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American Morning

Dangerous Tactics

Aired March 31, 2003 - 11:08   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: I just mentioned Jason Bellini embedded with the 15th MU. By way of videophone, Jason's checking in right now. And, Jason, I know we heard from you a few hours ago. Talk about door-to-door searches in part. What else is happening with your unit?
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big news here, and it's a major change in tactics they acknowledge. So far, the only Iraqi city to be taken, to be declared secure is Umm Qasr. The Marines I'm with were the first ones in there, and now they've been moved up here. We just got here today. We have pictures we have show of our 2 1/2 ride, not from Um Qasr, but from another location in southern Iraq.

Along the way, we saw veteran herders grazing their camel and their sheep. There is a beautiful ride. And one of the interesting things we saw is that these civilians, Iraqi civilians, were able to come up to the road, wave at us. They were able to give us thumb's up, and the Marines I'm with returned waves, returned hellos.

This is different from what we saw before, because whenever we saw civilians along the side of the road in the past, that would stop the convoy, and get out and question them, push them off to the side, make sure it was secure. They were not confident in the past that the civilians that they encountered were friendly civilians, but apparently today, as these people with their sheep and their camels were saying hello, it seemed to be OK.

But, again, in Nasiriyah, a very serious situation. Our particular Marine unit is here to support the other Marines that have been here already, and this is going to be a very big week. They've decided that it's really necessary now to go door to door, to try to weed out these pockets of resistance, these forces, these small militia forces that are loyal to Saddam Hussein, and it's going to be a very difficult job. Our own commander talked to the Marines and told them this will probably be the toughest things you guys face. We're going to have to go in there and make split-second divisions that will be at the ground level, the grunt level, where they'll have to try to discern between who is friend and who is foe. And they want to make this city secure -- Bill.

HEMMER: Two interesting developments. Jason Bellini, thanks. The door-to-door activity and also and the reception that they're getting by the Iraqis, on behalf of this unit anyway, as they move up through south central Iraq.

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 31, 2003 - 11:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: I just mentioned Jason Bellini embedded with the 15th MU. By way of videophone, Jason's checking in right now. And, Jason, I know we heard from you a few hours ago. Talk about door-to-door searches in part. What else is happening with your unit?
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big news here, and it's a major change in tactics they acknowledge. So far, the only Iraqi city to be taken, to be declared secure is Umm Qasr. The Marines I'm with were the first ones in there, and now they've been moved up here. We just got here today. We have pictures we have show of our 2 1/2 ride, not from Um Qasr, but from another location in southern Iraq.

Along the way, we saw veteran herders grazing their camel and their sheep. There is a beautiful ride. And one of the interesting things we saw is that these civilians, Iraqi civilians, were able to come up to the road, wave at us. They were able to give us thumb's up, and the Marines I'm with returned waves, returned hellos.

This is different from what we saw before, because whenever we saw civilians along the side of the road in the past, that would stop the convoy, and get out and question them, push them off to the side, make sure it was secure. They were not confident in the past that the civilians that they encountered were friendly civilians, but apparently today, as these people with their sheep and their camels were saying hello, it seemed to be OK.

But, again, in Nasiriyah, a very serious situation. Our particular Marine unit is here to support the other Marines that have been here already, and this is going to be a very big week. They've decided that it's really necessary now to go door to door, to try to weed out these pockets of resistance, these forces, these small militia forces that are loyal to Saddam Hussein, and it's going to be a very difficult job. Our own commander talked to the Marines and told them this will probably be the toughest things you guys face. We're going to have to go in there and make split-second divisions that will be at the ground level, the grunt level, where they'll have to try to discern between who is friend and who is foe. And they want to make this city secure -- Bill.

HEMMER: Two interesting developments. Jason Bellini, thanks. The door-to-door activity and also and the reception that they're getting by the Iraqis, on behalf of this unit anyway, as they move up through south central Iraq.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com