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Troops Work to Restore Order in Baghdad

Aired April 15, 2003 - 12:12   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, ANCHOR: Let's move to Baghdad right now where there are still, of course, very, very important developments underway. The war is not yet necessarily completely over.
CNN's Jim Clancy is joining us live from the Iraqi capital. Jim, I understand there was lots of excitement where you are right now at the Palestine Hotel just a few hours ago.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there certainly was. At daybreak, practically, U.S. Marines woke some of us up on the 17th floor. What they were doing was a weapons search as they were trying to make sure that this whole area is cleared of any weapons. No sniping incidents are wanted around here. There are hundreds of U.S. Marines in this vicinity as well as the international press corps.

They did a scan of the floor. Three suspects were picked up and questioned. We don't know what the final disposition of that was.

We heard just a few minutes ago, Wolf, the secretary of state talking about the cost of this conflict, what it was going to cost the neighbors. The concerns all around about the political fate here. There's also concern about the humanitarian outcome, as well.

Twelve-year-old Ali is lying in a hospital in Baghdad. He is a young man who has really come to symbolize in many ways the terrible civilian casualties that were suffered in the U.S. bombings. The U.S. said repeatedly it did everything it could, but in any conflict bombs go astray. He lost both of his arms, he lost both of his parents, he lost both of his sisters. He lost one of his brothers. He is being evacuated from that hospital; he's going on to Kuwait, we believe, for further treatment.

At the same time you can't forget the hundreds, if not thousands of other victims, other people that are trying to recover from wounds that they suffered in all of this.

But right now a lot of the emphasis, Wolf, has to remain on keeping the city secure. Step by step, day by day it's being done. Let me show you some of the step by step.

U.S. Marines out on a patrol. They were on a foot patrol in the Sajute (ph) neighborhood. Now, that's along the east bank of the Tigris River, residential area. They're very heavily armed with squad automatic weapons, with anti-tank weapons. This isn't a normal foot patrol by any stretch of the imagination. But you get the idea. So did the looters. Really a sharp drop-off in that problem today. And on perhaps a little bit of a lighter note. Marines have been out in the field as you well know, Wolf, for not just weeks but for months. Some of them managed to bed down today in one of the palaces here in Baghdad, the palace belonging to the former wife of President Saddam Hussein. They got to stretch out on some of the chase lounges. They got to stretch out on some of the beds. A good night's sleep up ahead for them. These pictures just taken about an hour, hour and a half ago by our Joe Duran (ph).

So on that note that's a look at life in Baghdad up to the minute -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jim Clancy, another question before I let you go. The whole notion of these joint patrols between U.S. troops, Marines, soldiers and Iraqi police officers that started on a very, very modest basis. Is it getting off the ground? Is it going to work?

CLANCY: It is getting off the ground and it does look like it's going to work. It's going to have some advantages.

I was able to speak today briefly with the U.S. soldier who is also a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, who's coordinating all of these. He said around the world. I don't care where you go, cops are cops. They work the same. He said that they are able to communicate better with the people. We are able to give them the backup that they need to know they have the force and protection to do it.

He said one of the first young officers he saw going out returned within an hour. He had a stolen car and three looters in custody.

They're very enthused about it. So, too, are the people in Baghdad, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jim Clancy, our man on scene for us in Baghdad. Thanks very much, Jim.

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 15, 2003 - 12:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR: Let's move to Baghdad right now where there are still, of course, very, very important developments underway. The war is not yet necessarily completely over.
CNN's Jim Clancy is joining us live from the Iraqi capital. Jim, I understand there was lots of excitement where you are right now at the Palestine Hotel just a few hours ago.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there certainly was. At daybreak, practically, U.S. Marines woke some of us up on the 17th floor. What they were doing was a weapons search as they were trying to make sure that this whole area is cleared of any weapons. No sniping incidents are wanted around here. There are hundreds of U.S. Marines in this vicinity as well as the international press corps.

They did a scan of the floor. Three suspects were picked up and questioned. We don't know what the final disposition of that was.

We heard just a few minutes ago, Wolf, the secretary of state talking about the cost of this conflict, what it was going to cost the neighbors. The concerns all around about the political fate here. There's also concern about the humanitarian outcome, as well.

Twelve-year-old Ali is lying in a hospital in Baghdad. He is a young man who has really come to symbolize in many ways the terrible civilian casualties that were suffered in the U.S. bombings. The U.S. said repeatedly it did everything it could, but in any conflict bombs go astray. He lost both of his arms, he lost both of his parents, he lost both of his sisters. He lost one of his brothers. He is being evacuated from that hospital; he's going on to Kuwait, we believe, for further treatment.

At the same time you can't forget the hundreds, if not thousands of other victims, other people that are trying to recover from wounds that they suffered in all of this.

But right now a lot of the emphasis, Wolf, has to remain on keeping the city secure. Step by step, day by day it's being done. Let me show you some of the step by step.

U.S. Marines out on a patrol. They were on a foot patrol in the Sajute (ph) neighborhood. Now, that's along the east bank of the Tigris River, residential area. They're very heavily armed with squad automatic weapons, with anti-tank weapons. This isn't a normal foot patrol by any stretch of the imagination. But you get the idea. So did the looters. Really a sharp drop-off in that problem today. And on perhaps a little bit of a lighter note. Marines have been out in the field as you well know, Wolf, for not just weeks but for months. Some of them managed to bed down today in one of the palaces here in Baghdad, the palace belonging to the former wife of President Saddam Hussein. They got to stretch out on some of the chase lounges. They got to stretch out on some of the beds. A good night's sleep up ahead for them. These pictures just taken about an hour, hour and a half ago by our Joe Duran (ph).

So on that note that's a look at life in Baghdad up to the minute -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jim Clancy, another question before I let you go. The whole notion of these joint patrols between U.S. troops, Marines, soldiers and Iraqi police officers that started on a very, very modest basis. Is it getting off the ground? Is it going to work?

CLANCY: It is getting off the ground and it does look like it's going to work. It's going to have some advantages.

I was able to speak today briefly with the U.S. soldier who is also a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, who's coordinating all of these. He said around the world. I don't care where you go, cops are cops. They work the same. He said that they are able to communicate better with the people. We are able to give them the backup that they need to know they have the force and protection to do it.

He said one of the first young officers he saw going out returned within an hour. He had a stolen car and three looters in custody.

They're very enthused about it. So, too, are the people in Baghdad, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jim Clancy, our man on scene for us in Baghdad. Thanks very much, Jim.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com