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American Morning
Marines Trade More Fire With Iraqis at Nasiriyah
Aired March 24, 2003 - 07:05 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Live to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr is watching everything from there and joins us now with what is on her radar today.
Barbara -- good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you also, Bill.
From the Pentagon here, action continuing on all fronts in the west, the north and in the south. And in the south, there is still very heavy fighting, as we have reported earlier today, near Nasiriyah. Officials reporting -- military officials saying the fighting is continuing there and remains heavy, opposition remains heavy, as the U.S. is pressing further north.
Sources are telling us that now -- you see some of the pictures here of the most recent fighting in the Nasiriyah region. Sources now telling us that U.S. reconnaissance assets on the ground are possibly less than 100 miles from Baghdad on this southern front. And as they continue to press, it is expected the fighting will become more intense.
Officials saying that they believe the fighters that they're encountering are not the regular army. They are getting closer to the Republican Guard units. There have been some skirmishes with them. But they are also the irregular forces supported by the central regime in Baghdad.
Also, officials here continuing to be very concerned, obviously, about the fate of those American POWs. They are continuing to try and reach the families, notify them, complete that process and make arrangements for the International Committee of the Red Cross to somehow get to visit those people.
And then earlier today, there were also pictures that we saw of the wounded from the recent fighting, now returning to hospital facilities in Ramstein, Germany, being taken off a transport plane. Many of these people are wounded, some of them also suffering injuries in accidents that have occurred over recent days.
And finally, Bill, the Pentagon actually is now offering a very heavy note of caution about that chemical plant at Najaf that so many people yesterday were saying was a chemical weapons facility. Officials here are saying, let's just take a deep breath and hold off a little bit. They say now they are not positive that it was a chemical weapons plant. It may have been a facility with some civilian uses. They do have some Iraqi leaders in custody, however, that they believe can give them more information about Iraq's chemical weapons program -- Bill.
HEMMER: Another topic quickly, Barbara. Youve seen the videotape of this Apache helicopter somewhere on the ground south of Baghdad. What are we to make of this?
STARR: This videotape is of an Apache Longbow about 50 miles south of Baghdad. As the shot gets closer to the helicopter, the two helmets of the crewmembers. Their whereabouts unknown at this time, a matter of deep concern to the Pentagon.
But the helicopter shows no evidence of combat damage, no visible evidence it was struck by a missile or gunfire. So it may have been a mechanical issue that brought it down. Iraqis surrounding the wreckage site of this Apache. The two helmets indicating that -- they're giving no indication actually of the fate of the two crewmembers. So that is a matter of some concern at this point -- Bill.
HEMMER: Possibly more from the Pentagon now, or possibly from Central Command when they brief again in about two hours from now.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks.
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 24, 2003 - 07:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Live to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr is watching everything from there and joins us now with what is on her radar today.
Barbara -- good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you also, Bill.
From the Pentagon here, action continuing on all fronts in the west, the north and in the south. And in the south, there is still very heavy fighting, as we have reported earlier today, near Nasiriyah. Officials reporting -- military officials saying the fighting is continuing there and remains heavy, opposition remains heavy, as the U.S. is pressing further north.
Sources are telling us that now -- you see some of the pictures here of the most recent fighting in the Nasiriyah region. Sources now telling us that U.S. reconnaissance assets on the ground are possibly less than 100 miles from Baghdad on this southern front. And as they continue to press, it is expected the fighting will become more intense.
Officials saying that they believe the fighters that they're encountering are not the regular army. They are getting closer to the Republican Guard units. There have been some skirmishes with them. But they are also the irregular forces supported by the central regime in Baghdad.
Also, officials here continuing to be very concerned, obviously, about the fate of those American POWs. They are continuing to try and reach the families, notify them, complete that process and make arrangements for the International Committee of the Red Cross to somehow get to visit those people.
And then earlier today, there were also pictures that we saw of the wounded from the recent fighting, now returning to hospital facilities in Ramstein, Germany, being taken off a transport plane. Many of these people are wounded, some of them also suffering injuries in accidents that have occurred over recent days.
And finally, Bill, the Pentagon actually is now offering a very heavy note of caution about that chemical plant at Najaf that so many people yesterday were saying was a chemical weapons facility. Officials here are saying, let's just take a deep breath and hold off a little bit. They say now they are not positive that it was a chemical weapons plant. It may have been a facility with some civilian uses. They do have some Iraqi leaders in custody, however, that they believe can give them more information about Iraq's chemical weapons program -- Bill.
HEMMER: Another topic quickly, Barbara. Youve seen the videotape of this Apache helicopter somewhere on the ground south of Baghdad. What are we to make of this?
STARR: This videotape is of an Apache Longbow about 50 miles south of Baghdad. As the shot gets closer to the helicopter, the two helmets of the crewmembers. Their whereabouts unknown at this time, a matter of deep concern to the Pentagon.
But the helicopter shows no evidence of combat damage, no visible evidence it was struck by a missile or gunfire. So it may have been a mechanical issue that brought it down. Iraqis surrounding the wreckage site of this Apache. The two helmets indicating that -- they're giving no indication actually of the fate of the two crewmembers. So that is a matter of some concern at this point -- Bill.
HEMMER: Possibly more from the Pentagon now, or possibly from Central Command when they brief again in about two hours from now.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
