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American Morning
Strike on Iraq -- Alessio Vinci Reports
Aired March 23, 2003 - 10:07 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: More breaking news now. Bill Hemmer will take us through it -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Paula, Alessio Vinci off CNN embedded with the U.S. Marines moving to the southern town of Nasiriyah. Reports we're getting right now of Marine casualties in the battlefield, not sure what the description we have, but Alessio is there and joins us.
Alessio, what do you have?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, a significant change from our last report a couple of hours ago. The company of Marines that was actually ahead of ours a couple of hours ago came under heavy fire from Iraqi forces just outside the town of Nasiriyah. And I can report at this time that we do have the U.S. forces suffered a significant number of casualties. We're still trying to establish the precise number, but as you can imagine, this accident took place just within last couple of hours. We just arrived here on the scene of the attack and we're trying to establish with some of sources and some of the eyewitnesses here, and some other reporters embedded with that company, they're trying to give us a little bit of the details of what exactly -- what happened.
But we're just describing to you what I'm looking at, the charred AAV, an amphibious assault vehicle, is basically one of those armored personnel carriers the Marines are using. It is totally destroyed. It's totally charcoaled, burned down. And according to one of the eyewitnesses, this was one of the armored that was hit by a rocket- propelled grenade.
Now, all this happened several hundreds of meters ahead of me. You will remember I was reporting earlier on hearing heavy gunfire, heavy fire. I did not -- I was not in a position that I could see it. But this indeed, I have now managed to put myself forward a little bit and I am looking right now at this totally destroyed and burned out shell of an armored personnel carrier of the U.S. -- United States Marines.
Again, a significant number of casualties, more than 10, I would say. And we are still trying to assess the correct number, Bill.
HEMMER: Now, Alessio, a couple things of here. I'm not sure how much more you can tell us, but let's back up a little bit. We talked to you about two hours ago and at that time, you said there was light fire and light resistance. Can you tell us what changed since then and have you been with this unit the entire time or was this from a different Marine unit?
VINCI: Well, that is correct. This is an entire battalion that comprises of several different companies and several different units. And the unit that I was with was a unit that was the second in the line to go through the town of Nasiriyah. And so, we were only experiencing some light fire, but in the distance I could hear the explosion of heavier guns. But obviously, I was not aware of what was going on until I arrived here, until we managed to cross the two bridges that separates one side from the other, the north side from the south side of the town. And when I arrived here, obviously, the scene completely different from the one back in town where we were, where again, we only suffered light fire. But here, obviously the unit was spearheaded, if you want.
The drive through Nasiriyah obviously got the worst -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the worst and they were the worst hit. It is obviously very difficult for me now to assess exactly what happened in terms of how come this -- that these Marines, you know, with the incredible amount of air power and air cover that there was at the time. Throughout this operation this morning, I saw at least six Cobra helicopters with machine guns that mounted on them hovering over the entire area, so a significant amount of air power. Yet, some of the Iraqi forces who had RPG (ph) managed to inflict a severe casualty at least in the first unit. And I would say only in this first unit of Marines, as opposed to the units that were following behind who only got hit with light fire -- Bill.
HEMMER: And Alessio, this amphibious assault vehicle that you're describing, this AAV, as they call it in the military, otherwise known as an Amtrak, it is a significant piece of military hardware. It weighs many, many tons. Is it possible that one rocket-propelled grenade could inflict this much damage? That's my first question. And while I have you here, also, when you say at least 10 Marines may have been affected by this, does that indicate that this amphibious assault vehicle is actually transporting Marines through Nasiriyah at the time?
VINCI: Well, to answer the latter part of your question, yes. These vehicles are used to transport the troops. As a matter of fact, it is the same identical vehicle that we, the embedded journalists, are traveling with. We are indeed traveling inside these vehicles alongside the Marines. It is the preferred mean of infantry transportation, if you want, for these Marines.
As far as the capacity of an RPB (ph), yes, you're right, this is a significant piece of metal, but it is also meant to float. This is, of course, a vehicle that is used also for amphibious assaults, so it is not made of pure steel. And it does not have, if you want, the plates, the metal plates that would protect it against this kind of fire.
So I was just talking to one of the reporters as a matter of fact who witnessed part of the scene because he was indeed embedded with that unit that came under fire. And he said that basically he witnessed some of those shells going through the AAV, the amphibious vehicle, like a knife through melting butter. So indeed, a significant piece of equipment, but also very vulnerable to close fire and especially to a rocket-propelled grenade specially designed to stop these kind of vehicles -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Alessio, thanks. Alessio Vinci traveling with the U.S. Marines and again, as he's reporting, an amphibious assault vehicle took on fire, possibly from a rocket-propelled grenade and there are casualties. Exact numbers not known right now. But as we get them, we'll pass them along to you. Certainly, this has to be quite disturbing news to the Pentagon yet again and for the families watching -- to these reports that we're getting fresh and direct from the field of battle with our embedded journalists -- Paula.
ZAHN: The kind of news we hate to report, the kind we fear we have to report.
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 23, 2003 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More breaking news now. Bill Hemmer will take us through it -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Paula, Alessio Vinci off CNN embedded with the U.S. Marines moving to the southern town of Nasiriyah. Reports we're getting right now of Marine casualties in the battlefield, not sure what the description we have, but Alessio is there and joins us.
Alessio, what do you have?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, a significant change from our last report a couple of hours ago. The company of Marines that was actually ahead of ours a couple of hours ago came under heavy fire from Iraqi forces just outside the town of Nasiriyah. And I can report at this time that we do have the U.S. forces suffered a significant number of casualties. We're still trying to establish the precise number, but as you can imagine, this accident took place just within last couple of hours. We just arrived here on the scene of the attack and we're trying to establish with some of sources and some of the eyewitnesses here, and some other reporters embedded with that company, they're trying to give us a little bit of the details of what exactly -- what happened.
But we're just describing to you what I'm looking at, the charred AAV, an amphibious assault vehicle, is basically one of those armored personnel carriers the Marines are using. It is totally destroyed. It's totally charcoaled, burned down. And according to one of the eyewitnesses, this was one of the armored that was hit by a rocket- propelled grenade.
Now, all this happened several hundreds of meters ahead of me. You will remember I was reporting earlier on hearing heavy gunfire, heavy fire. I did not -- I was not in a position that I could see it. But this indeed, I have now managed to put myself forward a little bit and I am looking right now at this totally destroyed and burned out shell of an armored personnel carrier of the U.S. -- United States Marines.
Again, a significant number of casualties, more than 10, I would say. And we are still trying to assess the correct number, Bill.
HEMMER: Now, Alessio, a couple things of here. I'm not sure how much more you can tell us, but let's back up a little bit. We talked to you about two hours ago and at that time, you said there was light fire and light resistance. Can you tell us what changed since then and have you been with this unit the entire time or was this from a different Marine unit?
VINCI: Well, that is correct. This is an entire battalion that comprises of several different companies and several different units. And the unit that I was with was a unit that was the second in the line to go through the town of Nasiriyah. And so, we were only experiencing some light fire, but in the distance I could hear the explosion of heavier guns. But obviously, I was not aware of what was going on until I arrived here, until we managed to cross the two bridges that separates one side from the other, the north side from the south side of the town. And when I arrived here, obviously, the scene completely different from the one back in town where we were, where again, we only suffered light fire. But here, obviously the unit was spearheaded, if you want.
The drive through Nasiriyah obviously got the worst -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the worst and they were the worst hit. It is obviously very difficult for me now to assess exactly what happened in terms of how come this -- that these Marines, you know, with the incredible amount of air power and air cover that there was at the time. Throughout this operation this morning, I saw at least six Cobra helicopters with machine guns that mounted on them hovering over the entire area, so a significant amount of air power. Yet, some of the Iraqi forces who had RPG (ph) managed to inflict a severe casualty at least in the first unit. And I would say only in this first unit of Marines, as opposed to the units that were following behind who only got hit with light fire -- Bill.
HEMMER: And Alessio, this amphibious assault vehicle that you're describing, this AAV, as they call it in the military, otherwise known as an Amtrak, it is a significant piece of military hardware. It weighs many, many tons. Is it possible that one rocket-propelled grenade could inflict this much damage? That's my first question. And while I have you here, also, when you say at least 10 Marines may have been affected by this, does that indicate that this amphibious assault vehicle is actually transporting Marines through Nasiriyah at the time?
VINCI: Well, to answer the latter part of your question, yes. These vehicles are used to transport the troops. As a matter of fact, it is the same identical vehicle that we, the embedded journalists, are traveling with. We are indeed traveling inside these vehicles alongside the Marines. It is the preferred mean of infantry transportation, if you want, for these Marines.
As far as the capacity of an RPB (ph), yes, you're right, this is a significant piece of metal, but it is also meant to float. This is, of course, a vehicle that is used also for amphibious assaults, so it is not made of pure steel. And it does not have, if you want, the plates, the metal plates that would protect it against this kind of fire.
So I was just talking to one of the reporters as a matter of fact who witnessed part of the scene because he was indeed embedded with that unit that came under fire. And he said that basically he witnessed some of those shells going through the AAV, the amphibious vehicle, like a knife through melting butter. So indeed, a significant piece of equipment, but also very vulnerable to close fire and especially to a rocket-propelled grenade specially designed to stop these kind of vehicles -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Alessio, thanks. Alessio Vinci traveling with the U.S. Marines and again, as he's reporting, an amphibious assault vehicle took on fire, possibly from a rocket-propelled grenade and there are casualties. Exact numbers not known right now. But as we get them, we'll pass them along to you. Certainly, this has to be quite disturbing news to the Pentagon yet again and for the families watching -- to these reports that we're getting fresh and direct from the field of battle with our embedded journalists -- Paula.
ZAHN: The kind of news we hate to report, the kind we fear we have to report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
