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American Morning

U.S., Coalition Forces Strike No-Fly Zones

Aired August 30, 2002 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There has been some new military action apparently in the skies over Iraq. Tracking this story, the Pentagon now. Coalition jets have struck an Iraqi military site in the southern no fly zone.
Barbara Starr tracking it from the Pentagon for more now -- Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Well, Pentagon officials say all of this is just routine. Regular patrolling over the southern and northern no-fly zones in Iraq, that they are simply responding to Iraqi provocations with their surface to air missiles and their anti-aircraft artillery, but in fact, it has been a very busy week over Iraq.

In the southern no-fly zone alone, U.S. and coalition aircraft have struck five times in the last week, and on Tuesday, one of those targets that U.S. airplanes hit was really quite interesting. It was described to us as a cable repeater station. Now this is a communications facility that the Iraqis are running in southern Iraq that contains fiberoptic cable and that allows Iraqi military forces to communicate very quickly, transmitting orders to fire against U.S. aircraft.

In northern Iraq, there were two air strikes this week. One of those was also very interesting. It was against the Iraqi airport in the city of Mozel (ph), a northern Iraqi city. That airport handles both commercial and military traffic. Saddam Hussein had placed a military radar at the site, and the U.S. bombed it. And U.S. officials tell us this is becoming a very typical tactic of Saddam Hussein in recent months, that is to place a military radar at a commercial airport. Several months ago, for instance, he put such a radar at Saddam International Airfield near Baghdad, the major airport in Iraq. It is a military tracking radar. It operates at a major commercial airport. Saddam knows the U.S. is not very likely to bomb that tracking radar.

So, if there was to be some type of military action against Iraq, U.S. officials looking at this whole air defense picture in Iraq say Saddam is still using relatively old technology, that it really wouldn't be a problem for U.S. warplanes to fairly easily destroy it, but they are concerned because by their latest estimate, Saddam Hussein's military still has in his inventory up to 50 radar sites that could target U.S. and coalition aircraft, and more than 150 missile launching facilities. So, this means the U.S. is still quite concerned Saddam could always get a lucky shot against a U.S. pilot -- Bill. HEMMER: And Barbara, many of those sites are stationary, but there is some extensive mobile capabilities as well. How much does the Pentagon know about that?

STARR: You bet. They are quite concerned about it. In recent weeks and months what they have noticed, U.S. intelligence have noticed, Saddam Hussein is making an increasing effort to put missile launchers, rockets, artillery on the backs of flat bed trucks. Those are the trucks that he is purchasing, they say, through the oil for food program, and he is now turning them into weapons launchers.

HEMMER: Now Barbara, quickly, a special guest yesterday, I understand at the Pentagon, who showed up?

STARR: Actually, Bill, we found out yesterday -- this happened a few days ago, but we didn't know it. We are always happy to bring our viewers up to date. In our briefing room here in the Pentagon, Robert De Niro was the secret mystery guest. He apparently has become quite close to Tommy Franks, and Robert De Niro had traveled up here with Tommy Franks and was brought into the briefing room quite quietly, privately, after Tommy Franks and Don Rumsfeld had started the briefing. He stayed in the back. The media had absolutely no idea he was there, and then he left quietly. What we are told is that Robert De Niro and Tommy Franks have become very friendly, and De Niro is looking at trying to do some sort of U.S.O.-type tour overseas for U.S. soldiers.

HEMMER: Very nice. That is what we call stealth.

STARR: You bet.

HEMMER: Thank you, Barbara. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wait -- Barbara, I have to find this out -- I just have to know this. Barbara, were you in the same room as Robert De Niro and you didn't know it, were you at that briefing?

STARR: I was, and now I am trying to remember what questions I asked.

KAGAN: That just shows how focused you are.

STARR: We have told them, they can get away with De Niro, but they can't get away with bringing Harrison Ford in.

KAGAN: For the record.

HEMMER: Your (UNINTELLIGIBLE) too, Barbara, thanks.

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