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American Morning
Marine is First Reported U.S. Combat Casualty
Aired March 21, 2003 - 07:15 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We can also report that coalition forces have gained control of Iraq's main oil pipeline terminals after a predawn assault.
Let's go to Barbara Starr, who has the very latest for us now from the Pentagon.
Good morning -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, here at the Pentagon, in fact, they're watching these pictures right now that you do see on our air of the 7th Calvary on its continued movement from the south of Iraq north towards Baghdad. This is all being watched very, very carefully here at the Pentagon this morning.
And indeed, they are confirming the first combat casualty, the Marine killed with the 1st Marine Expeditionary force reportedly by ground fire from enemy forces.
But there have been other operational developments overnight. Sources are telling CNN that there has now been an assault, an air assault, into two key airfields in the west, the H-2 and H-3 airfields in the far west of Iraq.
This is the first reported U.S. military action in this part of Iraq. And it's very critical because this is the area that U.S. intelligence had always believed for many years Saddam Hussein's regime had basically stashed the Scud missiles and launchers that they had hidden since Operation Desert Storm. It has always been believed they are out in this area, and it had been a key part of U.S. military strategy to take these airfields very quickly to ensure that those Scuds could not be deployed and possibly threaten Israel.
So reports are now that that has happened, U.S. forces in control of those two airfields.
And back in southern Iraq, confirmed reports oil wells on fire in the Rumaylah oil fields. U.S. and British forces in the region basically securing the area -- Paula.
ZAHN: Barbara, bring us up to date on the suspension of the so- called "shock and awe" part of the campaign, as the U.S. administration tries to figure out whether there is any possibility of regime change at this hour.
STARR: Well, the key question at the moment, of course, is the health and whereabouts of Saddam Hussein. Continuing reports, as you said earlier, that he was injured in that first round of attacks.
Now, the question on the table for the Pentagon is: Do they continue with these leadership attacks in Baghdad, or do they move on to the full-blown air and land assault? It is our understanding that both things remain on the table at this hour, preparations in place to go either way.
But one thing to possibly watch for is what they call "denial of sanctuary attacks" in Baghdad. Essentially, attacking targets, places they believe the leadership might run to in desperation to hide once things really get under way. And the feeling is if they can attack these basic sites that they know, the underground, the hardened sites where the leadership might run to, they will deny them the sanctuary of those sites, they will have to remain on the move, and it will be much easier to find them.
But all of this is likely to unfold literally, Paula, over the next several hours.
ZAHN: Barbara, how seriously is the administration taking some of the reporting in "The Washington Post," the suggestion by one unnamed administration official that Saddam Hussein was injured?
STARR: They are looking into all of this. You know, if they know for a fact at the moment, they're certainly not telling the news media. I think the working assumption at the moment across the Bush administration is, though, that Saddam Hussein is alive somewhere. There is no evidence so far, firm evidence of course, to the contrary.
So the working assumption as they go forward over the next several hours is and has to be that he's alive, but possibly injured.
ZAHN: Barbara Starr, please stand by. We'll be coming back to you often throughout the morning.
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 March 21, 2003 - 07:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We can also report that coalition forces have gained control of Iraq's main oil pipeline terminals after a predawn assault.
Let's go to Barbara Starr, who has the very latest for us now from the Pentagon.
Good morning -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, here at the Pentagon, in fact, they're watching these pictures right now that you do see on our air of the 7th Calvary on its continued movement from the south of Iraq north towards Baghdad. This is all being watched very, very carefully here at the Pentagon this morning.
And indeed, they are confirming the first combat casualty, the Marine killed with the 1st Marine Expeditionary force reportedly by ground fire from enemy forces.
But there have been other operational developments overnight. Sources are telling CNN that there has now been an assault, an air assault, into two key airfields in the west, the H-2 and H-3 airfields in the far west of Iraq.
This is the first reported U.S. military action in this part of Iraq. And it's very critical because this is the area that U.S. intelligence had always believed for many years Saddam Hussein's regime had basically stashed the Scud missiles and launchers that they had hidden since Operation Desert Storm. It has always been believed they are out in this area, and it had been a key part of U.S. military strategy to take these airfields very quickly to ensure that those Scuds could not be deployed and possibly threaten Israel.
So reports are now that that has happened, U.S. forces in control of those two airfields.
And back in southern Iraq, confirmed reports oil wells on fire in the Rumaylah oil fields. U.S. and British forces in the region basically securing the area -- Paula.
ZAHN: Barbara, bring us up to date on the suspension of the so- called "shock and awe" part of the campaign, as the U.S. administration tries to figure out whether there is any possibility of regime change at this hour.
STARR: Well, the key question at the moment, of course, is the health and whereabouts of Saddam Hussein. Continuing reports, as you said earlier, that he was injured in that first round of attacks.
Now, the question on the table for the Pentagon is: Do they continue with these leadership attacks in Baghdad, or do they move on to the full-blown air and land assault? It is our understanding that both things remain on the table at this hour, preparations in place to go either way.
But one thing to possibly watch for is what they call "denial of sanctuary attacks" in Baghdad. Essentially, attacking targets, places they believe the leadership might run to in desperation to hide once things really get under way. And the feeling is if they can attack these basic sites that they know, the underground, the hardened sites where the leadership might run to, they will deny them the sanctuary of those sites, they will have to remain on the move, and it will be much easier to find them.
But all of this is likely to unfold literally, Paula, over the next several hours.
ZAHN: Barbara, how seriously is the administration taking some of the reporting in "The Washington Post," the suggestion by one unnamed administration official that Saddam Hussein was injured?
STARR: They are looking into all of this. You know, if they know for a fact at the moment, they're certainly not telling the news media. I think the working assumption at the moment across the Bush administration is, though, that Saddam Hussein is alive somewhere. There is no evidence so far, firm evidence of course, to the contrary.
So the working assumption as they go forward over the next several hours is and has to be that he's alive, but possibly injured.
ZAHN: Barbara Starr, please stand by. We'll be coming back to you often throughout the morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
