Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

U.S. Forces Hunt For Saddam Loyalists, Weapons

Aired June 16, 2003 - 14:11   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces sweeping across Iraq in an offensive aimed at ending attacks on U.S. troops and getting big guns out of the hands of Iraqis. It's been called "Operation Desert Scorpion." It's part of a carrot and stick approach by the U.S. military to deal with the Iraqis, and it's -- well, it's like walking a tight rope.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad with details of how difficult the operation may turn out to be. Hello, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hello, Miles. It's actually more like walking through a minefield. In fact, today there was an explosion in a road tunnel on a busy part - in a busy part of Baghdad. A passing taxi setoff a land mine - an improvised land mine -- in an area on a road frequently used by U.S. forces. Several Iraqis were hurt in that incident. In another -- in several other incidents, in one north of Baghdad, a civilian bus was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. No precise words on casualties there.

In another instance, a U.S. convoy was shot upon and four U.S. soldiers were injured in that incident. Now, you mentioned "Operation Desert Scorpion" now in its second day. It continues to go after those sources of resistance, and in the process U.S. troops are finding themselves playing something of a double role not unlike that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): In full combat gear, America's fighting men prepare for a different kind of mission, making Fallujah beautiful. Clearing away the rubbish and rubble littering a vacant lot. It's a charm offensive intended to soothe the sting of "Operation Desert Scorpion", America's latest attempt to crackdown on persistent armed Iraqi resistance. Residents had mixed feelings about the neighborhood cleanup.

These projects are great, says driver Mohammed Ali Hussein. We all benefit from them. But we want more. We want them to fix the water, the electricity. Several said they suspected the true purpose of this cleanup was to search for buried illegal weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new water project is this location here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. WEDEMAN: Back at the mayor's office, Army engineers and municipal officials work on plans to repair the sewage system, fix up schools, clean up the city, all projects with a message.

CAPTAIN KEVIN JACKSON, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: We have to secure the place and we have to sit on these people and make sure that any threat that is out there, which we believe is in the minorities, to make sure they understand that we're here to stay and we are here to help these people.

WEDEMAN: By day the carrot, by night the stick. On the first night of "Operation Desert Scorpion", U.S. troops arrested 38-year-old Fedas Ahmed (ph). Fedas (ph) was one of several men rounded up for suspicion of involvement of anti-American attacks. He and his extended family had been sleeping in the garden trying to get relief from the oppressive Iraqi summer heat.

His mother, Nashima (ph), says Fedas (ph) is handicapped and could hardly have been involved in any attacks on the Americans. His uncle, Jason (ph), is bitter about the stick and has yet to see the carrot.

I was one of the people who swore as soon as the Americans came, I would invite them into my home, he said. Now we're all ready to become Saddam's Fedayeen. The outcome of America's proverbial battle for Iraq's heart and mind is still very uncertain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: The outcome of that struggle for the hearts and minds, as I said, is still unclear, but there is -- this operation is yielding some results, Miles. U.S. forces said they found as many as 70 tank rounds in one area west of Baghdad, rounds they believe will be recycled, the explosives that is, to make bombs -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Ben, is there a sense that there are enough boots on the ground, as they say in the military, enough U.S. forces there to accomplish what is becoming a more intricate and difficult job, it seems, by the day?

WEDEMAN: Well, it does seem that sometimes the U.S. troops are overwhelmed. This is a huge country with thousands of communities, villages, towns, some very big cities, and there's a lot of area to cover and it's really difficult for the U.S. troops to be everywhere all the time. And they have other problems, too. Linguistic problems.

Not every patrol that goes down the street, that sees the ordinary Iraqis has a translator. So oftentimes you hear Iraqis saying, if only we could speak to these people, to these American troops, maybe we could work things out, solve some problems. It sometimes seems that there is simply a communication breakdown in addition to the fact that it does appear they could use a few more men on the street -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman, thank you 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 June 16, 2003 - 14:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces sweeping across Iraq in an offensive aimed at ending attacks on U.S. troops and getting big guns out of the hands of Iraqis. It's been called "Operation Desert Scorpion." It's part of a carrot and stick approach by the U.S. military to deal with the Iraqis, and it's -- well, it's like walking a tight rope.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad with details of how difficult the operation may turn out to be. Hello, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hello, Miles. It's actually more like walking through a minefield. In fact, today there was an explosion in a road tunnel on a busy part - in a busy part of Baghdad. A passing taxi setoff a land mine - an improvised land mine -- in an area on a road frequently used by U.S. forces. Several Iraqis were hurt in that incident. In another -- in several other incidents, in one north of Baghdad, a civilian bus was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. No precise words on casualties there.

In another instance, a U.S. convoy was shot upon and four U.S. soldiers were injured in that incident. Now, you mentioned "Operation Desert Scorpion" now in its second day. It continues to go after those sources of resistance, and in the process U.S. troops are finding themselves playing something of a double role not unlike that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): In full combat gear, America's fighting men prepare for a different kind of mission, making Fallujah beautiful. Clearing away the rubbish and rubble littering a vacant lot. It's a charm offensive intended to soothe the sting of "Operation Desert Scorpion", America's latest attempt to crackdown on persistent armed Iraqi resistance. Residents had mixed feelings about the neighborhood cleanup.

These projects are great, says driver Mohammed Ali Hussein. We all benefit from them. But we want more. We want them to fix the water, the electricity. Several said they suspected the true purpose of this cleanup was to search for buried illegal weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new water project is this location here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. WEDEMAN: Back at the mayor's office, Army engineers and municipal officials work on plans to repair the sewage system, fix up schools, clean up the city, all projects with a message.

CAPTAIN KEVIN JACKSON, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: We have to secure the place and we have to sit on these people and make sure that any threat that is out there, which we believe is in the minorities, to make sure they understand that we're here to stay and we are here to help these people.

WEDEMAN: By day the carrot, by night the stick. On the first night of "Operation Desert Scorpion", U.S. troops arrested 38-year-old Fedas Ahmed (ph). Fedas (ph) was one of several men rounded up for suspicion of involvement of anti-American attacks. He and his extended family had been sleeping in the garden trying to get relief from the oppressive Iraqi summer heat.

His mother, Nashima (ph), says Fedas (ph) is handicapped and could hardly have been involved in any attacks on the Americans. His uncle, Jason (ph), is bitter about the stick and has yet to see the carrot.

I was one of the people who swore as soon as the Americans came, I would invite them into my home, he said. Now we're all ready to become Saddam's Fedayeen. The outcome of America's proverbial battle for Iraq's heart and mind is still very uncertain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: The outcome of that struggle for the hearts and minds, as I said, is still unclear, but there is -- this operation is yielding some results, Miles. U.S. forces said they found as many as 70 tank rounds in one area west of Baghdad, rounds they believe will be recycled, the explosives that is, to make bombs -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Ben, is there a sense that there are enough boots on the ground, as they say in the military, enough U.S. forces there to accomplish what is becoming a more intricate and difficult job, it seems, by the day?

WEDEMAN: Well, it does seem that sometimes the U.S. troops are overwhelmed. This is a huge country with thousands of communities, villages, towns, some very big cities, and there's a lot of area to cover and it's really difficult for the U.S. troops to be everywhere all the time. And they have other problems, too. Linguistic problems.

Not every patrol that goes down the street, that sees the ordinary Iraqis has a translator. So oftentimes you hear Iraqis saying, if only we could speak to these people, to these American troops, maybe we could work things out, solve some problems. It sometimes seems that there is simply a communication breakdown in addition to the fact that it does appear they could use a few more men on the street -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman, thank you 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