their guns, have disappeared. They have got rid of their uniforms, got rid of their weapons and blended among the civilians.

So people are wondering, does that mean that they have given up on the fight, or are they preparing for another fight, as U.S. troops push forward in the Iraqi capital -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: So, Rula, it sounds like you are saying a number of people, despite all this celebrating, are taking nothing for granted. All right -- Rula Amin reporting for us from the border between Iraq and Jordan.

So, Wolf, back to you. BLITZER: Thanks very much -- Judy. U.S. officials in the war zone and in Washington are continuing to warn that fierce battles and difficult challenge may still lie ahead in Iraq.

CNN's Martin Savidge is with the 7th Marines 1st Battalion. He was with them earlier today when they came under heavy fire at Baghdad University.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're way beyond sniper fire. This is all-out complete engagement here. We've got mortar fire, heavy machine guns. Fires are now burning on the campus. This is Baghdad University, and it is warfare on this campus at this moment.

You can hear the heavy machine guns of the Armored Personnel Carriers. They appear to be focused on some lower level buildings, both to their right and also towards the center.

There's mortar fire that is also accompanying this, and you can see black smoke now beginning to rise from a number of the buildings. There's an explosion.

Roaring fire now starting to come out from one building up on the left. And that sounds like a missile or tank fire, heavy machine gun. And I think we'll just get down for a second.

The Marine Infantry are on the move. This is one of the ways that they deal with situations like this. Of course, you have your armor that is placed around, but it is the infantry, the troops on the ground that have to go in and root out whatever opposing force may be embedded in buildings. It will come down to, perhaps, room-to-room searching now.

There is a heavier boom coming. Could be artillery being brought to bear or that could just be artillery in the area. But once again, you can see that the black smoke is starting to envelope the campus here, as well as the gunfire.

But you can see that the Marines are spread out in front of us. There are also Marine units that are on the side in blocking positions, and they are being held in reserve, as the forward elements directly in front of us attempt to move up and get into position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: CNN's Martin Savidge is embedded with the U.S. Marines at Baghdad University. They came under heavy fire earlier today, but it's quiet now. We just heard from Marty within the past few minutes live. It's quiet now, and the Marines have the situation under control.

We're going to be hearing back from Marty in the next hour with a live report. Once again, he's at Baghdad University -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf. A reaction now from the Pentagon to today's dramatic developments. Let's turn to our senior military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, from the sounds of the briefing, it sounds like they are clearly pleased, but they are not ready to celebrate yet.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, cautious optimism with the emphasis probably on the optimism, as opposed to the caution. But there is a caution. The first words out of Secretary Rumsfeld's mouth today at the briefing were, "It's a good day for the Iraqi people."

He did, however, worn that there will be fighting to come. He said the Iraqi people are understandably elated at the prospect of life without Saddam Hussein. He said the Pentagon has said from the beginning that Saddam Hussein was finished, and now the Iraq people are daring to believe it.

But again, Rumsfeld cautioned, in his words, that there's still a great deal of work to do and many unfinished missions to compete before victory can be declared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There's a lot more fighting that's going to be done. There are -- more people are going to be killed, let there be no doubt. This is not over, despite all the celebrations on the street.

We're going to go in at exactly the right moment and do a very good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld mentioned a lot of things that still need to be accomplished, including things like securing the oil fields in the north, of course finding weapons of mass destruction. A big priority for the United States is accounting for prisoners of war, who the United States still believes are being held by Iraq. And, of course, perhaps number one on the list is accounting for Saddam Hussein, his sons and other members of senior Iraqi leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUMSFELD: It is hard to find a single person. It is hard to find them when they are alive and mobile. It's hard to find them when they are not well, and it's hard to find them if they are buried under rubble.

We don't know. And he's not been around. He's not active. Therefore, he's either dead or he's incapacitated, or he's healthy and cowering in some tunnel some place, trying to avoid being caught.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, the United States concedes that it still does not control major portions of Iraq, even if Baghdad is in the process of falling. One key area, a stronghold for the Ba'athist Party, is Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's ancestral home.

The big question is if that if Baghdad is taken, will there have to be a final battle at Tikrit or will that also fold as well.

Meanwhile, the symbolism -- in fact the double symbolism of the toppling of that statue of Saddam Hussein in the main square was not lost on many here at the Pentagon. Not only the fact that it symbolized the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime, but the fact that the Iraqi people wanted to topple that statue, but they couldn't do it without the help of the U.S. military -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And, Jamie, just quickly, the question that we keep coming back to you with -- how are they defining when this war is over?

MCINTYRE: Well, they are not, actually. They are saying it's over in some places. It may be over in Baghdad soon, and there may be more fighting to come.

But I think that they'll be able to declare some sort of actual victory once there are no pockets of resistance, once all of Iraq is under U.S. control and once they can begin the flow of humanitarian aid and start rebuilding the country.

That will be the point where they can say that, truly, they have won a victory in Iraq -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right -- Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you.

Well, the White House is calling today's developments in Baghdad a historic moment.

And speaking in New Orleans, Vice President Dick Cheney called the war one of the most extraordinary military campaigns ever conducted. His comments came in a speech to the meeting of the American Newspaper Editors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATED: In downtown Baghdad this morning, we are seeing evidence of the collapse of any central regime authority. The streets are full of people celebrating. While pockets of regime security forces may remain, they appear to be far less effective at putting up any resistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: A short time ago, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer also weighed in on the developments in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There will be, as you know, a whole series of plans that have been in place, and meetings and discussions have been taking place about the future of the government of Iraq to be based on work by the Iraqi people from both inside and outside Iraq.

A meeting of free Iraqis will take place very soon. And the time of the meeting will depend on a number of factors, including the security situation on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Ari Fleischer says the events in Baghdad prove, in his words, freedom's taste is unquenchable -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy. Despite the scenes of jubilation, firefights continued today in parts of Baghdad, and the civilian casualties continue to mount.

The International Red Cross says it has temporarily halted its work in Baghdad because of what it described as chaos in parts of the city. A Red Cross official said people caught in the crossfire cannot be evacuated from some areas, and a Red Cross worker was killed when his car was hit by gunfire.

There are no official casualty figures from the Iraqi government. Abu Dhabi Television quotes Iraqi sources as saying more than 1,200 civilians have been killed and more than 5,000 have been injured.

U.S. Central Command says more than 7,300 Iraqi troops are being held as prisoners of war -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Still much more ahead in our special coverage of this historic day in the war in Iraq.

Even as Iraqis celebrated in Baghdad, combat continued in the north. We'll get the latest from our reporters there.

And we'll get reaction from U.S. pilots on developments in Baghdad, a live report from a Forward Air Base. Stay with us.

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 9, 2003 - 15:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: A different kind of attack in Baghdad. Iraqis venting their anger today at Saddam Hussein, pounding away at statues and other symbols. U.S. officials say they believe Saddam's regime has fallen too.
Is the Iraqi leader dead or in hiding?

I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington, where the Bush administration is calling today's images from Bag historic and breathtaking.

For more on the celebrations in Iraq and the war that is still being fought, let's go to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer, in Kuwait City -- Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. The head of the Iraqi National Congress tells me opposition groups have information Saddam Hussein survived a massive air strike on Baghdad on Monday, and has escaped the Iraqi capital with at least one of his sons. We have no confirmation of what Ahmed Chalabi is saying.

Whatever Saddam's fate, many people in Baghdad are celebrating the apparent collapse of his iron rule.

U.S. officials say they see no sign of a regime in control in Baghdad or indeed anywhere else. For many, this was the moment Saddam fell, when one of his statues in the capital was toppled. U.S. Marines pulled it down with a tank, after Iraqis chipped away at its base in scenes reminiscent, as all of us remember, of the demise of the Berlin Wall.

But just two miles away from that scene in Firdos (ph) Square, on the campus of Baghdad University, a reminder that the war is not over yet.

Marines came under heavy fire, turning the campus into a battlefield. And we had a report about an hour ago of new gunfire heard west of the Tigris River in Baghdad.

Another concern in the Iraqi capital, looting. With Saddam's security teams and death squads gone, some Iraqis took what they could, particularly from government buildings, another apparent attempt at revenge after so many years, indeed decades, of suppression.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calls this -- and I'm quoting now -- "a very good day for the Iraqi people." That may feel like an understatement to some of those in Baghdad who were elated to see U.S. tanks roll in.

Neil Connery of ITN filed this report from the Iraqi capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEIL CONNERY, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Into the very heart of Baghdad, U.S. tanks and troops finally arrived, spelling the end to the Iraqi regime. The "Stars and Stripes" have come to town. Saddam Hussein's reign of terror is over.

(on camera): So nearly three weeks after this war began, U.S. forces are now coming into the center of Baghdad. This is what regime change looks like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, just keep the truck off to the side. There's too much over here already.

(voice-over): But no one here was taking any chances, checking all the time for possible resistance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did. There's no barrels, nothing on the roof.

CONNERY (on camera): Are you pleased to be in Baghdad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, a feeling of satisfaction, I guess. It's almost over -- if I could just go home soon.

CONNERY: What's it like being in the middle of Baghdad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of crazy. A pretty good, warm welcome from everybody kind of.

CONNERY: Good luck. Stay safe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Thanks. You too.

CONNERY (voice-over): The welcome was definitely warm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Baghdad, I say to the American people, and thank you for all things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CONNERY: The president's rule is no more. Years of repression and brutality have been brought to a close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody here has suffered a lot from the unfair regime of Saddam Hussein and all his, you know, his soldiers and the others, and we just want to get rid of him these days. And let's wait and see what America has waiting for us.

CONNERY: Saddam's statue soon became the focus of the crowd's anger.

In front of our hotel, Iraqis were burning pictures of the president. Back at the statue, they found a ladder and a rope. The people were determined to topple Saddam.

CONNERY (on camera): Tell me, will you bring his statue down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey.

CONNERY (voice-over): A few hours later, they found a crane to do the job. For decades, his image could be seen at almost every turn in this country. But everything has changed here now.

And then, as evening fell, so did Saddam, removed from power.

They are a people free at last to express what they really think. Saddam is gone.

Neil Connery, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Those scenes from earlier today, this historic day, Wednesday, April the 9th, in Iraq.

Well, right now, it is about 11:00 at night on this Wednesday. CNN's Rula Amin has been watching all of these developments throughout the day in Baghdad from her watching post just across the border in Jordan.

Rula, we had to abruptly cut away from you -- again, apologies -- a few minutes ago to go to the White House briefing. But right now, tell us what you are hearing from the people you are talking to inside Baghdad.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, it was a long, dramatic day in Baghdad, and it ended with that dramatic scene of Iraqi young men collaborating with the U.S. soldiers to bring the statue of Saddam Hussein down. It was very symbolic of how the day had unfolded in the Iraqi capital.

In the morning, as soon as people saw signs of a collapsing regime, where officials, Iraqi officials have disappeared from government offices and Iraq security forces disappeared from the streets, crowds in Saddam City, a poor, overpopulated neighborhoods, went on the streets and started cheering the falling of the regime.

Those are long opponents of the Iraqi regime and the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. For years, they couldn't go on the streets and express their dissatisfaction.

On this day, they did. They were very cheerful. They welcomed the U.S. troops, and they thanked President Bush for what he did. Many of them know people who have been in prison, who have been killed by the regime. Shiite leaders have been persecuted, some assassinated. It's a predominantly Shiites, the Iraqi majority that lives in that neighborhood. And those people were very happy to see the regime go.

And there were also looters in Baghdad. People just stormed government buildings, U.N. headquarters, university. They took everything they can take, things that are valuable and things that you would think are un-valuable, like plastic flowers. They took chairs; they took desks, safe boxes, documents, anything they can put their hands onto.

It was seen -- and those scenes of the looting have caused a lot of alarm among other residents in Baghdad who have been, for weeks and months, expressing concern that, even if they welcome the removal of Saddam Hussein, they are concerned and actually very anxious on what will happen next, the chaos that will follow, the breakdown of the law and order.

And today, they saw only bits of it, but it really alarmed people for what will be next -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Rula, those scenes that we saw of celebrating were in the daytime. We've heard a number of people say, at night, a sense of fear has come back over the city. What are the people you're talking to say about just how safe, how secure they feel now?

AMIN: Well, right now, people feel the streets of Baghdad are still dangerous because, in the morning, it was all quiet. There were no fights going on. The U.S. troops were advancing with (INAUDIBLE) on the resistance.

However, as the day unfolded, there were more resistance in the afternoon, more firefights in different parts of Baghdad. We do know that the Red Cross even said that some of its vehicles have been caught in the crossfire, and they haven't been yet able to reach the wounded in order to evacuate.

So people in Baghdad are very aware of these dangerous streets. Many of them are staying at home trying to assess what is going on. And many know that some of the Iraqi regime's bets loyal, who were on the streets last night with their guns, have disappeared. They have got rid of their uniforms, got rid of their weapons and blended among the civilians.

So people are wondering, does that mean that they have given up on the fight, or are they preparing for another fight, as U.S. troops push forward in the Iraqi capital -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: So, Rula, it sounds like you are saying a number of people, despite all this celebrating, are taking nothing for granted. All right -- Rula Amin reporting for us from the border between Iraq and Jordan.

So, Wolf, back to you. BLITZER: Thanks very much -- Judy. U.S. officials in the war zone and in Washington are continuing to warn that fierce battles and difficult challenge may still lie ahead in Iraq.

CNN's Martin Savidge is with the 7th Marines 1st Battalion. He was with them earlier today when they came under heavy fire at Baghdad University.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're way beyond sniper fire. This is all-out complete engagement here. We've got mortar fire, heavy machine guns. Fires are now burning on the campus. This is Baghdad University, and it is warfare on this campus at this moment.

You can hear the heavy machine guns of the Armored Personnel Carriers. They appear to be focused on some lower level buildings, both to their right and also towards the center.

There's mortar fire that is also accompanying this, and you can see black smoke now beginning to rise from a number of the buildings. There's an explosion.

Roaring fire now starting to come out from one building up on the left. And that sounds like a missile or tank fire, heavy machine gun. And I think we'll just get down for a second.

The Marine Infantry are on the move. This is one of the ways that they deal with situations like this. Of course, you have your armor that is placed around, but it is the infantry, the troops on the ground that have to go in and root out whatever opposing force may be embedded in buildings. It will come down to, perhaps, room-to-room searching now.

There is a heavier boom coming. Could be artillery being brought to bear or that could just be artillery in the area. But once again, you can see that the black smoke is starting to envelope the campus here, as well as the gunfire.

But you can see that the Marines are spread out in front of us. There are also Marine units that are on the side in blocking positions, and they are being held in reserve, as the forward elements directly in front of us attempt to move up and get into position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: CNN's Martin Savidge is embedded with the U.S. Marines at Baghdad University. They came under heavy fire earlier today, but it's quiet now. We just heard from Marty within the past few minutes live. It's quiet now, and the Marines have the situation under control.

We're going to be hearing back from Marty in the next hour with a live report. Once again, he's at Baghdad University -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf. A reaction now from the Pentagon to today's dramatic developments. Let's turn to our senior military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, from the sounds of the briefing, it sounds like they are clearly pleased, but they are not ready to celebrate yet.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, cautious optimism with the emphasis probably on the optimism, as opposed to the caution. But there is a caution. The first words out of Secretary Rumsfeld's mouth today at the briefing were, "It's a good day for the Iraqi people."

He did, however, worn that there will be fighting to come. He said the Iraqi people are understandably elated at the prospect of life without Saddam Hussein. He said the Pentagon has said from the beginning that Saddam Hussein was finished, and now the Iraq people are daring to believe it.

But again, Rumsfeld cautioned, in his words, that there's still a great deal of work to do and many unfinished missions to compete before victory can be declared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There's a lot more fighting that's going to be done. There are -- more people are going to be killed, let there be no doubt. This is not over, despite all the celebrations on the street.

We're going to go in at exactly the right moment and do a very good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld mentioned a lot of things that still need to be accomplished, including things like securing the oil fields in the north, of course finding weapons of mass destruction. A big priority for the United States is accounting for prisoners of war, who the United States still believes are being held by Iraq. And, of course, perhaps number one on the list is accounting for Saddam Hussein, his sons and other members of senior Iraqi leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUMSFELD: It is hard to find a single person. It is hard to find them when they are alive and mobile. It's hard to find them when they are not well, and it's hard to find them if they are buried under rubble.

We don't know. And he's not been around. He's not active. Therefore, he's either dead or he's incapacitated, or he's healthy and cowering in some tunnel some place, trying to avoid being caught.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, the United States concedes that it still does not control major portions of Iraq, even if Baghdad is in the process of falling. One key area, a stronghold for the Ba'athist Party, is Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's ancestral home.

The big question is if that if Baghdad is taken, will there have to be a final battle at Tikrit or will that also fold as well.

Meanwhile, the symbolism -- in fact the double symbolism of the toppling of that statue of Saddam Hussein in the main square was not lost on many here at the Pentagon. Not only the fact that it symbolized the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime, but the fact that the Iraqi people wanted to topple that statue, but they couldn't do it without the help of the U.S. military -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And, Jamie, just quickly, the question that we keep coming back to you with -- how are they defining when this war is over?

MCINTYRE: Well, they are not, actually. They are saying it's over in some places. It may be over in Baghdad soon, and there may be more fighting to come.

But I think that they'll be able to declare some sort of actual victory once there are no pockets of resistance, once all of Iraq is under U.S. control and once they can begin the flow of humanitarian aid and start rebuilding the country.

That will be the point where they can say that, truly, they have won a victory in Iraq -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right -- Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you.

Well, the White House is calling today's developments in Baghdad a historic moment.

And speaking in New Orleans, Vice President Dick Cheney called the war one of the most extraordinary military campaigns ever conducted. His comments came in a speech to the meeting of the American Newspaper Editors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATED: In downtown Baghdad this morning, we are seeing evidence of the collapse of any central regime authority. The streets are full of people celebrating. While pockets of regime security forces may remain, they appear to be far less effective at putting up any resistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: A short time ago, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer also weighed in on the developments in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There will be, as you know, a whole series of plans that have been in place, and meetings and discussions have been taking place about the future of the government of Iraq to be based on work by the Iraqi people from both inside and outside Iraq.

A meeting of free Iraqis will take place very soon. And the time of the meeting will depend on a number of factors, including the security situation on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Ari Fleischer says the events in Baghdad prove, in his words, freedom's taste is unquenchable -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy. Despite the scenes of jubilation, firefights continued today in parts of Baghdad, and the civilian casualties continue to mount.

The International Red Cross says it has temporarily halted its work in Baghdad because of what it described as chaos in parts of the city. A Red Cross official said people caught in the crossfire cannot be evacuated from some areas, and a Red Cross worker was killed when his car was hit by gunfire.

There are no official casualty figures from the Iraqi government. Abu Dhabi Television quotes Iraqi sources as saying more than 1,200 civilians have been killed and more than 5,000 have been injured.

U.S. Central Command says more than 7,300 Iraqi troops are being held as prisoners of war -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Still much more ahead in our special coverage of this historic day in the war in Iraq.

Even as Iraqis celebrated in Baghdad, combat continued in the north. We'll get the latest from our reporters there.

And we'll get reaction from U.S. pilots on developments in Baghdad, a live report from a Forward Air Base. Stay with us.

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