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American Morning
Coalition Helicopters Arrive at Umm Qasr
Aired March 21, 2003 - 07:55 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 need to check in with Jason Bellini, who joins us with the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit of the 15th Artillery to tell us the importance of what has gone on in Umm Qasr.
Good morning -- Jason.
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, yes, we're at the port of Umm Qasr right now. I hope you can hear me. I'm having a little bit of trouble with our connection here.
The port of Umm Qasr, we got here not that long ago, about 45 minutes ago. And in the background, we've been hearing gunshots sporadically. It doesnt sound at the moment like it's a major battle going on, but this port still has activity going on apparently.
There are two parts to this port, a new port and an old port, and both of those ports are -- you may be hearing some of that gunfire behind me right now. I can't tell exactly how far away it is.
This port, we are told, is a very important objective for the U.S. military for this war with Iraq, because of -- well, for one thing, what it represents, a humanitarian-type mission. They don't want to destroy this place. They want to keep it up and running and get it up and running as soon as possible. This is a major place for bringing in food to this country. They said that their objective is within a day or two to have food coming into this country, humanitarian aid entering the country.
Paula, can you hear me?
ZAHN: I can hear you. I don't know if you can hear me without interference. Is that a clear audio signal?
BELLINI: OK, I am hearing you, OK.
ZAHN: Tell us what you can about the number of Iraqi soldiers that have not only surrendered, but those that have been taken in as prisoners.
BELLINI: Paula, we've seen about 50 of them. They're being housed right now in a warehouse. Some of them have handcuffs on, plastic handcuffs; others do not. Some of them are soldiers, some of them appear to be soldiers; others appear not to be. They appear to be dock workers wearing blue uniforms with an anchor emblem on them.
They are now being held in this facility in one of the warehouses here at the dock -- Paula. ZAHN: Jason, as you're speaking, we're going to put up a map to give our viewers out there a better sense of the strategic importance of this area where you're on duty right now. The Faw peninsula, as you mentioned, not only very important to bring in humanitarian aid, but a key strategic location, because it is Iraq's only access to the Persian Gulf and it is a gateway to Iraq's southern oil fields.
Can you give us anymore enlightenment about what anybody has told you about the status of some of these fires that aren't too far from you? They are actually closer to Basra than where you are. But any update on that for us?
BELLINI: Well, on the question of those fires, we don't have much of an update from here. We're able to see what looked like it was a fire, an oil well fire from the helicopter as we were on our way in, although we couldn't be certain. We were at a bit of a distance, as you indicated.
As far as this port and its importance, this port, we are told, is the main hub of the oil-for-food program, where 60 percent of the food is part of that oil-for-food program entered into Iraq. It was also as well, we're told, a major smuggling center. So that was going on here.
And it appears since there were dock workers, there was activity here up until today -- Paula.
ZAHN: And a little bit earlier in the middle of the night there was some sort of characterization that British troops in that vicinity were experiencing stern resistance. But from what you describe what you're hearing now, there is no evidence of that at this hour, is there?
BELLINI: Well, Paula, we were supposed to be here much earlier in the day. Because of resistance, this operation was moved to later in the day. In an early phase of it, there was resistance that was encountered by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. They encountered gunfire. They believed it was small arms fire as they were going in, and so their mission, what was supposed to take only an hour or two, a four-hour mission -- Paula.
ZAHN: Jason Bellini...
BELLINI: But and I should also add on that that no casualties as far as we know -- Paula.
ZAHN: All right, Jason Bellini with the Marine Expeditionary Unit.
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 - 07:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We need to check in with Jason Bellini, who joins us with the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit of the 15th Artillery to tell us the importance of what has gone on in Umm Qasr.
Good morning -- Jason.
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, yes, we're at the port of Umm Qasr right now. I hope you can hear me. I'm having a little bit of trouble with our connection here.
The port of Umm Qasr, we got here not that long ago, about 45 minutes ago. And in the background, we've been hearing gunshots sporadically. It doesnt sound at the moment like it's a major battle going on, but this port still has activity going on apparently.
There are two parts to this port, a new port and an old port, and both of those ports are -- you may be hearing some of that gunfire behind me right now. I can't tell exactly how far away it is.
This port, we are told, is a very important objective for the U.S. military for this war with Iraq, because of -- well, for one thing, what it represents, a humanitarian-type mission. They don't want to destroy this place. They want to keep it up and running and get it up and running as soon as possible. This is a major place for bringing in food to this country. They said that their objective is within a day or two to have food coming into this country, humanitarian aid entering the country.
Paula, can you hear me?
ZAHN: I can hear you. I don't know if you can hear me without interference. Is that a clear audio signal?
BELLINI: OK, I am hearing you, OK.
ZAHN: Tell us what you can about the number of Iraqi soldiers that have not only surrendered, but those that have been taken in as prisoners.
BELLINI: Paula, we've seen about 50 of them. They're being housed right now in a warehouse. Some of them have handcuffs on, plastic handcuffs; others do not. Some of them are soldiers, some of them appear to be soldiers; others appear not to be. They appear to be dock workers wearing blue uniforms with an anchor emblem on them.
They are now being held in this facility in one of the warehouses here at the dock -- Paula. ZAHN: Jason, as you're speaking, we're going to put up a map to give our viewers out there a better sense of the strategic importance of this area where you're on duty right now. The Faw peninsula, as you mentioned, not only very important to bring in humanitarian aid, but a key strategic location, because it is Iraq's only access to the Persian Gulf and it is a gateway to Iraq's southern oil fields.
Can you give us anymore enlightenment about what anybody has told you about the status of some of these fires that aren't too far from you? They are actually closer to Basra than where you are. But any update on that for us?
BELLINI: Well, on the question of those fires, we don't have much of an update from here. We're able to see what looked like it was a fire, an oil well fire from the helicopter as we were on our way in, although we couldn't be certain. We were at a bit of a distance, as you indicated.
As far as this port and its importance, this port, we are told, is the main hub of the oil-for-food program, where 60 percent of the food is part of that oil-for-food program entered into Iraq. It was also as well, we're told, a major smuggling center. So that was going on here.
And it appears since there were dock workers, there was activity here up until today -- Paula.
ZAHN: And a little bit earlier in the middle of the night there was some sort of characterization that British troops in that vicinity were experiencing stern resistance. But from what you describe what you're hearing now, there is no evidence of that at this hour, is there?
BELLINI: Well, Paula, we were supposed to be here much earlier in the day. Because of resistance, this operation was moved to later in the day. In an early phase of it, there was resistance that was encountered by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. They encountered gunfire. They believed it was small arms fire as they were going in, and so their mission, what was supposed to take only an hour or two, a four-hour mission -- Paula.
ZAHN: Jason Bellini...
BELLINI: But and I should also add on that that no casualties as far as we know -- Paula.
ZAHN: All right, Jason Bellini with the Marine Expeditionary Unit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
