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CNN Live Today

Battle for Falluja; Arafat's Health

Aired November 08, 2004 - 11:01   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
U.S. and Iraqi force have assumed battle positions outside of Falluja. An embedded CNN producer says troops are awaiting the order to enter the city. As you heard from our Jane Arraf report just a couple of minutes ago, U.S. forces have been pounding insurgent positions ahead of the all-out assault. Details in a live report from the Pentagon just ahead.

A Palestinian delegation is headed to Paris at this hour to visit ailing leader Yasser Arafat. The trip follows emotional accusations from Arafat's wife. She accuses members of that delegation of plotting a power grab against Arafat. We'll have more in a live report from Paris in less than 10 minutes.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency issues a dire warning. Mohammed ElBaradei says the world is in a race against time to prevent nuclear terrorism. He pointed to an underground market in nuclear and radioactive materials. ElBaradei spoke at a conference in Australia today.

Tensions are high in Ivory Coast after a weekend of violence in the West African country. Demonstrators and French troops are in a standoff near the president's home. The fighting started with a government airstrike that killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker. French troops responded by destroying the country's air force.

We are a couple minutes past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 on the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And let's get right to it, starting with the urban battlefields.

Here's where we are right now. As night falls across Iraq at this hour, U.S. and Iraqi troops are poised outside Falluja in battle positions ready to strike at any time. CNN's Barbara Starr has been monitoring things for us from the Pentagon. She joins us now with the very latest.

Hello, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Rick.

Word now coming that in just about three hours from now, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be in this briefing room to meet with reporters for the first time in many, many weeks. He will hold a press conference and is expected, of course, to discuss the situation in Falluja at length.

As you say, darkness has fallen. And under the orders issued by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a curfew is now in place, roads are close. The borders with nearby Syria and Iran are closed.

Troops are in their final battle positions, poised to go in. By all accounts, that has not exactly happened yet. But we are told to expect continued fighting in the hours ahead.

There have been, of course, some initial skirmishes. Already Iraqi forces, backed up by U.S. troops, have taken the hospital in Falluja -- that was considered a key target -- so it could continue to operate and provide medical care to civilians who might be hurt without interference from the insurgents.

And as you see, the small skirmishes, relatively small skirmishes have continued over the last several hours. But now that darkness has fallen, as we say, the troops are in their final battle positions. The soldiers, the Marines, the Iraqi forces, all ready to go, and some of them talking about what they believe they will face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we've got counter-battery over here shooting into the city. And then they're shooting back at us. So it's just a constant exchange of fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's going on in the air right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Constant air drop or bombings. The specter's out shooting 105s. And from the sounds of it, there's a treasure drone flying around somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, definitely, it's already started. It's pretty early. And things are just getting going. But hopefully it doesn't last that long and we can take the city like we plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, what the troops know is that the insurgents are well dug in many places in the city. Military sources saying they now believe the insurgents have even dug tunnels between hospitals and mosques that they will use as fighting positions. So every expectation is that there will be some long, hard fighting in the hours and days ahead -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Help us understand this, if you would, Barbara, in terms of our own language as we share the message with viewers all over the country today. Has the offensive already begun, or only the preparations for the offensive have begun?

STARR: Well, for troops on the battlefield, of course, they well be a distinction without a difference. They are engaged in initial skirmishes, they are taking some of those key initial targets such as the hospital, the bridges across the Euphrates River.

This is the initial element which is an effort to control movement, if you will, around Falluja. Airstrikes are underway. That is to soften up the battlefield, if you will, take out some of those key targets, begin to probe the outer perimeter of the city and gradually move on in as they make their way towards these dug-in insurgent positions.

But they are taking it gradually. They are going bit by bit. Certainly the initial effort is underway, and we expect to see more ahead -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: So the only thing missing from your explanation is the Marines actually moving into that house-to-house combat we've heard so much about in the past.

STARR: Well, Rick, of course what they are doing is going in from the outside, the perimeter that they've established, and they're moving in bit by bit. The hospital was a key target. Those bridges are key targets. And as they find opposition, they will deal with it.

One of their tactics, of course, is to probe the outer perimeter, try and make the insurgents show their hand, and then deal with them as they find them. So one of the key questions is, will the insurgents take that bait, will they engage the marines in a firefight, or will they hold back and draw the Marines deeper into the city -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right. Good explanation. Barbara Starr following that for us. And obviously we'll learn more, as Barbara said, when Secretary Rumsfeld comes to the podium.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. Army near Falluja. We spoke with her just a short time ago by telephone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: These particular airstrikes have been called in by the Army to target suspected safe houses and other insurgent strongholds in parts of the city just behind us. (INAUDIBLE) mortar at some targets.

Now, this has been going on for some hours. We are now in the battle position. The full battle has not yet started in this part of the city. But what they're trying to do is get rid of some of the insurgent strongholds to be able to go further in, if that does happen, and to be able to flush out some of the insurgents for other efforts by the Marines.

This is mostly a Marine operation with support from the Army, and important support from Iraqi forces as well. With this unit that I'm with, there are also Iraqi special forces, Iraqi commandos. And they have been told this is a battle, a fight for the future of Iraq -- Rick. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And that was our Jane Arraf talking with Rick just a few minutes ago. We're working on getting Jane back up on the phone. When we do, we will go to her live in Iraq.

Now to our other big international story, the health of Yasser Arafat. A delegation of Palestinian officials is heading to Paris to visit the ailing leader. The trip was canceled and then rescheduled after an angry outburst with Arafat's wife.

Our Fionnuala Sweeney joins us from Paris with the latest -- Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Daryn, we are expecting any moment now a news conference. People getting set up here behind us in front of the hospital for a briefing as to Yasser Arafat's condition.

You referred there to the Palestinian delegation leaving Ramallah, heading here to Paris. The delegation, including Ahmed Qorei, who is the current prime minister, also Abu Mazen, who is the former prime minister and deputy chief of the PLO. Also, Nabil Shaath, who's the foreign minister, and importantly, Rauhi Fattouh, who is the speaker of the Palestinian parliament.

Now, in the event that Yasser Arafat dies, he would be the person who would take over for 60 days, and then elections would presumably be held. But Suha Arafat, the wife of Yasser Arafat, here in Paris, very angry at the prospect of this visit. She's not in favor of it at all, and earlier gave an interview to Al-Jazeera television in which she expressed her outrage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUHA ARAFAT, YASSER ARAFAT'S WIFE (through translator): This is an appeal to the Palestinian people from Yasser Arafat's bedside. Let it be known to the honest people of Palestine, a group of inheritor wannabes are coming to Paris, trying to bury Abu Ammar alive.

I ask you to understand the scope of this conspiracy. I tell you, they are trying to bury Abu Ammar alive. Abu Ammar is well and will return to his homeland. Let it be a revolution until victory. God is great. God is great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Notwithstanding, the Palestinian delegation has decided to board that plane to Paris. They're due in about five hours, but there will be no scheduled meetings this evening.

They are due to meet Michel Barnier, the French foreign minister, at 11:30 in the morning. That in an attempt to work out the flow of information coming from this hospital about the Palestinian leader's condition. The problem being that Suha Arafat, next of kin to Yasser Arafat, is the only person under French law that can allow information to come out of the hospital and indeed allow people in to see. So we are setting up here for quite a showdown.

KAGAN: All right. Fionnuala Sweeney in Paris. And we'll be back to Paris if and when that news conference does begin.

Meanwhile, I want to go back to just outside Falluja, where our Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. military for the latest on that force that's about to move into that city -- Jane.

ARRAF: Hello?

KAGAN: Jane, are you with us? Yes. We're coming back to you. If you can tell us the latest on the movement by the U.S. and Iraqi military moving into Falluja.

ARRAF: We've just received word actually that forces have crossed what they call the line of departure. And officially the attack has started.

Just a few moments ago, I'm looking out over the city of Falluja, and parts of it were burning. We're on the northeastern sector, just on outskirts of the city in a battle position. Artillery fired behind us has been setting off fires in the eastern part of the city.

Now, the city is entirely black, apart from the fires burning, the flares going and the light from the airstrikes and ground strikes. One of the first things that they were to do was cut the power to the city. They have done that. The attack has started, and parts of it are burning in front of us.

KAGAN: And it is night time there?

ARRAF: It is night time. It's been dark for a couple of hours now.

There are forces ringed around this city. The commanding general of the 1st Marine Division says it's the biggest concentration of firepower on Earth right now. We're talking around 10,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops ringed around this city, some of them moving in, some of them moving in with tanks, heavy armor, who are going to be taking up other positions. This truly is a huge operation, and one the soldiers are being told is going to be a decisive battle for the future of Iraq.

KAGAN: And this is an attack that's taking place not just on the ground, but by air as well?

ARRAF: I'm sorry, I'm just moving away from the tanks which are a little bit noisy. Can you repeat that question?

KAGAN: Yes. The tanks on the ground, this is a ground attack, but the attack taking place from the air as well?

ARRAF: I'm not sure if I've lost you.

KAGAN: All right. We're going to work on reestablishing contact with Jane Arraf. As we mentioned, she is embedded with the U.S. Army, she is near Falluja. But as she said, the attack is now officially on the way -- underway. We'll have the latest from her, also Karl Penhaul, and also in touch with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

SANCHEZ: Yes, she's reporting that just 10 minutes after the hour.

We should also let you know that Secretary Rumsfeld and General Myers are going to be holding a briefing at the Pentagon to clear up some of the questions remaining about this situation that's now taking place there in Falluja.

KAGAN: 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific. You'll see it live right here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: And one other thing. We're going to be talking to a general shortly about the situation there on the ground. We'll bring you that right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We'll check and see now if some of the news out of Iraq is affecting the trends on the market and business sectors.

KAGAN: It's somewhat affecting it, because it's a little slow today.

Hey, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks so much, Rhonda.

And once again, we are confirming what Jane Arraf reported to us not long ago, that the Army has crossed over that line of departure in the area of Falluja, meaning for all intents and purposes, that offensive has begun.

KAGAN: It is underway.

We're looking at your family's health. Illness in your family's past may hold the key to your health in the future. The U.S. surgeon general joins us to explain why.

SANCHEZ: And later, no decision yet from the jury in the Scott Peterson case. We're going to talk about which side benefits more from long deliberations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 November 8, 2004 - 11:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
U.S. and Iraqi force have assumed battle positions outside of Falluja. An embedded CNN producer says troops are awaiting the order to enter the city. As you heard from our Jane Arraf report just a couple of minutes ago, U.S. forces have been pounding insurgent positions ahead of the all-out assault. Details in a live report from the Pentagon just ahead.

A Palestinian delegation is headed to Paris at this hour to visit ailing leader Yasser Arafat. The trip follows emotional accusations from Arafat's wife. She accuses members of that delegation of plotting a power grab against Arafat. We'll have more in a live report from Paris in less than 10 minutes.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency issues a dire warning. Mohammed ElBaradei says the world is in a race against time to prevent nuclear terrorism. He pointed to an underground market in nuclear and radioactive materials. ElBaradei spoke at a conference in Australia today.

Tensions are high in Ivory Coast after a weekend of violence in the West African country. Demonstrators and French troops are in a standoff near the president's home. The fighting started with a government airstrike that killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker. French troops responded by destroying the country's air force.

We are a couple minutes past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 on the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And let's get right to it, starting with the urban battlefields.

Here's where we are right now. As night falls across Iraq at this hour, U.S. and Iraqi troops are poised outside Falluja in battle positions ready to strike at any time. CNN's Barbara Starr has been monitoring things for us from the Pentagon. She joins us now with the very latest.

Hello, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Rick.

Word now coming that in just about three hours from now, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be in this briefing room to meet with reporters for the first time in many, many weeks. He will hold a press conference and is expected, of course, to discuss the situation in Falluja at length.

As you say, darkness has fallen. And under the orders issued by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a curfew is now in place, roads are close. The borders with nearby Syria and Iran are closed.

Troops are in their final battle positions, poised to go in. By all accounts, that has not exactly happened yet. But we are told to expect continued fighting in the hours ahead.

There have been, of course, some initial skirmishes. Already Iraqi forces, backed up by U.S. troops, have taken the hospital in Falluja -- that was considered a key target -- so it could continue to operate and provide medical care to civilians who might be hurt without interference from the insurgents.

And as you see, the small skirmishes, relatively small skirmishes have continued over the last several hours. But now that darkness has fallen, as we say, the troops are in their final battle positions. The soldiers, the Marines, the Iraqi forces, all ready to go, and some of them talking about what they believe they will face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we've got counter-battery over here shooting into the city. And then they're shooting back at us. So it's just a constant exchange of fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's going on in the air right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Constant air drop or bombings. The specter's out shooting 105s. And from the sounds of it, there's a treasure drone flying around somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, definitely, it's already started. It's pretty early. And things are just getting going. But hopefully it doesn't last that long and we can take the city like we plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, what the troops know is that the insurgents are well dug in many places in the city. Military sources saying they now believe the insurgents have even dug tunnels between hospitals and mosques that they will use as fighting positions. So every expectation is that there will be some long, hard fighting in the hours and days ahead -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Help us understand this, if you would, Barbara, in terms of our own language as we share the message with viewers all over the country today. Has the offensive already begun, or only the preparations for the offensive have begun?

STARR: Well, for troops on the battlefield, of course, they well be a distinction without a difference. They are engaged in initial skirmishes, they are taking some of those key initial targets such as the hospital, the bridges across the Euphrates River.

This is the initial element which is an effort to control movement, if you will, around Falluja. Airstrikes are underway. That is to soften up the battlefield, if you will, take out some of those key targets, begin to probe the outer perimeter of the city and gradually move on in as they make their way towards these dug-in insurgent positions.

But they are taking it gradually. They are going bit by bit. Certainly the initial effort is underway, and we expect to see more ahead -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: So the only thing missing from your explanation is the Marines actually moving into that house-to-house combat we've heard so much about in the past.

STARR: Well, Rick, of course what they are doing is going in from the outside, the perimeter that they've established, and they're moving in bit by bit. The hospital was a key target. Those bridges are key targets. And as they find opposition, they will deal with it.

One of their tactics, of course, is to probe the outer perimeter, try and make the insurgents show their hand, and then deal with them as they find them. So one of the key questions is, will the insurgents take that bait, will they engage the marines in a firefight, or will they hold back and draw the Marines deeper into the city -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right. Good explanation. Barbara Starr following that for us. And obviously we'll learn more, as Barbara said, when Secretary Rumsfeld comes to the podium.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. Army near Falluja. We spoke with her just a short time ago by telephone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: These particular airstrikes have been called in by the Army to target suspected safe houses and other insurgent strongholds in parts of the city just behind us. (INAUDIBLE) mortar at some targets.

Now, this has been going on for some hours. We are now in the battle position. The full battle has not yet started in this part of the city. But what they're trying to do is get rid of some of the insurgent strongholds to be able to go further in, if that does happen, and to be able to flush out some of the insurgents for other efforts by the Marines.

This is mostly a Marine operation with support from the Army, and important support from Iraqi forces as well. With this unit that I'm with, there are also Iraqi special forces, Iraqi commandos. And they have been told this is a battle, a fight for the future of Iraq -- Rick. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And that was our Jane Arraf talking with Rick just a few minutes ago. We're working on getting Jane back up on the phone. When we do, we will go to her live in Iraq.

Now to our other big international story, the health of Yasser Arafat. A delegation of Palestinian officials is heading to Paris to visit the ailing leader. The trip was canceled and then rescheduled after an angry outburst with Arafat's wife.

Our Fionnuala Sweeney joins us from Paris with the latest -- Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Daryn, we are expecting any moment now a news conference. People getting set up here behind us in front of the hospital for a briefing as to Yasser Arafat's condition.

You referred there to the Palestinian delegation leaving Ramallah, heading here to Paris. The delegation, including Ahmed Qorei, who is the current prime minister, also Abu Mazen, who is the former prime minister and deputy chief of the PLO. Also, Nabil Shaath, who's the foreign minister, and importantly, Rauhi Fattouh, who is the speaker of the Palestinian parliament.

Now, in the event that Yasser Arafat dies, he would be the person who would take over for 60 days, and then elections would presumably be held. But Suha Arafat, the wife of Yasser Arafat, here in Paris, very angry at the prospect of this visit. She's not in favor of it at all, and earlier gave an interview to Al-Jazeera television in which she expressed her outrage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUHA ARAFAT, YASSER ARAFAT'S WIFE (through translator): This is an appeal to the Palestinian people from Yasser Arafat's bedside. Let it be known to the honest people of Palestine, a group of inheritor wannabes are coming to Paris, trying to bury Abu Ammar alive.

I ask you to understand the scope of this conspiracy. I tell you, they are trying to bury Abu Ammar alive. Abu Ammar is well and will return to his homeland. Let it be a revolution until victory. God is great. God is great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Notwithstanding, the Palestinian delegation has decided to board that plane to Paris. They're due in about five hours, but there will be no scheduled meetings this evening.

They are due to meet Michel Barnier, the French foreign minister, at 11:30 in the morning. That in an attempt to work out the flow of information coming from this hospital about the Palestinian leader's condition. The problem being that Suha Arafat, next of kin to Yasser Arafat, is the only person under French law that can allow information to come out of the hospital and indeed allow people in to see. So we are setting up here for quite a showdown.

KAGAN: All right. Fionnuala Sweeney in Paris. And we'll be back to Paris if and when that news conference does begin.

Meanwhile, I want to go back to just outside Falluja, where our Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. military for the latest on that force that's about to move into that city -- Jane.

ARRAF: Hello?

KAGAN: Jane, are you with us? Yes. We're coming back to you. If you can tell us the latest on the movement by the U.S. and Iraqi military moving into Falluja.

ARRAF: We've just received word actually that forces have crossed what they call the line of departure. And officially the attack has started.

Just a few moments ago, I'm looking out over the city of Falluja, and parts of it were burning. We're on the northeastern sector, just on outskirts of the city in a battle position. Artillery fired behind us has been setting off fires in the eastern part of the city.

Now, the city is entirely black, apart from the fires burning, the flares going and the light from the airstrikes and ground strikes. One of the first things that they were to do was cut the power to the city. They have done that. The attack has started, and parts of it are burning in front of us.

KAGAN: And it is night time there?

ARRAF: It is night time. It's been dark for a couple of hours now.

There are forces ringed around this city. The commanding general of the 1st Marine Division says it's the biggest concentration of firepower on Earth right now. We're talking around 10,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops ringed around this city, some of them moving in, some of them moving in with tanks, heavy armor, who are going to be taking up other positions. This truly is a huge operation, and one the soldiers are being told is going to be a decisive battle for the future of Iraq.

KAGAN: And this is an attack that's taking place not just on the ground, but by air as well?

ARRAF: I'm sorry, I'm just moving away from the tanks which are a little bit noisy. Can you repeat that question?

KAGAN: Yes. The tanks on the ground, this is a ground attack, but the attack taking place from the air as well?

ARRAF: I'm not sure if I've lost you.

KAGAN: All right. We're going to work on reestablishing contact with Jane Arraf. As we mentioned, she is embedded with the U.S. Army, she is near Falluja. But as she said, the attack is now officially on the way -- underway. We'll have the latest from her, also Karl Penhaul, and also in touch with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

SANCHEZ: Yes, she's reporting that just 10 minutes after the hour.

We should also let you know that Secretary Rumsfeld and General Myers are going to be holding a briefing at the Pentagon to clear up some of the questions remaining about this situation that's now taking place there in Falluja.

KAGAN: 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific. You'll see it live right here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: And one other thing. We're going to be talking to a general shortly about the situation there on the ground. We'll bring you that right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We'll check and see now if some of the news out of Iraq is affecting the trends on the market and business sectors.

KAGAN: It's somewhat affecting it, because it's a little slow today.

Hey, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks so much, Rhonda.

And once again, we are confirming what Jane Arraf reported to us not long ago, that the Army has crossed over that line of departure in the area of Falluja, meaning for all intents and purposes, that offensive has begun.

KAGAN: It is underway.

We're looking at your family's health. Illness in your family's past may hold the key to your health in the future. The U.S. surgeon general joins us to explain why.

SANCHEZ: And later, no decision yet from the jury in the Scott Peterson case. We're going to talk about which side benefits more from long deliberations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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