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CNN Live Today

3-7th Cav Facing Heavy Fire

Aired April 03, 2003 - 10:02   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Walt Rodgers again back with us. We've been in and out now for almost two hours.
Walt, what's happening now with you and the 7th Cav as we continue to watch your image by way of videophone, and also that giant M1-A1 tank.

Walt, good evening again.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

You're watching soldiers attached to the 7th Cavalry in a high state of tension and alert, looking on both sides of the road now. They have been under nearly constant fire for the past two hours. Actually the fire has been intermittent, but at times it's been very severe. The Iraqis would set up ambushes on either side of the road.

Sometimes they'd be dug in just a few feet from where our vehicles have passed. One of the weapons they're using is a 20- millimeter antiaircraft gun, but instead of pointing it up in the air, they use it as an antitank weapon, and a vehicle to aim at the Bradley fighting vehicles.

And as I say, they've been shooting at us off on and on for the better part of two hours. My cameraman, Charlie Miller, has been sending pretty constant pictures, except when we had to shut down the camera. One of the things that happened to us was within 20 to 30 feet of us, we had seen sparks hitting the road right beside us. That was incoming rifle fire from Iraqi AK-47s. There has been some intense fire in the course of the last two hours or so, but it now appears that the Iraqis are going to ground, perhaps for the night, because during the night, the U.S. forces with their nightvision goggles tend to have an advantage.

Again, it will be dark here, probably in 45 minutes at the most, perhaps even less. And it's been a challenging two hours or so -- Bill.

Yes, Walt, when you dug in last night for the night, when it got dark there in Iraq, did you have any indication that you'd be moving again today like this and what we're seeing?

RODGERS: Yes, Bill. We always know at least a day in advance. Two or three days ago, we knew that the 7th Cavalry, along with the 3rd Infantry Division would be pushing up through the Karbala gap, west of Karbala, and that was the point when we were most concerned that we might take chemical or biological weapons coming, in from the Iraqis, because all the U.S. forces would have been in a fairly concentrated area. That did not happen.

Once we pushed through the Karbala Gap several days ago, we got into a position where we knew exactly what roads and what routes we'd be taking, and we did indeed know he'd we'd be headed to the Baghdad suburbs, which have proved a pretty stiff fight during the course of the day. The reason being there are so many small mud buildings where the Iraqi soldiers can take cover and then snipe away at the armored convoy going down the road, occasionally sticking their head up and firing a rocket propelled grenade.

About 10 minutes ago, I saw a rocket that had been launched. I don't know how far in the distance. It was coming our way. It was a single artillery rocket. I couldn't be sure what it was, but again, it was ominous to see that contrail of gray smoke launching toward us, and then of course, we lost contact with it, and fortunately, it didn't land near us -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yeah, Walt, also as you say, it's getting dark there. Perhaps time soon to find a place and dig in. Can you tell us what determines where you stop for the night?

All right. I believe we lost the signal there. I'm not hearing anything back in my ear. Walt Rodgers, 7th Cav.

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 3, 2003 - 10:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Walt Rodgers again back with us. We've been in and out now for almost two hours.
Walt, what's happening now with you and the 7th Cav as we continue to watch your image by way of videophone, and also that giant M1-A1 tank.

Walt, good evening again.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

You're watching soldiers attached to the 7th Cavalry in a high state of tension and alert, looking on both sides of the road now. They have been under nearly constant fire for the past two hours. Actually the fire has been intermittent, but at times it's been very severe. The Iraqis would set up ambushes on either side of the road.

Sometimes they'd be dug in just a few feet from where our vehicles have passed. One of the weapons they're using is a 20- millimeter antiaircraft gun, but instead of pointing it up in the air, they use it as an antitank weapon, and a vehicle to aim at the Bradley fighting vehicles.

And as I say, they've been shooting at us off on and on for the better part of two hours. My cameraman, Charlie Miller, has been sending pretty constant pictures, except when we had to shut down the camera. One of the things that happened to us was within 20 to 30 feet of us, we had seen sparks hitting the road right beside us. That was incoming rifle fire from Iraqi AK-47s. There has been some intense fire in the course of the last two hours or so, but it now appears that the Iraqis are going to ground, perhaps for the night, because during the night, the U.S. forces with their nightvision goggles tend to have an advantage.

Again, it will be dark here, probably in 45 minutes at the most, perhaps even less. And it's been a challenging two hours or so -- Bill.

Yes, Walt, when you dug in last night for the night, when it got dark there in Iraq, did you have any indication that you'd be moving again today like this and what we're seeing?

RODGERS: Yes, Bill. We always know at least a day in advance. Two or three days ago, we knew that the 7th Cavalry, along with the 3rd Infantry Division would be pushing up through the Karbala gap, west of Karbala, and that was the point when we were most concerned that we might take chemical or biological weapons coming, in from the Iraqis, because all the U.S. forces would have been in a fairly concentrated area. That did not happen.

Once we pushed through the Karbala Gap several days ago, we got into a position where we knew exactly what roads and what routes we'd be taking, and we did indeed know he'd we'd be headed to the Baghdad suburbs, which have proved a pretty stiff fight during the course of the day. The reason being there are so many small mud buildings where the Iraqi soldiers can take cover and then snipe away at the armored convoy going down the road, occasionally sticking their head up and firing a rocket propelled grenade.

About 10 minutes ago, I saw a rocket that had been launched. I don't know how far in the distance. It was coming our way. It was a single artillery rocket. I couldn't be sure what it was, but again, it was ominous to see that contrail of gray smoke launching toward us, and then of course, we lost contact with it, and fortunately, it didn't land near us -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yeah, Walt, also as you say, it's getting dark there. Perhaps time soon to find a place and dig in. Can you tell us what determines where you stop for the night?

All right. I believe we lost the signal there. I'm not hearing anything back in my ear. Walt Rodgers, 7th Cav.

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